During his first visit to the center of Mexico Lama Dawa started to have dreams and visions related with the Popocatepetl volcano. He saw that the negative activity in Mexico was very intense and that was producing great evil and suffering for all beings. In his visions Lama Dawa also saw that in order to revert these negative energies a Vajrakilaya Mandala had to be installed in the base of this volcanic mountain.
The Popocatepetl (Smoking mountain in Nahuatl) is an active volcano with an elevation of 5426 m. It is located in the center of Mexico, surrounded by large cities as Mexico City and Puebla and several municipalities. around 30 million people are living in its surroundings.
Valley of Mexico. Photo by José María Velasco. In it you can see the Iztaccihuatl (left) and Popocatépetl (right) volcanoes..
This volcano has been considered a sacred place since pre-Hispanic times. In those times mountains were considered as homes of the deities and sources of life. The Popocatepetl was venerated as Tlaloc (God of water and lightning, divinity that sustains life and fertility) realm. Offerings to this god have being carried out on its area from those times to the present day.
The Legend of Popocatepetl and Iztaccíhuatl. Photo taken from Inside Mexico.
Currently, it continues to be a sacred place. In the communities surrounding the “Popo” there are people called ‘tiemperos’ or ‘graniceros’ that communicate with the volcano and perform annual offerings to him asking for rain and for the good development of the crops, which in this area are mainly corn. The relation with the “Popo” or “Don Goyo” (how they like to call it) it is still deeply rooted in their culture.
The area selected to place the Mandala is the Amecameca area, that has an East view to the volcano. It is an important energetic area. It is considered one of the four winds (directions) in pre-Hispanic culture and is part of the route of important current pilgrimages. Some mystical and relevant characters for Mexico, such as Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz and Regina, have been born in the area.
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