Instituto de Estudios Vallejianos BYU

Last Thursday Nov 15th Angela and I were invited by the Puertas family to the Instituto de Estudios Vallejianos at BYU. What? Cesar Vallejo at the BYU? I mean the institute. It surprised me a lot. I really enjoyed the musical presentation that night, especially the music of the group Sol Andino, (an American Fork family). I really liked it.

This took me to my years in Arequipa when I was attending high school and the Universidad San Agustin de Arequipa. And I remember the poems of Cesar Vallejo. His poetry impressed me much.

Los Heraldos Negros

Hay golpes en la vida tan fuertes ... Yo no se!
Golpes como del odio de Dios; como si ante ellos,
la resaca de todo lo sufrido
se empozara en el alma... Yo no se!

Son pocos, pero son... Abren zanjas oscuras
en el rostro mas fiero y en el lomo mas fuerte.
Seran tal vez los potros de barbaros Atilas;
o los heraldos negros que nos manda la Muerte

Son las caidas hondas de los Cristos del alma,
de alguna fe adorable que el destino blasfema.
Esos golpes sangrientos son las crepitaciones
de algun pan que en la puerta del horno se nos quema.

Y el hombre... pobre... pobre, vuelve los ojos, como
cuando por sobre el hombro nos llama una palmada;
vuelve los ojos locos, y todo lo vivido
se empoza, como una charco de culpa, en la mirada.
Hay golpes en la vida, tan fuertes... Yo no se!

I remember:
Se quisiera tocar todas las puertas,
y preguntar por no se quien, y luego
ver a los pobres y, llorando quedos,
dar pedacitos de pan fresco a todos.

And also:
Yo vine a darme lo que acaso estuvo
asignado para otro;
Y pienso que, si no hubiera nacido,
otro pobre tomara esta cafe!

Did Cecar Vallejo believe in God? Yes. And in a way that he addressed to him as it were face to face, bearing testimony of his own existence and of God himself. Even though he was taught with false concepts about God he learned by intuition.

Dios mio, estoy llorando el ser que vivo;
me pesa haber tomadote tu pan;
pero este pobre barro pensativo
no es costra fermentada en tu costado
!Tu no tienes Marias que se van!

What profound! He is lamenting about his mortal and fallen state, about his own suffering in this world. He refers to the crucifixion of the Savior, to his wounds and death. He addresses to God telling him: You don't know how it is to lose a mother (Maria).

Dios mio, si tu hubieras sido hombre
hoy supieras ser Dios;
pero tu, que estuviste siempre bien,
no sientes nada de tu creacion.
!El hombre si te sufre; el Dios es el!

Exactly, the only way for a god to become God is being a man first. It is the only way for man to learn how to become God. We know that God not always was doing good. He suffered. Jesus Christ is the Father and the Son. Chirst suffered all the pains and infirmities of all men. He suffered to pay for our own sins and transgressions on conditions of repentance.
He feels everything of his creation. The salvation of men and women in eternity is his business, his life. He is the bread of life for all of us. Through him and by him we can attain salvation and become gods as he is God in eternity, when we obey and keep all his commandments.