|
Saq' Be': Organization for Mayan and Indigenous
Spiritual Studies
[Saq' Be' (pronounced sock bay) Mayan term
referring to the white/sacred road, the Milky Way and the spiritual path
of one's life]
Saq' Be' was formed at
the request of Mayan Ajq'ij (priests) that the founders had come to know
through meetings both in the states and in Guatemala for two principle
purposes:
1.
To open doors of opportunity for Mayan Ajq'ij and elders
to share and deliver directly their messages and teachings to the world,
with an emphasis on involving youth and young adults.
2.
To support their efforts and the efforts of Indigenous
communities with the rescue and preservation of their traditions in the
face of the forces of globalization and the aggressive actions of
Protestant and other fundamental churches.
Saq'
Be' serves as part of a bridge between the modern and Indigenous world.
The elders have their prophecies about this time, a time when people from
all over the world with different colour skins would return to learn the
ancient ways (prophecy of Iq'i Balam). At this stage, we have been drawn
to the realization that we, who were raised in this modern world, must
confront the latent tendencies that can be described as "colonialism"
which we have inherited. We feel that each of us has our ancestors; we
each came from an Indigenous tradition. Many of these traditions have
been lost, some for thousands of years, leaving generation after
generation to wander upon this earth without feeling the connectedness to
our mother, without recognizing the respect for life and the need to
create balance amongst all of our relationships. All of our tribes,
except for the few remaining Indigenous peoples of this earth, share this
similar fate. We have been taught for generations the importance of self
over community, of domination over nature and over each other, of control
and power for individual purposes rather than for the good of the whole.
We have lost our sense of justice, the sacred laws. And perhaps most
important, we lost our ways to heal our wounds. We feel that this is why
the remaining Indigenous cultures are so important, that it is so
important that we make every effort to ensure they are not absorbed or
destroyed. We believe that we can listen and learn from these people,
that we can regain what has been lost for all of those generations. But
first, we must confront the tendencies to exploit, to conquer, to serve
selfish motives even though we may describe it as something else. We do
not believe we need to become something we are not (Indian or Mayan or
whatever), rather we can learn from these people without romanticizing
their lives and without de-valuing ours. We believe the times we are in
are very real, of great significance, and very delicate. Perhaps it is
the time when integrity matters most and some will rise and some will
sink. We hope to rise, but only the universe will decide. As the Popol
Vuh says: "let all rise - every last one. No one or two shall be left
behind." This is what we must focus on to bring each other up rather than
compete. It is a difficult road that is filled with obstacles, but they
can all be overcome by walking a straight path. The prophecies of the
Maya offer hope and offer that we play a part in our destiny - as
individuals, families, communities and a planet. It is important to have
this vision, the broad vision. For us it is important to always ask for
guidance, in whatever way one finds that guidance. And it is important to
bring that broad vision to manifest here on this earth, in our lives and
in our work. We are just here to serve and facilitate a greater process
that is unfolding. We have been given many opportunities. We hope to be
able to serve these opportunities to further that vision and open more
doors and awareness on a very simple and practical level. This also
appears the time when more of the real knowledge of the Mayan people will
come forth (which is deeper than we believe most people think) including
the tools they have to share for restoring balance and harmony upon the
earth. So we’re here to serve and play our part, nothing more.
|
