One of the most significant writers of the late twentieth century on the topic of peoples and cultures of Anahuac, is without a doubt, Dr. Carlos Lenkersdorf. Its locked to over almost 30 years with the Maya culture in Chiapas tojolabal opened a horizon never thought about the survival of the foundation and core values \u200b\u200bof the civilization of Anahuac. It's like we said before, the greatest "archaeological discovery of the Spirit", ie knowledge and understanding of civilization invaded and excluded from the essence and perspective. This work can be placed in the knowledge structure that made decolonized Guillermo Bonfil, Laurrete Séjurné and continue to Rubén Bonifaz Nuño and Alfredo López Austin, including prominent members of "the academy", unable to appoint a growing list of researchers and cultural animators begin to perceive and re-interpret the past alive and the early history of peoples and cultures of civilization emanated from an optical decolonized original.
Among the most known Lenkersdorf can include: code-philosophize Tojolabal, The real men ...., this article will discuss the book that has impacted me more personally, while the other books talk about social values \u200b\u200bthat govern-in many ways, the lives of peoples and cultures called "Indians" by the dominant culture and emanating from the ancestral toltecayotl, same as through the "sources" and the works of historians have known "the-history-killed-the-past." The importance of the work of Lenkersdorf is that teaches us "live" values \u200b\u200btoltecayotl essential in our times and enables us to understand the great mystery of how these people could have a thousand years of splendor (200 BC to 850 AD), but above all, they have been able to survive their historical death in these five centuries.
But personally, this book struck me because I found that throughout my life I never learned to listen. I've lived among deaf at a concert of monologues which I have taken part. This attitude towards "others" has been a very unalloyed cultural trait of the mixed-colonized culture to which I belong. There is thus the work of Lenkersdorf for all those who claim ignorance or ill intent, that the civilization of Anahuac being neglected in 1521 and that the peoples and cultures survivors have nothing to contribute to the nation. For those who judge without knowing Anahuac cultures based on common sites perfidious mentality has created to justify colonial exploitation, injustice and exclusion that have undergone these five centuries.
Carlos Lenkersdorf begins his book by an important observation. Points they had studied and taught in countries throughout Europe and America, which had excellent teachers, but that no university had been taught about the culture of peoples native of Anahuac.
Notes that the Anahuac Tojolabal of Chiapas, taught them their language and culture, no teachers and no books, notes that her teachers were "illiterate" . And because Tojolabal taught Charles and his wife approached them asking for their instruction. People always "right," comes to indigenous communities to "teach" or order them, but nobody had come to seek instruction. Thus "Tojolabal became educators and we in students because of them. One change that did not happen for 500 years except for very few examples " (p.15).
Lenkersdorf discover the living essence of the ancient wisdom of the Anahuac civilization in our times. The toltecayotl implicit in the language and life of the Tojolabal of our time. Language is the gateway to discover this wonderful cultural heritage, foreign to the dominant culture. "So we opened and will open unknown and undreamed of prospects, moreover, we need and will help us locked out of the provincialism that characterized the country and its Europeanized culture, if not euorcéntrica. "(p.18 )
in the name give themselves, the ancient Mayan people, culture and defines its membership ratifies the civilization that produced it. Indeed, in the language tojolabal means "gorse, as this is their full realization and - 'ab'al-listening, understood as the listeners, so that it can be translated as" the people who listen to the full " .
Thus Maya Anahuac sustain their culture in the art of listening, because the "heard" people "match" and "equalize" the bosses do not exist, neither the poor nor rich, field strength suitable to take the "we" and "consensus" fundamental structure of communitarianism and ancestral participatory democracy. Lenkersdorf through language tojolabal discover what has been there for centuries and the first conquistadors and later settlers from yesterday and today, have never been interested and wanted to know.
Carlos Lenkersdorf
The author teaches us that to know a culture must do so from their own "perspective" of values \u200b\u200band their meanings. Western culture since 1492 Europeanizing walks and discovering the world has always judged from their perspective (Eurocentrism) and its scale of values, assuming a position of supposed superiority. Lenkersdorf teaches us through intelligent judgments and thoughts that Western culture is a culture of the deaf, in which some speak and others obey. In a few majorities speak and "hear" only and do not listen. Supported by a culture of domination and subjection of the other.
Indeed, in the language tojolabal there are two subjects in communication, " I talk and you listen ." In European languages, which is according Lenkersdorf linguist, the structure is: "I speak and you understand", which implies a subject and an object, an active and one passive.
