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Love for Olodumare

Ogbo ato.

What is the supreme, satisfying and unfailing practice which Ifá is awakening us to, and leading us to? The practice of unbounded devotion to Olodumare. After many days, weeks, months and years of Ifá study and reflection, what can we conclude that Ifá is? In the final analysis what is Ifá? In one word what is Ifá? Ifá is love. Ifá is truth, actual reality, caring and concern. Whose love? Whose caring? Whose concern? Ifá is the love, care, provision and concern of our true friend, mentor and heart companion Olodumare. Have you ever stopped to consider the fact that Olodumare pines, yearns and longs for you? Has it ever occurred to you that all that Olodumare does, he does so that you might understand and know that he loves, values, respects and cherishes you? Olodumare yearns, longs, pines and waits for your intelligent spontaneous response of gratitude, love and devotion.  When we outgrow our spiritual immaturity and self-preoccupation this reality becomes powerfully and personally revealed to our hearts and understanding. For our soul, inner capacity and need to love to find fulfillment, it has to have a living responsive person an an object to whom it can direct its love, care and concern who is able to reciprocate our feelings, affections and devotions in full. Who else but Olodumare can satisfy our longing for communion and completeness. We find fulfillment and realization in loving the Supreme One and receiving the divine love. The longing, love and affection in our hearts cannot satisfy itself. It needs to reach Olodumare and its needs to experience Olodumare so that we might know peace, fulfillment and satisfaction. Undoubtedly you have heard the name Olodumare and perhaps you have learned some things about Olodumare. But do you know Him? Do you know the glorious personality and attractive character behind the name? What do you really and personally know about Olodumare? How can you know Him? How can you know His reality and experience His love? Do you not know that in all your seeking for happiness, meaning, fulfillment and satisfaction through so many means you are in fact searching for Olodumare? You are seeking to know, understand and return to the Source of your being. Ifá says that “Olodumare is the king worth depending upon.” Olodumare is unlike human kings who want and demand to revered, acknowledged and served. Olodumare is the King who serves us wholeheartedly, lovingly and unselfishly. Is it possible for you to depend upon whom do not yet know? Theories and philosophical beliefs about Olodumare cannot and will not ever satisfy your heart, mind and life. Living contact with Olodumare alone can satisfy the depths and longings of your spirit. What to do? Where to begin? How do we begin to develop a deep love for Olodumare? First of all Olodumare has to be more real to you than your mother, father, brother, sister, friends and spouse! Only by practicing devotion to Olodumare in whatever present inner and outer condition we happen to be in, can the light of divine love, understanding and truth be kindled within us. This is why we fellowship together in the Ijo (the community of Ifá-Olodumare worshippers). In the association of other devotees is where we obtain and catch devotion, faith, love and fervor. Love for Olodumare cannot really be taught but it can be caught in the association of genuine devotees. What are the main features of devotion? Devotion does not look at your past. Devotion does not care if you were a drunkard, thief, liar or cheat. Devotion is not impressed with your affluence, connections, possessions, knowledge and power. Devotion is impressed by humility, simplicity, guilelessness and unpretentiousness. Where you were and how you presently are is not an obstacle at all to devotion to Olodumare. Olodumare will accept you as you are. There is no need for you to pretend to be other than who you are and where you are at the present moment. Just like a mother picks up and accepts her soiled child to then proceed to clean it up, so does Olodumare take us a we presently are without any objections. So from our side there is no reason to fear or worry that Olodumare will not take us and accept us as we are. There is no reason for us to pull away or withdraw from approaching Olodumare. We are dear to Olodumare and nothing but His love, kindness, acceptance and guidance can clean us up and make us experience a qualitative change and transformation at the root level of our being. The spirit of devotion does not care about and does not look