culture
Why Come to Inner Mongolia?
To our eyes, the Mongolian steppe is vastly open, expanding into the horizon, offering little for the eye to latch onto. But to the senses beyond the five senses, it is a land steeped in mysteries. The essential primordial vibrations of the land releases tensing of the mind. The breathtakingly broad sky and earth open the heart to possibilities beyond our known world.
Like the landscape it originated in, Shamanism may seem simple to the eye, yet completely hidden to the uninitiated. This is why in human history, there has not been much written on the depth of shamanism, unless one searches for the hidden meanings.
In a place like this, we have a chance to detach from our existing patterns and to reset ourselves to a natural state of being, allowing us to reactivate the life force needed for healing and spiritual development. The simplicity of the Mongolian steppe, the strength of the primary energies, the living lineage of shamanism are all powerful catalysts to our inner alchemist journey.
A Documentary on the History of our Region in Inner Mongolia
On this landscape:
- One of the most ancient cultures of harmony and sustainability is still practiced today by the nomadic Mongolians
- Hundreds of rock carvings from more than 7,000 years old are scattered in the mountains of this area, symbolizing ancient Shamanic deities who are early incarnations of the Buddhas or realized teachers.
- The largest and most ancient jade dragon totem ever found in China, a national treasure some 5,500 years old, was discovered right by Jerigtu’s village, minutes to our Shamanic Retreat Center, indicating the region’s importance in the dragon deity’s origins.
- The birth place of the Qidan (Kauai, Cathy) tribe, and their most sacred mountain is only forty minutes away from the Center.
- The settlements around this mountain between two rivers are from the most famous Shamanic lineage, Genghis Khan’s Golden lineage, and the land is named “The King’s Tribe.”
The simplest truth, the most profound wisdom, is like water flowing for all of time: it’s forever present yet unobtrusive. This simple truth holds within itself a perpetual strength that can go through any block or obstacle. It quietly permeates our reality unnoticed until one day, when we most need it, the crucial wisdom is revealed. Its indestructible firmness supports and nourishes until new life takes root.
Living closest to the earth and in harmony with its natural rhythms, the nomadic Mongolians have been guided by nature’s holistic wisdom for millennia. The shamans know the ultimate truth is beyond the dualistic nature of language. It is transferred through direct visceral communication, passed down through the soul since the beginning of time.
In thought, word, and action, the nomadic culture embodies these principles of harmonious living with profound respect and reverence, and in this way sustain a direct spiritual connection between earth and heaven.
A. EARTH / NATURE:
For thousands of years, nomadic Mongolians have lived on one of the most delicate environments on earth—the grassland steppes. They have learned to live in a way that sustains harmony in this fragile ecosystem. As loyal custodians of the environment, they keep their heart and senses open to earth and all living creatures, and harness wisdom from this closely connected living arrangement.
Nomads tread gently on earth, and keep a careful watch over any changes in balance. They gage how much treading is beneficial for the mix of plants, and how much would harden and dry up the top soil layer. They sense how much of the tip of the grass their animals should eat to stimulate growth, and when to move them to a new area. When shrubs are overgrown in an area, they send in their camels. When tall grasses are over taking short ones, they send in their horses. They keep a balance in their herds with lambs and goats to have both mobility and cohesion. They respect and maintain equilibrium within nature, never going against nor trying to control the natural flow.
They know Mother Earth as a living entity, with the top soil and surface vegetation as her skin. They feel Mother Earth’s feelings when she gets sad or tired, and they weep when great traumas are inflicted on her. Living a life that is most down-to-earth, they know the energetically yin qualities of Mother Earth well, her embracing acceptance, her supportive nurturance, her creative vitality, and her transformative power. The nomads embody this wisdom in their daily life.
They move every six days, keeping the grassland still green and vital, and their animals strong and resilient. They speak of this effort they make poetically: just as birds don’t leave a trace in the sky, and fish don’t leave a trace in water, we try not to leave a trace on the land.
Their feelings toward earth and all living things, are not based on personal benefits, because one cannot own land, and we are just passing through this realm, cannot take anything when we leave it. Indeed, they empathically feel a Oneness with the earth and its creatures: there is no difference between their pain and the earth’s pain, there is no difference between their joy and the birds’ joy.
