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Abuelo (Grandfather) Tezkalci Matorral Kachora is a
vital and charismatic 94 year old healer.... or, as he likes to say, a doctor del campo o hombre de conocimiento (folk doctor or man of knowledge) who brings to
gether vast knowledge from both his Yaqui and Lacandon Maya ancestry.
A master herbalist -- he has knowledge of thousands of plants, including their medicinal and
subtle, or spiritual, properties. He is a lineage holder of ancient and sacred Toltec traditions. His father, Javali,
was also un hombre de conocimiento --
a man of knowledge, a Nagual. His mother, Estrella Azul, a gifted healer and keeper of awareness practices from the Lacandon
Maya tradition.
Originally from Rio Yaqui, Sonora, born in approximately 1914, he now lives
in Tecate, Baja California. Generally he can be found under a special tree in his medicinal herb garden. He arises early
each day for his daily walk and meditation in order to prepare for a full day of visits by persons who seek his advice and
by patients who come to him for healing. Somehow in between patients, Grandfather finds time to craft sacred
objects of healing and power which he will later gift to patients or special visitors. He will often generously spend
a morning -- or day -- offering teachings on plant medicine, ceremony or the unique Sacred Mayan Triangle Concentration exercise that is from his mother's Lacandon Mayan heritage. This concentration exercise has been used for hundreds of years
to help students clear their mind of preconceived ideas and to enhance spiritual sight.
Grandfather's deep compassion and love for Mother Earth and
our Relations in nature are part of the teachings that were handed down to him from both his father's and mother's spiritual
traditions. This secret oral knowledge is rooted within the special and until recently, hidden, priest lineages that date
back to 2,000 B.C.
Until recently, his travels have taken him all over the world where
he has met with extraordinary elders and teachers of various spiritual traditions, such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama. As
Grandfather points out, wisdom may be found in all spiritual lineages and traditions.
This is a brief introduction
into Grandfather's history and that of his parents as he tells it during his talks:
"The beginning of my story comes
from around 1500 AD when the Spaniards came, when the different civilization came with its new language, new religion of Christianity
and foreign customs. Everything natural in the Yaqui world began to become distorted then. The Conquistadors were very aggressive
and enslaved the Yaqui. We were then a very natural people without any defenses or protection. So, because of this oppression,
the Yaqui sacred knowledge was hidden carefully . . . this was true throughout Mexico . . . it continued only in secret oral
and family tradition, within the seven sacred lineages in order to preserve it. Thus, this ancient wisdom only existed inwardly
and secretly from the 1500s until today. Now that cycle of obscurity is ending. It is time again for this ancient sacred knowledge
to emerge in order to help lead people back to the spiritual and natural way of life".
A gifted healer, Kachora's
father, Javali, was eventually granted freedom from slavery after helping heal many of his people as well as those
who had enslaved him. Shortly after becoming a free man, he met Kachora's mother...this is the the story of how Grandfather
received his name:
"There was torrential rain on the day I entered this world. It created huge flash floods and
the wind tore at trees and shelter. We were poor and cold as we walked the land looking for shelter. As my father
told our story, it had been many days since they had eaten. My mother weary from the long trek and the lack of
food, was not able to breast feed me... I cried and cried from hunger. My father had to focus all his energy on keeping the
fire going under our small shelter (which was made of ocotillo and whatever else we could find) and on finding food for he
and my mother. The rain continued throughout the day and as night began to fall, my father prayed to the Creator
to please feed his little family.
Suddenly a great wind arose. As my father looked up, he saw a kachora
(a salamander/lizard) stuggling to hold on to a branch that was hanging directly above the fire. His spirits lifted as he
thought his prayers were anwered and the wind would probably bring his family's meal right into their fire.
The
wind caught hold of the branches and, plop!, the kachorita fell right into the center of the fire. A few moments later there
was movement in the middle of the flames as the salamander slowly made its way out of the fire and walked away unharmed.
From then on I was known as Kachora, in honor of the small kachorita and the god of fire."
"Human beings have gone too long far out of balance and forgotten their closest friends
and allies, the plants. What are you breathing? Oxygen! Where does oxygen come from? The plants. It is through the plants
and from nature that we are guided to the Infinite, to Chamahua. Nature is the "good spirit" that guides us and shows us the
harmony and balance to follow in order to enter the path of the Infinite. Follow this path and all life prospers; you will
attain the ultimate realization."
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