into your past. The spirit of devotion cares about you now in the present and will take you as you are with the guarantee that she will cleanse, strengthen, transform and empower your life. On account of our weaknesses, imperfections, defects and past wrongful acts we have no reason to despair of the committed love and firm dedication of Olodumare towards us. The reason why our imperfections, defects and flaws are so glaring to begin with is because we are lacking the awareness, fullness and experience of divine love, real love. Devotion and sincerity towards Olodumare will transform an unwholesome, unworthy and embarrassing life into a revered, satisfying and honored life. Try it out and see for your self. Olodumare is not peering into your past. Neither is he keeping a list of past wrongs. He is not peering into your past and he has no lists. He has only love, concern and sympathy for you together with the power to do something about your troubles, sorrows and loneliness. Let us draw near to Olodumare without fear and with full confidence. Let us come to Olodumare with transparency and honesty. Let us come to Olodumare without attempting to hide anything from Him and without trying to justify past wrongs. Just as you are and where you are, cultivate devotion and sincerity towards Olodumare. Put pride and ego to the side altogether. Don’t project yourself to Olodumare other than what you are and where you are. Open your heart and mind to Olodumare. Share your thoughts, problems, gratitude and feelings with Him. With feeling and sincerity apply your heart and soul to speaking with Olodumare. This is sincere and genuine unbounded devotion. By so doing you will know and experience the relief, support and salvation of Olodumare. After arriving at Olodumare’s palace and having been accepted by Him it does not behoove us to go around knocking on other doors. Who can do more for you than Olodumare? Who can understand you more and sympathize completely with you more than Olodumare? Cultivate a living gratitude, love and respect for Olodumare, and his power, grace and presence will uphold you and transform your life. The reason we have lost our way and are easily overpowered by our passions and weaknesses, and have lost our genuine spiritual convictions is because we are too far removed from Olodumare. We are trying to live our lives with unverified and inexperienced second-hand information about Olodumare instead of knowing Olodumare directly for ourselves. Think about these things. When was the last time you raised up your hands and head to praise and glorify Olodumare and to communicate gratitude and dependence upon Him. When was the last time your heart was moved and stirred to joyful tears at the thought of the kindness, loyalty and friendliness of Olodumare? How many of our mistakes and shortcomings has Olodumare overlooked and forgotten about? This is what Ifá is inviting us to understand and cultivate. What will be your response?
The only way to reach, experience and know Olodumare is to ask for his asé (grace, presence and power). This asé is always available to us but because we live our lives distracted and so preoccupied with ourselves, petty matters and involved without being invited in the affairs of others that we lose sight of the fact of the ever present availability of the asé of Olodumare. This asé does not come to us from people but comes to us directly from Olodumare whenever we need it. Olodumare is only waiting for our sincere heartfelt devotion so that He can manifest Himself to us.
Olodumare has given us wonderful abilities, talents and faculties that we can apply and use advantageously for our benefit and the benefit of others. There are many useful, progressive and wholesome things we can use our talents, intelligence and abilities for, all on our own. But there is one thing that we cannot with our talents, intelligence, faculties and abilities do alone. We cannot reach Olodumare. We cannot reach Olodumare by unaided efforts. Only by and with the asé of Olodumare can we know Him and our true eternal divine identity. Our human intelligence, strength, will and abilities cannot themselves help us to reach and know Olodumare independently of the gift of asé (grace, power and presence) that is available to us from Olodumare when we humbly approach Him and request Him to supply us with His asé. Let us request from Olodumare this gift of asé together with the spirit of devotion. By so doing we will find and know the meaning and purpose of our lives. By so doing we will find fullness of satisfaction, delight, peace, joy and contentment.

