Show Religion Seeks Keynote to I Hereafter at Iglesia Shrine e I rai I Z r M f v v. v I I a I t A II II I I I I I S Sc S I c a a c t tej tw I w I ej t w C a an n Vp The The Igles ia ancient Maya church at Chichen Chichen Occult students from all parts of the World make pilgrimages to this edifice Below is an effigy of Prince Coh of Chichen Itza awaiting reincarnation It is is said to bo the most perfect specimen of Maya sculpture andis and andis is in the national museum of Mexico By ALMA REED NEA N EA Service Special Correspondent 1 ITZA CHICHEN-ITZA Yucatan Nov 11 The n-The The origin and the destiny of ol the human are are curiously I linked in the ruins rums of Yucatan While science see seeks s a clue to mankind's beginnings in the carved I stones tones of 01 the ancient Maya Maa religion searches for Cor a key to the secret of the grave The Carnegie institution excavations excavations excavations excava excava- now under way at Chichen- Chichen Itza aim to 10 uncover the the story story of a aa great vanished race Perhaps that story will lift tho the veil from the dawn of civilization But the followers of of esoteric creeds also ruso journey journe here here in the hope of lifting the veil from the mystery of ot death In the ritual of various occult so so- so I Yucatan is referred to as the I birthplace lace dace of the sacred mysteries mys- mys mys-I mys l teries tenes Many schools of of esoteric philosophy have long Ions regarded Chichen Itza as a Mecca The clam claim has received the sanction sanction sanction sanc sanc- tion of several eminent Mai Mayan an scholars and archeologists notably Dr Ur Auguste Le His translation of one of the four known Maya books pools to escape the flames at the hands of ot Bishop Lan- Lan LancIa Qa cIa In 1541 gives gives' to the original Maya empire the name of 1 meaning the primitive land It designates Chichen Itza as the heart of 01 a marvelous parent civili civill- which extended its influence I to distant nations As the center I r of Mayan 1 art science and religion t tit j it became a vast metropolis visited by pilgrims and wise men from all parts of the earth Dr Lc Le translation also indicates that here not less than years cars ago were developed d elop d the thc I Egyptian rites of Osiris OsirI the P. Iy py-I py theory of numbers the I astronomical lore of the Ch the 1 my mysteries teries and the Orphic Or 01 cercI ceremonies of Greece Gleece But it il is the pursuit of knowledge I an can the doctrine of reincarnation that Wrings Theosophists I l land and other students to Chichen j This knowledge the they believe was in the possession of the priests of I the holy and learned and was recorded by them in the symbolic symbolic symbolic sym sym- I bolic sculptures that adorn certain temples I About thirty years ago a group STouP of of disciples of Madame Helena P. P the mother of modern Theosophy purchased sed a site in the crumbling capital Edward H H. Thompson owner of the hacienda I on which the ruins stand The I property is near ar the strikingly strikingly- beautiful beautiful beau beau- little Iglesia or church still called Kuna Kona or House of Godby God Godby lJ by the local Indians Once a year yea I Theosophists gather before this building to commemorate rate with solemn service the wisdom wisdom wis nis wis- wis dom of the Maya Mara seers and to pray for light on the souls soul's path through the cycles TIle The Iglesia is one of the four small structures of or yellowish coated limestone collectively known as the Nunnery They are unrivaled on the continent as examples of rich richand richand richand and fantastic pre Hispanic orna orna- I I Ar have variously ly placed their age between and years ears Dr Sylvanus G. G Morley director of the Carnegie Institution work inclined to the tho latter figure when I asked for his opinion He He had Just examined a frieze friezo of O stucco hieroglyphics in the interior of or the Iglesia Iglesi one Iglesia one one of the seasons season's first discos discoveries disco eries I How unfortunate he c commented comment comment- ed that hat these thes inscriptions are so hopelessly disfigured 1 for they could doubtless tell the history of 01 this fascinating group But from evidence evidence evi evidence evi- evi dence at hand I r b buildings buildings build build- ild- ild ings were erected about 1100 A A. D D. although of reused material The sculptured elements were taken from older structures which probably probably alJ ably y daled dated back to A. A A D D. when I the present Chichen Itza was founded found found- ed ed But Dr Morley's comparatively recent date does not not establish the true age of Qt Chichen Science generally concedes that Maya cities were rebuilt time lime and time again on the same sites Each epoch left its story in a layer of masonry Nor Kor doe does 3 Dr Dl Morley'S l date even vaguely suggest the antiquity of Qt the symbolism of the strange characters characters characters char char- and The head and trunk of a mastodon are the princIpal principal prin prim cipal motifs inthe adornment of or the Iglesia Iglesias The entire facade fac de of the larger Nunnery building is a I tableaux said to represent the story I of creation Over Over- the entrance is carved a egg in which is seated a human figure holding a a I sceptre On one of my visits to Chichen- Chichen Itza I met a noted American Rosi- Rosi I who like an ancient pilgrim pilgrim pilgrim pil pil- pil- pil grim had journeyed there to learn at the Maya Minya temples In discussing the secrets locked in the I he said I Every EYen engraved stone holds aI a I thought form The thought first iI i existed in n the consciousness of the thc j I thinker who created the symbol and afterwards in the consciousness of oft I II the artist who represented it as an ideograph A person of I enlightenment could the stones of 01 the Maya and give again to the world the eternal I un I principles it has forgotten perhaps forgotten perhaps the proof that death Is the greatest triumph of life Science and religion walk in op opposite opposite opposite op- op paths through the ruins of ot Chichen Itza For each the Maya m mystery holds a different meaning But both I strive to link UnIt the remotest past with the farthest reach of time |