Wisdom from the Grandfather and Grandmother
By Elena Huegel who serves with the Intercultural Research and Studies Institute (INESIN) in Mexico.
It was dawn when the grandchildren came to drink coffee next to their grandparents’ stove. The day was 8 IX on the sacred Mayan calendar, a day to remember that all creation is woven in harmony. The grandmother planted her candles on the earthen floor and prayed to start the day.
“Heart of Heaven, Heart of Earth, give us a heart sensitive to the sufferings of Our Mother Earth. Give us a contemplative heart, to listen to the whisper of the wind, feel the sun on our skin, touch the earth with our hands, and let ourselves be soaked by the water. Everything is collected into your creation, everything is woven; it is a manifestation of your presence. We ask you for the shoots of the plants, for the lives of the animals that inhabit the mountains and the jungle, our fields and houses. We ask you for forgiveness because sometimes we do not know how to care for, but instead we exploit, nature. May we be grateful like our grandparents because we rest nature’s embrace, in your embrace, Heart of Heaven, Heart of Earth.”
“Today this teaching came to my mind and heart,” the grandfather said. “You will always live happily, you will work together, you will live united in one heart, you will fish and hunt in community. Respect what belongs to others, be lovers of the truth, defend the land and cultivate it so that your daughters and sons will never be hungry.”
The grandmother served the coffee while she began to pat tortillas and lay them on a hot griddle. She explained, “When I was a child, my grandparents told me stories, some written in our sacred books, others passed orally from generation to generation. One of the stories described how the first grandparents met to put their words and thoughts together; they sought agreement. That is why together, as a community, we still teach and learn the way of the “Good Life,” concluded the grandmother.
Then the grandfather took his grandchildren outside, and as the first rays of sunlight came over the hill, he taught them. “There are words that we must keep in our hearts, because they are the roots of our life: Spirituality, Good Life, Community Harmony. Listen, learn and keep in your heart the advice to live well, so that one day these words will speak to you. You will learn and teach these to your grandchildren so that they, too, will keep the words in their hearts. The community is like this petate, a woven reed mat; it is united, it is woven, we are one. We are within the great Creation of God, which we represent in what we call the “Mayan Altar.” There we are all in harmony, that is how our Creator and Former made us.
He took a sip of his coffee and continued: Spirituality is what moves us, the wise word of our grandmothers and grandfathers. It is what is in the heart and produces life. It is what we carry inside, what burns us inside. It is what drives us.
The grandmother brought him a tortilla fresh from the griddle to accompany his coffee. The grandfather continued, “Good Living is walking, moving, looking for the sowing and the dawn. It is having the wisdom to recognize that we are all within this creation in harmony, and we live in respect. It is about standing up every day to grow as people, as a community. It is about recognizing that God, the Creator and Former, is the One who gave us the breath of life and is the One who motivates us.”
“And Community Harmony is living the spirituality of our people, expressed in good community relationships, living with respect and dignity because we are all God’s creation. Living organized as a community, respecting our community agreements because we know how to dialogue, listen, and reach consensus. Respecting Mother Earth, seeking food sovereignty, producing our food naturally. When we meet others, we greet them by bowing our heads as sign of respect, especially you children, to the adults.”
The grandmother chimed in: “before there can have community harmony, there must harmony in the family. The men learn the value that we women have. Your grandfather takes me into account, consults, respects, and helps me with housework. We have made agreements as a couple to be able to live in harmony. We learned to respect our parents as well as our children and grandchildren, educating them with love and not with abuse.” The grandmother looked lovingly at the grandfather, who returned her gaze with a smile that springs from the heart.
The grandfather spoke again and told the grandchildren: There are 5 pillars of Community Harmony which we must practice and defend: Shared Land or Territory, Community Assembly, Common Work, Selection of Our Own Authorities and Celebration.
One of the grandchildren asked: “Grandfather, how do we practice these pillars?”
The grandfather answered: “In the community assemblies, everyone’s heart is heard. We try to reach consensus, agreements, no matter how long it takes, so that no one is upset or sad at heart. The authorities are elected in assembly; they are at the service of the community; they govern by bearing the burden of the people. Authority is exercised in obedience to the community decisions. The common work is to be done with joy and for the good of all. We help and support each other. We plant the cornfields together and at the harvest, we share food as a sign of gratitude.
Remember that in addition to community harmony there is also harmony with other created beings, with Mother Earth. Treat everyone with respect and affection. Learn to listen and dialogue, to communicate with everything that exists, to contemplate God in creation. Let us take care of and defend Mother Earth, let us not mistreat her, let us see her with respect, as the mother who takes care of us and not as something from which we can profit.
“And also cultivate harmony in each of your hearts,” the grandmother reminded, “because there is greatness in each person. Be true with your face and your heart. My little children, never do your work angry.”
“It is time to go to the field to work,” stated the grandfather. “Let us go now and plant the three sisters that also live in harmony: corn, beans and squash. At the same time, we will plant in our hearts this truth: The Earth is not for sale, the rivers and streams, the waters are gifts from the Heart of Heaven, Heart of Earth for everyone.”
Written by Gerardo Torres (Director of the Institute for Intercultural Study and Research) with the wisdom gleaned from participants in Indigenous Theology, Chiapas, México, 2024
Translated and adapted by Elena Huegel
Elena Huegel serves with the Intercultural Research and Studies Institute (INESIN) in Mexico. Her appointment is made possible by your gifts to Disciples Mission Fund, Our Church’s Wider Mission, and your special gifts.