How Christians Regard the Bible
Dreaming is similar to how Christians regard the Bible. Christians look to the Bible for guidance and encouragement through different parables and stories in it, and to gain knowledge of the laws and commandments of God to become pure and gain Eternal Life. It is the as how the Aborigines look to the Dreaming or the Dreamtime for laws and guidance, for their stories, and for how and what they should do to satisfy and meet the Dreaming so that the continuity of life and their land is ensured. The Bible and the Dreaming both lay down the laws and commandments to which the Christians and the Aborigines respectively obey and submit to.
Explain in your own words why Aborigines feel connected to their land in relation to Dreaming.
Every action leaves a mark on the land – that is the Aboriginal belief. The Aborigines feel connected to their land as they believe that the natural world was created due to the actions of the ‘original beings that they believe are of literal existence. Thusly so, Dreaming being the source of the stories of how things came to be, these sacred places created by these ‘original beings are intertwined with their belief and faith in the Dreaming.
What was the last soul to become and what was its role according to Aborigine belief?
According to Aborigine belief, the last soul to become was human. Our role is to guard and safeguard the souls that came to be before us: the animals and the plants. We are supposed to be the guardians of the natural world around us.
What is the function of The Dreaming in Aborigine culture?
In Aborigine culture, The Dreaming serves as a bible – an intricate web of knowledge and wisdom (their stories), an object of faith and belief, and a guideline of the customs and traditions of the Aboriginal people.