Hindu-Maya Spirituality
“No invocaban la madera( nature) ni la piedra ,
Y se acordaban de la palabra del
Creador y Formador, del corazon del
Cielo, del corazon de la tierra.
Asi hablaban y esperaban con inquietud
La llegada de la aurora……..
——The prayer further says—————
Oh tu, Tzacol,Bitol!miranos
escuchanos!No nos dejes,no nos desampares (helpless),
Oh Dios, que estas en la cielo y en la tierra,
corazon del cielo,corazon de la tierra!
Danos nuestra descendencia, nuestra sucesion,
Mientras camine el sol y haya claridad!
Que amanezca, que llegue la aurora!
Danos muchos buenos caminos, caminos planos!
Que los pueblos tengan paz, mucha paz, y sean felices:
y danos buena vida y util existencia “
Thus pray the Mayas………………..
The Mayas pray to the heart of the Earth, the sky, to the creator and the protector to grant them the essential strength, which comes only to en enlightened soul to show the way to work for universal peace. They pray for divine guidance for adopting the path of peace for humanity, peace for the universe and human wellbeing. Like the Hindus they pray:
“Sarvepi Sukhinah santu, Sarve santu niramaya
Sarve bhadrani pashyantu,ma kashit dukhamapunuyat.”
And conclude with the desire for Peace: Om shantih, shantih, shantih.
Most of the Indigenous cultures of the world have similar prayers that shows their world view and they seem to propagate the concept of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” meaning that we are all related and the world is one family. This world belongs to the almighty who assumes different names in different cultures yet remains the same. Their vision of life is holistic and it includes everything not just humans but all living beings visible and invisible and they pray for peace for all.
The Maya culture with its intellectual superiority, cosmic vision and consequent spirituality is comparable only to the glorious culture of Bharat and the Sanatana Dharma of the Hindus..
To an Indian mind the word Maya brings the picture of a glorious kingdom, a golden land known in India for its architectural excellence, its Riqueza, for people who had made magnificent achievements in the field of mathematics, astrology, a society known for its wisdom, a land that had links with Bharat as is revealed by the stories in Jataka and Kathasaritsagar, and other ancient Hindu scriptures.
The Hindu and the Maya civilizations date back to thousands of years and have many similarities in their customs, traditions, philosophy of life and even religious practices and rituals. Consequently even today if you go to Guatemala, you feel as if you are in India i.e.. Bharat.
The Spirituality of the Mayas:
The Spirituality of the Mayas is the essential and fundamental characteristic of the Maya identity. Their essential spirituality finds maximum expression in the Mayan ceremonies. Their Spirituality can be seen in their beliefs, values, ideas, and mystical thoughts, which determine their destiny. In other words they determine human existence in the cosmic universe.
The Spirituality of the Maya has at its basis the principle that the existence of Divinity is in the heart of the sky and the earth – Uk’u'x Kaj Uk’u'x Ulew,and it is present in each of the elements of nature. Therefore, all that exists in nature and in the Universe is considered sacred as it is only a part of the divinity or the Supreme Being -Ser Supremo. The Mayas consider human existence as part of this nature and the Cosmic Universe. In their cosmic vision, the Mayas see the mutual relationship between human life and the elements of Nature. Naturally, to them, nothing and no one is superior to the Supreme Being. Without the elements of Nature, that is the Divinity, no human being can exists on the face of the earth. For example, Would a human being, plant, animal be able to survive without these elements of nature- air, water, fire or earth? For this same reason, the Spirituality of the Maya has ingrained in them the belief that all the things, all that exists in nature and in the Universe have to live in harmony with each of these elements, maintain an equilibrium, a balance with them. This permits the human beings to ensure their health and long life.
This comes very close the Hindu concept of the Universe and the Supreme Being or the Parmatma symbolized in Hindu Mythology as Brahma – the Creator.
