Isizwe SamaMaya Sifumana Inkululeko Yokwenene

NGUBANI ongazange eve ngesizwe samaMaya? Nyaka ngamnye amawaka abakhenkethi aya kuSingasiqithi weYucatán eMexico esiya kubona iipiramidi, njengezo ziseChichén Itzá naseCobá. Esi sizwe sasibalasele kungekuphela nje ngobuchule bokwakha kodwa nangezinto esazibhalayo, imathematika nolwazi ngeenkwenkwezi. Sayila inkqubo yokubhala entsonkothileyo sisebenzisa imifanekiso, inani elingu-0, nekhalenda eneentsuku ezingama-365 nonyaka omde.

Noko ke, unqulo lwaso lwalahluke kakhulu. Sasinqula oothixo abaninzi; oothixo belanga, abenyanga, abemvula, abezityalo eziziinkozo kunye nabanye. Ababingeleli baso babevumisa ngeenkwenkwezi. Babesebenzisa iziqhumiso nemifanekiso, bezisika inyama, bephalaza igazi egameni lesithethe, bebingelela nangabantu—abangamabanjwa, amakhoboka, ngokukodwa abantwana.

Ukufika Kwabantu BaseSpeyin

Ezi zizinto ezafunyanwa ngabantu baseSpeyin ukufika kwabo ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane ye-16. Aboyisi baseSpeyin, babeneenjongo ezimbini: ukufumana umhlaba omtsha nobutyebi nokuguqula amaMaya abe ngamaKatolika, ukuze akhululeke kwiinkolelo ezingaphucukanga zobuhedeni. Ngaba aba boyisi baseSpeyin beza nenkululeko yokwenene, eyonqulo okanye enye inkululeko?

Abantu baseSpeyin, kuquka abefundisi beCawa yamaKatolika, bathimba umhlaba esasilima kuwo isizwe samaMaya kangangenkulungwane. Ukuthinjwa komhlaba waso kwabangela ukuba esi sizwe sihlupheke saza sanentiyo. Abantu baseSpeyin bathimba namaqula amanzi angaphantsi komhlaba, awayefumaneka kulo Singasiqithi weYucatán. Intlupheko yathath’ unyawo xa icawa yafuna ukuba indoda nganye irhafe, amadoda ayehlawula iireal ezili-12 1⁄2a baze bona abafazi bahlawule ezisi-9, ukongezelela kwirhafu karhulumente ababesele beyihlawula kakade. Abantu baseSpeyin ababenomhlaba basebenzisa elo thuba ngokuhlawulela amaMaya irhafu eyayifunwa yicawa baze bawanyanzele ukuba asebenze lide lihlawuleke elo tyala, nto leyo eyayiwenza amakhoboka.

Abefundisi babehlawulisa ngemisebenzi yecawa enjengobhaptizo, umtshato nomngcwabo. Ekubeni yathimb’ umhlaba, yahlawulisa umntu ngamnye irhafu yaza yafuna imali nakwezinye izinto, icawa yafumana ubutyebi. Amahlwempu kwakusithiwa aneenkolelo yaye awazi nto. Ngoko, abefundisi nabasemagunyeni babesithi bawabeka endleleni ngokuwabetha ukuze ahlukane neenkolelo.

Imfazwe YamaMaya Nabantu BaseSpeyin

Ekuqaleni amaMaya aziphindezela ngokungazihlawuli iirhafu zecawa, ayekisa abantwana bawo ezikolweni zecawa, awaya kwiiklasi ezifundisa unqulo, ala ukusebenza emasimini. Oko kwabangela ukuba aphathwe kabuhlungu ngakumbi. Ngowe-1847, emva kweminyaka emalunga nama-300 yolawulo lwabantu baseSpeyin, imeko yaba mbi kakhulu. AmaMaya avukela “abamhlophe,” nto leyo eyabizwa ngokuba yiMfazwe yamaMaya nabantu baseSpeyin.

Kwiindawo ekwakugaywa kuzo umkhosi, iinkokeli zabavukeli zazisebenzisa umfuziselo wonqulo owawubizwa ngokuba nguMnqalezo Wokuthetha, apho zazishumayela khona ukuba abantu balwele ukufa. Le mfazwe yabangela intlekele kumaMaya. Yathi iphela ngowe-1853 kwabe sele kufe amaMaya aseYucatán amalunga nama-40 ekhulwini. Sekunjalo kwaphela iminyaka engama-55 kumana kusiliwa. Ekugqibeleni, amaMaya akhululeka kwidyokhwe yabantu baseSpeyin, kwaza kwaqaliswa ukwabiwa komhlaba ngokulinganayo. Kuthekani ke ngenkululeko yonqulo?

Ayikho Inkululeko Yokwenene

UbuKatolika obaziswa ngabantu baseSpeyin neMfazwe yamaMaya nabantu baseSpeyin ayizange iwakhulule ngokwenene amaMaya. Nanamhlanje kusekho ingxubevange yonqulo oludibanisa izithethe zabo zangaphambi kokuba kufike abantu baseSpeyin kunye nezamaRoma Katolika.

