Our ability to change begins in our past. At some point, we decided that “this” is the way to do a task. If the first thing we do in the morning is make our bed, it is because somewhere along the line we decided that this was a good thing to do. We may have made that decision because our mother made us to it or we may be a neat-freak by nature. Whatever the reason, making our bed has become a habit that we simply do every morning before we leave our bedroom. Not making our bed one morning shows us just to see how strong this habit has become.
In addition to habits of actions, we also have habits in our thinking. “My father was a life-long Democrat so I’m a Democrat.” It’s not that we don’t think but simply that often we were too young to understand the implications of others beliefs when they were repeatedly presented to us. We accept the beliefs of others out of habit rather than thinking it through completely for ourselves.
Another habit pattern is related to our emotions. Most of us know when to laugh, cry or express our emotions. For example, we know funerals are the time to be sad. Part of this is that everyone around us is sad. Before we were aware of our emotions we were told by the example of others that a funeral is the time to cry. We will cry at a funeral even if we didn’t know the person. Crying at a funeral is a habit.
As we mature we naturally change some of these habits of doing, thinking and feeling. However, many do not change and we have no idea that we are simply mimicking the behavior of others. This is no problem if we agree with the habit, but it can be a problem when we as unique individuals do disagree. If we disagree but still do, think or feel as others have taught us through their actions, thoughts and feeling, the result for us will be pain, procrastination and a lack of trust in our selves.
The Gwenio Process takes us deep into our past to find and assess the beginnings of false actions, thoughts and feeling. Part of the past is our own personal history which includes our family, friends, co-workers and others we encounter throughout lives. Our past also includes in a broader sense our community and the culture it professes. The issues our countries face today did not start yesterday. Our ancestors faced the same issues and made their choices. We are living the results of their choices. If we want to change the result, we have to find the seeds of our own choices in the examples they presented to us.
In that sense, About Gwenio presents a philosophical point of view that helps us examine our assumptions about our world. It explains an ancient way of seeing the world that is based on nature. The essence of that point of view is stated above. As we begin to see all dualities as resonant, we begin to act, think and feel from our authentic selves.
Two philosophies, grounded firmly in nature are Taoism, developed in China and Seneca Indian philosophy developed by the native people of what is now called Western New York. Below is a brief description of these two philosophies.
Taoism
Taoism is often translated as “The Way”. The philosophy developed as a result of watching nature, especially the interaction of the opposites in nature: day/night, summer/winter, etc. This aspect of nature was of prime importance to the people of the Orient because they depended on rice crops as their principle source of food. The knowledge of the events of weather and the natural behaviors of plants were essential to keep everyone fed.1
Also essential was working together to plant, irrigate and harvest the rice. Thus the link was made between the observation of the “way” of nature and the “way” of working together. The people of the Orient see the relationships between people as aspects of the ultimate duality of yin and yang. Yin is the reflective form of the force, Qi. Yang is the direct form of the force, Qi. Qi is the Chinese word for energy. These forms of energy can be translated into the potential (yin) and kinetic (yang) forms of energy as defined by physics.
From this point of view, our relationships are fluid as the yin and yang ebb and flow. Throughout this site, we will be seeing how yin and yang in relationship to each other can explain how all sorts of relationships work and change.
Seneca
“Gwenio” is Seneca patwah for “truth”. When we translate words of another culture into our own it is essential to realize that though the word may translate into English there may be some differences in the actual meaning that do not translate. For example: when we “boot up” our computers, we mean that we are turning on the computer. “Booting up” in Jamaican patwah means to put on a condom. Same words but very different meanings!
So while we have a word “truth” that means roughly the same thing as the Seneca word “gwenio”, there is a difference in the meaning as a result of a basic difference in our view of the world.
In our English dictionary there are 4 meanings for the word truth:
- Conformity to knowledge, fact, actuality or logic.
- Fidelity to an original or standard.
- Reality.
- A statement proven to be or accepted as true.
In Seneca, truth is the essence of our experience. It is the central fire within each of us. It is the compilation of all our experiences. It is discovered through observation of the world around us. The Seneca taught their children early to interact with nature in a way that taught them about themselves. They learned to know “truth” because they experienced truth in their lives.
Again much the same meaning but the great difference is the awareness of “experience” in discovering the truth. The Seneca saw themselves as a part of nature and drew their conclusions when their observations of nature corresponded with their experiences.
Together the Seneca and the Chinese philosophies will direct us toward our goal of shifting from opposition, personal survival oriented choices, to resonance, natural solutions to life’s natural discord.