Cto seek and find its inner coherence, to remain connected to others and to the universe, this is what the Maasai people invite us to do. Anthropologist Xavier Péron introduces us to this way of life in his latest book, also a personal development manual. Of them, we only know their long silhouette with a haughty port draped in red. The Maasai, a people of herders and warriors, photogenic extras in the Out of Africa or documentaries on Kenya. What we did not know, until the work of the anthropologist Xavier Péron, is that they are transmitted from generation to generation a rich spirituality, lived on a daily basis, of a universal scope and which conceives of man as the co-creator of the universe. For the Maasai, as for Amerindian spirituality or Taoism, the human being is above all a connected being. To others, to his environment and to an intelligence force which surpasses him and which they themselves call Enk'Ai, “the mother goddess, source of all life, explains Xavier Péron. It takes on different aspects, multiplies its manifestations, and everyone is in collective and individual relationship with it, through prayers, dances, thoughts and actions. ”For example, Enk'Aï sends rain which feeds animals and men. , but also the trials that allow them to grow spiritually. The anthropologist lived among them for years, was initiated into their rites, and for thirty years has pursued an intense spiritual relationship with Kenny, his friend and Maasai guide. “With them,” he remarks, “there is neither philosophy nor religious dogma; they live reality as one with it, while being aware of what they must bring as individuals and members of a community to maintain balance and harmony in the great chain of life ”. According to him, their spirituality can be reflected in these lines of force: overcoming fears, staying connected, not creating division in oneself and around oneself, taking advantage of trials, experiencing what is. “This is what I strive to practice on a daily basis and which has changed my life, and this is why I feel like their facilitator in the West. For the separated, dispersed, agitated men that we have become, it seems important to me to spread their message of call to interior unity, to the opening of consciousness, two essential ferments for a more just and fair living together. more human ”. It is this voice that we wanted to make heard. Not to idealize a culture or a way of life, but rather to nourish and inspire us. By discovering the five pillars of Maasai spirituality.
ILMAO: Accepting duality
The term “Maasai” comes from the word ilmao (“the twins”), which expresses the belief that all things are connected with others to form pairs of complementary elements. As in the tao with its figure of Yin and Yang, opposites exist, but they are not antagonistic. Duality reigns outside, like day and night, rain and drought; and within oneself, where altruistic and selfish impulses collide, fear and courage… To refuse it is, for the Maasai, the best way to suffer and to be in conflict with others. Hence the necessary acceptance of the duality of the world and of beings. A posture that promotes patience and benevolence. = Practice: Identify your inner twins. List your qualities and correlate each one with a flaw and behaviors that may have led you to failures or conflicts. Example: “generous” can go hand in hand with “inconsistent”, generosity can also become an expectation of reciprocity and be a source of disagreement when it remains one-sided. The goal is to take a nuanced and indulgent look at yourself and others. Match your words and actions to avoid dissonance and antagonists, sources of personal and relational imbalance. Acts and words must be twins. There is no difference between saying it and doing it among the Maasai, who know from experience that this consistency is the guarantee of healthy and lasting relationships.
Do you like the website ?
Access all our Premium content. More than 2000 articles and ebooks
The nine lessons of the Maasai warrior, followed by: The keys to Maasai spirituality
3,61€ IN STOCK
Release Date | 2013-04-19T00:00:01Z |
Language | Français |
Number Of Pages | 317 |
Publication Date | 2013-04-19T00:00:01Z |