Ogbo ato asure iworiwofun.

IWA

He who has undertaken the noble responsibilities of overcoming Himself does not resign himself to anything, that is evil, he subjects  himself only to that which is good, beneficial and serving both God and man in creation. To resign into wickedness, evil and bad utterance is the lowest weakness, obedience  to good is the highest power. To resign oneself to criticism, condemnation, complain, anger, argument and evil task,  or resign to ignorance, suffering, and other negative intention is a reverse of sound spiritual and divine trait of a man, who want to change the cause of destiny and extend the goodness of God in the land of living  must always clamour for the goodness of other and ensure total inner peace in the face of challenge. Such submission to evil shows itself in a selfish and sorrowful life. We ask you to pray, fast and undergo vigil for those who want our support, some of us grumble and  complain of no time and no capacity to Fast. Do  you ever know the purpose of your creation?  The essence of your existence?  It means to serve,  both man and God so as to revert our ancestral curse and bless our future generation, in a such manner never seen before.  Nothing is by chance in life, everything is conform to rigid laws of divine and highest spiritual terrain   Your coming into contact with any member of your family or friends or those we implored you to pray for, are not chance, but a products of  destiny. We are products of destiny and divine phenomenon.

Man is not framed and structured by resignation into sorrow, doing easy things and subject his own body to corruption  and sorrow, but for final victory and joy. All the spiritual laws of the Universe  are with the good man, for good preserves and shield. There are no laws of evil, its nature  is destruction  and desolation. The conscious modification and change of the character away from evil and toward good, forms, at present no part in the common course of  divine consciousness . The conscious formation of good character which is called IWA must be the core of our religion education and spiritual growth. Indeed, a man can be useful, and helpful when  he is able to control himself, has unblemished integrity  and exalted purity. So as to be able to give sound instruction in the making of good  character  which will then be the main feature of existence, and of divine and spiritual education he has in creation.

Hence, established yourself in the knowledge of good , and sound moral behaviour and swim in the ocean of peace with your family, friend, well wishers and enemies alike. The unenlightened may see your character as weakness, remember that you come to the world without power,and your going back will be of no significant, if you cannot do good to all you have met in creation, never wish any evil so as to avoid evil repercussion for ourselves and our generation. No man satisfying the divine laws through evil, but man is filled with joy when his mouth, mind and work extol, and exalt others in creation and pray for peaceful existence of others. Hence, can you pray now  for ourselves and for others this morning, If you have not done that, do it now.
May God and His infinite divinities bless you.

The Spiritual Dominion

The greatest things which man is destined to rule with unswerving  move are his  own mind, mouth  and life. These  things are just extension of the universal order of  discipline. They are connected and related to the entire human race or humanity in general.

No victory or success can be achieved without taking these three things into absolute consideration. Whatever you do not have cannot be given to others. I have seen a man who promises  better life and  victory  when he in his inner  sanctuary and secluded place  lack true  discipline and he’s mentally corrupt. I have severally taught  and advised  people  that man who cannot  discipline his own mouth would forever remain slave to passion and immorality. Fasting and prayer are two greatest means to reach out to the universe and connect our lives to the source of all  things in creation. Some have treated the issue of fasting and prayer with  great levity and given no attention to these two of the most potent power in creation  and have equated fasting to certain religion and sect in the modern era. Fasting is a tradition which emanated from the source of life which must be undertaken and performed by all men in creation . It is the source of power and the beginning of all things in creation. Man  gain soul in fasting and died in fasting and sleep till eternity in fasting. Both temporary sleep and permanent sleep  are  rooted  in fasting. Your daily sleep give a vivid example of how universe want you to fast . I have a couple of people who are against fasting because of one thing – total indiscipline deeply rooted in lack of self control and mental disequilibrium,

The mastery of the craft (fasting, prayer and vigil)  embraces the mastery of the knowledge of life. It lifts man into the supremacy of wisdom, discipline, bestowing upon him the gift of miracle, wonders and divine attributes out of which all divinities derived their most potent power.  Fasting, prayer ,vigil and sound mental state give man power to distinguish between good and evil,  between discipline and indiscipline, also to comprehend that which is above both good and evil and to know that nature responds positively to disciplined life with miracle and wonders .
At present, men are more or less under the sway of rebellious deeds, acts , thoughts and utterances, they fail to conquer their mouth, mind and action, they fall  for indiscriminate and compulsive acts of perpetual eating  and  drinking of alcohol  or sugary drinks that have actually corrupted their body, mind and soul. They cannot hold themselves accountable  to connect the true divine state through  refraining  from food for certain hours, and  thereby  poison  their mind with unnatural foods and drinks. Immorality and indolence arising from gluttony and drunkenness .  To conquer these habits means supreme conquest of life.  The fools  believe  that everything can be mastered or taught or written without self discipline and self conquest, they defile the body with foods and live with evil thoughts. They seek happiness through immoral doctrines and sweet preachings, condemning  the rationality of life by seeing the world of spirit through their myopic character, criticising and arrogantly   modifying external things  and eternal wisdom to suit their own needs, rules and regulations, thinking the  universe must bend to their own little understanding and feeble wisdom, pretending  to give advise on what is spiritual and divine without an accurate knowledge  of  divine orderliness.
Your attitude  depict your spiritual and divine knowledge . hoever fails to learn the basic spiritual and divine character will not only  destroy his temporary life but his generational bearing and will suffer  eternal consequences.. The wise knows that there is no real mastery or discipline until self is subdued and conquered. Until fasting and prayer are undertaken on the  perpetual basis, your reality and human cannot be redeemed. Do you learn about the story of Ela the greatest and the precious child of Olodumare (GOD), whose teachings go beyond mere sacrifices and rituals. He thought the world the basic principles of divine state through shared love, prayer and fasting. He was eventually victimised and forced to ascend because his teachings contradicted  the views of divinities before him. He wanted a  change in the tradition of his predecessors, but the oppressors and the impostors of his days  did not allow his teachings to see the light of the day, due to their gluttony, immoral behaviour, alcoholism and self praised attitude that did not serve God and man in creation . Learn the secrets of fasting and prayer,  start to fast even  for  just six hours a day to see and witness abundant energy in creation unseen to your physical eyes, and you will perceive  the difference in your life and the lives of your generation. It shall be well with you as long as there is an appearance of the sun.
Alafia.

