True-discernment

In our own lives we discover that it is much more difficult to discern between what ‘feels right’ from what is actually right, than from making the relatively easy distinction between what is clearly right or wrong. All things good are pleasurable but not all things pleasurable or gratifying to our senses are good for us.  We can miserably fail in life and put ourselves through much needless and avoidable suffering, stress and anxiety if we fail to make the distinction between what ‘feels’ right or good from what  is actually right, beneficial and good. This is where honest self-reflection, discernment, humility, personal discipline and Ifa divine guidance-instruction comes in. What distinguishes a child from a mature adult is that a child is entirely driven by its childish desires, feelings  and wants, whereas a mature adult is led by his developed reason, life experiences, understanding, cultivated wholesome values, personal discipline and discernment. Today we live in an impulsive culture that is pleasure driven and not truth driven. This impulsive and pleasure seeking attitude prevails in the secular and the so-called spiritual life of many. Some live in gross selfishness and others in ‘refined’ and socially ‘acceptable’ selfishness but it is selfishness, conceit and foolishness all the same. An alarming great many ‘adults’ today lack moral-emotional and intellectual maturity. They lack foundation, stability, discipline and orderliness. They are like ships without a rudder, cast upon the sea of life and being mercilessly pushed, pulled and controlled by the waves, storms and currents of impulsive desires, base and low (meaningless) selfish and directionless pleasures.  A great many adults today are no more than overgrown children: They cannot accept a word of correction, truth and discipline from anyone without feeling offended or provocated in some way,  because they don’t like to think with clarity, they just want to live their lives by how their own undeveloped, undisciplined, foundationless, and immature feelings leads them. In otherwords, they want to live by their feelings and emotions. They have put the cart before the horse! They refuse to accept the facts of their personal, actual and present condition. They confuse true happiness with fleeting sensual pleasure. They want to feel good and right but without living a truly good or upright life! They want to remain intellectually, morally and spiritually blind and deaf. Today the rule of life in a great many quarters is: If it feels right or good then just do it! This is the thinking of the animal world and not the one of highly endowed human beings. Even animals have better sense than that! So you see how childish and immature today’s society has become. From this pleasure seeking mindset is where corruption, vices, unclean practices, lawlessness and disrespect are born from. Instead of taking pleasure and delight in that which is truly meaningful, noble and useful, a great many minds and lives are  poisoned with a hedonistic attitude of mere pleasure seeking without any true reference to what is true, right and proper. Such people live disconnected, dysfunctional, self-inflated and selfish lives. How can they avoid and escape suffering, dissatisfaction and a sense of meaninglessness living in this way?! Blinded and shackled by their base desires and contaminated understanding they are unawares creating more suffering, disillusionment, depression  and dissatisfaction for themselves and others; like the blind leading the blind and together falling into a rocky, dark and deep pit of pain, anguish, meaninglessness and repeated suffering. This is what happens when we are led by our feeling and emotions instead of our Ifa informed understanding, intelligence, conscience and the guidance of worthy, proven and reputable elders. The former life is an animalistic life of needless strife, continual dissatisfaction and struggle whereas the latter life is an illuminated, orderly, satisfying and serene life, rooted in divine (lofty) understanding and personal integrity. If we have taken the time and care to study, consider and reflect upon many stories of Ifa and holy tradition, we will quickly discern that a great many if not most of the failures, mishaps, sufferings and unsavory happenings in the lives of the Orisa, Awo, Kings, Queens and the general populace etc., were due to this fundamental mistake of pursuing fleeting, petty, low and base pleasures, which when you really think about it and the consequences they brought to the mind, body and life of the wayward ones were not pleasurable at all. Momentary base pleasure with long lasting painful repercussions is what they found, created for themselves and experienced.  This is how the inner ajogun (enemy defilements) and elenini (inner antagonists) trick us. While intoxicated and spiritually incapacitated by blind and unregulated passions, pleasureable expectations, feelings and emotions, we do not see the terribleness and shamefulness of our present actions and the more terrrible and shameful consequences that they will undoubtedly bring. We are lulled to sleep in the dingy bed of false, unbecoming, base and shameful desires, feelings, actions and emotions. This is why we need to ponder and consider the way we have been living our lives carefully. Many people see the cause of their problems as existing outside of themselves but in most cases they themselves are the cause, root and source of their own life problems. When they fail to accept this reality they go in search of imaginary or supernatural excuses or causes to explain their current state, condition and predicament. Ifa teaches us how to live, think and behave so as to avoid and escape the sorrow, suffering, illness, pain, dissatisfaction and shame. Ifa is mostly about prevention. One pound of prevention is better than one hundred pounds of cure. Responsibility, discipline and genuine desire

