The Western World in which the majority of the human population live is an environment of continual and unrelenting distractions. Throughout our days and nights, our minds are never still. In response to all of this we worry a lot about our ever-changing life-styles.
Our ability to understand the concepts of truth, beauty and goodness in a very profound way is fading away in these days of confused values and gross materialism. We feel just content with common-sense definitions of them and most of us are satisfied with such superficial meanings.
In the Inca World in which seven million people used to live was quite different. They had a different perception of these three words. Their spirituality was more oriented to the conduct expressed in an unselfish lifestyle.
The Incas developed their culture in a land full of dangerous surprises. They had the most extreme terrain in the world but it did not intimidate them in the process of establish a powerful empire. How they unified such vast land surrounded with so many precipices and very high mountain plateaus is a matter of discussion and understanding. What we know is that they excelled in mastering the forces of nature in a very effective way, respecting its laws under any circumstances.
Being in a challenged geographical habitat full of beautiful sceneries and at elevations that the thin air itself is a great contender to the developing of human settlements, they developed a profound spiritual connection with it. They became one with it.
Their Shamanism's roots that shaped their spiritual world and all their spiritual traditions started in this profound state of spiritual connection with the land. This ability allowed them to develop very keen senses in the use of nature and its powers. They were able to connect to the spirit of the earth in which deep spiritual springs of fresh water were ready to be used as sources of information that lead them to obtain a profound awareness and deep understanding of the principles that govern the spiritual and physical worlds.
These principles permeated their entire way of life. It was not done only applying contemplation or superficial meditation, instead, it was a day-to-day basis of ongoing commitment bringing peace, creating harmony and balance and maintaining good and healthy lifestyle inside the community.
The natural silence of nature was considered a very powerful spirit that chose the Inca's land to be its home. The spirit taught them how to be still and listen to its language and perceive the vibrations of nature that manifested them the path for new developments. They do not hurry things up, rather they allowed them to follow their natural courses -like seasons- and they learned to be patient and wait.
The remnants of these extraordinary civilization still continue their traditional lifestyle. They know that the deep spiritual awareness passed from their ancestors is a powerful force in them that will show the spiritual paths that regardless time and misfortunes are still there waiting for their souls towards eternity.
Our lifestyle as westerners are so busy trying to reach goals that ends in this world that our personal relationship between our individual soul and our Creator is completely neglected. We spend our days trying to 'push the river' which is a futile exercise forgetting the real core of worship that is a profound spiritual feeling placed in the hearts of those with a deep and sincere love.
Friday, August 28, 2015
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
THE 12 SACRED MOUNTAINS (APUS) OF CUZCO.
In the religion and mythology of Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, APUS were and still are the spirits or entities of the mountains. Also, solitary rocks and caves are considered sacred places (apus). This spirits protect the local inhabitants in the highlands.
This entities are the most powerful of all nature spirits. They were light beings that existed within the sacred mountains.
The 12 sacred mountains around the city of Cuzco are: Ausan-gate, Salk-antay, Pillku Urqu, Huanacaure, Pachatusan, Picchu, Sacsayhuaman, Sinqa, Mama Simona, Manuel Pinta, Viracochan, and Pukin. The following descriptions belong to the first 8 of them.
AUSAN-GATE is a mountain situated South East of Cuzco, with an elevation of 6,384 metres. Each year the "star-snow" (Quyllur Rit) festival attracts thousands of Quechua pilgrims. It takes place one week before the Corpus Christi feast. The sacred llama, alpaca and vicuna inhabit in the region, and the herding communities there constitute one of the few remaining pastorals societies in the world. High mountain trails are used by these herders to trade with agricultural communities at lower elevations.
SALCANTAY is the highest peak of the Vilcabamba mountain range, with an elevation situated West North-West of the city of Cuzco. It is the second most topographically prominent peak in Peru, after the Huascaran.
Directly to the North of Salcantay lies Machu Picchu. Viewed from Machu Picchu's main sundial, the Southern Cross is above the Salcantay's summit during the rainy season at its highest point.
PILLCU URQU (Red Mountain) is a 4,448 metres (14,593 ft) near the city of Cuzco.
HUANACAURE is a legendary mountain and one of the most important Huacas of the Inca culture. The mountain with its archaeological remains is 4,089 metres (13,415 ft) high and the highest elevation near Cuzco. Huacas were located along revered line of sacred energy or route laid out to express the profound communication between them and the cosmological forces and were aligned astronomically to various stellar risings and settings.