True Battle and Conquest

To overcome self  in the jungle of life is the foundation of truth and wisdom. The process is one of orderly growth, like the growth of a tree  and as fruit  can be produced by carefully  and patiently  training the tree, even so the pure and satisfying  fruits of holiness can only be obtained by faithfully and patiently training the mind in the growth of right thought and conduct.

When men fail to overcome  their shortcomings and errors, it is because they try to begin at the wrong end. Indeed, never misuse your power if you cannot use your position to help people then consider and reconsider your steps. Never hurt any man but in your little way always clamour for the happiness and blessings of others.  No man passes the stage of victory without prevail upon his own errors and shortcomings .
 Always check and control the wrong act, such as an outburst of temper, a hasty or unkind word, a self indulgence  and never allow them to take any form. This is equivalent to the gardener  cutting off the useless buds and branches from his tree. It is necessary process but a painful one. The tree bleeds while undergoing the process  and the gardener knows that it must be done to ensure successful growth . The hearts also bleeds when it refuses to return passion for passion, when it ceases to defend and justify itself .
By subdue oneself is only  the beginning of self conquest, hence the heart must be purified  to avoid hypocrisy, that is,  hiding of one’s true nature and striving to appear better in the eyes of others than one really is, in that caseit is  evil.  Train your habits in your private life to have a public good character. Every secret evil shall be revealed to light.
E must endure in the face of challenges, consider every challenges of life as true alternative to learning then  improve your life and your soul  through sound mental, emotional, spiritual and physical growth and divine understanding.  Endurance is a process in which one silently endures the pain  which arises in his own weakness and not in the wrong attitudes of others toward him , because the latter being merely the means by which errors and mistaken  are brought to the surface  and revealed to him. He then gradually free all others from blame  in his falls  and lapses of conducts and accuses only himself and so learns to love those who thus unconsciously reveal to him, his shortcomings and errors.
Hence we must eliminate all wrong from the mind, act, deed and speech  as it appears. Conscious strength  and divine joy begin  to take the place of pain and the mind become extremely calm, a good disciple strive to gain deeper insight into the complexities  of his mind and thus  understand the inception, growth and outworking of errors and shortcomings. For when you have knowledge of your errors and eliminate  them totally from the root, that is the evil seeds in the mind is  cut off , it can no more  be allowed  a place in life, it is abandoned for ever, then mind is at peace. The wrong act of others no longer arouse pain. He is glad, calm, peaceful and wise, filled with divine love and perform all his activities with total blessedness and commitment without complain, criticism and condemnation. Here, total victory is attained.
Work on yourself on daily basis, focus on your improvement, never listen to the noise of the market (never listen to the gossipers),  concentrate on what  give you joy, success and happiness, think less of those things that cause you great pain. Life is too short to indulge in gossip, criticism and condemnation. Contribute in  your little way to make others  happy and  greater blessings shall  be your lot  and your generation,
MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL THE TIME.

Prayer for the Children

Every year we see kola nuts and bitter kola at the market place.

Every day and every year the guidance and the protection of God will be established in the life (lives ) of my child (children) and the lives of family and that of children given to me by God.

The children are the gift of God.

Just as the arros is blessed and firmed in the hand of the brave, likewise the lives of the children are so precious in the hand of God. May God continue to protect, guide and bless my children in the jungle of life.

