Inkululeko Yangempela YamaMaya

UBANI ongakaze ezwe ngamaMaya? Njalo ngonyaka izinkulungwane zezivakashi ziya eNhlonhlweni yaseYucatán eMexico ziyobona imibhoshongo ehlaba umxhwele efana naleyo yaseChichén Itzá naseCobá. AmaMaya ayemangalisa, hhayi nje ngokuhlakanipha kwawo kwezobunjiniyela kuphela kodwa nangalokho akufeza kwezokubhala, izibalo, nasekufundeni izinkanyezi. Asungula isimiso esiyinkimbinkimbi sokubhala ngezinhlamvu ze-hieroglyphic, umbono wokusebenzisa iguncu ekubaleni, kanye nekhalenda elinezinsuku ezingu-365 elilungiswe ngendlela evumelana neyonyaka onosuku olunezelwe.

Kodwa uma kuziwa enkolweni, sibona isithombe esihlukile. AmaMaya ayekholelwa konkulunkulu abaningi; ayekhulekela unkulunkulu welanga, inyanga, imvula, ummbila phakathi kwezinye nje izinto. Abapristi bawo babengochwepheshe ekufundeni izinkanyezi. Ukukhulekela kwawo kwakuhlanganisa ukusebenzisa impepho nezithombe, ukuzisika, ukuzophisa, nomkhuba wokwenza imihlatshelo ngabantu—iziboshwa, izigqila nabantwana ngokukhethekile.

Ukufika KwabaseSpain

Lena yimpucuko eyinkimbinkimbi eyatholwa abaseSpain lapho befika ekuqaleni kwekhulu le-16 kuleli zwe. Laba banqobi, njengoba babebizwa kanjalo abahloli bamazwe baseSpain, babenomgomo okabili: ukuthola izwe elisha nengcebo nokuguqulela amaMaya ebuKatolikeni ukuze bawakhulule emikhubeni yobuqaba. Ingabe ukunqoba kwabaseSpain kwalethela amaMaya inkululeko yangempela, engokwenkolo neyanoma iluphi uhlobo?

AbaseSpain, kuhlanganise nabefundisi beSonto lamaKatolika, bathatha izindawo zomphakathi, amaMaya ayezisebenzisela ukusika nokushisa amahlanga ukuze alime, okuyisiko lasendulo. Ukuthathwa kwale ndawo kwabangela ubunzima obukhulu nobutha. Laba bakhi bamakoloni bathatha nemithombo yamanzi, okwakuwukuphela kwemithombo yamanzi eNhlonhlweni yaseYucatán. Ubunzima obengeziwe baba khona lapho isonto lishaya umthetho wokuba amaMaya akhokhe intela yekhanda minyaka yonke—ama-reala angu-12 1/2 indoda ngayinye angu-9 kowesifazane ngamunye—ngaphezu kwentela kahulumeni eyayivele iwumthwalo. Abanikazi bomhlaba baseSpain babesisebenzisa kabi lesi simo ngokuqale bakhokhele amaMaya intela yesonto bese bewaphoqa ukuba abasebenzele aze ayikhokhe yonke le mali, okwawenza izigqila.

Abapristi babekhokhisa imali ngezinkonzo ezingokwenkolo, ezinjengokubhapathiza, ukushadisa, nokungcwaba. Ngokulawula umhlaba, intela yekhanda, nezintela, isonto lazicebisa lona ngamaMaya. Abantu abangafundile babebhekwa njengabantu abakholelwa ezeni futhi abangahlakaniphile ngokwemvelo. Ngakho, abefundisi nabanye abanegunya babekubona kufanele ukuwashaya amaMaya ukuze bawafundise ukuziphatha nokuba ayeke ukukholelwa ezeni.

IMpi Yamaqembu Ezenhlalo

AmaMaya aqale aziphindiselela ngokugodla izintela zesonto, akhipha izingane zawo ezikoleni zesonto, angaya emakilasini afundisa ngekhathekizimu, futhi enqaba ukusebenza emasimini. Kodwa lokho kwawenza abaphathwa kabi nakakhulu. Isimo safinyelela emvuthwandaba ngo-1847—ngemva kokubuswa iSpain iminyaka engaba ngu-300. AmaMaya alwa “nabelungu” kulokho okubizwa ngokuthi iMpi Yamaqembu Ezenhlalo.

Abaholi babavukeli basebenzisa isithixo ekuvukeleni kwabo esibizwa ngokuthi iSiphambano Esikhulumayo, okwakunomuntu owayekhuluma emva kwaso ekhuthaza ukulwa kuze kube sekufeni. Le mpi yaba inhlekelele kumaMaya. Ngesikhathi eyaphela ngaso ngo-1853, kwase kubulewe amaMaya aseYucatán angaba amaphesenti angu-40. Noma kunjalo, inzondo yayilokhu ilotha iphinde ivuke kwaze kwaphela iminyaka engu-55. Ekugcineni, amaMaya akwazi ukuzikhulula ejokeni labaseSpain, futhi kwasungulwa nezinhlelo zokubuyisela umhlaba kubanikazi. Kodwa, kuthiwani ngenkululeko engokwenkolo?

Ayikho Inkululeko Yangempela

Ukufakwa kobuKatolika ababusi baseSpain neMpi Yamaqembu Ezenhlalo akuzange kuwanike inkululeko yangempela amaMaya. Namuhla, kusekhona ukukhulekela noma inkolo ehlanganisa amasiko abomdabu angaphambi kokufika kwabaseSpain namasiko amaRoma Katolika.