The Mayas have a concept of the Supreme Power which rules over the Universe and which pervades over the entire Universe. The Hindus call it The Paramatma symbolised by the sound OM. It is beyond form and which manifests itself in different shapes and sounds .The Hindu deity symbolizing this Paramatma is Lord Brahma the creator of this Universe. The Aztecs call it Omteotl and the Mayas call it Aho.
To the Hindus, Brahma, is the infinite, the source of all space, time, causation, names and forms. Theologically, he is the single letter (eka aksharam) Om and the uncreated creator (svayambhu), the self-born first person. Philosophically, he is the first manifestation of one’s existence (ahankara). Cosmologically, he is hiranya garbha (golden embryo), the ball of fire, from which the universe develops. He is Prajapati, since all creatures are his progeny. He is pitamaha (patriarch), vidhi (ordinator), Iokesha (master of the universe), dhatru (sustainer) and Viswakarma (architect of the world). Mythology describes Brahma as springing from Kamala (lotus), from the nabhi (navel) of Vishnu. Hence, his names Nabhija (navel born), Kanja (water born). His consort Saraswati manifested out of him and all creatures of the world resulted from their union.
The very first verse of the Aeshvasyopanishad Says:.
“Aesha vasyamid sarvam Yatkinchya Jagatyam jagat
Ten tyakten Bhunjitha Ma Grudh kasya svid dhanam”
Aeshwara has occupied everything animate and inanimate in this universe. Remember him (let him be the witness) of everything you do, enjoy, rear, nurture and protect. Who owns all this wealth? (nobody). Remember this and your ego gets dissolved. You lose the desire to own even while you enjoy things. You become increasingly aware that everything belongs to god and this present world, the body and this mortal world is transitory and that the soul is immortal.
The Atman is the brahmatatva and to realize it is the end of life. Considering that Aeshwara is omnipresent, the only way to realize that end of life is to get rid of your ego and to do your karma without expecting the fruit of your work.The Upanishadic spirituality is unitive and holistic.The hindu understanding of Reality comprehends the possibilities of existence together with the existence of Being. The famous formulaTattvamasi in the Chhandogya Upanishad explains that
“from that subtle essence ,all this has come forth.”
Kathopanishad gives us the concept of the universe as a Tree which has its roots upwards into the sky, branches downwards in the world. The roots are the pure Brahma. The Brahma is the creator and everything in the universe owes its existence to him. The five elements are set into action by Brahma. A pure mind is like a mirror where the Brhma is reflected clearly. Brahma’s icon has four heads (chatur mukha brahma) facing the four quartem. They represent the four Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sama, Atharva), the four yugas (krita, treta, dwapara, kali) (epochs of time), the four varnas (brahmana, kshatriya, vaisya, sudra). The faces have beards with eyes closed in meditation. There are four arms holding up different objects, akshamala (rosary), kurcha (kusha grass), sruk (ladle), sruva (spoon), kamandala (water pot) and pustaka (book) and in different poses representing the four quartem. Their combination and arrangement vary with the image. Akshamala symbolizes time; Kamandala, the waters of all creation. The implements kusha, sruk and sruva, denote the system of sacrifices used by creatures to sustain each other. The book represents religious and secular knowledge. Hand postures (mudras) are abhaya (protector) and varada (giver of boons). The icon may be in standing posture on a lotus or in sitting posture on a hamsa (swan). Hamsa stands for wisdom and discrimination. The Brahma is then the human form of the spirit of Creation
Rig Veda enumerates numerous Vedic Gods. Vedic priests believed in ceremonies & rituals, which were offered to appease these Gods. No one Vedic God has been considered the Supreme God. In fact, different Gods have been considered as Supreme at different times, attributing the powers & qualities of one to another. Apart from Gods who have been attributed specific characteristics, several inanimate objects, qualities, emotions & various forms of nature had also been deified & worshipped.