They honor the environment with rituals for mountains, rivers, and lakes; they pay their respect with prayers, libations of milk or vodka, songs, dance and mantras. These rituals sustains the vibrational connections of our Oneness. Out of the enormous body of music and folk songs from Mongolia, more than 90% sing about love for Mother Earth, and for the great expansive grassland.
Easy going and even-tempered in daily life, Mongolians are also capable of manifesting the intense vital life force of the earth. Most intolerable to them are lies, betrayals (when words and action do not match), and disrespect for mothers and for Mother Earth. When necessary, they can bring up this life force from gut and use it to push through blockages and break down obstacles, to transform the moribund and dilapidated, making space for regeneration and renewal. Healing can only be effective when one can effectively harness this energy.
Tapping into a greater picture of what life is, they easily releases material resources to be shared, including their food, their home, even their body after death is given back to nature. They revere each life form being an irreplaceable link in the system, and that our fate are tied in the breadth of time and space.
When a newborn camel calf or lamb is rejected by its mother, the Mongolian shepherd would sing to the mother animal, softening her heart, often to the point of tears, until the mother animal would re-embrace her baby.
Children are raised by the whole village. There is no “mine” versus “yours”. Orphans are not abandoned or left behind. Mongolians have taken in many thousands of orphans in the aftermath of each war and famine throughout the tumultuous last century of China’s history. They treat these children with extra care, offering the children most of their resources for the children to be able to pursue higher education in the big cities. Because of this natural and generous caring by their adoptive families, many of these same orphans choose to return to Inner Mongolia after their studies, a place they come to recognize as their true home, a place where their hearts connect to.
To the rare visitors of the steppes, the nomads may appear generous and gregarious, but in daily life they are rather reserved and stoic. This way of being comes from a inner knowing that love is of sustained and natural attention over time. Love is expressed like the trickling water from a spring, soft and never ending. Words used are like the spring water, natural and unforced sweetness.
Emotions are like energy, pressure increases when met with a blockage. Under strong expressions there may be blockages. When blockages are released, flow returns to evenness. Similarly, one feeling inferior tends to act more superior and hard on the outside; whereas when one knows he/she is respected, one is more modest and yielding. This understanding of “emotional sustainability” also comes from nature.
They consider thoughts as important as words and action, and must match. Once words are spoken, action must follow, promises must be kept. One is truly well when inside and outside are in alignment, and one’s thoughts are equally healthy as their physicality.
The nomads know that words hold strong energy, and must be used with care. In the Mongolian language, the word “kill” is avoided when slaughtering animals. Rather, they would say to “exit” or to “make” that animal. The taking of an animal’s life is performed in a special way as to not activate fear in the animal, so its soul may leave without fear. And because no fear is released into the bloodstream and muscles, fear will not be transferred to humans eating it.
In relationships, sustainability means understanding the interconnectedness, the balance of giving and taking, and that harmony requires equality, integrity and respect. The nomadic Mongolians consider relationships more important than material goods and money. When they feel they have enough, they’d spend their time toward being with loved ones. To them a home needs to be kept “warm” by energy of joyful activities shared in loved ones’ presence. As civilization developed away from earth and from the cycle of life, we are getting more attached to the mental idea of personal accumulation of goods. A rare glance of a naturally sustainable life style may still be available amongst the nomads.
Another wisdom that contributes to sustainable relationships is understanding the difference between intelligence and wisdom, between being smart and being wise. They may be misunderstood in the short run as not being smart and clever, but they know in time truth will reveal itself, misunderstandings will be resolved, and underlying wisdom for the benefit of all involved will be received.
Another wisdom for sustainable living is keeping the original flavor of foods without covering them with much extra flavoring. Our senses are not overwhelmed when the simple original taste of the food is kept, therefore remain sensitive to our body’s needs. They also keep their teeth strong into old age with not overly cooked food; their eyes healthy by looking into the horizon everyday; their overall health tuned by singing daily. Many small and consistent details in daily life habits may form an across the board sustainable life style.
