The Essence of the Inner Core

The four most important features of the Andean worldview which are found in their artwork are collectivity, reciprocity, transformation, and essence. Collectivity means that they the whole was more important than its parts, individual, which don’t have to be equal. Reciprocity is when a part is countered by or related to another. Transformation is dealing with one state of being to another and cycles, such as life and death. Essence is how the Andeans preferred symbolic reality over outward appearance. Although the mentality of Andean society was to favor the whole over the part, socially cultures were extremely unequal. Hierarchy dominated the social and political structure of most Andean cultures. The social hierarchy of the Andes influenced the art. Because the role of a person and his position in society were important, Andean arts also focus on a person’s position in society.

The Andean viewpoint focused on a cyclical thinking. Life and death were not seen as separate entities, but as just parts of a greater ever-revolving process. The world was seen as constantly changing between different elements and the art of the time showed this. Different transformations, such as shaman priests changing from their human form to animals to super naturals, united them of cyclical forms.

 Andean art tended to focus on a person’s role in society, rather than their specific personal qualities. Duality is found through the art’s stress on interlocked opposites, pairs, doubling and mirror images. Andeans believes in a universe of transformations form one plane of existence to another. The theme of transformation and cyclical thinking is seen through the dynamic circular compositions that can be found throughout the works of art.
The view , “essence” or the “inner core” was valued over outward appearance. For example, essence explains how the Nasca Lines are too large to be seen; it is not necessarily important that an image be visible for its essence to be conveyed. 'Andean art favored the symbolic reality, the inner core, over outward appearance.

What Mask Should I Wear Today?

“The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are. You trade in your reality for a role. ...You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange, put on a mask.”

- Jim Morrison

Our mask is the image or facade we present to others. It is our false self that we developed in response to our environment. I think most people wear masks to protect themselves. Most people don't like to admit it but we all feel vulnerable about something. We have different reasons for using a mask. We may want to protect ourselves from getting hurt or rejected by others. We may want to become what others want us to be, in order to be accepted by them. Perhaps we feel no one would like or love who we truly are, so we hide our true self. Or we might not like ourselves so we try to pretend to be like someone else. When those situations come up, so do the masks. I think insecurity and fear lie behind most masks. Many of us just want to feel accepted.

If we are conscious of our masks then we know we are not what we pretend to be. Many are not aware of the mask they present to others.
What kind of mask do we wear? Our mask changes to meet the demands of the environment. In other words, our mask or false self depends on our external world whereas our real self relies on our internal world. Our mask reacts to the demands of our environment and our true self responds to our needs and desires. We may push ourselves to be perfect in how we look and/or how we act.

I also believe that sometimes you gotta wear a mask to get your point across or get stuff done... It's like putting on a game face for any given situation.

Who Are the Mayans Today

I really enjoyed watching the Rigoberta Menchu. I wanted to give her a big hug after listening to her. I just loved her smile and personality. I enjoyed her comments on quality of life. She mentioned the two dimensions that represent fortune. One being material fortune, (money, car, house, ect…) and spiritual fortune. If there is no balance between the two then there is human decomposition. Many have their material fortune much higher than their spiritual fortune. When the Mayans are young they are taught never to take more than they need. Many people are taking more and more everyday and there is so much suffering because there is no balance. I thought that was great because it is so true. There is so much crime on the news and most comes from not having a balance in life. I know this has nothing to do with the topic we are to right about but I just really enjoyed listening to her speak.

The Mayans today are spread out all over Mexico and there is an estimated 7 million still living spread out around Mexico. According to the article Mayans Today, Most Maya families are maize farmers and they still use the slash and burn method for their milpas. They still use a lot of the same methods for their cooking as well. Still today, in Chiapas, Mexico, the Maya people are caught between the Zapatistas rebels and the Mexican government. They are still being mistreated and receiving threats toward their way of life. In the Lacandon forest, the harvesting of the great mahoganies is not only destroying the precious rainforest, but is also seriously jeopardizing the remote Lacandon Maya community. Their culture represents a diverse combination of life styles from traditional Mayan Shamanism to 21st Century Professionals.

The Maya are often referred to as a civilization of the past; yet there are millions of traditional Maya practicing and living today. I find it interesting that they still practice their way of life even though they are persecuted for it. They still wear the traditional Mayan clothing and continue to live a simple way of life. They do not have huge houses and material things. Some do drive cars. The women wear colorful garments as their regular cloths. It is reported that Those garments were once only permitted to the ancient Maya ruling class. Each village has its own distinctive and complex pattern. The women weave these garments in the intervals between housework and farming, and the techniques are passed on from mother to daughter. (I found this info from http://www.nhk.or.jp/inca-maya-aztec/en/02-mayan/mayan-civilization/how-collapse.html)

I agree with what a couple of people said in voice threads mentioning how so many people talk about this civilization being dumb and being savages but they were considered to be more intelligent and a more advanced cultural.

Mexico

I have only been to Mexico twice.
Once when I was about 11 years old we visited my grandmother in San Diego and she took us to Tijuana for the day. It was pretty interesting to watch my grandma bargain for goods. I had never known that was possible. I was approached by a merchant with some necklaces and he asked me “How much?” I was supposed to tell him how much I wanted to pay for something. It was a new concept to me. I was amazed by all the colors in their products. The masks fascinated me as well as the dolls made of colorful yarn. Since that visit I started to collect the masks and the dolls. My grandma had a house in Mazatlan and every time she would go there she would get me a new mask and/or doll. When I think of Mexico I think of the colorful figurines, blankets, masks and dolls that are sold on the streets. Beautifully woven ponchos and blankets with many colors.

When I went on my honeymoon my husband and I went on a Carnival cruise and one of the stops was Cozumel. We spent most of our day on a white sandy beach, snorkeling in one of the most beautiful warm crystal clear waters. It was amazing and relaxing. When I think of this place I think of the beaches, the water and the palm trees.

One thing that I think about when people mention Mexico is Tequila and partying. Lots of people go there to have a good time, drink the tequila and get wild and crazy.

Another thing is the old Mayan ruins. When I think about Mexico I think of the ruins and the old architecture. I wish I could have seen some of it when I was there. When I see images of these buildings it reminds of Mexico. Probably not because I have been there but what I have learned at school.