James Ray is not a Guru. He did make a mistake. I don't agree the people died because of greed but do agree that his ego likely played a part. Remember, many of us get who we are so I would be mindful of what you pray for. I feel confident Mr. Ray is being shown a part of who he is but I don't know if I am ready to make an announcement that I believe he wittingly "intended" this to happen.

To me it is another example of how we must ALL take more responsibility for ourselves and each other. Why is it if people were becoming ill did not ONE of those people help them? Why didn't they help themselves?

Why is it of all the people involved in that event not one knew the physical dangers of not proper ventilating (natural breathable covers)? Why is it not one person knew the physical signs of danger in those circumstances?

I see it a lot. People have tourists come and participate in some spiritual practice, ceremony, event, and they don't know basic first aid. They don't know where or how far the local hospital is. They are completely ignorant about the potential dangers. Still people go and they don't ask. They don't take charge of their own health and well being. As long as I remain ignorant and careless about my own safety, others can easily take advantage.

Wow there is a whole lot of hostility floating around this topic. I too wonder if that energy couldn’t be directed in a more productive direction. I was thinking, just maybe there is something to learn from this tragic event.

If, just if, the passing of these people opened up a conversation that goes beyond the ripping off of Native American Spirituality (as if anyone can own spirituality) or the idea that someone needs to pay dearly for this (as if revenge evens the score and makes everything better) … then perhaps the price these people paid with their lives would have been, in some way, a gift to all of us.

Let’s go ahead and head off the idea right here that I wouldn’t sue Ray. I would absolutely. So don’t even go there. But money doesn’t hold nearly the same value as a life changing lesson. No lesson is actually learned without unemotional processing of the whole picture.

So far, I have seen plenty of discussion on what Ray did or didn’t do which include presumptions on “his” motivation. I thought I might add a few more pieces to the picture that I seem to be pondering.
What were the motivations of the people attending this little get together? Were they just looking for some spiritual enlightenment? Next week I’ll be going to see a different author featured in The Secret. That is going to cost me a whopping $25 and guess what? His book comes with the ticket. If this author were charging $11,000 (and no book lol) would that mean he is more enlightened then James Ray? Obviously not. People who have ten grand laying around to drop on a little enlightenment aren’t ignorant of this fact. But, evenso, I don’t expect to see a single one of them at my event next week. Why? Because it is not worth $10,000 to them to rub elbows with me. Some people think it is, but they are usually broke. This gathering was likely a bit more about a networking chance of a life time than about any sort of enlightenment. As such, it was a business trip.

So now these people are on the business trip of their life sitting in a sweat lodge. Who is going to be the first to say “I’m outta here” ? I attend Inipi Ceremony regularly. Lodge is my church. I have been in plenty of lodges where touristy kind of people just want to check it out. I don’t think I’ve ever been in this type of lodge where someone didn’t leave at the first open door or at least by the second. I have been taught and I do believe, that is okay! I used to have to check myself at this annoyance of someone else interrupting “my” experience but I think I’ve grown to accept these people are just taking care of themselves. I have absolutely no right to judge them or to presume what they are experiencing in “my” church. Anyway, I’ve spoken to a number of these people who bailed early and there was always one common thread running through all of them. It was a feeling that they were weak. Now imagine sitting in Lodge rubbing sweaty elbows with incredibly influential and powerful people. Are you really going to be the first to announce you are too weak for this? We are not just talking about 10 or 20 people here. We are talking about more than 60 who will probably financially impact your life.

Ya know, when I hear or read something that Chief Arvol Looking Horse has to say, I always have to take a deep breath and get ready for it. We seldom agree and I have my own issues with him. But about this whole Arizona affair he did hit on something I absolutely agree with and may also be a point of consideration. He said “When you do ceremony, you can not have money on your mind. We deal with the pure sincere energy to create healing that comes from everyone in that circle of ceremony. The heart and mind must be connected. When you involve money, it changes the energy of healing. The person wants to get what they paid for.”

I wonder how many people sat there near death waiting for the spiritual experience so many others of us have experienced because that’s what they paid for.

Just a few thoughts. There are a few others, but that’s what pondering is all about.

For those who would like to know how Sweat Lodges work, here is a good introduction:

adventure.howstuffworks.com/swea...e.htm

NOTE: "In the United States, sweat lodges are largely associated with Native American tradition. But they've been seen in cultures around the world. Ancient stone buildings in Ireland suggest they appreciated the benefits of sweating -- same thing in rural China, Russia and Mongolia, and the Polish make use of sweat lodges in folk medicine. The oldest sweat lodge evidence dates back to 5 B.C. It appears that the Scythians, a nomadic group that populated today's southern Russia, constructed sweat lodges from poles and woven cloth."

Ray is not the first teacher person to push some to death. Indigenous shamans have done so also. It happens as rarely as with people like Ray. What about the indigenous Shamans that have killed students with Jimsonweed? John Perkins knows a shaman down in Ecuador that has a practice of taking his apprentices into a volcanic vent and making them stay in there with him. He has killed several of his followers doing this. It is an interesting contrast with the two cultures. Down in the jungle there is no outrage or anger at this shaman for doing this. Is it because tribal people in the jungle care less about life than western European culture? Maybe it is comparing apples to oranges but tribal people in the jungle are a lot more accepting of death. Mostly because they have to be. Given the means to do so they would fight for life as much as anyone else. Personally, I would never push anyone to point of serious harm but the world is a lot bigger than me. There maybe situations where that is what the people involved want to do.

There are obviously many ways to view this situation. Ultimately, though, it is good to bring it to the attention of people who may put themselves in harm's way. It is also good for those of us who teach others and lead and guide others....good for us to remember that we have a GREAT responsibility to treat those in our care with respect and love.

Spirituality does not mean giving up one's free will.

See #17 in The Advanced Bonewits’ Cult Danger Evaluation Frame:
www.neopagan.net/ABCDEF.html

www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/

This explains a lot about why all those people did not leave or help one another:

www.youtube.com/watch