- John Fire a.k.a. Lame Deer, Sioux Medicine Man
“The Tao is like a well:
used but never used up.
It is like the eternal void:
Filled with infinite possibilities.
It is hidden but always present.
I don’t know who gave birth to it.
It is older than God.[1]”
-Lao Tzu
The birth of Taoism, in a Machiavellian sort of way, came out of necessity. Taoism’s conception in the Axial Religious Age served as a vivid contrast to rigid Confucian doctrine that was dominating the minds and politics of ancient Chinese at the time. Its conception thus illustrates its main principle: balance. Taoist’s beliefs of balance, unity, peace and Tao (Great Spirit) pervade all elements of life on earth and represent a view of the world that transcends the common burdens of race, power, and politics. In order to ease these quandaries, the way of the Tao places the human soul in the upper echelons of philosophic importance, while at the same time placing the human physical being on an equal ground with all things on earth. In other words, the time we are given here should not be fraught with stress and worry over matters of money and politics, but our days should be lived out in peace and harmony with the environment that both surrounds us, and nurtures us. Proficient and prolific reverence then should be paid to all divine aspects of our lives in order to help guide us to the road of eternal bliss.
If we peer into the “ancient” history of
Earth
From the first words of The Great Binding Law (Great Law of Peace) evidence of the Native American earth-based religion permeating all aspects of life is visibly clear. Dekanawidah begins his work by planting the “Tree of Great Peace” in the Onondaga Nation, the nation of the Firekeepers. Under the Tree of Great Peace is where the Confederacy will meet and discuss all affairs while gathered around the Council fire.
“Whenever the Confederate Lords shall assemble,” Dekanwidah says, “the Onondaga Lords shall open it by expressing their gratitude to their cousin Lords and greeting them, and they shall make an address and offer thanks to the earth where men dwell, to the streams of water, the pools, the springs and the lakes, to the maize and the fruits, to the medicinal herbs and trees, to the forest trees for their usefulness, to the animals that serve as food and give their pelts for clothing, to the great winds and the lesser winds, to the Thunderers, to the Sun, the mighty warrior, to the moon, to the messengers of the Creator who reveal his wishes and to the Great Creator who dwells in the heavens above, who gives all the things useful to men, and who is the source and the ruler of health and life” (The Great Law of Peace).
Even within the political realm, the Firekeepers address and give thanks to every way in which people interact with the earth and its inhabitants. These beliefs help carry the people along. Without any of these things, in the Native eye, there would be no sustainable or worthwhile existence for humans and neglecting them would be severely disrespectful to the Great Spirit. Similarly, Lao Tzu playfully writes,
“The Tao gives birth to all beings, nourishes them, maintains them, cares for them, comforts them, protects them, takes them back to itself, creating without possessing, acting without expecting, guiding without interfering. That is why love of the Tao is in the very nature of things.”
Endless balance in the world, it seems exists if humans can learn how to play their part.
Women
Not often are women called to duty in the modern civil service world. In the Great Law of Peace, however, women of Lordship families serve as critical elements of the Confederate system. The women are given specific powers which identify them as potentially more divine or spiritual beings. First, in the “Rights, Duties and Qualifications of Lords” section of the Great Law, Dekanwidah states that a certain number of shells (wampum beads) shall be given to each female family in which the Lordship titles are vested. This indicates the women have the right of bestowing the title. Depending on the situation, the women pass on Lordship usually to sons of the family, but when a Lord acts out of line with the Great Law, they must give it up to a sister family in which they then would possess the beads. Women also are responsible for conveying important messages to men of their families when times show that the Great Law is not being properly upheld. They are to be dutiful in reminding their Lord to always promote love, peace, and harmony, especially in the case of a transfer of Lordship to a new family.
“The gentlest thing in the world,” Lao Tzu writes, “overcomes the hardest thing in the world.”
Selflessness
The expectations of leaders of the people go far beyond the normal conceptions of politicians we have been so jaded by in the modern world. When Lordship is to be installed, the man will furnish four strings of shells, giving evidence of his pledge to the Confederacy. From this point he vows to live according to the constitution and effect justice in all affairs. As they crown the new Lord with the sacred emblem of deer’s antlers, they declare:
“Your heart shall be filled with peace and good will and your mind filled with a yearning for the welfare of the people of the Confederacy. With endless patience you shall carry out your duty and your firmness shall be tempered with tenderness for your people. Neither anger nor fury shall find lodgment in your mind and all your words and actions shall be marked with calm deliberation. In all of your deliberations in the Council, in your efforts at law making, in all your official acts, self interest shall be cast into oblivion.”
These particular words encompass very much what it means to be a Taoist master. Lao Tzu notes:
“The ancient Masters were profound and subtle. Their wisdom was unfathomable. There is no way to describe it; all we can describe is their appearance. They were careful as someone crossing an iced-over stream. Alert as a warrior in enemy territory. Courteous as a guest. Fluid as melting ice. Shapable as a block of wood. Receptive as a valley. Clear as a glass of water. The Master doesn’t seek fulfillment. Not seeking, not expecting, she is present and can welcome all things.”
Notice however, that the Master is referred to as female. As we have seen through these two texts, there is a connection among all things in this world and it all begins with the Great Spirit. It would seem foolish if the Great Spirit or Tao was simply male. As seen by all its creations, it is obviously beyond the rash distinctions of male and female and must encompass all things in the world.
In popular culture, the Taoists are most famous for their symbol known as yin and yang. The circular, ever-flowing symbol illustrates the balance between black and white forces, their constant pushing and pulling that creates a flow, like a river. The Haudenosaunee refer to the black and white forces as well. In the section of the Great Law of Peace regarding “Official Symbolism” Dekanawidah speaks of wampum shells on strings, “three spans of the hand in length, the upper half of the bunch being white and the lower half being black.” The black wampum symbolizes the power to execute, while the white symbolizes that “no evil or jealous thoughts shall creep into the minds of the Lords while in Council under the Great tree.” “White,” Dekanawidah says, “the emblem of peace, love, charity and equity surrounds and guards the Five Nations.” He also notes that the white portion of the shell strings represent the women and the black the men.
Peace
The most remarkable clause of the Great Law of Peace comes at the end of the section on symbolism and explicates the true nature of this doctrine. Everything else Dekanawidah has said it seems serves as a guide to lead us to this one declaration.
“I, Dekanawidah, and the Union Lords, now uproot the tallest pine tree and into the cavity thereby made we cast all weapons of war. Into the depths of the earth, down into the deep underearth currents of water flowing to unknown regions we cast all the weapons of strife. We bury them from sight and we plant again the tree. Thus shall the Great Peace be established and hostilities shall no longer be known between the Five Nations but peace to the United People.”
The Great Peacemaker courageously makes a stand of absolute non-attachment to anything that helps facilitate a path of violence. Lao Tzu stated it as, “By not dominating, the Master leads.” These statements serve not only as declarations, but revelations for the greater good as well.
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