May God spare my own life and the life of my husband/wife to guide the children on the right path of wisdom, knowledge and understanding to fulfill their destinty in this life and the life to come.

May divine hand of God touch them always and shield them from evil thought and evil steps and evil vibration in life.

When God is committed to ones cause, no evil can have any chance.

God is the strength and power of this children and it shall be well with their soul, spirit and body, as long as there is an apperance of the sun.

Ase

 

ESIN ORISA IBILE IS A TRANSFORMING POWER

Ela ‘boru. Ela’boye. Ela ‘bosise.

This is from our member Mark Casillas.

 

It is not enough to profess belief. It is not enough to have mere surface intellectual knowledge. What is essential and indispensable is that we place practice of the principles of Esin Orisa Ibile in the forefront and center of our personal lives. Unpracticed divine principles and knowledge becomes a dead weight and cancer in our lives. A bonafide initiate or adept in the sacred mysteries and principles of esin orisa ibile should always feel the need to always press forward, to penetrate more deeply into the divine realities and always should aspire through practice and inquiry to rise higher in his or her practice of the moral-ethical and spiritual teachings and mysteries of Ifa. Contact with the Orisa is for the purpose of ennobling our lives, for gaining inspiration and motivation. Contact with the Orisa is for the purpose of having our understanding illuminated, corrected and empowered. The ase we receive joins itself to our intelligence, feelings and will so that we can live effective, positive and productive lives. The ase we receive enlightens and guided us along noble and dignifying paths. Contact with the Orisa and practice of the sound principles of esin orisa ibile helps us to ennoble our character and to nurture and develop an attitude that is full of dignity, contagious positivity, courage,love and enthusiasm. Esin Orisa Ibile teaches us the path of self-perfection, renewal, growth and progress through dedicated and loving service towards others which will fill us with satisfaction and will permit us to decrease the focus of attention upon ourselves and thereby attenuating, reducing and ultimately eliminating the force, hold and strength of egoism in our own lives. Without practice we cannot truly understand the truth neither can we form a genuine and deep comprehension of divine realities independently of submerging ourselves in a life of practice. From practice personal verification and faith are obtained. From patient practice deep wisdom is gained and humility is cultivated. Esin orisa ibile does not teach us to withdraw or run away from the world. It is by immersing ourselves in the reality of everyday living armed with divine understanding and wholesome Ifa outlook that we can grow, progress, mature and live truly enlightened and empowering lives. In isolation one cannot practice divine spirituality. We cannot be aloof from the needs, pains and suffering of our friends, family, neighbors and contemporaries. We must contribute to the benefit and uplift of our community by engaged and practical living.  It is in serving and loving others and by being  served and loved by others that fulfillment, contentment and satisfaction in life is gained. There is no true mastery without loving and productive service to others. There is no true mastery without responsible living. Esin Orisa Ibile enjoins on us a vision of life and of our possibilities which are actual, realistic, balanced and satisfying. To help others who need our help. To come to the rescue of those who are reaching out to us for support and comfort. To share in the joys and sorrows of others. To give of yourself and time to benefit and uplift others. This is the heart of Esin Orisa Ibile. If our religion is not practical then we have no religion. If our religion renders no benefit to ourselves or others then we have no religion. Esin Orisa Ibile is the path and religion of the heart. The path of love, humility and respect. It is the path of good conscience and peace of mind.

 

God bless you all,

 

Olayinka Babatunde Ogunsina Adewuyi

THE VIRTUES OF IFA

Ela ‘boru. Ela’boye. Ela ‘bosise.

