Gentle Wisdom from Chris La Tray
Sweat, exhaustion, tears & peace
Well - you are in for a treat today! Chris was the first widely-read (i.e. famous) writer I met here on Substack, and since then I have found him a witty, wise, generous and grounding presence. When I get carried away by my fame-seeking or people-pleasing tendencies, I remember the example Chris sets and I am able to go back to the work, my writing, with fresh humility and gratitude. I’ll start this interview by bowing in respect to Chris, the wisdom of his ancestors, and the whole glorious web of alive things. ⭐
How has gentleness served you in your life?
I can't say I think about "gentleness" very much. I think I'm inclined to seek a "peaceful" life which isn't the same thing, though I suppose there’s overlap. Some of my favorite peaceful moments really aren't particularly gentle. An example would be one of my favorite means of taking exercise: going to the gym and putting on gloves and battering a heavy bag with my fists. There is nothing gentle about it yet the act is inordinately peaceful to me. It's just me and the bag, no distractions or interruptions, and I can go all out without anyone being alarmed. I rarely get to do that otherwise. It brings me peace of mind in the moment and throughout the day in ways that I don't even think sitting on a cushion does.
As you get older, what seems to be more and more true?
I've definitely grown more compassionate and softer in my emotions. I'm more easily moved to tears and care less about who sees me in such a state. That kind of thing.
Do you have an object, a motto or a quote which guides you?
I'm trying to live a life in which every footstep is a prayer, which is an Anishinaabe way of being that I read one of our elders, Eddie Benton-Banai, as having been quoted saying. Another way of putting it would be to "make life a ceremony."
It's good to know that wise people (like you) aren't perfect. What would you like to confess?
I often stumble in my efforts to deliver those previously-mentioned footsteps onto the world, in many, many different ways. That's why I don't call my spiritual life a "practice" so much as a "training", as described by the Zen priest, Cristina Moon. It’s hard in the same way the work on the bag is hard. It’s sweaty and exhausting and sometimes I just don’t want to do it.
If you could pass on one piece of wisdom, what would it be?
I’d answer the same way I do when asked, “What advice would you give young writers?": Don't be a jerk. It's simple, really. Not only is it bad for your well being to be a jerk, but the world is tiny and word gets around. Your reputation will always precede you and that's one you don't want to have. If you’re obnoxious and hard to work with you will suffer for it, and deservedly so.
We’ll finish with the quote by poet, actor, speaker and activist John Trudell which Chris includes in his email footer:
"No matter what they ever do to us, we must always act for the love of our people and the earth. We must not react out of hatred against those who have no sense.” ~ John Trudell
Chris La Tray is a Métis Storyteller from the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
Please do check out An Irritable Métis, his wonderful Substack - maybe start with some of his sentences, or this on being authentic, or this necessary read, Silence. Or anything he writes! And maybe offer him a bow here too in return for his words.
beautiful read, can really resonate with some of my most peaceful moments not looking gentle too, for me it's running or weight training!
Thank you so much for sharing! This is the first I'm seeing of Chris's writing, and he has that knack for writing stunning single sentences that I can feel in my body - just beautiful.