As the original medicine, music plays an important part in the everyday life of the nomadic Mongolians. They believe that to heal an ailment, to affect any kind of salutary change in a person, the heart must first be opened. Their traditional instrument, the horse violin is one of earliest bowed music instruments on earth. The music that comes out is as if played directly on the heart strings. When the heart opens to the music, it can generate enough vital energy to push through any blockages, expel any stagnancies, and deliver new life force to all organs throughout the body, increasing functioning. Miracle healing happens when the heart release open to profound joy.
Throat Singing
Horse Violin
Mongolian Yodeling
Shamans also use the different vibrations of musical instruments and musical notes to heal corresponding organ systems. The Mongolian music often resolve on a key that specifically addresses the kidney system, a system that is fundamental in increasing vitality, releasing fear, gaining trust and stability. It is also foundational for further healing and spiritual development.
The Mongolian spoken language comes from the chest and gut, and some of the sounds specific to their speech cannot be produced using only the muscles of the mouth or the face alone. This makes their language more embodied, words uttered as if they were mantras coming from the gut and the heart, transferring life force and heart energy through sound directly into the world.
As with their spoken language, the unique throat singing practiced by the Mongolians activates the stomach and chest cavities to support muscles we don’t normally use in the throat. It evokes finer vibrations simultaneously in multiple manifestations from the body. It is used by shamans as finer vibrations to evoke divine spirits.
D. SPIRITUALITY:
A foundational shamanic spiritual principle is, worship no one and nothing other than the ultimate divine. Talk to God from your own center within, not through intermediary. We each are provided by Nature with a direct connection to God. This is the ultimate spiritual and religious freedom of practice that the western world learned from Genghis Khan, the mighty Mongolian leader who had been known to practice long fasts in mountains where he would receive direct spiritual messages from the divine, and while traveling, from trees.
Genghis Khan sent messages not by the way of written words, but by messengers who recited poetic trance-like songs that would communicate deeper meanings that went beyond words. Throughout history, shamanic teachings are passed on in this esoteric realm beyond language.
Because of their direct connection to spirit, shamans know their actions and way of life determines their spiritual score, or karma. For example even if they’d lost all their animals in ailments or accidents, the nomads would still bury the animal remains and not try to recover their loss by selling them. The teaching is passed down that animals that died from illnesses may pass on physical illnesses, if died from accident may pass on emotional illnesses, if died from drowning may pass on mental illnesses, and so on. They say, whatever you do, Heaven knows.
When it comes to their own death, many elderlies would know the approaching time, so they are prepared, and depart in peace and contentment. Spiritual knowledge about one’s own life journey, birth, illnesses, death and life beyond, and an ultimate sense of peace are from direct personal connectedness with nature and the divine.
As Claire comments, “This is the calmest land I have ever set my foot on, yet it’s not wilderness. It’s a place where people have lived out their lives, generation after generation, with nature.” This ever-present calm comes from thousands of years of uninterrupted nomadic life, a deep understanding of the myriad of manifestations of the Oneness in this world as “wu chang,” or, that the only consistency in this world is change. Nothing is permanent, everything changes, and energies flow, thus the cultural practice of “wu gua ai”, or no attachments. Everything in life comes and goes at ease without grasping or fear, including life itself.
E. CONCLUSION:
Connected to the spiritual lineage, no matter how far one would travel, how many beautiful places one would visit or live, how much material riches one would be exposed to, the nomadic Mongolian remains firmly rooted to the land, to nature; their ties remains strong to the family, to the culture, and ultimately to their spirituality.
In a modern urban life detached from earth, instant satisfactions leave us unsatiated and frustrated; exploding entertainments leave life meaningless and us feeling lost; artificial flavorings leave us hungry, forgotten what true sweetness tastes like; sound and light noise leave us numb to feelings and to life itself; quick and surface interactions leave us lonelier than ever…
Settling on the grassland, we began to feel the disorderly, illusory, meaningless, trivial or complex fall away layer by layer. We distill to simplicity. Seeing one line of horizon extending into infinity, there is only heaven above, and earth below. In between is oneself with all living things.
Being in tune with all creatures in nature, one is never alone or lonely. Being in tune with ancestors and the reincarnations, one is never lost but guided with divine presence, with a sense of eternity. Keeping a grand overview of life, we would know all living things in nature as necessary parts of the beautiful symphony, or tapestry of art; and throughout time with thousands of reincarnations, we would begin to gain a grasp of the totality of Oneness that we are all part of.
