To those who have or want dreadlocks......

oh and ..if ya like reggae check out rocker t ( alot on http://rainbowtribe.net and ihi yahn ihi arkestra http://www.myspace.com/iyahniarkestra

 

I disagree with some points, but I understand when you say the very intention and method are for profound meanings. Much pride and honor goes out to those legitimate followers of this lifestyle, but please just hear me out on this.


How legitimate or truly spiritual can a journey be if the very source of its existence was once in vanity? Based on the restictions some of the members here have attatched to drealocks, wouldn't this be unacceptable?
Lets say someone goes for dreadlocks because they want to look 'cool', lets say they are unhappy with their appearance and want dreads to gain attention. Then later, said person decides to say his/her dreadlocks are for spiritual reasons after the fact. Doesn't that make a complete mockery of the entire process? Especially if said person claims to have dreads to denounce vanity?

How can that person's dreadlocks have such a profound meaning when the very interest in them stems from the very opposite of what he is trying to achieve? Even if this person cuts off his "tainted" hair and has another go of it, the initial problem remains- the initial intentions with dreadlocks. This person could say that they've learned the true ways and are a better person now, but in the end their dreadlock connection with spirituality will forever remain a tacked on afterthought. I know a number of people who decided that they were Rastafarian, after the fact they dreaded their hair for vane reasons. This is a mockery of all rasta imo (they pick and choose which aspects of it they'd like to follow), and the same applies to all spiritual elitists (again, imo).

I may sound like a mean sob, but that is my belief. I was a spiritually aware being long before I had dreadlocks. I was also a vegetarian long before I had my hair this way. To me it seems silly to want to become this, after the fact, because your hair is fashioned a certain way. I do not claim to be anything special because of my hair. I will be the first to admit I am a vanity consumed SOB.

I was a spiritual being before dreads, I am a spiritual being with them, and I will be a spiritual being as they deteriorate. It makes no difference. Am I less legit because my hair is not the same exact as your's? Why does a man's spiritual awareness rely solely on how his hair looks or is obtained? The journey of your hair knotting up and the physical form of your hair is simply an outer process. All you need is your mind/soul/heart/etc to achieve spiritual awareness.
It would do us well to break away from the old way of thinking. The piece of wood from the cross mentioned earlier should not be worshiped like some sort of holy entity; it is simply a piece of wood. What is symbolized may be important to folks, but they do not need a physical item to know or appreciate its meaning. Likewise, you do not need to embark on a dreadlock journey to be spiritually aware.



Thanks for listening.

 

a journey can change... the meaning of something can change once you've been through the experience.

love.

 

Super smash, I'm really over this already. What is the point you are getting at? there is no real discussion here and it seems you just want to argue.

it is true that I am biased towards natural locks as opposed to maintained locks...so fucking what? That doesn't mean i judge others on their HAIR...I am not that shallow.

and thank you SoaringEagle, he pretty much right on with what he said there^. I'm glad some other people are able to see where I'm coming from...

 

He's absolutely right. Just think of dreads as a specific time in life. I can remember when I was younger (I'm 19 now, so probably when I was about 14 or so.) I was Catholic and basically just went along with all my parents beliefs and notions of various things in the world. Nowadays I'd say I'm a fairly spiritual person, but no single religion dictates my stance on life and my surroundings. You see, I didn't originally start questioning things because I wanted to become who I am now. I began questioning things because I wanted to find out more than what I was being told and make an attempt at deciding if what I was told was even true in the first place. This applies to dreads as well. Perhaps someone gets dreads through whatever means, and initially does not appreciate them for spiritual reasons or any deep meaning whatsoever. Eventually through this crazy shit we call time they learn to see the spiritual side to having em.....THIS IS LIFE!!! WE LIVE AND WE LEARN!! So you see, one who originally gets dreads for what many would label "the wrong reasons" and then comes to the slow realization that they are more than just a way to get noticed has both LIVED and LEARNED by doing so.

I think one could even say that having slowly realized the spiritualness of dreads after having had them for some time they appreciate them much more and they are therefore that much more meaningful to them. I say this, because like my example above proves, once you have literally been on one side (viewpoint) of things then transfered to the other you can truly appreciate the new side of things MUCH more, having already experienced the other.

 

Good points, ajklnr and bthizle1. Oh well Liquid, it was fun while it lasted. Thanks for your time its been fun. You seem reluctant to admit you've gained anything from our discussion, but I have. Perhaps a second read through would help ya.

