From the Wisdom Lore of the Ancient Americas

Series of two lecture-discussions by MBM on the

Popul-Vuh, Books I and II, from the Mayan Tradition,

including something from its cosmogony and its ritual

tests for initiation and mystical progression.

Lecture I  February 15, 1949

(Spelling of names of mythical figures in these notes is not reliable and should be verified in each case in the codex containing the version written by the Spanish priests hundreds of years after the decline of the Mayan civilization.  GB )

What we know of the old Mayan civilization and tradition is based on physical research and lore.  According to the orthodox tradition, the inhabitants of the America’s came from Asia, via Alaska.  There are no material facts to say where they came from.  There are no written ancient historical records.  Such recorded tradition as we have is in codexes, the term for old records, these being (the Mayan) from the earlier priests and scholars.  (16th – 17th century?  GB)

There are (also?) stories of an ancient people who lived in the Americas and who had migrated to the Americas from another continent, Atlantis.  Salon, the ancient Greek leader, lawgiver, reported that nine thousand years before his time communication had been cut off “with the islands in the West”.  The peoples of whom we are studying are a later and a lower type of those who came from Atlantis, but they nevertheless give evidence of a long history.  They grew corn for food, and it was maize.  There were many foods cultivated before the voyage of Columbus.

Cosmogony, definition: the science of the Cosmic shaping of things; Creation.  The Mayan cosmogony was recorded in the l7th century.  Quiche language.   ….A branch of one of the four races, in Central America, Mexico and northern South America.

The Popul-Vuh…….bark…….four sections.  We will study the first one tonight.

“There was a great Darkness; a waste of Waters”; Empty.   … Huracan…one-legged; a mighty wind, hurricane.  Out of the waste of water slowly emerged something solid, – from the primeval waters.

Came a breath, – wind, – power of the god.  The limping (of Huracan? the great Wind?) is typical of many traditions, meaning limited: could only work as far as to deep down into the lower, material.  Often attributed to a Creator god.  Was said also of the Younger Horus.  (relates) to the descent of the light-spark.  On the higher planes is not yet capable of functioning in the lower planes – therefore limited in relation to the lower planes.

The gods took counsel with each other – the masculine and feminine gods.  The male god, Xpiyacoc; the female, Xmucane — the male and female power.  Why male and female?  For creation and production.  The force of each is projected on, and downward, in the creative process.

Then, Gucumatz, the serpent with green feathers.

Decided to make animals, not man.  Then decided on another wave of Creation: carved mankind of wood; shaping the tree of progression of life.  Gave them life.

Then the gods decided to destroy them.  They determined to cause a great flood.  Mankind was destroyed, except for a few.  Those few were the ancestors of the Monkey-folk, who lived in the woods — a half-revealed, half-concealed story.

Leaders who record use the Flood as the beginning.  Atlantis was not the beginning either.  They are telling it in terms of that which is the barrier to them.  The early stages are described as pre-Flood, and not pleasant.  The monkey was long before.  Huracan destroyed them, and all that is left are the little monkeys.

With the recovery of the earth arose a being of terrific pride seven times the color of fire, – Vukub-Caquix.  He took the shape of a great bird, with eyes of silver, resplendent as emeralds; teeth shine like precious stones and the rest of him a precious metal.  His overwhelming conceit made the gods decide he, too, had to go.

The gods decided on a special way to overcome Vukub-Caquix, and sent two hero-gods, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, twins — sent to earth to punish Vukub-Caquix.

When they arrived in the underworld they had with them a magic blow-pipe.  They first wound this being, and then proceed with the two gods, male and female, and arrive at his dwelling.  They arrive disguised as physicians.  They extract his emerald teeth and, instead, substitute kernels of maize.  And, after a while, Vukub-Caquix dies.

The early, violent stages of Creation.  Deep flood and green fertility.  The earth was now responding to the fiery forces of the sun.

After the Flood, giant growths, swamps, great trees, – lush!  That was the first condition after the Flood.

Now comes the next stage….the concrete.  A change in the process, analogous to the Battle of the Titans in the Greek.  Really before Chronos.  The magic blow-pipe implies the power to hit the target vigorously.  Radically changing things.

The evolution of the earth is pictured as occurring after the Flood.  None of us know anything about the time before the Flood.

The male and female (gods?) go down because now, again, the two principles will be operative.  A new pattern: the clearing of the jungle and corn was planted.  Now, the beginning of intelligible activity.

Vukub-Caquix dies because it is the beginning of the end of the lush period.

A crude, simple form of an expanded.version.  A concealed teaching (out of) a wise lore that went back to the beginning of things but which was then reproduced in terms of things that belong to their own era.  That is the way you describe – you describe the unknowns in terms of the known.

Wisdom of the Ancient Americas

MBM   Lecture II   February 22, 1949

Manifestations of a great race.  Knowledge of quinine.  Indian mounds.  Evidences of a secret code . . . and in their buildings.  Research concerning this race is still in its infancy.

Their great calendar of stone.  Reflects astronomy studied over a long time.

The second book of the Popul-Vuh.  Much has transpired between the first and the second book.  It is not so much at sea.  Some of the earlier stages in the Greek tradition: In the Beginning, Erebus, Chaos and Nyx.  Then Uranus and Gaea.  From the mating of these two came the Titans — monsters and furies.  A story of progressive development.  One of the Titans was Chronos.  These forces as seen from our little local place.

