Seven Teachings

A poster in a local library 

 Seven Grandfather* Teachings

Wisdom ~ To have wisdom is to know the difference between good and bad and to know the result of your actions

Love ~ Unconditional love to know that when people are weak they need your love most, that your love is given freely and you cannot put conditions on it or your love is not true.

Respect ~ To have honour for all of creation. You must give respect if you wish to be respected

Bravery ~ To be brave is to do something right even if you know its going to hurt you

Honesty ~ Always be honest in word and action. Be honest first with yourself and you will more easily be able to be honest with others.

Humility ~ You are equal to others but you are not better

Truth ~ To learn the truth, to live with the truth and to walk with truth, to speak truth


Each one of these is simple enough for a child to comprehend, yet deep enough to take a lifetime to fully appreciate. I certainly wrestle with a few myself.
Bravery made me think immediately of Caroline's post a week ago. Perhaps each of us is brave in ways we do not appreciate.

Very little research pointed me to several sites on these teachings, but this one in spite of being somewhat commercial, elaborates on these seven beautifully. 

It seems very sad to me that a society that would hold such teachings sacred should now live in the shadow of one with such complicated and often conflicting ones. 

My search for wholeness, my deep desire to know, live and speak my truth, keeps reminding me that any impasse I feel is culturally based. It seems it is not humanity but instead human social conditioning that holds me back. 

*In the Anishinaabe society, the 'grandfathers' were their spirit helpers.