Contemporary Aboriginal Spiritualties

1. Contemporary Aboriginal Spiritualties

2. Adapted from http://studiesofreligion.org.au/ The fundamental tenet that underpins Aboriginal spirituality is a concept known as the Dreaming. The Dreaming is a term referring to Aboriginal spiritual beliefs about creation and existence. According to Aboriginal belief, all life as it is today - human, animal and plant is part of one vast unchanging network of relationships which can be traced to the ancestral spirit beings of the Dreaming. The Dreaming involves all knowledge and understanding in Aboriginal societies, and hence incorporates all beliefs and practices of Aboriginal communities.

3. The Dreaming includes an explanation of the origins of the universe, that is, how the world came into being as a result of the actions of ancestral spirit beings upon the land. These ancestral beings could be found in the form of animals, plants, humans or part humans. They determined the rules by which all living creatures should live by.

4. The Dreaming is inextricably connected to the land, as the land is the physical medium through which the Dreaming is communicated, since it is within the land that the ancestor spirits of the Dreaming continue to dwell. The Dreaming is a metatemporal concept, which means it is a concept that incorporates the past, present and future reality as a complete and present reality.

5. The influence of the Dreaming is embedded in all aspects of Aboriginal life. The different facets of Aboriginal life, from the ceremonial dimension of life, to the ritualistic obligations owed to the land and people, as well as the intricate kinship system are all intrinsically connected to, and are derived from the Dreaming. Thus, because the Dreaming is so intimately connected with every dimension of Aboriginal life, the process of telling and learning the stories of the Dreaming is a life long one.