Mayan books

[Limno]

Hi,

I’m from Guatemala, the heart of the mayan culture. A friend of mine is mayan and his father writes many books about their cosmology and spirituality. I bought two out of curiosity. I was open (agnostic) to those beliefs, in a moment when I didn’t care much about religion. The books talk about the mayan horoscope, nawals, universal energies that affect everything (the new age steals many ideas from them…). The books also describe their numerical system and many of their legends. They believe in a supreme creator too.

I don’t believe in the mayan spirituality at all, specially now that I’m truly back into Catholicism. I keep the books just as a reference and to be informed about what many people in my country believe in. So I was wondering… Is it a sin to have those books? Could it be dangerous? Should I throw them away?

 

[JerryZ]

It depends, do they challenge your Catholic beliefs?

Remember that GOD is present in all cultures and across time and space, it’s unavoidable.
The Church recognizes this, did they provide insight into your heritage? Glimpses of the true nature of GOD?
If you feel uncorfotable about them, then get rid of them, otherwise I do not believe it is a sin to keep them.
If it was the Church would have not preserved the heritage of the ancient greeks like Aristotle.
We learn what we can and discard what is not worthy.

Peace.

 

[Linusthe2nd]

Hi,

I’m from Guatemala, the heart of the mayan culture. A friend of mine is mayan and his father writes many books about their cosmology and spirituality. I bought two out of curiosity. I was open (agnostic) to those beliefs, in a moment when I didn’t care much about religion. The books talk about the mayan horoscope, nawals, universal energies that affect everything (the new age steals many ideas from them…). The books also describe their numerical system and many of their legends. They believe in a supreme creator too.

I don’t believe in the mayan spirituality at all, specially now that I’m truly back into Catholicism. I keep the books just as a reference and to be informed about what many people in my country believe in. So I was wondering… Is it a sin to have those books? Could it be dangerous? Should I throw them away?

Not unless they cause you to doubt your faith. But perhaps you should leave them alone until you are much more mature in the Faith. A question I have is how do you know that what the books tell you is correct. How much written information did the Mayan’s leave and how do you know your friends father is expert enough to write about them?

Linus2nd

 

[soma]

God is within you and knows best what you need. If you are so inclined read them they could make you and better Catholic.

 

[Limno]

It depends, do they challenge your Catholic beliefs?

Remember that GOD is present in all cultures and across time and space, it’s unavoidable.
The Church recognizes this, did they provide insight into your heritage? Glimpses of the true nature of GOD?
If you feel uncorfotable about them, then get rid of them, otherwise I do not believe it is a sin to keep them.
If it was the Church would have not preserved the heritage of the ancient greeks like Aristotle.
We learn what we can and discard what is not worthy.

Peace.

Thank you very much for your answer. I was wondering if God could be offended by having books of other spirituality. I don’t really feel uncomfortable with them.

 

[Limno]

Not unless they cause you to doubt your faith. But perhaps you should leave them alone until you are much more mature in the Faith. A question I have is how do you know that what the books tell you is correct. How much written information did the Mayan’s leave and how do you know your friends father is expert enough to write about them?

Linus2nd

The books don’t make me doubt . One book is mainly about their legends and cosmology, the other is about their calendar and math, which is very precise. It explains in detail that the 2012 is just a change of era in their calendar. This new era will last till the year 7138 in our calendar.

What bothers me a little and kept me wondering if it is correct to keep the books, is the divination part. This includes their horoscope and nawal belief (spiritual energies which they believe to affect everything). He is very knowledgable about the mayan culture and likes to write books to share their beliefs. His name is Pedro Guoron Ajquijay, in case you want to check his books out.

Thanks for your response!

 

[JerryZ]

The books don’t make me doubt . One book is mainly about their legends and cosmology, the other is about their calendar and math, which is very precise. It explains in detail that the 2012 is just a change of era in their calendar. This new era will last till the year 7138 in our calendar.

What bothers me a little and kept me wondering if it is correct to keep the books, is the divination part. This includes their horoscope and nawal belief (spiritual energies which they believe to affect everything). He is very knowledgable about the mayan culture and likes to write books to share their beliefs. His name is Pedro Guoron Ajquijay, in case you want to check his books out.

Thanks for your response!

Oh I would not worry much about the “divination” part, after all in all ancient cultures knowing the future was something that many tried to attempt to calm their fears and insecurities.
It still goes on today When people read the horoscope what are they doing?
In astrology they believe that the stars and planets affect our future, not much different there Or the fong shoi (spelling) were they teach that where you place a chair or a mat in your house will alter “the energies affecting you” :whacky:

In ancient Greece there were temples dedicated to the prediction of the future they called them “Oracles” and the most important were the Oracle at Delphy and the Oracle at Dodona, not to mention the Sybilline Oracles (these were WOMEN who prophetized while on a frenzy) probably induced by some mind altering agents.

As long as you can discern and dismiss this as what they are:
Traditions and customs of people who did NOT have GOD and tried to cope with their enviroment using whatever “signs” they could to try and read the uncertanty of tomorrow.

Peace

 

[fred_conty]

Hi,

I’m from Guatemala, the heart of the mayan culture. A friend of mine is mayan and his father writes many books about their cosmology and spirituality. I bought two out of curiosity. I was open (agnostic) to those beliefs, in a moment when I didn’t care much about religion. The books talk about the mayan horoscope, nawals, universal energies that affect everything (the new age steals many ideas from them…). The books also describe their numerical system and many of their legends. They believe in a supreme creator too.

