December 1, 2004

Ecuador

"Walk in your shoes, speak your truth, and follow your path." -- Inti

 

In this week's Alert:

 

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LiveYourAdventure's first-ever tele-class, Follow Your Passion is tomorrow, December 2nd!

Join Mark and author/edcuator Craig Nathanson as they inspire you with ways to escape the cubicle and make YOUR passion a reality! The over-the-phone format is easy — you can participate live from anywhere in the world!

There are still a few spots open! Click here for more information and to register.

AdventureView: Inti, Shamanic Wisdom from Ecuador

 

During my recent visit to Quito Ecuador, I had the privledge and pleasure of participating in a small conference of Shamans and Native Healers. It was organized by Dr. Maximilliano Moreno, director Ecotrackers. To read more about my adventures with Max (or MadMax as I call him), click here.

There were about ten people in attendance, including academics in Anthroplogy and Sociology from several countries. One particapant, a Toltec Indian from Mexico, lead the group in a series of energy exercises. (Toltec Tai-chi!) The Shaman, currently living in Quito, is from the same lineage as Don Juan Matus described by Carlos Castaneda in his books.

In this week’s AdventureView we talk with another Shaman from the conference, a native of Otavalo, Ecuador


[Editor's note:This interview has been translated from Spanish]

LiveYourAdventure: Your name is Inti, what does that mean?
Inti: When I asked my mother why she called me Inti, she told me that there were two reasons. First, because I was born when the sun was rising, and to honor the Taita Inti, or Father Sun, she thought it would be an honor to call his son “The Light of the Sun,” which is literally what it means in the Quechua language. That name stayed with me till I was seven years old, when I had to be baptized under the Roman Apostolic Catholic Church’s regulations, and they called me Eduardo.

LYA: And you are from Otavalo?
Inti: Yes, I was born in the little village of Otavalo, in the region that is called Teguche. Teguche is very renowned in the Indian world, because it has many things that are very, very spiritual. I grew up with an extraordinary people. The Otavalens have been know for being great textile artisans. Beside the fall in Teguche Tío I learned wonderful things from my grandpa, who I called the Wizard, or sometimes I called him as everybody knew him: The Watchful, an Awakened, an awakened spirit. And through that ancestral knowledge I’ve known wonderful things, which have given a form to my life and aroused me to things that belong to another state of consciousness.

LYA: So your grandpa was your teacher?
Inti: He taught me the Andine Cosmo vision, which nowadays would be what people call metaphysics. But for my ancestors it was the vision of the Cosmos. They understood the Universal truth that everything created was created in the Cosmos.

LYA: Do you have other spiritual teachers?
Inti: I’ve had two great teachers. The last one passed away a year and a half ago. His name was Narciso. He had the qualities and knowledge about which my grandpa taught me. In any era, in the history of any human group, I believe there will always be these Wizards or Awakened Ones. For example, Christ was one of them. Two thousand years ago he came to the Earth, this Great Awakened One, and his job was to shake the conscience of humanity. Not in the physical way, but in its spiritual manner, to develop within us a conscience of Superior knowledge.

LYA: And now you are a teacher in Australia?
Inti: Yes, because I believe when we are born we enter into an adventure. The adventure of life. I firmly believe that the Universe, or Great Spirit, gives you everything you need in its physical form so you can complete your adventure. It puts you in places, it gets you people. It has already given you knowledge, which is intelligence. And with that, well, maybe that’s the most important tool for you to conquer not just the Earth, but also the Universe.

I’m no millionaire, I don’t have castles or drive a Mercedes-Benz, I don’t have fabulous banking accounts. But this is the seventeenth time I’ve traveled across the world. And the Universe has put me in many countries, on practically every continent on the planet. I believe with all my heart that knowledge has been the passport which has taken me to share my life with many people, and having been fed in many forms by my brothers and sisters of Earth. I say fed because I have never lacked a dish of food on the table or something to drink, and I’ve shared in their cultures -- in the way they understand their Cosmo vision, their music, their love of life, and… also their agonies many times. My grandpa used to say the young souls suffer most the consequences of not having understood the Universal truths because they are still trapped within their egos.

