THE CIRCLE OF THE ELDERS
Shamans From the Whole World Around the Dalai Lama
Patrice Van Eersel and Alain Grosrey
THE AUTHORS
Alain Grosrey is a researcher in human sciences.
Patrice Van Ersel is a journalist and writer, author of the best sellers "La Source Noire" (The Black Source) and "La Mort Reapprivoisee" (Death Retrained). Their report is completed by an in-depth study about the situation of ancient traditions in the world, through interviews and an anthology of sacred chants.
THE BOOK
In the logic of the religious dialogue, 11 years after the gathering around John Paul II, the Dalai Lama and his French friends took the initiative of another gathering to celebrate the end of this millennium. All the spiritual traditions (Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and so on) were represented, but at the center sat the oldest religions of the world: Shamans of Siberia and Asia, Medicine Men of North and South American, Voodoo Priests from Africa, wise Aboriginals from Australia. Instead of being tolerated, or excluded, these survivors of the primordial traditions of humanity were given the opportunity for a whole week at the end of April 1997 to discuss about and celebrate one after the other their rituals in the Karma Ling Institute in Savoie. At the end of that in the setting of a day set aside in front of a public of 7,000 people, they delivered to the men and women of today a message of what they think about the state of the world and gave their advice as Elders.
Patrice Van Ersel and Alain Grosrey who were present at this surprising Inter-Tradition meeting tell about it and analyze it in detail. They also interviewed the people there as well as the Dalai Lama. For the head Tibetan, the dialogue in between the moderns and "primordials" is vital. As though these last people, unfortunately disappearing, held the secret of a sacred relationship to the world that was always natural to them but that we have lost.
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Author, Alan Grosrey, has been e-mailed to ask if the book is available in English, and if the book could be ordered from him, etc.
These are some pages that referred to Mary Thunder. Here are the translations as follows:
Page 185
Grandmother Mary Elizabeth Thunder: "Yes, I want to remind people that in the American Indian tradition, women are very important. Since always, they have the power and the capacity to raise men and take care of the Earth. It is thus as a celebration to all the women on Earth that I would like to address an acknowledgement and honoring to women for they have preserved and saved peace and life in this world".
Page 29.
The Cheyenne Mary Elizabeth Thunder, one of the four "Grandmothers" from America is dressed as in the Indian legends of our childhoods, in a colorful way.