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Book: The Secret Teachings of the Popol Vuh

CHAPTER 5
THE BIRTH OF THE TWINS

The birth of the Twins

The birth of the Twins: Master-Magi (Hunahpu) and Little-Solar-Priest (Ixbalanque) is a magical wonder that must manifest within each one of us.

“The moment arrived for the birth of Master-Magi (Hunahpu) and Little-Solar-Priest (Ixbalanque); they were born on the mountain, the Grandmother did not wanted to see them, and later they were brought into the house, but they would not fall asleep and continually cried, which led the Grandmother to ask of them to be taken outside.  Their older siblings, taking advantage of this, left them on an anthill so they would perish, as they were envious, but instead of being devoured by the ants, they slept peacefully.  They were later taken into thorny bushes, but instead of these hurting them, there is where they were able to rest the best”

We find of interest the Twins were born on a mountain, as the work that leads us into liberation is generally represented by a hill or a mountain.  Anyone who truly makes an effort to know thyself and through their effort they discover, recognize and comprehend their very own mistakes, will earn the right to enter the path to initiation and will experience the miracle of the Twins being born within.

Master-Magi (Hunahpu) and Little-Solar-Priest (Ixbalanque), are a symbol of the development of the principles of the psyche, which is the spiritual level the practitioner reaches as they become ready to face their own inhumane nature.

At the beginning of the work, the birth of the Twins represents a small percentage of free consciousness, which is not trapped within the ego itself.  Based on the studies of Gnosis, we learn we typically have approximately 3% of free consciousness.

As we perform the internal work and start becoming liberated from our psychological chains, the Twins come to represent the completely liberated soul and ultimately, the incarnated Intimate Christ.  This is why their names speak to the capacity to reach a transformation, of veneration and of wisdom.

The lack of tranquility of the Twins at the Grandmother’s house is representative of the internal urge typical of the one who seeks to learn mysticism, of the ones who are not accepting the routine of their lives and deep down feel there is “something else”; for them life is more than the mere sequence of birth, growth and the eventual death.  Whenever we live our lives far from spirituality, the soul suffers and longs for its liberation.  The soul is not content with being immersed in materialism.

The ants are a representation of the tenacity and organization required for the work, and seeing the Twins stop crying when left with the ants is a symbol of the calmness experienced by the consciousness as we work intensely in the great work.  It is then that the consciousness feels it is complying with its true purpose.

The allegory of the Twins resting within the thorny bushes without being hurt by them is representative of the willpower required to effect the work itself.  The thorns, just as we see them in the crown of the Christ, similar to the symbol of the sword in ancient legends, is a representation of willpower without desire, and consistency in the work being done.

“Master-Ape (Hunbatz) and Master-Monkey (Hunchouen), older brothers of the Twins, had inherited the wisdom of their parents, they played the flute, they were painters, sculptors, knew of their own birth and of the birth of their smaller brothers; they were conscious of being successors of the Magi (Ahpu) who were killed in the underworld.  Nevertheless, they hated the Twins, were envious of them and mistreated them, though the Twins had never offended them”

Those who have access to spiritual wisdom become inheritors of the wisdom of the Magi (Ahpu); those of us who have in our hands the millenary wisdom of gnosis and do not apply it to our daily lives, but rather prefer to keep it in store as mere theories, will continue their lives with no change.  Obviously such a posture will bring misfortune, as what happened to the older brothers Master-Ape (Hunbatz) and Master-Monkey (Hunchouen).

“And they grew up in the mountain: Master-Magi (Hunahpu) and Little-Solar-Priest (Ixbalanque), as their older brothers did not seek after them and neither loved them nor fed them.  Every day the Twins brought home birds to eat and their older brothers consumed all of the bounty.  But they never got angry, as they knew of their destiny and in its accordance, they acted”.

The attitude of Master-Magi (Hunahpu) and Little-Solar-Priest (Ixbalanque) is the attitude we must assume before all the adversities in life; rather than complaining or blaming others for our misfortune, we mush comprehend that we are the ones to be held responsible for our own consequences.  We must learn that blasphemy would never resolve our problems and that in turn, we would be better off sacrificing for others, carrying good deeds to pay the karmic debt we have imposed into ourselves.

The Punishment of Master-Ape (Hunbatz) and Master-Monkey (Hunchouen)

The negative attitudes we exercise against others will always bear negative fruit and if we have the opportunity to carry the ancient wisdom in our hands, but do not put it into practice in our daily lives, then our lives will not only remain stagnant, but our actions will continue to hurt others.  Eventually, we will sow the harvest of our own inhumanity.

“Then one day the Twins arrived without birds to eat, claiming the birds were too high on a tall tree, and that only their older brothers would be capable of reaching them.  So the next morning they all arrived at the location and effectively, found many birds of diverse varieties, but could not capture a single one of them.  The older brothers, Master-Ape (Hunbatz) and Master-Monkey (Hunchouen) proceeded to climb the tree and as they did, the tree suddenly started growing and widening its trunk and branches, making it impossible for them to descend.  In an attempt to climb down, the older brothers adjusted their sashes, and were transformed into monkeys, and they ran into the forest”

It is a mistake for anyone who holds a superior knowledge to mistreat their parents, their spouse or their children, or for them to fill themselves with pride and hatred and yet to believe of themselves ‘good people’ just because they have access to superior teachings.

This conduct brings with it degeneration, represented by the monkeys.  True wisdom must be demonstrated with clear and definitive actions.  If our heart fills with envy because of the progress others make, then all possibilities of us achieving internal development stops.

“Inconsolably, the Grandmother begged for them to return and the Twins stated they could only return if she was capable of passing a test.  The Twins were to bring back their older brothers by playing the drum and the flute, but when facing them, she was to remain composed and should not laugh.  And the Twins played their drum and their flute and the older brothers returned as monkeys, dancing, but when the Grandmother saw them making faces, she laughed causing the monkeys to run away.  On a second instance, the Twins again played the flute and the monkeys returned dancing with their monkeying around, which led the Grandmother to burst into laughter.  A third time the Twins played and the monkeys returned; they ran into the kitchen and made grimaces, they spooked each other and the Grandmother, unable to resist, again broke into laughter.  The Twins played the flute a fourth time, but this time the monkeys did not come back”

This test given to the Grandmother represents the seriousness and dedication required to perform the internal work.  Her inability to hold her laughter is a symbol of the lack of sincerity many practitioners bring as they embark into the path of wisdom; their superficiality and lack of commitment on the Great Work to awaken the consciousness.

Many of us believe that life, which is the path to initiation, should be treated with the trivialities of going to the movies or playing a game for the sake of distraction.  The laughter of the Grandmother is representative of senselessness, it is the performing of actions contrary to what we long to become; if we are seeking wisdom, our actions must reflect wisdom.  If we seek to get closer to Divinity, each thought, each sentiment and each action should be in accordance to the principles of Love and Truth.

“Master-Ape (Hunbatz) and Master-Monkey (Hunchouen) did many a great thing as they were home with their Grandmother, they were invoked by artisans, singers, sculptors, and painters, yet they degenerated into animals as a consequence of the hatred they allowed into their hearts”

We must strive to manifest love towards each other.  Having access to superior teachings brings with it superior responsibility and besides seeing each other as a brother, we must strive to demonstrate to each other fraternal love.

If we become selfish and seek wellbeing only for ourselves without caring for the suffering of others, we will fail.  We must make the suffering of others our own and exercise the actions that will help alleviate the wounded heart of humanity.

Previous:
Chapter 04

Next:
Chapter 06
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