200 Steps to the Temple
At least 200 steps straight up waited for me as I awkwardly stepped out of the van on the dirt road. Our van of pilgrims had stopped after winding our way up a mixture of Cusco City’s cobblestone and paved roads. My first view stepping on the ground was the railing-less roadside and the expanse of Cusco city below. Nothing was between us and a steep drop. To the left, a door to a small convenience store was barely visible in the clay wall that most Peruvian houses are made of. Several dogs lay on the dirt ground outside the shop. It was unclear if they were wild or had owners. Both kinds of dogs look the same – thin, straggly, dirty and without collars. Straight ahead, three-quarters up the hill, a work gang carved out a new path into the side of the mountain, dislodging boulders the size of cars that tumbled down the hill and crumbled noisily on the payment ahead of us.
Where are we? I thought to myself. Wondering about what was about to meet us. Throughout the trip, I learned from Deborah that in working with the Paqos, we needed to let go of the notion of a set plan. We learned to trust the intuitive knowing of the Paqos about the next stage in our 10-day pilgrimage. To me, it looked like we were in the middle of nowhere, yet our guides indicated that this was our destination and pointed to the entrance to a set of stairs that led up – way up. This would be my first test of the result of my daily stair climbing up the stairs instead of taking the elevator. I wondered if it was going to be enough and just how in the world was I going to make it to the top.
I started up – one foot in front of the other. I met each step with a mixture of determination and the focus of a meditation. I am used to walking fast; my demeanor and body motion mirror an inner sense of urgency to get somewhere – places to go and people to see, you know. However, my body was still getting acclimated to the altitude. It was close to 13,500 feet above sea level or 3400 meters. Breathing was difficult at times, and even more difficult after some exertion. My lungs longed for nourishment and expanded as much as they could to take in much-needed oxygen. It still wasn’t enough to support the pace that I had set for myself. I had to stop to catch my breath and to allow my lungs to concentrate on one thing at a time.
House of the Apus
At the top of the stairway, the path continued along a series of uneven and wobbly stones, through a plant covered trestle. We squeezed through the entrance way, and up another couple of unstable stone steps into a small protected compound of three buildings. This utopia was hidden from view by plants and rocks. It was like a secret entranceway into another world – the House of the Mountain Spirits (Apus).
Aldofo waited for us at the doorway to the teaching building. He gave each of us a big Peruvian heart felt hug and touched his heart. Aldofo, the senior brother of the family, is an altomesayoq. This is the highest classification of a shaman in the Inca tradition. It is not an easy status to attain and is only achieved through a series of initiations. These initiations require tremendous courage and inner strength and if successfully met, these shamans acquire the ability to create doorways between the worlds. Aldofo’ s courage marked by one crossed eye – the result of being hit by lightning on his sacred mountain. His gentle spirit embodied a kind and strong energy that instilled a deep love for him and for the group as he embraced us into the sacred space.
We sat down on our benches for this afternoon of Incan teachings. Aldofo sat at the end of the room against the wall quietly and loving looking at each one of us. He touched his heart with both hands, bent his head and said. “Ayni, Ayni Ayni” (pronounced an-i)
Concept of Ayni
Ayni is central to Incan philosophy and the Andean mountain way. It is a word that carries the quality of deep gratitude and the recognition of a mutuality among all things. When it is said, it has the ability to move the soul. Ayni relates to the heart, a state of gratitude and respect for everything. According to Inca cosmology, being in Ayni or right relationship comes as an expression of unconditional universal love. The Shamans use the word to speak of this energetic relationship; the interconnectedness of everything in the world, and that harmony and renewal of people and the universe is necessary through the respect for reciprocity.
The law of Ayni in the Andean communities’ is sacred and practical. The daily life in the Peruvian mountains depends on the mutual support from one another for survival. When one member gives to another, he or she is entitled to receive something back.
The Universal Principle of Gratitude
Ayni is universal. Its implication can be found in many other spiritual traditions.
Buddhism speaks of “right relationship” and loving kindness. It teaches us that the key to welfare and happiness is seeing the true nature of the world and to maintain the right relationship with the self and with the world and those in it.
Right relationship in Buddhism and in Incan Cosmology does not mean correct or principled – for example, it’s not based on “I am right, and you are wrong.” I am reminded of the poem by Rumi who writes about the field of the SOUL that is beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and right doing. Ayni and right relationship connect us to how we are in a relationship with our environment and the people in it. We are asked to be aware that our consciousness has an impact on the world and we are intricately connected with everything. Being in right relationship means being connected to our hearts and living out of loving kindness for all living things.
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Practical Mysticism – Cultivating Ayni and Gratitude in our Daily Lives
There is a saying in the Andes that everything you do — right or wrong — will come looking after you. Everything that goes around comes around. Our challenge in living the spiritual path involves being mindful of being in right relationship to ourselves and the world. Not necessarily an easy thing to do.
However, we know when we fall out of right relationship. Life doesn’t flow. We experience negative emotions such as irritation, impatience, and frustration. This is the signal that the personal ego is demanding that things be in a certain way. We exert our will on a situation.
Taking the lessons from Buddhism we can look for guidance in the practices of the Eightfold Path – right speech, right conduct, right view, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right samadhi. Through the eightfold path, we can end our suffering and be in harmonious relationship to what is around us.
Saying thank you as a practice is a process of deeply honoring the gift that another has given us by their presence.
Questions for Reflection
1 We all have a challenge that we think we cannot tackle from time-to-time. For me, it was the Peruvian stairway and while it was daunting. I pushed myself to conquer those stairs. Can you think of a “stairway” in your life you are afraid to tackle and are you ready to try again? Think of an example of a situation you think you couldn’t do but were able to surprise yourself. Maybe this didn’t happen yet or maybe there is something stopping you from accomplishing your own “stairway.”
2 Think about the principle of “right relationship” and how it applies to your life right now. Do you feel you have a right relationship or are you struggling to come to peace with something in your life?
3 During this time of retrograde, do you have any beliefs or values that could be served to be updated? This is a great time to reflect on our emotional attachments. Is there something you should let go of?
Christina Becker
October 2018
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