LYA: What are some of your favorite teachings and lessons?
Inti: There’s a famous expression that I like to repeat when teaching that says, as my grandpa used to say, “The night goes after the day,” and vice versa. Or, “What goes around comes around,” as you probably know it. It means everything goes around, the circle has to be completed, and that is the circle of life. The Earth is round, and she goes around her husband, Taita Inti, Father Sun. You are born and die, as a plant gives its fruit. If that fruit wants to be reproduced, it has to die and leave a seed, doesn’t it? So my grandpa used to say, “If you want to understand the Great Spirit, sometimes you have to die and be reborn.” And that’s like changing old clothes for new clothes, right? One of the great lessons I’ve received from him, which I have preached for many years, is the following: “Do not dictate anything to anyone, do not impose anything on anyone, and do not criticize anything to anyone, because neither you nor anyone else has that right. Only the one who made you has that right.” If you follow this, you are saying, “Come to me, I accept you exactly as you are.” And maybe even the ones who offend or don’t love you… You can teach them to have unconditional compassion as well, because that elevates your energies and synchronizes you with the frequencies of the Great Spirits.

When my grandpa taught me these things, he said to me “Walk in your shoes, speak your truth, and follow your path.” It means, don’t be there repeating and repeating to make your point, be followed, be believed. Because none can walk in our shoes but ourselves, no one knows the exact truth of our heart but ourselves. It often happens that there’s someone who crosses me in the path. And we can walk together along the way, can’t we? Along the way, but without interfering, because one’s truth is different from the other’s.

LYA: That’s a very beautiful concept. In Australia where you teach, do the people accept these concepts?
Inti: It’s very well known that in the Australian continent, human life has been present for more than a hundred thousand years. And man, no matter how primitive he is, has always tried to connect himself with something greater. This aboriginal man has always seen himself connected with Earth’s forces. This connection has always been both intellectual and very spiritual. They knew when to plant seeds, when the rain was coming, and when they didn’t have to work the soil. They didn’t know the names of the months as we know them, nor did they conceive that the Earth took 365 days to go around the sun. But in an extraordinary way there was a spiritual connection with it. That is exactly what modern man has lost, because we have always tried to impose our concepts on other people who had superior knowledge. The Mayan for example. They created the most perfect calendar that a modern civilization can create, right? They discovered writing thousands of years ago. Also the Aztecs. When Cortez invaded Tonochtitlán, he found libraries with books. They weren’t as refined as ours, but they were books, there were libraries… and Cortez burned them.

LYA: Like the companies destroying the rainforests here. What would you say to them?
Inti: We can’t deny that we are walking on the stomach of our true mother which is the Earth. We can’t deny that Mama Pacha and Taita Inti are omnipresent, because they are in every second of our lives, they are the ones who provide us life. If I want the warmth of my father Taita Inti, I only say to him, “Here I am, Taita Inti, thank you for your warmth, thank you for producing the photosynthesis to make the plants grow, to make me grow.” And the same to Mama Pacha, Mother Earth. She never denies me anything. She gives me everything she has – rivers, seas, woods, everything that belongs to her, every second of my life. They are here and they tell me they love me unconditionally, whether I do good or wrong. Nobody is going to refute that the Sun is up there, and the Mother Earth is participating with me here. The moment I go and destroy the woods, poison the rivers, and do what I want against my mother, I wouldn’t be capable of survival. How can a man in his rationality cut off the arms of his mother? Cut holes in the stomach of his mother? Give poison to his mother? That is what I don’t understand. But it is very easy for most people to excuse themselves through an intermediary, such as dogmatic institutions.

LYA: What is your hope for the human race?
Inti: I hope that one way or another we try to solve our problems with peace. This would be Eden, any culture, any city. I hope man’s conscience changes and keeps on growing.. Quietly the sun extinguishes, or we blow ourselves in pieces. And then not even the millions of Gods that live can save us. It’s that simple. But when we enter that superior state of thinking, we start to change. Little by little, as a baby who has to crawl first, until he can learn to stand up and walk. I believe that… I do have much optimism that humanity, in some moment, will elevate its conscience so it can survive.