The experiential wisdom we may receive is like the great expansive roots of a tree, hidden from sight. But it is the foundation for growth, for life, and this firmness of strength will especially be felt in the biggest storms.
Oneness is both empathy and reverence for all, and the persevering embodiment of the all-ness integrity. It’s an open heart, firm gut-level being, and in-tuned spirit. It’s the utmost attention for the tiniest unique creations, at the same time a steady sense of balance and harmony of all across time and space.
Yet, any words, any descriptions used, is only a quick glance, at a specific time with specific thoughts and emotions. The true encompassing feeling, the true sense of the land, the culture, the people can only be experienced being immersed into the totality of it, and through time.
The living lineage of Shamanism in Inner Mongolia still practices living in abiding awakening. Come and immerse in this holistic way of life, where the unconscious and instinctive come alive, and our true essence remembered. Come to complete the old, and be ready to welcome the new.
“If the modern world is a stirred up cup of drink with all the flavoring added to stimulate us, Mongolia is the rare cup of pristine water that holds the true sweetness of life that we may have forgotten, or became numb to taste.”
—Jack Weatherford, author of
“Genghis Khan and the Quest for God”
There are regular Mongolians herders, like Mr. Tang, who has made grassland preservation his life’s work since 1987. This began because he had a big regret, that his childhood was spent in such natural beauty, but his children grew up not even recognizing many wild animals. He is glad to say that some of the wild animals are finally returning, and his grandchildren can grow up experiencing nature’s wonder. He said, “This is the best gift I can give to my grandchildren.”
Living in industrialized world in dense urban environments, most of us and our children don’t have much opportunity to play in the dirt, to mix our bodies with the body of the earth. When we no longer receive our nourishment directly from earth, when we are no longer immersed in earth’s fragrances and energetic vibration, when we are bombarded with so many artificial vibrations coming from every direction except the earth’s, we are like children growing up without being hugged by our mother, never really able to rest in her safe, nurturing embrace. We then lose that essential grounding and heart-to-heart connection for our lives. Some of us subconsciously resent this loss, because we know on some level we were deprived of the support and nurturance that is our birthright. Many of us harbor this collective internal wound.
Mirrored outwardly is our modern family relationships becoming increasingly spread apart and tenuous, our friendships and social relations seem increasingly formal and less natural, just like how we have been moving further and further away from our Mother Earth. We no longer can feel her. Our hearts are closed down an we are not able to sustain a supported, loving connection.
Some prominent scientists are saying, “Capitalism is the pivot of today’s biospheric crisis,” and the definition of economic growth is the rate we transform natural resources into consumer goods. As our relationship to the earth becomes more and more out of balance and the speed at which species extinction increases, a part of our own human nature becomes increasingly at risk of getting lost, or even dying.
When an unbalanced or extreme energy becomes manifested in this container between heaven and earth, the energy will eventually reverse itself; extreme yang, for example, turns to extreme yin. To successfully go with the flow of change, we must rediscover within ourselves our own connectedness to Mother Earth. The Mongolian shamanic lineage has maintained this connection to the tremendous regenerative power of the earth energy, the greatest yin in the realm. They embody these qualities into their daily lives, such as receptiveness, nurturing, empathy, inclusiveness, maternal, grounded, visceral, non-linearity, non-verbal, and wildness.
Shamanic teachings are manifested throughout the traditional nomadic life, in harmony with nature and all living things. This living culture helps us to remember the immense power we have in the Oneness connect through Earth, Heaven, the trees and all living things, and that this power can awaken our innate ability to heal, to experience cathartic spiritual growth and enlightenment.
Currently we still have an opportunity to experience this invaluable teaching in all aspects of the nomadic Mongolian life. In bringing more awareness to this ancient culture and its traditions, we are thereby also helping to protect and sustain this lineage for humanity and the world. Our Shamanic Retreat Center would like to provide a space for those who want to come and experience the weaving of teachings both East and West, spirituality and ecology. So we may remember our way back to our essence, and embody it in our daily life.