It is not enough to profess belief. It is not enough to have mere surface intellectual knowledge. What is essential and indispensable is that we place practice of the principles of Esin Orisa Ibile in the forefront and center of our personal lives. Unpracticed divine principles and knowledge becomes a dead weight and cancer in our lives. A bonafide initiate or adept in the sacred mysteries and principles of Esin Orisa Ibile should always feel the need to always press forward, to penetrate more deeply into the divine realities and always should aspire through practice and inquiry to rise higher in his or her practice of the moral-ethical and spiritual teachings and mysteries of Ifa. Contact with the Orisa is for the purpose of ennobling our lives, for gaining inspiration and motivation. Contact with the Orisa is for the purpose of having our understanding illuminated, corrected and empowered. The ase we receive joins itself to our intelligence, feelings and will so that we can live effective, positive and productive lives. The ase we receive enlightens and guided us along noble and dignifying paths. Contact with the Orisa and practice of the sound principles of Esin Orisa Ibile helps us to ennoble our character and to nurture and develop an attitude that is full of dignity, contagious positivity, courage,love and enthusiasm. Esin Orisa Ibile teaches us the path of self-perfection, renewal, growth and progress through dedicated and loving service towards others which will fill us with satisfaction and will permit us to decrease the focus of attention upon ourselves and thereby attenuating, reducing and ultimately eliminating the force, hold and strength of egoism in our own lives. Without practice we cannot truly understand the truth neither can we form a genuine and deep comprehension of divine realities independently of submerging ourselves in a life of practice. From practice personal verification and faith are obtained. From patient practice deep wisdom is gained and humility is cultivated. Esin Orisa Ibile does not teach us to withdraw or run away from the world. It is by immersing ourselves in the reality of everyday living armed with divine understanding and wholesome Ifa outlook that we can grow, progress, mature and live truly enlightened and empowering lives. In isolation one cannot practice divine spirituality. We cannot be aloof from the needs, pains and suffering of our friends, family, neighbors and contemporaries. We must contribute to the benefit and uplift of our community by engaged and practical living.  It is in serving and loving others and by being  served and loved by others that fulfillment, contentment and satisfaction in life is gained. There is no true mastery without loving and productive service to others. There is no true mastery without responsible living. Esin Orisa Ibile enjoins on us a vision of life and of our possibilities which are actual, realistic, balanced and satisfying. To help others who need our help. To come to the rescue of those who are reaching out to us for support and comfort. To share in the joys and sorrows of others. To give of yourself and time to benefit and uplift others. This is the heart of Esin Orisa Ibile. If our religion is not practical then we have no religion. If our religion renders no benefit to ourselves or others then we have no religion. Esin Orisa Ibile is the path and religion of the heart. The path of love, humility and respect. It is the path of good conscience and peace of mind.
God bless you all,
Olayinka Babatunde Ogunsina Adewuyi

True-discernment

Ela ‘boru, Ela ‘boye, Ela ‘bosise.

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.

Alcohol

Aboru aboye.
From one of our members in Italy:
Did you know that word “ALCOHOL” originally means BODY EATING SPIRIT?
Although it is mass produced, mass promoted, legal, and ingested by a multitude of people all over the world, most people don’t ever consider or understand the spiritual consequences of drinking alcohol.
Alcohol consumption is widely accepted in our society, associated with partying, celebrations and events (such as weddings). Beer and liquor companies market their products with slick advertisements, portraying beautiful women, popularity and success.
While it is not only accepted, but legal to consume alcohol in the United States, there is a side to its consumption that is often overlooked, which is the spiritual consequences of drinking. Most Americans choose to turn a blind eye to any consequences that may result from the consumption of alcoholic beverages, and many of those that do acknowledge this reality see only the potential physical ramifications.
As a starting point, look at the roof of the world alcohol itself. “Alcohol” is derived from the Arabic “al-kuhl”, a word that means “body eating spirit”. This word is also the origin for the English word “ghoul.” Middle Eastern folklore tells of a ghoul as an evil demon, which was believed to consume human bodies, specifically children and stolen corpses.
Both “alcohol” and “alembic” are metaphors for aqua vitae, or “life water.” Also interesting to note, the world “spirit” refers to a distilled liquid, which can be traced back to Middle Eastern alchemy.
In a Facebook post, health writer Jason Christoff wrote:
“The word “alcohol” is said to come from the arabic term “Al-khul” which means “BODY-EATING SPIRIT” (also, is the origin of the term” ghoul”).
In alchemy, alcohol is used to extract the soul essence of an entity. Hence its’ use in extracting essences for essential oils, and the sterilization of medical instruments. By consuming alcohol into the body, it in effect extracts the very essence of the soul, allowing the body to be more susceptible to neighboring entities most of which are of low frequencies. (why do you think we call certain alcoholic beverages “SPIRITS”). That is why people who consume excessive amounts of alcohol often black out, not remembering what happened. This happens when the good soul (we were sent here with) leaves because the living conditions are too polluted and too traumatic to tolerate. The good soul jettisons the body, staying connected on a tether, and a dark entity takes the body for a joy ride around the block, often in a hedonistic and self serving illogical rampage. Our bodies are cars for spirits. If one spirit leaves, another can take the car for a ride.
Essentially when someone goes dark after drinking alcohol or polluting themselves in many other ways, their body often becomes possessed by another entity. Have you ever felt different, more sexual, more violent, less rational and less logical………after drinking alcohol? Are you aware we already live inside an ancient religious cult who are schooled concerning the dark powers of alcohol? It is this cult that popularizes alcohol, through the media and government it controls, to serve a very ancient and dark agenda.
The solutions to our crumbling society are only to be found within our non polluted collective humanity, not within modern science and the death cult it represents, Our dark and immoral human farmers masquerade as altruistic governments, who then serve us up to dark spiritual entities that feed off our energies when we consume alcohol and a host of other toxic substances they rain down from the top of the ruling pyramid. We’re slaves living on an elaborate control grid…..based on indoctrination, propaganda, chemical sedation, toxic medication and we’re even used as food energy for dark spirits who live outside the frequency of visible sight.
Alafia.