PACHATUSAN (Support Wall) is a mountain North East of the city of Cuzco, about 4,842 metres (15,886 ft) high, on the Western bank of the Vilcanota River.
PICCHU (Pyramid) is a mountain West of the city of Cuzco, about 3,800 metres (12,467 ft) high.
SACSAYHUAMAN is a citadel on the Northern outskirts of the city of Cuzco. The site is at an altitude of 3,701 metres. Located on a steep hill that overlooks the city, the fortified complex has a wide view of the Sacred Valley to the South East.
SINQA (Rose) is a 4,423 metres (14,511 ft) high mountain North West of the city of Cuzco.
This entities are the most powerful of all nature spirits. They were light beings that existed within the sacred mountains.
The 12 sacred mountains around the city of Cuzco are: Ausan-gate, Salk-antay, Pillku Urqu, Huanacaure, Pachatusan, Picchu, Sacsayhuaman, Sinqa, Mama Simona, Manuel Pinta, Viracochan, and Pukin. The following descriptions belong to the first 8 of them.
AUSAN-GATE is a mountain situated South East of Cuzco, with an elevation of 6,384 metres. Each year the "star-snow" (Quyllur Rit) festival attracts thousands of Quechua pilgrims. It takes place one week before the Corpus Christi feast. The sacred llama, alpaca and vicuna inhabit in the region, and the herding communities there constitute one of the few remaining pastorals societies in the world. High mountain trails are used by these herders to trade with agricultural communities at lower elevations.
SALCANTAY is the highest peak of the Vilcabamba mountain range, with an elevation situated West North-West of the city of Cuzco. It is the second most topographically prominent peak in Peru, after the Huascaran.
Directly to the North of Salcantay lies Machu Picchu. Viewed from Machu Picchu's main sundial, the Southern Cross is above the Salcantay's summit during the rainy season at its highest point.
PILLCU URQU (Red Mountain) is a 4,448 metres (14,593 ft) near the city of Cuzco.
HUANACAURE is a legendary mountain and one of the most important Huacas of the Inca culture. The mountain with its archaeological remains is 4,089 metres (13,415 ft) high and the highest elevation near Cuzco. Huacas were located along revered line of sacred energy or route laid out to express the profound communication between them and the cosmological forces and were aligned astronomically to various stellar risings and settings.
PACHATUSAN (Support Wall) is a mountain North East of the city of Cuzco, about 4,842 metres (15,886 ft) high, on the Western bank of the Vilcanota River.
PICCHU (Pyramid) is a mountain West of the city of Cuzco, about 3,800 metres (12,467 ft) high.
SACSAYHUAMAN is a citadel on the Northern outskirts of the city of Cuzco. The site is at an altitude of 3,701 metres. Located on a steep hill that overlooks the city, the fortified complex has a wide view of the Sacred Valley to the South East.
SINQA (Rose) is a 4,423 metres (14,511 ft) high mountain North West of the city of Cuzco.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
What the INCAS, MAYAS, and EGYPTIANS had in common?
Pyramidal structures in their religion, government, social structures and architectural designs of their buildings are the most common similarities we can find they had in common during their existence on earth.
In addition to all these commonalities we can say they are obvious, we find other important ones as follows:
- Blood type "B" has been found in all three civilizations. This type of blood shows the most clearly defined geographic distribution.
-The Afterlife concept we believe is the main commonality shared by the three civilizations.
The Incas and the mayas thought that the cave structures were the gateways to the world of the dead. They both strongly believed in the judgment placed on those going to their final journey and their quest upon the salvation of the soul in order to continue their living as spirits in the eternal world.
As an example of this belief we can mention the last Inca Atahualpa. He asked to be hanged instead of being dead by fire because he had the clear understanding that by fire he definitely would be left without soul and body. In other words, no after life.
The Egyptians also had the thought of their afterlife as a secondary and eternal life. For them it was a dimension where even the physical objects, wives, children, servants and slaves that the Pharaoh had in the earth were considered as part of his spiritual one. All of them shared the same belief and in an act of loyalty all departed with their master, and shared the same tomb. That is the reason why all these people have been found in Egyptian tombs of Pharaohs.