I am following through the stages of the Greek cosmogony because I want to fill the gap between Books I and II.  Chronos, because he has taken a position against his father, heaven, is now to rule.  His syzygy is Rhea: another octave of development.

These have three sons and three daughters.  The sons are Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto.  Chronos is resisted by his children.  To prevent this he swallows all his children.  Rhea does not approve.  She covers a stone with swaddling clothes.  He does not swallow Jupiter, and he is brought up by nymphs.  Those on the side of Jupiter as against the old gods.  Of course, Chronos loses.  Only one Titan sided with him.

All these stages have taken place between Books I and II.

All things are divided between Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto.  In Book II we will study some of the events of that book.  Heaven, the psychic planes, and then earth, Pluto — Xibalba.

Two brothers, who are the sons of Xpiacoc and Xmucane.  They are our first actors.  Their parents belong to the realm of heaven – high gods, Jupiter.

The two Brothers played ball.  The game is associated with the blow-pipe, the ball, the sweat house.  These three are unique to the Americas.  The sweat-house, for purification; but it was spiritual.  Cleansed themselves on all levels.  Included a mystical drug, and they used it mystically.

The children (the brothers) played it on the boundary between their worldand Xibalba.  (From Xibalba came the call) “Come on over and play the game with us.”  The children accepted the challenge and crossed over “a river of blood.” This is like the coming into the thick coats of skin, in Genesis.  It was coming into a body of blood.

“Playing ball”, the experiences of earth — duality, the pairs of opposites, – coming and going . . . . Can you take it?  Torture and killing.

The head of Hanahpu hung on a tree.  Immediately springs gourds.  Comes along Xquiq, the daughter of a prince of Xibalba.  She passes by the tree on which the head is.  It spits saliva into the palm of her hands, and she becomes pregnant.  From the mouth instead of the phallus.  The word —speech, edict, law.  It tells her to go to his home and tell his mother, Xmucane, what had occurred, and there she will find care and safety.  She goes there, and abides there.  Two sons are born.

These two sons are Hunapu and Xbalanque.  They are alive, boisterous.  They have a magic tool to go off hunting.  But the wild boar always tore up the ground.  The movement down to Xibalba.  Because that is where the real drama is to be undergone.

The boar, uprooting the things that are planted.  The magic plant is like the Garden of Eden.  What is done by magic involves no pain; but also, no growth.

They also played ball.  This generation does better.  They manage well.  They are put through some other tests.  A seat of honor in the banquet hall.  A long period has elapsed.  Demonstrated by tests, as in the Mysteries everywhere.  There was the high seat, and they jumped up.  But you don’t go forward with pride.  Emphasizes modesty.

Next: thrust into a house that is dark, gloomy.  Despair.  The test of your manhood — mindhood.  How well can you meet the tests of life?  If you can’t take gloom without becoming gloomy you don’t pass this test.  In Christian language: in pessimism, in negation.  The torch taken into the house: your trust, your awareness of laws, – coming and going, as in the ball game.  The torch (in the test) must be undimmed, with nothing of it burned or consumed.  No less faith, courage, determination, after than before.

Life gives you these tests.  The Mysteries always dramatize and condense what life does.  Comes progressively, until you are immune.  You don’t move to higher planes until you have learned the lessons of the lower planes.

The House of Spears is the next test: the idea of violence attacking you. The House of Gloom, a state, negative.  Spears are positive.  If out of that you can strengthen your manhood, that which goes to the larger in you, then you have passed that test.  A flowering of the Four Elements in you — physical, emotional, aspirational and mind.  That is to be done in this house.

House of Cold, the next; Ice.  When surrounded by the negative.  In this House they have to generate heat in themselves — when everyone tells you you are foolish, – that there is nothing beyond the physical world.  (some of those who went through this House: Peter, Bernadette, Joan of Arc, though at first she recanted, then later stood her ground.  Pythagoras’ school was burned down again and again.  The experiences of Socrates.

Where there is the genuine there will be the test.  It won’t look like ice but it will try to chill you, overcome your courage, set up negative questions in you.  In training you meet it in little bits; preparing you for bigger things.

Next, the Tiger House — and the test: not being ripped up by the tiger.  A return of the animals; when you are almost through with the things of the lower plane they will assail you as never before.  Because it is the death-throe.

Finally, into the House of Bats.  The Master, or Lord of the Bats, comes to greet them.   The bat flies at night.  Lives in caves: a symbol for the soul.  The Lord of the Bats is the Lord of souls.  A last stage of experience; and it is now to be seen what the Master of the Bats will do.  The most serious test.  The candidate will be beheaded if he is off guard.  He will loose consciousness.  You have to have a high degree of consciousness all over.  The symbol of the peacock.  The vision of Ezekiel.  The test is to see how far your consciousness is developed.  But also, when you lose your physical head you are accepted in the soul stage.

The tests are an illustration that in the ancient times these people were well aware of progressive steps of development.  And practiced the Mysteries, the dramatization of the steps by which the monad travels from earthy stature to greater stature.

All great peoples had well developed mysteries, usually of seven steps — an evidence that the Teachers taught similar things.  One of the gains from the study of Wisdom-lore.  Basically, the same great facts of movement from a human to spiritual stature.  Widening your base.

(Such story helps toward raising the concept of the brotherhood of men from a sentimental thing to a thing based on knowledge.)