 

surley the most important part of a journey is not where or how it started, but where it leads?
i dont know why i decided to dread really, all i know is i yearned for them for years, my journey started long before the 1st knot. i had to ditch a lot of self confidence issues to get to the stage of throwing out the brush!
but the jouney since? man it's been amazing, and i cant wait to see where it will take me in the years to come

 

I have not gained anything from this "discussion". I already know who I am and why I do what I do, and I don't feel the need to prove myself to you.

I can only speak for myself, wether you want to call it spiritual or not, I started growing dreads for personal reasons. I believe that the body should be kept whole as possible, and it just felt like the right thing to do. I was also a spiritual person long before I decided to grow dreads, and that hasn't changed. But I have learned new things about myself and others along the journey, and there is no way anyone can tell me different. One thing I am beginning to learn, is that along with a common shared reality, everyone has their own individual realities. And my own reality may be true for me, but it is most likely not true for someone else. And likewise, what works for someone else may not work for me. so just think about that...

 

Then why is your following paragraph one big attempt to prove and justify yourself to me?

That whole quote tells of an old conservative viewpoint, not willing to hear others out or learn from their opinions. In your mind, you already know everything you'll ever need to know...

bolded part, Sad really. I'm not going to question what you've learned since you've started dreadlocks, but the question is would you have attained that knowledge anyway with the right mindset? You said you were spiritual before you had dreads, so obviously they are not essential to your spirituality. Since that is the case, I don't understand why you have such strict limitations on what dreadlocks must be regarding spirituality.

Say! Didn't you just write you were done here? What made you decide to confront me again?

 

LOL you're ridiculous man, you over-analyze everything. I wasn't "confronting" you, I was just giving my final input on the matter. I really am done with this now, have a nice life.

 

my sister just got me a peace pipe from Quebec! (referencing Soaringeagle)
But really. I don't even have dreads (yet) and, reading through the discussion here is a bit ridiculous.

Can we accept that dreadlocks probably existed before organized religion?
And that, while we should all recognize their connection to religion, we are not bound by the beliefs of others. Instead of loving dreads for one reason or another, why not just... love dreads?

Wouldn't that be what religion ultimately calls everyone to do?
Love unconditionally?

 

Yes, this is truth. You've summed it up nicely.

 

Well, in actuality there are and have been many religions that don't preach unconditional love. Then there's the hundreds of others that have existed that either have it as their main message or an underlying one. However as many of us know they don't always practice what they preach. For example just look at all the bad shit Christianity has done.
This is an entirely different discussion though.....

On a side note, I'm glad you two stopped arguing over what appeared to be both of you attempting to prove to the other that you could prove the other wrong in terms of what they thought was right for their own life.

 

all good. personally, i think we dont owe anyone any reasons at all. its their problem (if there is any) if they would only like to pose for their own pleasure but that as well, may not be the same pleasure, but pleases us the same time. all good?

 

that's what I was saying....what is true for one person is not necessarily true for another person.

 

I've just spent the entire night looking into dreads and I'm so glad I came across this forum. Especially this thread.
I was thinking earlier that I really want to do something to mark a spiritual change in myself because I do try to be the right sort of person. I've always looked out for others before myself but I came to a realisation recently that I've done some bad things; given some advice I'm not proud of and had plots to manipulate the way people think for my own gain. But I'm coming clean about all that and I want to spiritually redefine who I am; to turn a fresh leaf and be the person I've been trying to be.
And that's part of the reason I want dreads. Another is perhaps because I'm bored of my current hair and want a new look without cutting it. I've been growing it for years without having it cut and there's no real reason why that is, I don't think. I do sometimes think that, perhaps, hair is our mind's roots into the metaphysical structure of the world around us. To be honest, I only ever think things and don't truely ever believe. That comes from knowing the only thing I can know: that I know nothing.
Well, now I want to believe that I can be the person I've been trying to be and I want to start the dreading process as a badge of honour, a signifier of my spiritual responsibility.

I started tonight knowing very little about dreads. Then I started looking into the how of doing it, but found out much more about the why and I'm very glad that I've found this thread suggesting that I'll be doing this for the right reasons.
Just had to sign up and make this post when I read this thread. Glad to have found this community and I hope I can become a part of it.

Peace and love,

Schmut

 

That's really great man, I hope that your newfound love and respect for richeousness stands strong against the agents of Babylon. (I'm not Rastafarian, I just really see eye to eye with their metaphors etc...) Never forget why you've decided to grow them and realize that it is a journey, however they are dreads at every point, no matter what others say. I'd say I wish you luck, but there is no luck involved in this matter, just your willpower to remain richeous and good in everything you do/say.