-The Incas, Mayas and Egyptians had the common belief that Gods had the power to make themselves manifested on Earth, to rule those whom they felt to be inferior to them in the understanding and knowledge of the powers of the world. Their believe in them is the most unique and common trait that dominated their cultures and that belief was so powerful enough to made them rule their world .
In addition to all these commonalities we can say they are obvious, we find other important ones as follows:
- Blood type "B" has been found in all three civilizations. This type of blood shows the most clearly defined geographic distribution.
-The Afterlife concept we believe is the main commonality shared by the three civilizations.
The Incas and the mayas thought that the cave structures were the gateways to the world of the dead. They both strongly believed in the judgment placed on those going to their final journey and their quest upon the salvation of the soul in order to continue their living as spirits in the eternal world.
As an example of this belief we can mention the last Inca Atahualpa. He asked to be hanged instead of being dead by fire because he had the clear understanding that by fire he definitely would be left without soul and body. In other words, no after life.
The Egyptians also had the thought of their afterlife as a secondary and eternal life. For them it was a dimension where even the physical objects, wives, children, servants and slaves that the Pharaoh had in the earth were considered as part of his spiritual one. All of them shared the same belief and in an act of loyalty all departed with their master, and shared the same tomb. That is the reason why all these people have been found in Egyptian tombs of Pharaohs.
-The Incas, Mayas and Egyptians had the common belief that Gods had the power to make themselves manifested on Earth, to rule those whom they felt to be inferior to them in the understanding and knowledge of the powers of the world. Their believe in them is the most unique and common trait that dominated their cultures and that belief was so powerful enough to made them rule their world .
Friday, August 14, 2015
CUZCO, a strange city made of rock foundation and Spanish-Moorish style.
Cuzco, the former capital of the Tahuantinsuyo, the center of the Empire of the Four Regions and the Navel of the World, was built at 3,400 m. above the sea level in the shape of an enormous Puma.
Animals always played an important role in the myths of the Incas. Reptiles, Felines, and Birds figures are processed symbolically in and around the place chosen to be the capital city.
Knowing the power invested in the Andes Mountain Range, the Incas were able to domesticate it and control it, thanks to the knowledge of the cosmological movement of the galaxy and the direct connection of the earth ground with it.
About 250 million years old have the rocks that were used to built the capital city, and they were formed at that time at a depth of 8 to 16 km of the earth's crust. Then with the process of Andean uplift, the rocks surfaced as fractured granite and were formed thousands of years before it ended up as foundations and walls for the citadel construction.
The legend tells us that the first Sapa Inca Manco Capac and his royal wife Mama Ocllo received the assignment of the foundation of the capital city from the God of the Sun, the Inti itself.
They were told to establish the capital city of the new Empire where the sacred golden staff given to them managed to sunk in the ground. The task assigned to them was to improve the life of the people living in the region that now comprise seven countries (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina). The region of the Andes held by the Incas contained several high plateaus that were used for the construction of their sacred places.
The work of the Incas was to stabilize the energy of these places through the use of the blocks unearthed by Nature through terraces, walkways and platforms, then for the building of their most important sacred palaces, temples, governmental buildings, and for their drainage systems.
The fortress just outside the city known as Sacsayhuaman, which forms the head of this sacred Puma is made of from this sacred stones. The square between the legs of the animal was chosen to be the Central Plaza, and the body of this sacred animal was represented as the space containing all their most important sacred places.
The Spanish arrived in Cuzco late 1533 and were astonished and frightened by the beauty and the natural light of the city. Eyewitnesses described the place as a city of gold and light. Streets were quite, the Incas had no horses and the biggest domestic animal was the sacred llama. Street life was quiet because the inhabitants walked only in sandals. The streets were clean and had two canals : every one has the sewerage line in one side and on the other side of the street a canal with fresh and clean river water.
After the Spanish robed all the gold and other valuables, they burned Cuzco to the ground. Only the stones surfaced by Nature long time ago and used by the Incas as foundations for their buildings to overcome earthquakes and time, survived the disaster.
During the colonization time the same foundation were used for building Catholic Churches.
In the philosophy of time only solid foundation made of stones overcome disasters. Spanish people couldn't destroy the spiritual foundation of the people of the Andes instead they were bound to use the same sacred stones to build their strange religious spirit.
Animals always played an important role in the myths of the Incas. Reptiles, Felines, and Birds figures are processed symbolically in and around the place chosen to be the capital city.
