The Mayan Mystery
The Mayan civilization at Tikal thrived from around 250 to 900 CE, during its Classic Era. Then it declined and was eventually deserted. For many years, this was a mystery: what caused such a dramatic change?
Solving the Mystery
Research suggests that some of the very things they were known for may have contributed to their decline. The Maya built sophisticated water reservoirs. They also used large amounts of stucco for building construction, which required burning vast amounts of wood.
Studies of the region around Tikal indicate that a large portion of the surrounding forest cover was lost over time to source building materials and other survival needs. This large-scale deforestation may have altered local climate patterns and worsened drought conditions, which coincided with the period of decline.
Scientists have also found mercury contamination in some of their reservoirs — likely from materials used in construction and ritual life. A slow poison. Not necessarily the sole cause of collapse, but another pressure on a society already under strain.
Add to this the never-ending wars with neighboring settlements, and the decline starts to look less like a mystery — more like a familiar pattern in how the human mind tends to work.
What did I learn?
While learning about the Maya, I was amazed by their creations; their massive pyramids are impossible to overlook. At the same time, another thought struck me: the human ego.
The moment we think of ego, we assume it is something wrong. But that’s not entirely true. The ancient sages noted — and I concur — that one can’t live or act without some ego. A person without any ego at all would essentially be a dead being walking.
What the sages meant by “drop your ego” is this: let go of the ego that is unhealthy; the one that causes your destruction and that of others. Sometimes, even the entire environment around you, as the Mayan story reminds us.
The Resident Evil
The human ego is resident and imminent; yet a destructive evil when unchecked. We often want to prove that we are the greatest, individually and collectively. And in the process, we damage ourselves, our societies, and the very systems that keep us alive.
Instead of trying to prove to the world that we are the greatest, if we simply care for people and the environment, greatness follows on its own.
Keep a little ego to function in this world. Beyond that, throw it out with resolve. It simply isn’t worth carrying.
When you truly let it go, you are the one who benefits. You feel quieter and lighter. So much so, it’s almost like you’re flying.
