Yamanik Pablo has developed the gift of Kab’Tzij, to speak with such kindness that her words heal and comfort the spirit. She is a young person who has become an Ajq’ij (spiritual guide) in the Maya tradition. In this video, Yamanik shares the profound sense of purpose, meaning and impact of the Maya tradition on her life.
Video Text
My name is Yamanik Pablo. Some time ago I made the commitment of becoming an Ajq’ij (Maya Spiritual Guide), of taking this path. It gives me a great pride and satisfaction to be able to talk about our Maya culture and our Maya spirituality. I think it is very important for us that we understand that we owe great respect to this because it is part of our life but I also do it with the objective that if a person looks forward to learning about Maya culture they can do so, because it is something that helps us in our life. Maya culture is one of the greatest cultures the world has had and it is a culture that had great achievements in many aspects, one of these aspects has survived to this day; there are people who live Maya culture every day, that we live Maya culture and we practice Maya spirituality and it is a living culture, with its necessary changes, but with the same foundation of being Mayas and I think this is very important. Well, in my case taking the path of becoming an Ajq’ij has been something very important I completely feel the difference, the before and after of when I did it, I took my path at some point as a teenager, I had just gone through my teenage years; that moment in life in which you are Searching for a purpose and a meaning in life I understood that many aspects of Maya spirituality helped my life have a purpose, a path And I felt different, I felt complete and I believe this is very important, I also understood, as many scholars mention, both Mayan and outside people who have a different vision, that Maya culture based its spiritual practice and their spiritual manifestation of the individuals and of the whole culture in science So Maya spirituality has its basis in science and because of this, Maya spirituality is something that makes us feel complete, it is something that we can apply to our life, in specific moments in which we engage in an activity in which we manifest our spirituality, either if it is for a moment or for a day, it is also something that helps us in each instant of our existence, both in that moment in which we are dedicated to our spiritual activity when we celebrate a Ceremony or something we want to do to dedicate to spiritual time and also helps us in every instant of our life when we eat, when we go out for a walk, when we work, when we study; it is something that we can apply to every instant of our life and that is something very important. I believe that Maya spirituality is a guide, a path; it does not make us become perfect beings because we are human beings, but it is a very good guide to be able to live a complete life, in harmony and in balance, especially because it gives us specific days to perform certain activities; one understands and comprehends that one can plan one’s life in relation to these days, and initiate projects on a certain day or get married on a certain day or do certain activities that have their own day so one wakes up every day and understands that that day has a purpose, an energy and one is in harmony with that energy, one feels the fullness with that energy and by being in communication and in tune with the energy of that day one can accomplish each of the objectives one wants to achieve in the best way and to feel that satisfaction in every plane; spiritual, physical, mental and emotional and to feel that completeness and that balance that immerses us and makes us live this spiritual life within Maya culture. To me, it is also very important to understand that within Maya culture there is a gender equity and balance, where both men and women can live within Maya spirituality at the same level, so there is a balance in gender equity and it is also very important for me to understand that we are given the opportunity as young people of making this commitment from an early age in the moment in which one feels ready and prepared, because one can feel that of making this commitment, always being respectful to the Elders and those that are older because theirs is the experience it belongs to them, they have lived much more time than us, and all the time and all the experiences give them the wisdom that we as young people sometimes lack but it does invite us from our early age to understand and comprehend and live within Maya spirituality, so that we can learn day by day and understand day by day, it is amazing that every human being realizes at a certain point 
that every day and at every instant we are learning something sometimes experiences don’t appear to be good, but it is also something that make us have the understanding that the challenges and inconveniences we face throughout our life can support us and strengthen us in our activities and in our spiritual understanding and our spiritual awareness, so it is also very important, the opportunity that we are given as young people to make this commitment. It is also important to understand that Maya culture brings us in harmony with all nature, it makes us have respect towards nature, towards Mother Earth, towards each of the elements; fire, earth, air and water, and each of the animals and plants, and that is how we feel in harmony at every instant of our life because we give it a purpose, a meaning, an understanding; we are in communication, in tune. We are in harmony and we live in balance. It is a very good guide for any person who wants to find a way to give purpose and meaning to their life. It is an invitation, in my case it was a complete change, I feel much more content and happy, one does make a commitment, but it is also something beautiful to be able to have this opportunity to look at life in such a beautiful way; it is an invitation to all the people who would like to get closer to Maya spirituality because you will find a spiritual strength, harmony and balance for your life and your existence, especially in our modern times.
Sib’laj Maltiox (Many Thanks)
- Yamanik Pablo – Maya Lineage, Next Generation - September 24, 2014