Knowing the power invested in the Andes Mountain Range, the Incas were able to domesticate it and control it, thanks to the knowledge of the cosmological movement of the galaxy and the direct connection of the earth ground with it.
About 250 million years old have the rocks that were used to built the capital city, and they were formed at that time at a depth of 8 to 16 km of the earth's crust. Then with the process of Andean uplift, the rocks surfaced as fractured granite and were formed thousands of years before it ended up as foundations and walls for the citadel construction.
The legend tells us that the first Sapa Inca Manco Capac and his royal wife Mama Ocllo received the assignment of the foundation of the capital city from the God of the Sun, the Inti itself.
They were told to establish the capital city of the new Empire where the sacred golden staff given to them managed to sunk in the ground. The task assigned to them was to improve the life of the people living in the region that now comprise seven countries (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina). The region of the Andes held by the Incas contained several high plateaus that were used for the construction of their sacred places.
The work of the Incas was to stabilize the energy of these places through the use of the blocks unearthed by Nature through terraces, walkways and platforms, then for the building of their most important sacred palaces, temples, governmental buildings, and for their drainage systems.
The fortress just outside the city known as Sacsayhuaman, which forms the head of this sacred Puma is made of from this sacred stones. The square between the legs of the animal was chosen to be the Central Plaza, and the body of this sacred animal was represented as the space containing all their most important sacred places.
The Spanish arrived in Cuzco late 1533 and were astonished and frightened by the beauty and the natural light of the city. Eyewitnesses described the place as a city of gold and light. Streets were quite, the Incas had no horses and the biggest domestic animal was the sacred llama. Street life was quiet because the inhabitants walked only in sandals. The streets were clean and had two canals : every one has the sewerage line in one side and on the other side of the street a canal with fresh and clean river water.
After the Spanish robed all the gold and other valuables, they burned Cuzco to the ground. Only the stones surfaced by Nature long time ago and used by the Incas as foundations for their buildings to overcome earthquakes and time, survived the disaster.
During the colonization time the same foundation were used for building Catholic Churches.
In the philosophy of time only solid foundation made of stones overcome disasters. Spanish people couldn't destroy the spiritual foundation of the people of the Andes instead they were bound to use the same sacred stones to build their strange religious spirit.
Saturday, August 1, 2015
THE OLD WORLD and the NEW WORLD how they met and then got married.
The Spanish "conquest" of the Inca Empire in history was one of the most important colonial expansion ever in the history of the world.
The Turmoil in all Europe, East and West and North and South, was so intense that the doctrine of falsity and evil was everywhere. Falsity an evil multiplied the most in the extremes of the natural (a balanced and harmonic way), for therein were all the fallacies of the senses that dominated them in their physical concept of the world(kingdoms, land possession, material greed).
Two small spanish ships sailed Southwards in the Pacific Ocean in 1527 towards Peru, carrying with them all the diseases of the old world. When they were nearby the coasts of the New World, they had their first glance of the future wife to whom this spirit of the old world is forced to married, because in their own land it was losing power.
A small ocean-going raft, made of balsa wood and fitted with cotton sails, with a crew of 20 carrying the pure and young spirit of the New World made its first appearance to them. They felt overjoy when they saw the cargo of this small boat, they didn't pay attention to the wholeness of the sacred meeting instead they were moved by the particulars of their greed. The people in the small raft, representing the spirit of the bride, were transporting precious stones, silver and gold to their sacred temples in order to exercise their rituals and obtain peace and balance in their world. At that exact time in their history, their empire was in turmoil because of the civil war they were facing.
These spanish men were united in mind and heart only in the pursuit of the treasures that this New Land offered. They did not love the spirit of the bride. To the people of the land, they were the ones sent by the gods to give them a hand. A historic moment in human history. They both needed a hand. Destiny is given them another chance to start all over again.
As the march of the Spaniards' men started from the North of the South American Continent, 62 horsemen (horses were strange animals for the Inca people) and 106 men, did not find easy the chosen path taken by them in which the Old World's spirit moved. The had to rob the bride and the best way was to continue with their lies and portrait themselves as the sacred men sent by the gods to give them peace. It took them two years to move over the difficult coast of Ecuador and arrive to Peru's Northern Lands. In this delay they had the opportunity to continue the act and meangle with locals. They received them with open arms. The spanish men used this open heart from the bride to lure her in their benefit and offered them their sacred horses and everything they had in order to maintain that special treatment with them. This resulted in the common interest of learning how to communicate. The locals, of course, were eager to learn the language of the gods since they thought these men were sent by them to restore peace over their land.