LYA: Thank you for sharing your wisdom.
Inti: You’re welcome. May the Great Spirit always guide your steps and be the accomplice of your most intimate hopes. So then, one way or another, you help our brothers and sisters of this planet to awaken.

 

Ecotrackers Revisited
Mark is a volunteer for Ecotrackers, a non-profit organization that preserves the indigenous cultures and environment of Ecuador through promoting community-based ecotourism. Here he writes about one of his memorable experiences.



I thought I was going whale watching. The weather and the schedule of the local fishermen were not in harmony. My intended marine experience was replaced by a cultural one; I became a temporary part of a seaside Ecuadorian family.

The adventure began with an all-night bus ride from Quito, the capital of Ecuador high in The Andes. Quito is the headquarters of Ecotrackers, a community based eco-tourism outfit I had dealt with extensively in the past.(link) On the over-night bus ride to the coast, I was joined by Andy from Scotland, another Ecotrackers volunteer. The bus was luxury liner, compared to some of the transportation that would follow. Bleary eyed at 5:30 am in the coastal city of Esmereldas we went our separate ways with plans to regroup three days later in the remote fishing village of Estero dePlatanos for whale watching. I was hopeful we would meet again, but the spotty nature of transportation and the inability to communicate easily with our intended host made the reunion a bit iffy.


Such is the nature of many of the Ecotrackers destinations. Getting there is part of the adventure. No plush jungle lodge with arrival via chaufferred air-conditioned Hummer. Not even close. Someone once said, "Things don't get interesting until something goes wrong." By this definition, my Ecotracker excursions have always been interesting-in fact, fascinating.

After time with friends in Esmereldas I made my way towards Estero de Platanos to do my best to keep my appointed meeting time with Andy. I had to catch a 45 minute bus to the town of Atacames and from there another bus to the village of Estero de Platanos. My cab driver to the bus station asked why I didn't take a cab to Atacames. He quoted me a price and touted the convenience of not being delayed by all of the stops along the way. The price was reasonable. I asked if he could take me all the way to Estero de Platanos. He said he knew of the village and thought about my request for a moment and then added 20% onto the original figure. This was a smokin' deal to me, avoiding all the stops along the way and eliminating the delay and uncertainty of the connecting bus. Trato hecho! It's a deal! Let's go, I said.

He was pleased, so was I. He tossed an album of music CD's in my lap and asked me what kind of music I liked. I told him all kinds but mostly Rock 'n' Roll. Soon we were listening to pirated version of AC/DC 's Greatest Hits-- cruisin' and rockin' out. His driving matched the music. I liked the music but the driving was a little fast for my taste. We were blasting through construction zones and leaving other vehicle in the dust.


Luis was in his mid-twenties and seemed to have great pride of ownership in his ride, it's sound system and his music collection. He was good company; our cross-cultural exchange centered on music, cars, and girls. We passed through Atacames on our way towards Estero de Platanos. Their was a conspicuous absence of signs pointing us in the direction of Estero de Platanos. Luis made up for the lack of signs by asking directions along the way. We turned onto a dirt road that was in bad shape. Twenty minutes more, he assured me. After forty minutes he got noticeably concerned. He winced over every bump hole in the road, anxious about damaging the vehicle, which, I found out then, was not his. He was leasing it from the owner who was in jail. He said he would have to pay for any damages to the body or nicks in the windshield. He was also very concerned that he had seriously under-estimated the distance to Estero de Platanos and hugely under-quoted my fare. It got worse for poor Luis. It was more than an hour and a half further than he thought -- one way -- with little hope of finding a return fare. Luis spent the last half hour whining about how much his error was costing him. As I said, it seemed like a smokin' deal to me. I tipped him to help make up for his honest mistake and promised to buy him a drink on my way back through Esmereldas.


