Differences between Indian beliefs and New Age

Indian beliefs
1 Pluralism. Indian beliefs are generally pluralistic, meaning that your beliefs are right for you, and our beliefs are right for us. There's a caveat, however: The religion that is "right" for you is determined by your nationality. I know little about Hopi beliefs, for example.

2 Indian beliefs hold that spirituality is deeply taboo, especially when talking with foreigners.

3 Method of transferring information. There are no Indian sacred texts; we transfer information orally. In fact, most Indian languages have no written form. (And BTW, those that do are significantly different from non-Indian written languages.) Further, it is ONLY transferred in that language.

4 Outlook. Completely integrated into one's lifestyle, not thought of as "religion" as much as a way of life.

5 Ancestors communicate with Indians.

6 Nation-specific. ALL Indians know what nation they belong to, and traditionals practice the beliefs of their respective nations.

7 Faith is based on community.

8 Structure. People have set roles in rituals.

9 Even offering money makes a ceremony useless.

New Age beliefs
1 Syncretism. New Age beliefs mix and match. Mix Hopi prophecies with Lakota ceremonies, as well as non-Indian beliefs such as karma, zen, channeling, tarot cards, paranormal, Western psychology, tantra, and God only knows what else in a haphazard manner, and you've got a typical New Age cocktail.

2 Taboos. New Age has no taboos.

3 Method of transferring information. New Age belief systems usually have MANY books. These books will run anywhere from $5.99 for a paperback version to $29.99 for a hardcover. Many other media are used in New Age.

4 Outlook. Grab bag; views Indian beliefs as compatible with Western philosophy.

5 Ancestors communicate with non-Indians.

6 Generic stereotypes. Obvious mixing, such as totem poles and dream catchers, can be found. Generally speaking, New Agers have only recently discovered their Indian heritage, if they have any at all.

7 Faith is based on the individual.

8 Anyone can be whatever they want. If everyone wants to be a drummer, everyone's a drummer.

9 Money. Rituals are done for money.

http://www.bigorrin.org/archive25.htm

2 Indian beliefs hold that spirituality is deeply taboo, especially when talking with foreigners.

Would you elaborate on this further? I understand what a taboo is but I'm not quite sure what you mean here - that it is taboo for an Indian to discuss beliefs with a 'foreigner'?


I also believe that this

9 Money. Rituals are done for money.

isn't fair or accountable.

Originally Posted by Wisa'ka

2 Indian beliefs hold that spirituality is deeply taboo, especially when talking with foreigners.

Only a few western people can understand the mindset of ancient beliefs and practices. This makes it almost impossible that they could understand it properly. If the is the case why disseminate the wisdom to people who will misinterpret it even before they hear anything?

Originally Posted by OceanSoul

Would you elaborate on this further? I understand what a taboo is but I'm not quite sure what you mean here - that it is taboo for an Indian to discuss beliefs with a 'foreigner'?


I also believe that this isn't fair or accountable.

That is what you believe. We all have our beliefs. I believe it is wrong for people to become millionaires by plucking incredible profits off what they have managed to gather from Indian people. Such knowledge was put to use for the tribe's benefit out of obligation, not to allow for one's material wealth. It puts a false sense of us into the minds of others. Such knowledge has been passed down form generation to generation. It is as much of part of the people as their ancestor spirits. Such knowledge cannot be attained by buying it from some desperate for cash Indian.

Much is sacred and private and not shared so freely and openly as to compromise personal safety.

Originally Posted by Rin

Only a few western people can understand the mindset of ancient beliefs and practices. This makes it almost impossible that they could understand it properly. If the is the case why disseminate the wisdom to people who will misinterpret it even before they hear anything?

The American Indian Movement has been fighting the New Age movement for over 30 years now. This business supports a billion dollar industry. For all of the rhetoric that these New Age predators use, such as: "love and light," and "be the change you want the world to be," they execute strategic marketing plans to profits from selling and desecrating our ceremonies, sacred objects, and medicines.

~ Corine Fairbanks, Oglala Lakota

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American Indian spiritual leaders do not enjoy such a lifestyle -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKubZzIi358

http://trollovgrimness.blogspot.ca/

'My Life Is A Horror Movie'
Towards an 'ethnic european'/'western' shamanism

the Victorian spiritualists are a good example. The literary cannon of H. P. Lovecraft another. the 'true story' of aliens visiting Whitley Streiber is also a valuable repository of popular folklore. All of these kinds of things are discussed on my blog .

although the hidden world, and the names of the unnameable are verboten, speaking of the hidden is not taboo, and I try to recommend books that do a good job of revealing the nature of the hidden without polluting the sanctity of such hidden worlds

our duty should be to speak of the hidden, and bring our words to that threshold, but its sacrality makes us stop

this is a good encapsulation of the literary style of these authors. they bring us to the brink

I have to go along with the traditionalist and people like Ms. Fairbanks of AIM who fight to keep American Indians from getting ripped off by profit minded predators.