The Inca Empire never used a writing language to communicate instead they had a kind of bridge spoken language that were able to translate any other spoken language. The Quechua language that they spoke based in numeric value was able to do it. It functioned like the one used on today computers. Since their minds and heart were taught to respect the universal laws, those laws were not written or read in the way of the Old World instead, they were known in the darkness of the universal world. Locals were able to translate easily any other type of natural language and it was a very important tool in their success to unify the empire. As soon as the locals started to speak the language of this small group of men, they were able to lead them through the inhospitable routes used by them to communicate with the rest of the empire. Also they told them everything about them and the civil war they were facing. They knew that peace was important in order to maintain balance in their land.
What a lesson these group of men received from people that had a profound respect for their land while the Old World from where they came only new the spirit of war, and only had respect for material riches regardless the cost.
What we see now is the result of the marriage of these two different worlds. But still the remnant of the spirit of this bride exists and live in the Andes waiting for the next age in which her power will be restore.
The Turmoil in all Europe, East and West and North and South, was so intense that the doctrine of falsity and evil was everywhere. Falsity an evil multiplied the most in the extremes of the natural (a balanced and harmonic way), for therein were all the fallacies of the senses that dominated them in their physical concept of the world(kingdoms, land possession, material greed).
Two small spanish ships sailed Southwards in the Pacific Ocean in 1527 towards Peru, carrying with them all the diseases of the old world. When they were nearby the coasts of the New World, they had their first glance of the future wife to whom this spirit of the old world is forced to married, because in their own land it was losing power.
A small ocean-going raft, made of balsa wood and fitted with cotton sails, with a crew of 20 carrying the pure and young spirit of the New World made its first appearance to them. They felt overjoy when they saw the cargo of this small boat, they didn't pay attention to the wholeness of the sacred meeting instead they were moved by the particulars of their greed. The people in the small raft, representing the spirit of the bride, were transporting precious stones, silver and gold to their sacred temples in order to exercise their rituals and obtain peace and balance in their world. At that exact time in their history, their empire was in turmoil because of the civil war they were facing.
These spanish men were united in mind and heart only in the pursuit of the treasures that this New Land offered. They did not love the spirit of the bride. To the people of the land, they were the ones sent by the gods to give them a hand. A historic moment in human history. They both needed a hand. Destiny is given them another chance to start all over again.
As the march of the Spaniards' men started from the North of the South American Continent, 62 horsemen (horses were strange animals for the Inca people) and 106 men, did not find easy the chosen path taken by them in which the Old World's spirit moved. The had to rob the bride and the best way was to continue with their lies and portrait themselves as the sacred men sent by the gods to give them peace. It took them two years to move over the difficult coast of Ecuador and arrive to Peru's Northern Lands. In this delay they had the opportunity to continue the act and meangle with locals. They received them with open arms. The spanish men used this open heart from the bride to lure her in their benefit and offered them their sacred horses and everything they had in order to maintain that special treatment with them. This resulted in the common interest of learning how to communicate. The locals, of course, were eager to learn the language of the gods since they thought these men were sent by them to restore peace over their land.
The Inca Empire never used a writing language to communicate instead they had a kind of bridge spoken language that were able to translate any other spoken language. The Quechua language that they spoke based in numeric value was able to do it. It functioned like the one used on today computers. Since their minds and heart were taught to respect the universal laws, those laws were not written or read in the way of the Old World instead, they were known in the darkness of the universal world. Locals were able to translate easily any other type of natural language and it was a very important tool in their success to unify the empire. As soon as the locals started to speak the language of this small group of men, they were able to lead them through the inhospitable routes used by them to communicate with the rest of the empire. Also they told them everything about them and the civil war they were facing. They knew that peace was important in order to maintain balance in their land.
What a lesson these group of men received from people that had a profound respect for their land while the Old World from where they came only new the spirit of war, and only had respect for material riches regardless the cost.
What we see now is the result of the marriage of these two different worlds. But still the remnant of the spirit of this bride exists and live in the Andes waiting for the next age in which her power will be restore.
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