But Tojolabales Lenkersdorf points, give it a touch more subtle art of listening, as they refer to the dialogues of the heart. It's not like the dominant culture that says, "you think" but asking "what does your heart." Not only hear the words but by feelings. Also state that there is communication without words, which can be a contact with "everyone" around us, whether of mountains, animals, insects and plants. By listening and equates sister rig. So then a tree, a coyote or an ant, for communication, it becomes a "brother" over the world.
Lenkersdorf writes "To know another culture, another world view, we insist again we must learn to perceive from her perspective, of their culture and worldview. " (P.23). The author upon entering with respect and without prejudice to the world the "other" world Tojolabal Maya discovers that there is also a "cosmo hearing" and gives as an example: "the word us is the personal pronoun the first person plural. So we were taught in school when we learned our language. But in other cultures, such as Tojolabal, the US / ké 'ntik, besides being a pronoun and a word said very, very common, is the key concept that explains the organization socio-politics of the people and their culture ". (P.24).
The "we communautaire ancestral Lenkersdorf Anahuac and presented by the Maya people and culture Tojolabal, but is present in all cultures and Cem Anahuac Tawantinsuyu, is the basis for all social and cultural relations between the peoples of Anahuac in yesterday and today. By pairing the people is strengthened by two values, "nostrico" as he calls the author and attitude, therefore the consensus in the community. Two values \u200b\u200bthat give strength and permanence to the culture of "us Community. "
The author writes: "To further clarify the term of democratic match between Maya and other peoples Tojolabal, insert an explanation. This is not a mechanical equality from the standpoint of economic, cultural, gender or otherwise. No matter if you're a woman or man, teacher or milpero, bishop, or commoner. That is, the above differences relate to the role that each individual represents or plays. But these functions do not introduce differences regarding social status. Each has a voice without or less importance. All are good listeners, all listeners and listening are no headings or have sex. " (p.28).
This is one of the key reasons which "colonial Western science" has never been able to learn in depth and in similar circumstances to civilization invaded. It is only valid on the speech of the victors. From Hernán Cortés and Bernal Díaz through and reaching the missionaries and colonial historians neo of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, invaded and conquered peoples were not "known and valued" in essence and perspective of their own culture. They have always been for the colonized: hostile, savage, primitive, uncivilized and ignorant. The colonization conquistador and talked and listened invaded, they have written and have invaded only read what the victor in his infinite ignorance has written about them. Rarely has there been a dialogue of equals.
regard Lenkersdorf points: "Therefore, no set dialogue for mutual understanding. For the same reason, the scientific, political and cultural influences on other cultures may have very academic judgments about them may be very learned, but trials often do not touch the heart of cultures. " (p.37).
's book teaches us that we live in a culture that values \u200b\u200bare not listening. By contrast, weighted speech, convincing and imposing. We study and prepare in the art of eloquence, whether political or commercial, is to convince and to impose our ideas or interests to others, but little is socially encouraged listening, try to understand the "other" to "equalize to him. " Among other things listen because we are matching against the other, we equate and brothers. That is, if we listen to the enemy, no longer the enemy, because listening involves more than just paying attention and empathy with the partner, but need to open our hearts and try to understand the reasons other than mine. Because the art of listening is the essential foundation for the existence of dialogue. The rejection means not listening to the sense of "we the community." For community and live in community, they need to learn to listen. Lenkersdorf points "Without empathy we do not understand what the other says." (p.45). "To listen, we must move towards other without prejudice. " (p.51).
Finally on this subject, the author touches the duality of "internal dialogue and the heart." The first comes from the ego and is the one that reaffirms and explains the world and life from the perspective of our individuality, according to how we were taught that the world is. The internal dialogue that does not stop for even a second of life, build and rebuild "the world" in our thoughts and locks on them, prevents us from seeing beyond our thoughts that we call "reality or truth." Instead, the dialogue with the heart connects us with the "we cosmic being and makes us feel as a whole. The dialogue with our matching heart and makes us equal to all that surrounds us. Some schools of knowledge is called the "inner silence."
The habit of listening as an essential cultural element of a people to open the channels of communication. Communication as there are people "match", equates, and being equal are twin. By listening we understand each other better, we humanize and when we listened to all brothers, whether animal, plants or objects, we connect with the universe.
The Tojolabal are a people that historically and culturally listen - 'ab'al'-those of the language heard. Y-tojol-which fulfills his vocation, which is right or true. Accordingly, Carlos Lenkersdorf said: "Being Tojolabal, for this reason is not matter of biology, race, blood, being born in a community tojolabal or speak the language of the Maya people from childhood, but means a commitment. Therefore, a person can tojobalizarse or by failing destojolabalizarse with their vocation.
Carlos Lenkersdorf
The Tojolabal, then, are those who listen as this is your calling "(p.61).
Learning to listen
Mexico 2008.
First of three parts.
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