Social Conditions of the Grasslands:
The nomadic life style has endured for thousands of year in Inner Mongolia, but has come under serious assault in the past two decades, and its very existence is now threatened. Large population influxes from the rest of China have been settling into the grassland, bringing with them different set of values. Local policy makers coming from an agricultural background have forced settlements with fenced off, divided lands in order to manage the population increase and cultural differences over land use.
The across-the-board policy of planting crops on the grassland, especially water-consuming ones such as rice, has caused a lowering of the underground water reserve. Industries whose only concern is profit worsen the condition. Lakes and rivers dry up. Fish and bird species are disappearing. The underground water level has dropped thirty to sixty feet. In one decade, grass that used to be four feet tall is now barely covering the thin layer of soil. Some areas are losing all their top soil and are turning into barren land of sand, becoming the source of the now notorious sand storms that periodically dust Beijing with a thin layer of sand, sand storms that stretched all the way to Korea and Japan across the strait. These grasslands used to be considered the lungs for Asia.
Because of these dire conditions, herding has been prohibited over large areas of the grassland, forcing the younger generation of Mongolians to leave their home settlements to find new livelihood in urban centers. Some try to make a living with their music. Although Mongolian music has been widely accepted by the mainstream because of its unique beauty and breathtaking expansiveness, the very inspiration for that music, Mother Earth and its beauty, is under such threat that the music, without its natural context, may also cease to exist.
Currently, governmental subsidies pay locals not to herd, but receiving handouts would only lower the people’s morale and rob them of their meaning in life. And grassland without animal droppings and stimulation would not make a healthy ecosystem. The old way of life is fast disappearing, and along with it, ancient wisdoms about life, precious knowledge about Mongolian herbal medicine and Shamanic spiritual practices for the soul.
Prof. Shurun Liu, a Chinese professor in his eighties, who spent most of his adult life on the grassland studying with the indigenous nomads, makes this urgent appeal: “The only way to prevent desertification of the grassland, is to preserve the ancient nomadic life style. Human culture is an indivisible part of ecology, and ecology is as complex as human culture.” Any body of knowledge is only a grain of sand in the complexity of nature, and cannot unilaterally reverse ecological damage. A culture with reverence for nature and humbleness for human’s existence is a song of ecology, an all-embracing wisdom for a sustainable world. This is what our current society profoundly needs.
How You Can Help:
What may help you could also help the local Mongolians. Outsiders wanting to learn about the ancient culture would not only show the policy makers that there is value in the old ways, but it would also give cultural confidence to the young generation of Mongolians. This interest from outsiders will bring a new focus to the traditional practices, while at the same time, giving locals a new livelihood through ecotourism.
Since the begin of 2018, Premier Xi of China has been giving a series of speeches about environmental protection. In these speeches, he states that the severe pollution of the water, soil and air in China are obvious short comings for development of the country. GDP is no longer the only concern, environmental protection must also be considered. There needs to be a complete judicial system for protecting the ecological culture and environment. Inner Mongolia’s GDP for 2018 has been lowered from 7.5% to 6.5% in order to account for ecological development.
We are right at the spearhead of the new development and ecological awareness, and hope to create a large enough framework necessary for on-going protective measures for the environment and the sustainable way of life of the nomads. We want to do our best to create a relatively comprehensive view of what a balanced ecosystem looks like, and what the people behind it need to take on in their own cultural and personal development.
The increased awareness in Mongolian medicine, Shamanic healing, and spiritual teaching, along with a return to the holistic sustainable nomadic culture, will help raise confidence in the young people of Inner Mongolia, giving them a viable future in their homeland. Forming a cultural exchange between Mongolians, Chinese and Westerners, people all over the world may gain new perspectives, both inwardly toward ourselves, and outwardly to the world.
4. Donate:
Would you like to support our cause, and help us offer more charitable activities for the culture and people? You can choose one or more of the areas your money will go towards:
- ecological restoration;
- cultural preservation;
- support for extended spiritual retreats;
- educational outreach to schools and villages;
- scholarship fund for apprentice healers; and
- medical services to villagers in need.
You can contact us, or make a donation directly through the Zelle service: claire.g.j@gmail.com.
And we would like to thank you for your donation with a small cultural gift, so please provide an address where we can send it.