The Story of How All Life Came To Be - The Emergence Story
In the Story Pouch, are the symbols of the emergence, or teaching of how all life came to be.
The symbols represent, 4 worlds, 4 directions, 4 planes of existence, 4 sacred plants, 4 sacred mountains and the 5 fingered being.
The teaching of the emergence moves from one plane of existence to the other. When the language and teachings are understood properly, it is easy to see the existence the five fingered being currently dwells in, is the 3rd world.
In each plane of existence, the five fingered being finds themselves with an added element of their individuality and as they progress to the next plane. They receive an additional element of their individuality.
While the stories are many and precious, a basic understanding is key for knowing the origin of all life.
The Clockwise Spiral - The Five Fingered Being
The Five Fingered Being is represented on the story pouch as the clockwise spiral in the center that starts in the east, and ends in the east after four runs. The clockwise direction is called the continual growth direction. It is the way the fields were planted and the way the thumbprint spirals out. It is also the direction the hair grows on the top of the head where it is said the spirit entered the body like a whirlwind sometime between conception and birth. The continual growth direction--or clockwise spiral--is possibly the main purpose of Diné. The teachings say “You are a field, from you will come many”.
The Black Stone - The First World
The first world has multiple names. “The Black World”, “The World of Darkness”, The World of Mist” and “The World with no Surface”. This world is represented in the story pouch as the black rock and is placed in the north direction with the mountain smoke. In this world there was no sight, not because there was no light, but because there was no capacity to see. The five fingered being existed only as a being that was aware. A single dimension awareness if you will. Aware of the existence of self, others like self, others less than self, and others greater than self.
These others that were greater than the five fingered beings are the Holy People. Navajo Deity that have all power and organized mother earth and father sky. Among the Holy People is the supreme deity or God. “The Speaker of Peace”.
Referring to the five fingered being as his children, The Speaker of Peace took those in the Black world, and brought them into the Blue world.
The Blue Stone - The Second World
This second world has multiple names: “The Blue or Turquoise World”, “The Spirit World”, “The Second Place”, and “The World with No Surface”. This world is represented in the story pouch with the blue rock and is placed in the southern direction with the sacred plant, the beans.
In this world the Five fingered being was given their spirit. Having a spiritual awareness opened up a different dimension than previously understood. The five fingered being could now experience spiritual sight, sound and even learning. Dwelling among the Holy People in the “second place”, the five fingered being could see they were still not like the Holy People. They lacked the ability to manipulate the four sacred elements, and were unable to continue the continual growth direction sha bi ke.
The desire to grow and gain among the five fingered being grew, and the Holy People determined it was time to take the five fingered being into the next plane of existence, the third world.
The Yellow Stone - The Third World
The third world also has multiple names: “The Third Place”, “The Yellow World”, “The Tangible World”, The World With a Surface”. In the Yellow World, the Five Fingered being becomes aware physically. And although must relearn from birth, still maintains the spiritual capacity from the previous existence as well as the individual awareness from the “first place”.
This world is represented in the story pouch with the yellow stone placed in the direction west with the sacred plant squash. Here, the five fingered being has the ability to manipulate the four sacred elements and “create” as well as bare children. In the third world the potential to be like a field and have posterity is realized as families grow.
The White Stone - The Fourth World
The next world, the fourth world also has many names: “The Fourth World”, “The Glittering World”, “The World With a Surface”…
The fourth world is represented in the story pouch as the white stone placed in the east with the sacred corn plant. The path to the fourth world is passing away from this life into the next. There are only 4 ways to get there: Death by accident, Deathy by natural causes, Death by Murder, Death by Suicide. Teachings of endurance rule out the latter as a desirable means to enter the fourth world.
Not much is known of the glittering world, but it is taught, “after old age, there is joy”. It is believed the fourth world will be a joyful place. And, like the other planes of existence, the five fingered beings will carry what they had from the previous world into the next.
The teachings are easily understood but the stories are much more complex. The story pouch is not meant to take away from the complex culture, but rather to give those who don’t know or those who are looking to add to their identity or find their identity a place to start.
Contains: Leather pouch, pressed with hand drawn story symbols and four stones representing, the four planes of existence, the four sacred mountains, the four seasons of the year, the four sacred directions, the four stages of life and so much more. Also comes with write up of the Emergence story on high quality paper.
