Is it faith that links the two?
“What was once impossible now summons us to dismantle the walls between ourselves and our sisters and brothers, to dissolve the distinctions between flesh and spirit, to transcend the present limits of time and matter, to find, at last, not wealth or power but the ecstasy (so long forgotten) of commonplace, unconditional being. For the atom's soul is nothing but energy. Spirit blazes in the dullest of clay. The life of every woman or man-the heart of it-is pure and holy joy.” George B. Leonard (American author b.1923)
White Buffalo Woman is a story shared by different Indian tribes throughout many generations. Although the story has changed slightly depending on who is telling it the overall meaning remains the same, the white buffalo brings peace.
The story goes.....
Two scouts from the Lakota Tribe see a white buffalo in the distance the closer it gets to the scouts the image transforms into a beautiful young lady. The one scout has lustful thoughts about the woman and approaches her with the intent to make her his wife. She turns his body into a pile of bones. His disrespect has brought him death. She tells the second scout to go to his tribe and prepare for her arrival. If he does what she has told him to do she will bring him no harm. He does exactly what she asks of him. The Lakota Tribe is prepared once the mystical woman arrives. She teaches them great things. To hunt, cook, weave, pray and respect the land. She performs rituals to bless them, there land and homes. Before leaving, she gives the a scared pipe to the Lakota Tribe in which she teaches them how to use. It has great power. It unites all that is living. Respect it and it will take you to the end of the road. The Lakota Tribe will be protected until the end of time. White Buffalo Woman left but promised to return again one day...
After reading this story, I was reminded of how Christianity played such a major role in my upbringing and how the stories of Jesus Christ are similar to that of White Buffalo Woman. The stories give hope, knowing that we have something looking over and protecting us. Both are linked to faith. The Indians have faith in the White Buffalo Woman and the precious tool she left behind-the pipe. The pipe brings good luck to those that respect it by way of food, clothing, protection and longevity. They have faith that it will watch over their tribe until White Buffalo woman returns again. Christians have faith in God and through his son, Jesus Christ we can be reunited with Him again. We believe that the Holy Spirit is what guides us. It protects us from evil in human and spirit form.The Bible is the tool that provides divine guidance to obtaining everlasting life. Not on earth, like the pipe promises in the story of the White Buffalo Woman, but an eternal life beyond this World, in Heaven. They both allow us to dream of, hope for, imagine, something, someone or an entity that is much more powerful than humanly possible to guide us through life here on earth.
Are White Buffalo Woman and your Divine Being linked in any way? Think about it....
Leonard, George B. Thinkexist. N.p., 2011. Web. 3 Oct. 2011.
<http://thinkexist.com/quotes/George_B._Leonard/>.
<http://thinkexist.com/quotes/George_B._Leonard/>.
Share International Magazine. "The White Buffalo Woman." Mercer Online. J.
Miller, 1998. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. <http://www.merceronline.com/Native/native05.htm>.
Miller, 1998. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. <http://www.merceronline.com/Native/native05.htm>.
Bing Images