Ithetha ngesizwe samaMaya sanamhlanje, incwadi ethi The Mayas—3000 Years of Civilization ithi: “AmaMaya ayenqula oothixo bawo bamandulo kunye nezinyanya zawo ezihlala emasimini, emiqolombeni nasezintabeni . . . kwangaxeshanye ayenqula iingcwele ezisecaweni.” Ngenxa yoko, afanisa uthixo ogama linguQuetzalcoatl, okanye uKukulcán noYesu, aze yena uthixokazi wenyanga amfanisa noMariya oNyulu. Ukongezelela koko, umthi ongcwele obizwa ngokuba yiceiba awayewunqula nasawunkcenkceshelayo nanamhla oku ngokungathi usaphila, wathatyathelw’ indawo ngumnqamlezo. Kunokuba le minqamlezo ibe nemifanekiso kaYesu, ihonjiswe ngeentyatyambo zalo mthi.

Inkululeko Yokwenene Ekugqibeleni!

Kwiminyaka yakutshanje, amaNgqina kaYehova aseMexico aye aqalisa umsebenzi omkhulu wokufundisa amaMaya iBhayibhile. AmaMaya afumana uncwadi lweBhayibhile olunjengamaphephancwadi ngolwimi lwawo lomthonyama ukuze ayazi injongo kaThixo ngoluntu. Uye waba yintoni umphumo? Xa kwakubhalwa eli nqaku, kwakukho amaMaya angabavakalisi boBukumkani abangama-6 600 kumabandla amaNgqina kaYehova angama-241. Ngaba kwakulula kumaMaya ukwahlukana nezithethe zawo ukuze amkele inyaniso yeBhayibhile?

KumaMaya amaninzi anyanisekileyo kwakunzima. UMarcelino nomfazi wakhe uMargarita, babengamaKatolika azinikeleyo. Nyaka ngamnye babesiya nomnqamlezo ekhayeni labo, bafike benze idini baze balitye nezalamane nezihlobo. Kwafika amaNgqina kaYehova aza aqalisa isifundo seBhayibhile kunye nabo. Bathi: “Sasiqonda ukuba oko sasikufunda yinyaniso, kodwa sasicinga ukuba xa siye salahl’ iinkolelo zethu, imimoya iya kusihlasela.” Sekunjalo, abazange bayeke ukufunda iBhayibhile. UMarcelino uthi: “Inyaniso yeBhayibhile yaya ingena ezintliziyweni zethu. Loo nto yasinik’ isibindi sokuthetha neentsapho zethu kunye nabahlobo ngezinto esizifunde eBhayibhileni. Ngoku siyavuya kuba sikhululekile kwiinkolelo esasingamakhoboka azo. Sithi akwaba sasiyifunde kwasekuqaleni inyaniso. Sifuna ukubuyisela ixesha esalichithayo ngokuzibhokoxa sixelela abanye ngeenyaniso ezimangalisayo zeBhayibhile.”

UAlfonso oneminyaka engama-73 ubudala, wayengumKatolika ozinikeleyo. Kwidolophu yakowabo wayedla ngokulungiselela imibhiyozo yonqulo, eyayiquka idini leMisa, umdaniso, ukutya neziselo kwabo bezileyo. Kwakusibakho nomlo weenkunzi zenkomo. Uthi: “Kwakuyinto eqhelekileyo ukuba le mibhiyozo iphele kusiliwa kuba abantu babenxila. Nangona ndandiyinandipha le mibhiyozo, ndandivakalelwa kukuba ikho into engahambi kakuhle kunqulo lwam.” Xa amaNgqina kaYehova ashumayeza uAlfonso, wavuma ukufundelwa iBhayibhile. Nakubeni impilo yayinkenenkene, waqalisa ukuya kwiintlanganiso eHolweni yoBukumkani. Waziyeka zonke izinto awayezenza kunqulo lwakhe lwangaphambili yaye usebenzisa naliphi ithuba analo ukuze axelele abantu abaze kumbona ngezinto azifundileyo ngoYehova.

Le yimizekelo nje embalwa yamaMaya anyanisekileyo aye afumana inkululeko yonqulo lokwenene. Ewe, kusekho inzala yabantu abakha iipiramidi ezibangel’ umdla zaseYucatán. Isathetha ulwimi lwayo lwantlandlolo. Uninzi lwayo lusaphila njengookhokho bayo, luhlala kwizindlu ezifulelwe ngamagqabi esundu zaza zatyatyekwa ngodongwe. Lutyala ukutya okuziinkonzo nomqhaphu ngendlela ababesenza ngayo ookhokho bayo. Kodwa ngoku iLizwi likaThixo liye lawakhulula amaMaya amaninzi kubukhoboka bonqulo lobuxoki neenkolelo. Awaxabisa ngokwenene amazwi kaYesu athi: “Niya kuyazi inyaniso, yaye inyaniso iya kunikhulula.”—Yohane 8:32.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Imaphu ekwiphepha 13]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

Ummandla ekusaphilwa ngendlela awayephila ngayo amaMaya amandulo

Gulf of Mexico

MEXICO

Yucatán Peninsula

Chichén Itzá

Cobá

BELIZE

GUATEMALA

HONDURAS

EL SALVADOR

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 13]

Amabhodlo amaMaya, eChichén Itzá

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

UMarcelino nomfazi wakhe, uMargarita, beshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo eYucatán