When Two Cultures Meet

The old clichés, “the clash of two cultures” or “when two cultures collide,” are unfortunately not old, as in past history, but a part of our modern world. And so it often is when two very different cultures from opposite points of the World meet face to face; there is animosity, distrust, and sometimes – violence. We are plagued with the inability to accept people different than ourselves. Or are we?


It’s a wonderful thing to have an event in your life bolsters that hope, that belief, that humans can rise above pettiness, cynicism, and hate. I like to think of it as that moment when you realize, though you are sitting in the midst of a bleak grey winter’s day, there are thick buds on the trees and the yellow heads of the tall green daffodils are ready to burst open. So it came as a great joy to witness a very unusual multicultural event – the meeting of the Maidu, the Native Americans of the Sacramento area of California, and the Buddhist monks of Tibet.

From casual observation, there seems to be nothing in common between the two. Long hair, jeans and t-shirts vs. shaved heads and uniform robes. The casual observer misses much. Both the Maidu and Tibetan monks are survivors of long years of oppression and violent abuse. Both have struggled with the effects of genocide and subjugation. And they both have struggled against the complete loss of culture, language, and religion. They are perfect examples of the negative effects when cultures collide – the Native peoples with the whites, and the Tibetans with the Chinese.

Yet despite the brutality of the world, the similarities between the Maidu and monks run much deeper than any scar could touch. They have connection. Connection to the World and Universe that permeates the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual, in ways that cannot be broken or marred by violence or propaganda. I was humbled as i watched these two great peoples meet and exchange blessings one to the other. And listened as they shared stories of spirit and good energy. They sang, they danced, they exchanged gifts and laughter. They shared healing and the belief that humans can make a better World. It all sounds very “new-agey” on paper. It is extremely difficult to describe that which cannot be proven by some scientific measurement. However, there were none there who witnessed this exchanged who were not touched by the immeasurable power that flowed through them. So despite the outwardly differences, the souls of the two groups were united in a brotherhood that reached far beyond their cultural upbringing and place of birth – they recognized their inter-dependence and inner-connection to all things – not just to humans but to rock, river, and sky.