I don’t believe in the mayan spirituality at all, specially now that I’m truly back into Catholicism. I keep the books just as a reference and to be informed about what many people in my country believe in. So I was wondering… Is it a sin to have those books? Could it be dangerous? Should I throw them away?

I think you would do better spending your time reading catholic books, there are so many good ones. You have the truth brought to you by Jesus Christ, so dwell on that as Mary did, “she kept all these things in her heart.” Don’t waste your time.

It does sound as tho you are curious, and it was just that that killed the cat. Just don’t fool around with that stuff and leave it be. Why open the door to a place you may not want to go and yet one day find yourself there. It all starts out with little stuff.

Try The Ordinary Path to Holliness by Thomas Richard, or the catechism by John Hardon, or the Diary by St. Faustina. There are any number of good books, not to mention the Holy Bible.

Don’t follow what you want to do but what you should do and protect yourself from this junk.

May God bless and keep you. May God’s face shine on you. May God be kind to you and give you peace.

 

[Limno]

Oh I would not worry much about the “divination” part, after all in all ancient cultures knowing the future was something that many tried to attempt to calm their fears and insecurities.
It still goes on today When people read the horoscope what are they doing?
In astrology they believe that the stars and planets affect our future, not much different there Or the fong shoi (spelling) were they teach that where you place a chair or a mat in your house will alter “the energies affecting you” :whacky:

In ancient Greece there were temples dedicated to the prediction of the future they called them “Oracles” and the most important were the Oracle at Delphy and the Oracle at Dodona, not to mention the Sybilline Oracles (these were WOMEN who prophetized while on a frenzy) probably induced by some mind altering agents.

As long as you can discern and dismiss this as what they are:
Traditions and customs of people who did NOT have GOD and tried to cope with their enviroment using whatever “signs” they could to try and read the uncertanty of tomorrow.

Peace

Thanks. My main concern is if it could offend God or attract something dangerous. Even if the books were written by a man who just wants to share the mayan beliefs.

I think you would do better spending your time reading catholic books, there are so many good ones. You have the truth brought to you by Jesus Christ, so dwell on that as Mary did, “she kept all these things in her heart.” Don’t waste your time.

It does sound as tho you are curious, and it was just that that killed the cat. Just don’t fool around with that stuff and leave it be. Why open the door to a place you may not want to go and yet one day find yourself there. It all starts out with little stuff.

Try The Ordinary Path to Holliness by Thomas Richard, or the catechism by John Hardon, or the Diary by St. Faustina. There are any number of good books, not to mention the Holy Bible.

Don’t follow what you want to do but what you should do and protect yourself from this junk.

May God bless and keep you. May God’s face shine on you. May God be kind to you and give you peace.

Thanks you for the advice. I want to do it right, and if it is incorrect to have those books, I wouldn’t mind discarding them.

 

[JerryZ]

Thanks. My main concern is if it could offend God or attract something dangerous. Even if the books were written by a man who just wants to share the mayan beliefs.

Books in and by themselves cannot attract anything dangerous. Only WE have that capacity by our actions, heart and thoughts.
So, no in both counts GOD will not be offended unless in those books He is BEING offended directly.
Again human spirituality and practices of humans ancestors was hinged in their understanding of their world.
I will cite an example, human sacrifice was something that many cultures practiced.
Of course this is totally against GOD.
However if there were NO books that talked about these practices how would we know?
I would surmise that the same information that is in your books you can also find in the Internet.
Should we all therefore log off our computers and never again browse the Internet

NOOO, Knowledge is not dangerous by itself it is the use we make of it that could be dangerous

I’ll give you an example: The fission of an atom, with that same knowledge we can give energy to humanity or utterly destroy it, same knowledge 2 very different outcomes.

Of course we should also make the distiction.
Is the author describing practices of the Mayans from a historic archeology view point? Or is he fostering the revival of those practices by the people of today?
If it is the latter I hope he is also willing to be himself sacrificed to the Mayan gods, and have his still pulsating heart be removed from his chest also

Thanks you for the advice. I want to do it right, and if it is incorrect to have those books, I wouldn’t mind discarding them.

That is something that ultimately rests with your conscience, if it makes you feel safer by not keeping them go ahead and get rid of them.

Peace

 

[Limno]

Books in and by themselves cannot attract anything dangerous. Only WE have that capacity by our actions, heart and thoughts.
So, no in both counts GOD will not be offended unless in those books He is BEING offended directly.
Again human spirituality and practices of humans ancestors was hinged in their understanding of their world.
I will cite an example, human sacrifice was something that many cultures practiced.
Of course this is totally against GOD.
However if there were NO books that talked about these practices how would we know?
I would surmise that the same information that is in your books you can also find in the Internet.
Should we all therefore log off our computers and never again browse the Internet

NOOO, Knowledge is not dangerous by itself it is the use we make of it that could be dangerous

I’ll give you an example: The fission of an atom, with that same knowledge we can give energy to humanity or utterly destroy it, same knowledge 2 very different outcomes.

Of course we should also make the distiction.
Is the author describing practices of the Mayans from a historic archeology view point? Or is he fostering the revival of those practices by the people of today?
If it is the latter I hope he is also willing to be himself sacrificed to the Mayan gods, and have his still pulsating heart be removed from his chest also

That is something that ultimately rests with your conscience, if it makes you feel safer by not keeping them go ahead and get rid of them.

Peace

Thank you very much again