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“The tradition of the ancient ones: the way of life they established. It is upon it that one lives. Let not perish the black, the red — the tradition — of the ancient ones. Why do you destroy the way of life, the black, the red, the tradition of our ancestors, the ancient ones?”

Injn tlatolli, itechpa mjtoaia: in jntlamanjtiliz in vevetque, in tlein oqujtlaliteoaque nemjliztli, çan ipan nemoa, acanoçomo ipan nemoa: ic mjtoaia. Macamo poliviz in jntlil, yn jntlapal in vevetque: qujtoznequj: in tlamanjtiliztli: anoço. Tleica in anqujpoloa in nemjliztli, yn jntlil, in jntlapal tocolvan, vevetque.

Book VI, fol. 213v–214r

Ancestral Wisdom Daily

Day sign Ozelotl

Today · Tonalpowalli

4 Ozelotl

19th day of Ochpaniztli · 5 October 2026

Year bearer Tochtli

Year

1 Tochtli

““There is a fruit season upon the earth.” It is said of some leader who is dislodged, who is driven out because of a fault of his: just as the fruit ripens well, then it falls. “No one is a mere navel upon the earth.” We are to hold no one as nothing; that is, we are to despise no one. Though one seem despicable, perhaps he is prudent, perhaps he is wise of heart, perhaps he is discerning.”

##### Xoxocotioan tlalticpac. Itechpa mjtoa: in aca teiacanquj, tlaçalo, totoco itla ipampa itlatlacul: in ma iuhquj xocotl vel oicucic: njman oalvetzi. ##### Aiac xictli in tlalticpac. Aiac tictoxictizque, qujtoznequj tictelchioazque: macivi in telchioalonj neci, ace mjmatinj, açe iolizmatinj, ace mozcalianj.

On the teaching

The elders speak to those newly charged with rule or office, warning that standing is never permanent: like ripened fruit, a leader who errs will fall in his season. The navel, the body's own center, becomes a figure for hidden worth in every person, however lowly they appear. The teaching asks rulers to govern humbly, knowing their time is short, and asks everyone to withhold contempt, since unseen wisdom may live in the most overlooked person.

Book VI, fol. 184v, ch. 41 — AdagesImpermanence

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3 Akatl · 4 October 2026

““Clear-eyed.” It is said of one who considers well how to seek out, how to bring to light what is needed; or who sees well what is difficult in a riddle.”

##### Ixpetz. Itechpa mjtoa: in aqujn vel qujnemjlia, in quenjn vel qujtemuz, in quenjn vel qujmonextiliz in jtech monequj: anoce vel qujtta in tlein ovi in çaçanjllj.

Book VI, fol. 184r, ch. 41 — Adages

2 Malinalli · 3 October 2026

““He makes everything his business.” It is said of one who makes himself knowing in all that is said, in all that is done.”

##### Tomachizoa. Itechpa mjtoa: in aqujn moch conmomachiztia in tlein mjtoa, in tlein muchioa.

Book VI, fol. 183v, ch. 41 — Adages

1 Ozomatli · 2 October 2026

“And how does your heart wish that the Giver of Life should look upon you as a person, that he should address you as a person, that he should speak humanly, that he should speak at all? And will you then be able to take, will you be able to seize his lip, his word? And will your heart be satisfied by it? Will you then be content? And will your heart then be well settled? Alas, wretched ones, who do you think yourselves to be: here you open the coffer, the chest, and before you it spills out, you scatter it, you cast it about — the necklace, the quetzal plume, the precious thing, the bracelet, the jade, the turquoise, the thing beyond compare, beyond telling, the wrapping, the coffer of our lords, their very binding, their very keeping.”

Auh quenjn noço qujnequj moiollo, mjtzmotlacaittitiz in totecujo? mjtztlacanotzaz? tlacatlatoz? tlatoz: auh cujx ie vel toconcujz, cujx ie uel toconanaz in jten, in jtlatol: auh cujx ic pachiviz in moiollo, cujx ic tonvellamatiz? auh cujx yc vellommotlaliz moiollo? Vi tlaueliloque, ac te ac timomati: in njcan tictlapoa in toptli, petlacalli in mjxpan chaiavi, in ticcecenmana, in ticmomoiaoa in cozcatl, in quetzalli, in tlaçotli, in maqujztli, in chalchiuhtli, in teuxiuhtli, in anemjuhquj in atemaconj in ateilvilonj, in jntop, in jnpetlacal in totecujoan, in vel innelpil, in jnpial.

Book VI, fol. 65v, ch. 15 — A judge speaks after the ruler