The earliest accepted Gods were
Dyaush-pita (the sky father) Creador y Formador, del corazon del Cielo,. Prithivi mata del corazon de la tierra ( the earth mother),Vayu (the wind God),Parjanya (the rain God), Surya (the sun God), Varuna (the God of oceans)Agni (the fire God),
Indra (the war God), Soma (the God of speech, deity of soma creeper),
Ushas (the Goddess of dawn),Yama (the God of death), etc
Concept of the Creation of the Universe:
Mayan concept of the Universe is similar to the Hindu concept. 129 Sukta of the 10th Mandala of the Rg Veda is the very essence of the concept of Creation
Before this universe was born there was nothing. There was neither life nor death, neither day nor night .the primal force was the only thing in its dormant state. Then the Paramatma expressed itself in a visible form. There is a very thin dividing line between the visible and the invisible the tangible and the intangible. The intangible invisible Paramatma was later seen in different forms by the sages.
The first Chapter of the Aitareyopanishad gives the concept of creation. This Upanishad deals with Creation the place of Jiva-Living things, its rebirth, its final deliverance with the knowledge of the Brahman. The Hindu Concept of Creation is that before this universe came into existence there was only the Paramatma. He decided to create the Universe. He created Ambha, Marichi, Jala Lokas. The basis of Maha, Jana, Tapa,Satya lokas is Ambha. Marichi is where the universe including the /sun, moon the constellation of stars . below Marichi is the earth where life is mortal. Below the earth are Patal which are known by apa (water). In short the Paramatma created the Three Locas, fourteen bhuvans .Brahma also called Hiranyagarbha. From it was born man, Sensory organs, mind and the five pranas.
The Maya Concept of Creation:
Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the Mayas says:
“All moons, all years, all days, all winds,
Reach their completion and pass away,
Measured is the time in which
we can praise the splendor of the Trinity.
Measured is the time in which We can know
the benevolence of the Sun.
Measured is the time in which the grid
of the Stars looks down upon us.
And through it, keeping watch over their safety,
The Spirits, abiding within the Stars
measures their fate.”
from the Popol Vuh, or The Book of Council-(Ancient Maya scripture)
First there was nothing. Then two Gods, Tepeu and Gucamatz (respectively the Creator and the Maker).( The Mother and Father of life). They conceived of the creation of man, but first created the earth. The land, the mountains, ravines, all brought forth out of nothing. Then they made the small wild animals. Deer, jaguars, pumas, serpents etc. Then they “mediated” and conversed again and the birds were created. They then told all of these creatures where to live and how to act. They told these creatures to speak their names but, when all the sounds they could make were animal sounds, the gods “changed their minds” and decided that there would be those who would adore them and that the lot of the animals was to be “torn to pieces”and used for food.
They tried again to make beings who would adore them and venerate them. They attempted to create man out of earth and mud. But this creature had no strength and could not move or multiply. It became wet and could not even stand so was destroyed by the gods.
They sought the help of other gods and made their next attempt with wood. But though this creature was able to multiply and created many sons and daughters, it had no soul and no blood and soon forgot the gods and paid them no mind. The wooden creatures were the first of any great number to populate the earth but, having failed to show remembrance of their creators, they were destroyed.
A flood was then brought forth from the sky for many days. Man was created then from plants and women from rushes. For an unmentioned reason, this incarnation was not just destroyed, but maimed, decapitated, their bones were ground to dust, they had their eyes gouged out, their limbs mangled and their nerves crumbled as punishment for forgetting and not being able to worship their makers. The flood also helped to destroy them by making them soft. Not just that, but all the animals (dogs, birds etc.) took revenge upon this incarnation of man for their cruelty to the animals and helped to tear them to pieces with their teeth. Even their pots and pans were angered and took their revenge by burning their former masters as they had once been put to the fire for cooking though they felt no pain. The few surviving descendants of these wooden people are the monkeys who have the form of man, but no soul and can not speak to worship the gods.
“This we shall write now within the law of God and Christianity; we shall bring it to light because now the Popol Vuh as it is called cannot be seen any more, in which was clearly seen the coming from the other side of the sea, and the narration of our obscurity, and our life was clearly seen. The original book, written long ago existed, but its sight is hidden from the searcher and the thinker.”
……………From the first page of the Popol Vuh
The concept of Creation in the Hindu and Maya books is thus similar. In both there is also a reference to the Great Flood.
