“A good conscience is a continual Christmas.”   Benjamin Franklin

“Give peace a chance.”   John Lennon

Have you ever been to Chichen Itza the world famous complex of Mayan Ruins on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula? I had been fascinated with these ruins in my early adulthood. They seemed to call to me in some way and yet I had not imagined seeing them in this lifetime until I found myself there on a journey with my thirteen year old daughter who was part of a dance troupe visiting and performing in Mexico and Honduras. Fortunately for our tour group we were there before climbing on the great pyramid was forbidden and we also were there on our own. We had the place to ourselves!  People who seemed to be in the know told us that the Mayans conducted many sacrifices and beheadings here and certainly we saw the depictions of decapitations in the etched drawings on the ruins. However, it was not until many years later when studying the work of Doreen Virtue and reading her books that I dis-covered that a shaman told her during her visit there that he believes the decapitations are symbolic: “a decapitation in the Mayan spiritual sense means transitioning from processing information in your head, and instead focusing on your gut feelings and listening to the intuition of your gut.” (Goddesses & Angels). This resonates for me as truth. It did for Doreen’s friend, Ivonne also. “In Chichen there were never killings. All was a symbolism of the Divine. The drawings of the heart out of the body represent offering the heart to existence. The figures showing men with their heads off represent surrendering the ego.”  In our arrogance at thinking ourselves evolved beyond those who lived in ancient times we misinterpret and misperceive frequently. It likely comes as a surprise to many of us that the Mayans lived by the Golden Rule. Treat others as you wish to be treated.

The Golden Rule is the thread running through all the major religions.  Christianity: “Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them.”   (Matthew 7:12); Islam: “No one of you is a believer until he loves for his neighbor what he loves for himself.” (Hadith of an-Nawaw 13); Judaism: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow man. This is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.” (Talmud, Shabbat 31a); Buddhism: “Hurt not others with that which pains yourself.” (Udana-Varga 5, 1); Hinduism: “This is the sum of duty; do naught unto others what you would not have them do unto you.” (Mahabharata 5, 1517); Zoarastrianism: “Whatever is disagreeable to yourself, do not do unto others.” (Shast-na-shayast 13:29); Confucianism: “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” (Analects 15:23); Bahai: “And if thine eyes be turned toward justice, choose thou for they neighbor that which though choosest for thyself.” (Epistle to the Son of the Wolf); Jainism: ” A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated.” (Sutrakritanga 1.11. 33).  John C. Maxwell, known for his work on leadership, also points to the Yoruba proverb (Nigeria):”one going to take a pointed stick to pinch a baby bird should first try it on himself to feel how it hurts.” Maxwell quotes the musician Charlie Parker who says: “If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn.” (The Five Levels of Leadership)

Unfortunately as we look around the world organized religion seems to have divided us through the many shadowy, insane, and twisted interpretations that we human beings, not Source,  have used to act out atrocities under the names of avatars such as Jesus and the many, many others who came to promote peace through self-knowledge and self-mastery. What would happen if one day we all actually implemented the Golden Rule and brought spirituality into religion? Archangels, as we speak, are working to bring spirituality into religion and every other aspect of human life – ushering in a ‘new ‘ Golden Age through the use of the ‘old’ Golden Rule. Let’s do it. Imagine what would happen if we gave peace a chance? Paradise. It has a lovely ring to it!

Namaste,   Monica