The Eleventh Truth of Ifa: Our Temporal and Spiritual capacities
must work together!
March 2020
Homage To The One Who Sends and to those who are sent! Homage to Orisa and Egun!
Ifokanbale Omo Orisa! Peace of Mind from Olodumare Children of Orisa!
Ire ati Ayo!
Good Tidings and Joyfulness!
I honor your gods, I drink from your wells, I bring an undefended heart to our meeting place. I have no cherished outcomes, I will not negotiate by withholding, and I am not subject to disappointment. I am here! And They are all here with me! Ase! Ase! Ase!
Lord of my Ancestors, I have no knowledge except that which is given to me through inspiration, that which is sent to me by way of an angel, and that which I am blessed to acquire by way of some discipline. I thank you for guiding my words, my thoughts, and my actions so that all that I say and do may serve to point the seekers in the right direction. Ase! Ase! Ase!
Thank you for visiting our website and for reading our blog! We pray you find some of what you are seeking to remember.
There is an Ifa proverb, Ori Inu wa Maba tode je! It means, ‘May our physical Ori not be in conflict with our Spiritual Ori’. Our physical Ori is focused on our temporal, worldly experiences and affairs. Our Spiritual Ori is focused on assisting us in our process of navigating our temporal experiences as we journey in this world, the L’oja, the marketplace. Our Spiritual Ori is ever connected with, one with, the Universal Consciousness that is SOURCE. Our Spiritual Ori is a place in our consciousness where we feel a profound sense of belonging, the Isopo, connectivity that we spoke about in our November 2019 Post. We stated in that Post, ‘Our own consciousness and awareness exists only as an extension and expression of the Omniscience, Omnipresence, and Omnipotence of the Infinite Consciousness of the ASE that we call Olodumare.’
For many, the problem arises where the Ase of the L’oja (the marketplace) hypnotizes us, like a siren call luring us deeper and deeper into the illusions of the world of differentiation, separateness. The demands of everyday life, the distractions, the circumstances and situations that arise take up so much of our consciousness, so much of our daily thought processes, that we don’t take time to listen, to hear the important other voice that is with us in our consciousness. It is a voice that is sharing impulses of guidance and wisdom.
Think about this word ‘capacities’ – the maximum amount that something can contain. It implies fully occupying the available area or space. And what if the ‘space’ available is limitless, unbounded, meaning infinite? We’ll get to that! Capacity is also the amount that something can produce, the ability or power to do, experience, or understand something. Locked away in the word’s Latin origin are capax – ‘that can contain’, and capere – ‘take or hold’. The Eleventh Truth of Ifa states, Our Temporal and Spiritual capacities must work together! But the forces affecting our physical Ori and our Spiritual Ori are like fire and water. Fire tends upward (so does Spiritual Ori) while water tends downward (so does physical Ori). Fire advances, consumes, and spreads; constantly seeking Na Wa (Expansion), while water tends to focus in and spiral towards the lowest point. The tendency of our physical Ori to focus on the temporal is not a bad thing; it’s not a negative in that sense. That is, after all, why we choose to come into this world, to focus in on all the potential for experience and growth in the L’oja. But if our attention to the affairs of the world takes our attention away from the guidance and wisdom of our Spiritual Ori then we cannot express our full power and potential, nor can we fully enjoy all of the wonders of the L’oja.
For most of us the connection between our physical Ori and our Spiritual Ori is strong. The communication lines are open. We know the sound of Spiritual Ori’s voice, the vibration of our Spiritual Ori communicating with us. We can recognize the signs, see into the synchronicities, and feel the energetic and emotional shifts that occur when our physical Ori and our Spiritual Ori are in alignment. But remember, this journey is about Isoki (contrast), Isopo (connectivity), and Na Wa (Expansion). This journey is about the interplay between these Spiritual Laws of the L’oja. Sometimes the L’oja calls to us in such a compelling way that it seems to require, demand, our full attention. Physical Ori’s connection to the temporal reality compels it to respond, to block out everything else, to be single-minded, single-focused. Even then however, Spiritual Ori is a presence in our consciousness. You see, our physical Ori is an extension, an expression of our Spiritual Ori. They are never truly disconnected. It’s just that physical Ori is not always mindful of the presence and availability of Spiritual Ori. It takes practice to strengthen and open the channels of communication between our physical and Spiritual Ori. Meditation, reflection, and self-talk are keys to building this important relationship.
Here is an exercise that you can try as a period of reflective meditation. Get some paper and a writing instrument. Find a comfortable place to sit and take notes. A place that is comfortable enough for you to close your eyes and meditate as well. Then, have a reflective conversation with yourself, asking yourself the following questions. Don’t dwell on the surface of these questions. Instead, dive deeply into where these questions and ideas can take you. Write these questions down on your paper and write your answers down. Don’t think about your answers in terms of being right or wrong. Seek and speak your truth on paper, even out loud to yourself and discover what is going on in the recesses of your consciousness.
As you pose these questions to yourself it will open the channel of communication between the conscious and subconscious aspects of your physical Ori, and between your physical Ori and your Spiritual Ori. Be open! Simply speak and listen to YOUR truth.
Who am I? (Really)
Where am I? (In the broadest sense)
Why am I here? (What is the purpose of my life, my existence? What is the purpose of life? What is actually outside of me, and what is totally inside of me, my mind, my Ori?)
What is the capacity of my consciousness? Is it limited in any way?
Are my thoughts fully occupying the available area or space available to my consciousness or am I stuck in limiting, stagnant, and self-destructive thought patterns?
Are my thoughts helping me to produce all that I have the potential to produce physically, mentally, and spiritually?
Am I using all of my abilities and powers to do, experience, and understand the nature of the L’oja and my place in it?
Is that which I have contained and held within myself, within my consciousness, serving me, and all who are affected by me, directly and indirectly?
Have I taken on things (attitudes, beliefs, ideas) that do not serve my highest good? Am I holding onto things that do not belong to who I am today?
These are not easy questions to understand and answer. In fact, you may have to sit and first just contemplate the deeper significance of the questions themselves. And, you may find, as you return to this exercise again and again, that your answers will change with your growth in understanding. After going through this reflective meditation process you will certainly better understand how and why the Eleventh Truth of Ifa, ‘Our Temporal and Spiritual capacities must work together’ is so important! It is at this point in the Sixteen Truths of Ifa that we are invited to look beyond the apparent, objective, differentiated, phenomenal reality of forms and to begin looking more deeply into the nature of the L’oja and our experiences in it! This process of reflective meditation naturally leads us to the Twelfth Truth of Ifa: We are born with a specific path. It is our goal to travel it. Divination provides our road map!
I would love to hear some of your comments, experiences, and questions regarding this Post and process. Please feel free to contact me to share your results with this exercise.
I hope you will reflect on this message and share your comments and questions with me for our future Posts on this and other topics.
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Karl Stone Art Collection
Another way that you can support the activities of the Ifa Community is by purchasing something from the Karl Stone Art Collection. These Art pieces make beautiful additions to your home decorations, and great gifts for special occasions. A portion of your purchase will be donated to the Isoro Traditional Council of Chiefs in Ile-Ife and a portion to Ile Awo Orisa. (View Art)
Modupe! Thank You!
Aajiirebi! May the Unblemished Cloth of Orunmila Continue to cloth us with the Wisdom Of the Here and the Hereafter!
Ase! Ase! Ase!
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Ki Olodumare, Orisa, ati Egun fifun e ni Itona, Imoye, ati Opo Ire!
My Olodumare, Orisa, and Ancestors bestow on you Guidance, Wisdom, and Abundant Blessings!