The Wisdom

Remember that unjust or injustice from either man or from unknown sources are way to free your mind and your life from the evil of the past and learn that  pure lesson and true greatness evolved from inconvenient activities and challenges we call evil .  Never resent or sad or groan when you are treated unjustly or when nature beat you with sorrow and  misfortune.
Do not abandoned yourself to resentment, misery and bitterness  when passing through the fire or jungle of life. Maintain discipline to gain abundantly. Always appreciate every evil attempt to learn  what is most important  in life and every good attempt with gratitude further the blessings of life in creation.
Only fools believe in passing  through life without experience both good and bad, likewise a student passing through school without examination and tests. The wise behaves  confidently and learn from the evil of life through prayer and  unresounding faith in the infinite.  Moving forward in humility to attain eternal glory according to   Yoruba  saying “adu ni ngbehin eworo “. That sweetness end the bitter leaves. Whatever you are passing through in your life right now, never bow your head in sorrow but rather lift your head in prayer and stick to the stout faith of victory. There is always and there must always be a light at the end of the turnel.
The evil situation or challenges bring out the reality of man. Gold must pass through fire before it glitters. The faithful and the ardent believers see every challenge as a stepping stone to higher stage and perfect victory.
Remember  never to  bother yourself with the thoughts of others or actions of  your neighbour or conspirators  toward you. Your  power is within and your energy and glory cannot be taken away from you. Virtue is your protection and never believe in retaliation. Learn something from ika meji. That says, “eni ri oku osika nile to fi ese ta, ika ti di meji “, translated, that  beating  the corpse of the evil man  means double evil, that is,  evil in two or twice evil manifestation. Always show pity and divine love to all things in creation. What is the essence of your religion and faith when you cannot overlook  the shortcomings  of your neighbour or forgive yourself of evil of the past. As a spiritual man, the time of birth and the time of death is just less than a second or infinitesimal of a second, use every second to think good, do good, act good and speak good. That second may be your last breath on Earth.
Never waste any time in indulgence or frivolous activities or fight your friends or neighbour in accepting your religion  or preaching dogma in the face of multi  racial or multi cultural world. Your character and attitude will speak whether you of  godly being or evil reincarnation. The act of doing good alone is the way to eternal bliss and harmony. Otura meji speaks of a man of peace is a man that know the path of wisdom and truth.  He is a man that dwell in the bossom of God .
His words are miracle and his action are divine  and his sleep and awake are guided by the luminous and eternal  light from ether. Every creature, religion, plant and animal show the beauty of creator as a amazing creative force  in the cosmos. Different kind of flowers give different opinion about diverse energies that resides in the cosmos. Hence appreciate all things and give thanks when you see things because the hand of God is diverse creating all things to satisfying is greatness. Do not confine yourself into a shell, because of little wisdom and religion inclination of your youth.  Learn to fly higher to see that all creatures are equal on the ground of the physical existence. In the spiritual level, there is no question of religion or faith but character and attitude. Which Yoruba call IWA and the OLU IWA OR OLUWA  is the word used for God in Yoruba. PERFECT YOUR CHARACTER AND ENSURE A GOOD ATTITUDE TOWARD ALL. IT SHALL BE WELL WITH YOU.
May God bless you today and forever.
Alafia