Uma ikhuluma ngamaMaya anamuhla, incwadi ethi The Mayas—3000 Years of Civilization ithi: “AmaMaya asabakhulekela onkulunkulu bawo bakudala bemvelo nokhokho bawo emathuneni, emihumeni nasezintabeni . . . futhi ngesikhathi esifanayo akhulekela osanta esontweni.” Ngakho, unkulunkulu uQuetzalcoatl noma uKukulcán, ulinganiswa noJesu, futhi unkulunkulukazi wenyanga ulinganiswa noMariya iNcasakazi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukukhulekela isihlahla esingcwele okuthiwa i-ceiba kwathathelwa indawo ukuhlonipha isiphambano, namanje abantu abasasinisela njengokungathi siyisihlahla esiphilayo. Kunokuba zibe nemifanekiso kaJesu, iziphambano zihlotshiswa ngezimbali ze-ceiba.

Inkululeko Yangempela Ekugcineni!

Eminyakeni yamuva, oFakazi BakaJehova eMexico baqala umkhankaso omkhulu kakhulu wokufundisa ngeBhayibheli phakathi kwamaMaya. Izincwadi ezisekelwe eBhayibhelini, ezinjengomagazini, ziye zalungiselelwa ngolimi lwamaMaya ukuze asizwe aqonde injongo kaNkulunkulu ngesintu. Ibe yini imiphumela? Ngesikhathi okwalotshwa ngaso lesi sihloko, cishe bekunabashumayeli bezindaba ezinhle zoMbuso abangaba ngu-6 600 abakhuluma isiMaya abasemabandleni angu-241 oFakazi BakaJehova endaweni. Ingabe kube lula ngamaMaya ukuzikhulula ezinkolelweni zawo ezingokwesiko ukuze amukele iqiniso leBhayibheli?

KumaMaya amaningi aqotho, kube nzima. UMarcelino nomkakhe, uMargarita, babezibheka njengamaKatolika ashisekayo. Minyaka yonke babekhulekela isiphambano ngokusithwala besuka naso esontweni baye ekhaya, lapho babenza khona imihlatshelo yezilwane futhi ngemva kwalokho badle imihlatshelo nezihlobo nabangane. Kwabe sekufika oFakazi BakaJehova futhi baqala isifundo seBhayibheli nabo. Bathi: “Sabona ukuthi lokho esasikufunda kuyiqiniso, kodwa sacabanga ukuthi uma siyeka izinkolelo zethu zangaphambili, sizohlaselwa imimoya.” Noma kunjalo, baqhubeka nokufunda iBhayibheli. UMarcelino uthi: “Kancane kancane, iqiniso leBhayibheli laqala ukujula ezinhliziyweni zethu. Lokho kwasinika isibindi sokukhuluma nomndeni nabangane bethu ngalokho esasikufunde eBhayibhelini. Siyajabula manje ngokuthi sikhululekile ezinkolelweni eziyize ebesiyizigqila zazo. Esizisola ngakho ukuthi asisheshanga saqala. Sifuna ukwenza okwengeziwe manje ngokuzikhandla ukuze sitshele abanye ngamaqiniso amangalisayo aseBhayibhelini.”

U-Alfonso, oneminyaka engu-73, weyengumKatolika ozinikele. Edolobheni lakubo, wayevame ukuhlela imikhosi engokwenkolo, eyayihlanganisa amaMisa, ukudansa, ukudla neziphuzo zabo bonke abakhona. Kwakuliwa ngisho nanezinkunzi. Uyaphawula: “Kwakuyinto evamile ukulindela ukuthi le mikhosi iphele sekuliwa ngenxa yokudakwa. Nakuba ngangiyijabulela, nganginomuzwa wokuthi kunokuthile okwakusilela enkolweni yami.” Lapho oFakazi BakaJehova beshumayela ku-Alfonso, wasamukela isifundo seBhayibheli. Naphezu kokugula, waqala ukuba khona emihlanganweni eHholo LoMbuso. Manje useyilahle yonke imikhuba yenkolo yangaphambili futhi ulisebenzisa ngokugcwele ithuba lokuhlanganyela izinkolelo zakhe ezintsha nalabo abamvakashela ekhaya.

Lezi yizibonelo ezimbalwa zamaMaya amaningi aqotho asethole inkululeko engokwenkolo. Yebo, isekhona inzalo yabakhi bemibhoshongo yaseYucatán ehlaba umxhwele. Isakhuluma ulimi olufanayo. Iningi lisaphila ngendlela okhokho balo ababephila ngayo, emizini efulelwe ngesundu yaphahlekwa ngobumba. Lilima ummbila nokotini lisebenzisa yona kanye indlela yokusika nokushisa amahlanga. Kodwa manje iqiniso leZwi likaNkulunkulu liwakhululile amaMaya amaningi ekugqilazweni inkolo yamanga nokukholelwa ezeni. Awazisa ngokugcwele amazwi kaJesu anamandla: “Niyolazi iqiniso, futhi iqiniso liyonikhulula.”—Johane 8:32.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 13]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Indawo eyayiphethwe amaMaya asendulo

IGulf of Mexico

IMEXICO

INhlonhlo yaseYucatán

IChichén Itzá

ICobá

IBELIZE

IGUATEMALA

IHONDURAS

I-EL SALVADOR

[Isithombe ekhasini 13]

Amanxiwa amaMaya, eChichén Itzá

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

UMarcelino nomkakhe, uMargarita, beshumayela izindaba ezinhle eYucatán