[Native spirit]

The way i see it is everyone believes in something be it religeon beliefs or anything else but no one should benefit from anothers beliefs but this does happen with the Native People everyone still thinks that the Native people still live in tepees, this is not the case the Native people live on reservations in sub standard conditions, some live in houses,
what the Native learn is passed down generation to generation.its not taught and is sacred to the tribe.
new age is taking bits from everywhere and putting it together so its a new concept
the ideas they have are not their own, do u see a new age person making money and giving it to the original people whos ideas they are using? the answer is no.
they are quick to tell everyone their ideas and everything else.but the plan is to make money/ which is in complete contrast to to the Native people.


Namaste

Originally Posted by Native spirit

The way i see it is everyone believes in something be it religeon beliefs or anything else but no one should benefit from anothers beliefs but this does happen with the Native People everyone still thinks that the Native people still live in tepees, this is not the case the Native people live on reservations in sub standard conditions, some live in houses,
what the Native learn is passed down generation to generation.its not taught and is sacred to the tribe.
new age is taking bits from everywhere and putting it together so its a new concept
the ideas they have are not their own, do u see a new age person making money and giving it to the original people whos ideas they are using? the answer is no.
they are quick to tell everyone their ideas and everything else.but the plan is to make money/ which is in complete contrast to to the Native people.


Namaste

its really a shame

and when I've confronted people with the fact that Mikao Usui communed on an ancestral mountain and was a Shintoist and he didn't have anyone 'attune' him that he managed by himself, and this was possible for anyone to do, they tell me I am wrong

*shrugs*

still to this day new age book stores are full of sub-standard books, they seldom have bibliography or any pertinent information in them.

only when I became a university student and had access to ethnographies was I actually able to learn anything valid from elsewhere like countries like Vietnam who are still very traditional

its all 'pay me and I'll enlighten you'

and they have the audacity to use someone like Mikao Usui's name, and claim lineage to him,
but they don't point out the fact that he didn't pay anyone! when he attuned it was spontaneous

But more wonderful than the lore of old men and the lore of books is the secret lore of ocean. Blue, green, gray, white or black; smooth, ruffled, or mountainous; that ocean is not silent. All my days have I watched it and listened to it, and I know it well. At first it told to me only the plain little tales of calm beaches and near ports, but with the years it grew more friendly and spoke of other things; of things more strange and more distant in space and time. Sometimes at twilight the gray vapors of the horizon have parted to grant me glimpses of the ways beyond; and sometimes at night the deep waters of the sea have grown clear and phosphorescent, to grant me glimpses of the ways beneath. And these glimpses have been as often of the ways that were and the ways that might be, as of the ways that are; for ocean is more ancient than the mountains, and freighted with the memories and the dreams of Time. - H. P. Lovecraft

this is sort of what I mean,
he points to the mystery of the universe
but doesn't explicitly name it
the wonder he has for it cannot be expressed

Actually I'd say there's a second kind of New Ager that's equally as problematic. The kind that, while they aren't out to make money, they ARE out to gain attention for themselves (or to gain a quick-fix, easy-to-swallow spirituality). They feel like special snowflakes for believing these "new", "novel" ideas that the money-grubbers have fed them, they tout books and self help seminars and conventions, they spew catchphrases like a bleating sheep, they vehemently preach and criticize people who don't go along with their mindset, and all this other stuff...but never actually understand for themselves. They've jumped on a fad bandwagon started by a bunch of people wanting money, they eagerly fork out said money, and in my opinion they are just as guilty as the ones trying to make money off of someone else's long-held sacred beliefs because they enable the behavior. Obviously these spiritual pseudo-gurus wouldn't be making money if they didn't have hoards and hoards of rabid followers. In the end there are many many people to blame, and don't get me wrong...I used to be part of that crowd too so I cannot say that I am blameless either. I had to learn on my own that this brand of spirituality was like sugar...really sweet and makes you feel great for a little while at a time leaving you empty and tired afterwards, but absolutely devoid of nutritional value that will help you grow.

There really is a vast difference between ancient or traditional belief systems, and New Age. For me, New Age was both an introduction to ancient beliefs (since it held just the smallest grain of them) and a terrible perversion of it that I quickly had to leave behind after I got burned quite severely. I am simultaneously glad that I was given the introductory knowledge that I was, and sad that it was so twisted.

I think many people are happy with neopagan/new age beliefs of various kinds and it works well for them, and I'm loath to invalidate that in any way especially since many of my best friends practice that way and I'd never expect them to change that. But at the same time I often feel deep down that it's really missing a lot and has been changed drastically to fit the modern lifestyle, leaving behind many important things in the meantime and creating a level of spirituality that sort of rests contentedly on the shallow end of the spirit pool and never bothers to venture further out or demand more of a person. It seems to me that it reflects highly some of the same prevalent attitudes that really bother me elsewhere: A sort of affluent disgust toward adversity, a loss of honor, a sense of entitlement to happiness, complete loss of patience and a sort of expectation for everything to be like Google (type in a question, get an answer).

I suppose it depends on the person and what they take away from it. But in general, the New Age brand of spirituality usually gives me a terrible feeling. The feeling I'd get if I were standing there looking at a cute adorable little puppy that's been sewn together with care from the fur of a thousand hunted wolves that now lie on the brink of extinction...