Estero de Platanos is a very small community. There never were any roadsigns nor was there a sign to indicate that you had arrived. One main street lead straight to the beach. Clustered around the last quarter mile was about 40 buildings. That was it, the entire town. Before I could finished describing my friend Andy to some folks at the beach they directed me to walk a couple hundred yards to the end of the beach to find my host family.

I found Andy and was welcomed into my temporary quarters by the family. I had many cultural experiences on my previous adventures with Ecotrackers but none quite this intimate. In fact I had visited more than ten of their community ecotourism locations and had the same number of homestay experiences. But never had I felt so much a part of a family or community before. Was it me that had changed? Had I grown in my ability to experience intimacy in the two years since my previous Ecotrackers excursions? Perhaps. Whatever the case, I had an amazingly authentic experience inside the world of this young family.

The family was unusual in that the father was of Hispanic descent and mother was from and indigenous tribe. Interracial marriages such as this are uncommon in Ecuador. But the unlikely combination made for some very beautiful children.


The family of six kids, all under the age of ten, lived in a three-room wooden house that was over fifty years old. The house was on the bank of a small river, at the edge of the jungle, at the base of a large rocky ridge, and overlooking the beach. There is no road to their house, arrival is by boat from the beach, or by foot from the village along the beach and across the shallow river.

The kids were very shy at first. But that lasted all of ten minutes. The only holdout was Rosi, the youngest girl; it took her about a day for her to relax around me. The youngest child, about nine months old, was the first and only boy. And from the looks of things, he is destined to receive plenty of attention.

I was blown away by the industriousness of the young family and the value they placed on the education. Mornings were a blur of activity getting ready for school. They were a self-sustaining organic unit; cooking cleaning, dressing, and combing each other's hair. In the evenings it was a delight to help the older girls with their homework and teach them a few English words. It was tough to say who was having more fun.


Although our whale watching boat trip never happened, we did get to see whales from the shore on my second day there. Fermine, the dad, led us on all-day trek throught the jungle and to the top of a mountain ridge overlooking the ocean. From there we did get to see a couple of whales blowing spray in the air, off in the distance. Not the up-close-and-personal experience we had hoped for, nonetheless we got to see them. The jungle trek came with its physical challenges and esthetic rewards. A dive into a secluded pool beneath a waterfall made the effort worthwhile.

My trip back to civilization was not quite as comfortable as my taxi ride with Luis. But colorful it was. The normal mode of transport in and out of the village is an indoor/outdoor truck/bus.

Want to learn more about Ecotrackers? Click here!

 


From Mark's Personal Journal:
Listen To Your Heart

I was in a small cafe here in Buenos Aires, where I do a lot of my writing. I was lost in thought, troubled by some business negotiations stateside. A girl that I recognized from the building where I'm staying caught my attention. I think she is a housekeeper for another apartment in the building where I am staying. I met her once before in the elevator and she was practically ecstatic that I was a native English speaker. She spoke to me in English clearly but also very, very loudly, as if to make sure that I understood. Her English was choppy but very clear. I felt as though she might have some slight mental or learning disability, but she was very pleasant and friendly.

I was pleased that I remembered her name and said hello to her in the cafe. Again, she seemed genuinely delighted to be able practice her English. Again very LOUD, out of place in the tiny cafe. She talked about the family she worked for and how they wanted the children to learn English. Then, totally out of context, she blurts out, LISTEN TO YOUR YOUR HEART! Half a sentence later she inserted the phrase into the conversation again — coming from way out in left-field somewhere. It really struck me. As if God was tuning into some choppy English radio station, adjusting the dial to tweak the frequency of this young unknowing messengers' brain to deliver this personal message to me. It was eerie.

The path I would take in my business negotiations was suddenly crystal clear.

As I walked down the sidewalk from the cafe, I felt deep sense of peace and tranquility, as if I was floating down the street. It really sunk in, that it is possible to LIVE in that space of listening to my heart... If I am quiet enough, the voice is always there!