for spiritual-intellectual and moral growth is the heart and aim of Ifa. You might not want to hear this but sometimes the bitter tasting medicine is the most effective cure! Ifa is not here to make you financially rich! If you want to be financially rich then you have to study and prepare yourself with an honorable career which will compensate you for your many years of  dedication, work and effort. That is how you make money. Ifa and Orisa are not dispensing money to anyone. That is not what what they are here for. Ifa is not for you to accumulate personal power and influence over others. Ifa and Orisa share their ase with you so that in a spirit of compassion, generosity  and kindness you can serve and benefit others and so that you can improve and correct yourself. Why should you feel prideful or great for the work that Ifa or the Orisa are doing to help and benefit someone. It is not your personal ability, power or wisdom which is benefitting others but the ability, power and wisdom of Ifa and Orisa. So why take credit for what you yourself out of your own abilities and resources are not accomplishing?! Ifa is not about last minute miracle solutions to our life’s challenges and problems. Ifa is about giving us the spiritual-moral and intellectual tools to live orderly, meaningful, productive and responsible lives. The virtue, blessings and ase of Ifa goes in our lives and gains great momentum only to the degree we live in harmony with and practice from moment-to-moment and day-to-day the principles and precepts of Ifa. The only master that Ifa will make you into is a master of yourself alone! Ifa is about the truth. The beautiful truths of life and about the sour truths about ourselves that we ignore and push into the back of our minds and don’t want to deal with. Ifa is about the heart and about cultivating and storing up the treasures of the heart. Ifa is about caring for people and thinking about someone others than ourselves! Ifa is about unpretentiously serving others out of kindness, love, generosity and empathy. Ifa is not here to make you a superhuman but to make you a true human being. Ifa will fill your life with peace, serenity, contentment and inner happiness if you live the truth that is Ifa. This takes real work, perseverance, patience and commitment. It is easy to buy materials for ebo. It is easy to make ebo but it takes work, determination and dedication to live the truth of Ifa. Ebo is secondary to Iwa. Without Iwa no ebo will be effective or complete. This is the understanding and true discernment we must have, embrace and accept if we want to live a true life of value, genuine happiness and clean pleasure. Ifa is for the maturing humble person who acknowledges that he or she needs guidance, help and support. Ifa is not magic! Ifa is not a genie in a bottle to satisfy your whims. Ifa outlook does not pull you away from reality or cause you to seek escape from reality. Ifa gives you a true, unvarnished but balanced and actual understanding of life as it is. Ifa immerses us into the reality of our lives in this present world and asks and enlists our support to take up the task of performing real work for the benefit, correction and upliftment of the world, of which we are an integral part and live in. Ifa is not about unrealistic fantasies, but about reality. Ifa is about actuality. I hope that these sober considerations serve to correct and adjust the minds, thinking and lives of many. It is time to get real and to make the best use of our lives and time. It is up to you. You can remain childish and immature if you want or you can take to the path of truth, courage, personal discipline and maturity. Don’t preach, don’t discourse, don’t talk and talk and talk. Live! Practice! Demonstrate with your life what you know! Stop wasting your time procrastinating and forever planning and simply get to the actual implementation of all your talking, planning and thinking. Take responsibility for your own life and own it.Stop blaming others, society and your upbringing for your present failures and bad choices. Stop making yourself a victim and stop looking for excuses to do nothing but live a lazy and fruitless life. Put an end to the pity party and do something about your life and with your life. Stop sitting around and just waiting for some miracle to happen that is going to make all things good in your life and fix everything in your life.  It’s never going to happen. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Without your personal continual commitment, participation and involvement nothing meaningful and satisfying will be accomplished by you.Ifa and Orisa are not going to take up your responsibilities for you. What do you think? Ifa and Orisa will be working while you lazily sit and live a passive, uninvolved, complacent and indulgent lifestyle?! Dear friends do not be alarmed by the tone of this message. Know that it is offered in good faith and true concern. Some things cannot be sugar coated. Please think and reflect upon the above message. Promote your true happiness and wellbeing. Appreciate the preciousness and fragility of life. With every breath we take time is running out. Use your time wisely and live meaningfully.

Ela ‘boru. Ela ‘ boye. Ela ‘bosise.