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Improvement via Words, Deeds, & Rituals [Comanche & Plains Sign Language Edition] by Mark Hatmaker

 


Hardcore cognitive science, the devoutly religious, and folk wisdom may have many areas of disagreement, but there are more than a few overlapping borders of unanimous agreement.

One of those areas of universal overlap is the vital integrity of matching words to deeds.

The folk wisdom of “Deeds not words,” is rightly understood to mean, “intentions mean nothing, it’s what you do that counts.”

We all know this to be fact.

If you and I need to move to our new digs this weekend and we ask for help from two other friends, one replies with a simple, “Sure, what time?”

The other with a vociferous “Yes!” and then visibly enters the date it into their smartphone calendar and then supplies an “Agreement to Move My Bestest Buddy” document witnessed by a notary public.

The proof of these replies is in who shows up.

We can intend to be kind.

We can intend to be great.

We can intend to be bad-ass.

We can intend to kick-ass in the coming year.

Et cetera et cetera.

If we make zero steps towards any intention, we have nothing.

The folk wisdom again, “Deeds not words.”

Scholars of religion have observed that the most devout individuals are those that seek to resolve their behavior with their professed tenets.

The prop of a Family Bible on a table is one thing, the individual who reads it on a scheduled basis is another thing altogether. The reader who then acts on the lessons of the reading, well, that is the test of intent.

Any faith, philosophy, intention, list of goals or resolutions that exists only in the mind or on paper is not a “thing” that exists in actuality. It is a phantom construction of thought. A screenplay to an unrealized film that was supposed to star Y-O-U.

We do not “reason” ourselves to act with thoughts contained in skulls.

We do not “motivate” ourselves to act by mere words alone.

We all know the paltry power of mere words, hollow declarations.

“Logic and sermons never convince.

The damp of the night drives deeper into my soul.”—Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass.

We can profess anything that comes to mind, but no act towards fulfillment, nada.

It is for this reason that deeds, actions, gestures no matter how small can act as kindling for larger fires.

The staunch atheist philosopher, John Gray, author of Seven Types of Atheism, recognizes the importance of coupling act with intent.

He offers that to create/foster/grow/increase belief whether the belief already exists, or we have a habit, creed, philosophy that one wishes to exist, we must couple an act to the intent.

He writes,

“The basis of any lasting faith is ritual. Instead of thinking about religion, people should go to a church, temple or synagogue and kneel, worship and pray with others. … Proofs only convince the mind; habit provides the strongest proofs, and those that are most believed. Belief is a habit of the body. If you want faith, act as if you have it already. The mind will soon follow. Practice will make your faith enduring.”

Here we have man without a conventionally defined faith providing an encompassing template for strengthening or obtaining faith.

This “faith” can be matters spiritual, or your commitment to hit the gym 3 days per week.

The ritual is the way.

Again, “Deeds not words.”

I have offered none of this as a prop to any particular creed, or as a knock to any—beyond those that are merely professed and un-acted upon.

Now, to the historical meat.

The Plains Warrior Tradition

Words and deeds were never meant to be wholly uncoupled.

Speech existed in these cultures just as it does for us, to shoot the shit, to say, “I love you,” to ask for another slice of buffalo, etc.

Despite there being myriad indigenous languages there was a single unifying “Hand Talk,” or “Plains Sign Language,” that was used to bridge language gaps between disparate tribes and, of course, when conversing with incursions from the “civilized” east.

This universal “hand talk” was also meant to be used between speakers of the same language.

Why, you may ask would speakers of the same language need sign language?

Answer One-Pre-cell phone, sign language was a bit of distance talk without causing distraction. Be that on a hunt or raid, or simply between lovers across a festival fire.

Answer Two—The Warrior tradition also recognized the wisdom of Mr. Whitman’s and Mr. Gray’s observation—words alone do not convey power, deeds must follow.

Here the Plains warrior tradition goes one better. In times of crisis, times of needed motivation, whether solo or with company some words are made stronger by an accompanying act.

These small steps beyond words, may appear trite trivial gesture but the intent to do more than just run the mouth; the physical-verb of adding a gesture is sometimes just the small spur needed to move to the next step, a real step, an tangible active step towards the target the mouth intended.

An emotional-physical actuator, if you will.

With that in mind, I offer a few words in my adoptive Comanche accompanied by the corresponding sign.

I have chosen words, phrases, or concepts that may be useful for the new choices many of us make in the New Year.

Be advised, Comanche is not a written language so the words here are phonetic approximates, whereas the video provides proper pronunciation and intonation.

By all means feel free to skip the Comanche and use your own words of power in your own language but…the “magic” of the practice is in the non-verbal expression tied to your own language of intent.

And, of course, your next step, your next act, your next fulfillment of professed intention. The acts are always key, “Deeds not words.”

Or from the Apache Tradition: “It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hand.”

AWAKE/AWAKEN-Tubunitu

BRUSH SOMETHING OFF OF ONESELF [Literally & Figuratively] Nuuhta Neeru

BRAVE-Tekwiniwapi

COWARD/COWARDLY-Pihisiapu

SLAVE-Na’rai’boo

ESCAPE-Kuaru

BODY-Tuhku

BRAIN-Kupi’si

HAPPY-Nuusukatu

HIT REPEATEDLY-Wuhpa’itu

RIGHT HERE-Maku

RIGHT NOW-Meeku

READY-Tsuh

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