The original Popol Vuh remains a mystery . Either it was destroyed when the Quiché capital of Utatlán was burned to the ground by Pedro de Alvarado or is still hidden somewhere. In the nineteenth century a copy of the Popol Vuh – The Book of Council surfaced in highland Guatemala. The book was written in Quiche Maya but in the Roman alphabet. As mysteriously as it appeared, it disappeared but was available long enough to be copied. The manuscript is dated to the sixteenth century, but the story is rooted in the past, far beyond. The intriguing question arises: Are there other manuscripts, jealously guarded from prying outsiders, somewhere among the five million Maya?
Gods of Nature: Like the Hindus, the Mayas worship the gods of nature every day. Worshiping their gods was and is a huge part of their daily life. Some of their gods include the God of Rain, Lady Rainbow, the God of Maize (corn), and of course, the God of Sun. Without the help of these important gods, there would be no crops and everyone would starve.
The Underworld:
Maya religion was far more complicated than the simple worship of gods of nature. The Maya world was composed of 3 layers – the Heavens, the Earth, and the Underworld, sometimes called the Otherworld or the Place of Awe. The Mayas conducted many ceremonies to keep the demons, creatures and gods in the Underworld.
Ceremonies
The ceremonies are in fact the practice of the religiosity and the spirituality of the Mayas as well as the Hindus. Through this ceremony a man seeks to establish contact with the Supreme Being, the creator of the Sky and the earth. In both the Maya and the Hindu cultures, a religious ceremony is a sacred ritual performed as a celebration of important dates under the guidance of the priests and in consultation with the sacred Alamanacs. The ceremonies are performed for the concrete objectives, offerings are made for the benefit of all and general well being, health, and for gaining wisdom and positive energy during difficult times of the human existence. These religious activities are performed in ceremonial centers like the Hindu temples or Maya Altars which are built like places of sacred activities for the entire community and which as per both Hindu and Maya provision can also be used for household ceremonies. The Hindu and the Mayan ceremonies constitute at the fundamental element of their cultural identity.
The Concept of the Four Yugas
The Mayas believe that the world had been created five times and destroyed four times; this eschatology became the fundamental basis of Mesoamerican religion from 900 AD onwards when it was adopted by the Toltecs. This is similar to the Concept of the Four Yugas as expounded in the Hindu scriptures.
Belief in Rebirth: Like the Hindus the Mayas too believed in an afterlife. Commoners buried their dead inside their homes, under the floor. That way, they could live with their ancestors and keep their ancestors easily posted on their daily life. The Mayas believed they would be compensated. If they had a rough time or a rough life, this would be made up to them in their afterlife. Nobles were buried in tombs.
There are many unanswered questions about the Maya but the cause of their decline remains the greatest mystery. Their civilisation was not destroyed by an overwhelming outside force. The Olmec suffered the destruction of San Lorenzo around 900 BC and that of La Venta around 600 BC but no such catastrophe befell the Maya. Similarly, Teotihuacan was destroyed by warfare around 700 and so was Tula around 1000 AD but Maya power disintegrated from within. Many hypotheses have been proposed, overpopulation, famine, epidemics, civil disorder…
Several other questions torment the admirers of the great Maya culture.
Why did the Maya rule lapse? Doubtlessly the Maya seers could foresee their own future.
Did it make them fatalists?
Do the original scriptures still exist?
What I have attempted in these pages is only a preliminary survey. What is required is a close interaction between the two communities, which is possible through conferences and meetings like this. The answers to the questions posed above can be given only by the Mayas themselves. It is time they spoke of their glorious past and place before the world their true story.
The Spirituality of the Maya strikes the chord of familiarity in a Hindu mind. There are many similarities between the Hindus and the Mayas in their physical features, in the social organization , food habits, in customs and so on.. These similarities and the similarities in the religious rituals were revealed during the Hindu Maya Conference in May 2005 in the city of Antigua Guatemala. Above all it is the essential spirituality of the Hindus and the Mayas that really brings the two societies closer.
