A native American lady from California contacted me several years back, after discovering my website with Hindu fire ritual manuals. She told me some very interesting things about her own culture! Her elders taught her a simple fire ritual, which she had been doing daily for over 20 years! 🙏

She wrote: "We also do a short fire ritual to Nyaya (Mother of us all) before beginning our day...it is very short...and we utilize an abalone shell, juniper or cedar or spruce with an Eagle feather".

Apart from daily fire ritual, she also mentioned an annual fire ritual. On the summer solstice (Saayana Karka Sankranthi) evening, she holds a community fire ritual called a lodge.

A pit is dug and some wood is nicely arranged in the center. She said it looks like Shiva Lingam, with the pit resembling yoni and stacked wood resembling lingam (see the picture on right)!

In the evening, they light fire, sit around the sacred fire and sing/chant sacred songs. She wrote: "Ancient songs are sung in particular order one of which requests assistance from the Gana (helpers)".

Apparently, they also apply the sacred ash from fire rituals on their bodies.

She said Native Americans are losing knowledge of these rituals and related subjects, due to the "genocide and acculturation". It is very unfortunate. 😢

One thing she said immensely impressed me. Everyone brings food and own plate and tumbler to the ritual. They eat dinner after the ritual in their own plates, wash them and take them back. Basically, no paper or plastic or thermocoal trash gets generated and dumped in nature!!

She said they worship Nature as a Mother and defiling Nature is a terrible sin. THAT is a core value of Sanatana Dharma (which is being compromised even in India now 😢)!

There were several such ancient cultures and religious traditions that emphasized idolizing Nature and living in harmony with it. 🙏 They did not try to dominate or overpower Nature or other cultures/religious traditions. To me, they all do fall under the gamut of Sanatana Dharma! 🙏

I will actually not be surprised if various world cultures were once connected, in an era before the grand Mahabharata War.

I pray at the end of my rituals and videos: "yaavad bhUmaNDale sanaatana dharmo vardhatu" (may Sanatana Dharma grow around the world). I do not necessarily mean that Hinduism should take over the world.

I mean that tolerant, peaceful and thoughtful religious traditions based on locally established divine energies and customs, and consistent with the core values of Sanatana Dharma (and simple common sense and balance), should grow back and reclaim their rightful place around the world.

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