The Fourth Truth of Ifa: It is Your Birthright to be Happy, Successful, and Fulfilled!
June 2019
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!
There is the potential for good and the potential for bad in the L’oja. Ifa provides the navigational system to fulfill your birthright and achieve happiness, success, and fulfillment in this life. Ifa says,
Ohun Ori wa se, koma ni s alai se eo!
What Ori comes to fulfill, it cannot but fulfill it!
There are several messages layered into this Ifa Saying. The statement, ‘what Ori comes to fulfill’ suggests that there is a purpose for your and my existence in the world. That purpose is tied to the relationship between the ‘conditioned self’, your physical Ori, and your ‘higher self’, your Spiritual Ori. The second part of the saying, ‘it cannot but fulfill it’ suggests that there is absolutely no way for you and I to fail. These are pretty profound statements if you think about them.
Consider the first part of the saying again. We’ve commented extensively on the subject of Ori and of the L’oja in our previous Posts so let me simply state that there are many aspects of this ‘sentient energetic energy’ that we call Ori. There is the Silent Unmoving Awareness that ushers forth sound, motion, and thought. There is the Spiritual Ori that reflects the Light and Wisdom of the Silent Unmoving Awareness into the physical Ori as it (physical Ori) struggles to comprehend the Spiritual Laws of the L’oja (the marketplace). Navigating our journey in the L’oja is a process of aligning and realigning the relationship between our physical Ori and our Spiritual Ori (our Higher Self) as we make the choices that create the experiences that we have each day, each moment of our journey.
If you want to understand the distinction and the connection between physical Ori and Spiritual Ori consider the following. Physical Ori emerges from the experiences we have through our five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch). What effect could the L’oja have upon you if you were without your five senses? For you, there would be no L’oja, no sun, moon, and stars; no sound of thunder from the approaching storm, no sensation of the wind blowing through your hair. There would be no favorite food or music, no experience of wet sand between your toes, or the feel of soft grass under your feet. There would be no love, no hate, no joy or sadness. There would be no comprehension of color, not even a thought of color, in fact, no thought, no frame of reference or library of experience from which thoughts could emerge. Physical Ori is a product of the interactions between Ara Ojubo (the body temple) and the L’oja. In fact, Ara Ojubo is itself an aspect of the L’oja. We’ve stated this before! You are not your body, your brain, or your mind (physical Ori). These perceived ‘things’ belong to you, there is interrelatedness, interconnectedness, and interdependence between you (Isopo), but they are not you, the Awareness, the Watcher, the Higher Self.
When the five senses are alive, the ‘one who comes’ is able to use their Ara Ojubo to experience the world, the L’oja. If we understand this distinction between Ara Ojubo, the mind, and the Higher Self, we will be better able the act as the master of our own destiny. When you woke up this morning, who was in charge?How did you meet this new day?Did you wake up still stewing over something that happened yesterday, or last week, or last year?Did you wake up worrying about what bad thing might happen today?How you might fail at something, be embarrassed, not be appreciated again?Was your Ase vibrating with fear, doubt, frustration, hatred, jealousy, or hostility? Know that Ara Ojubo is producing all of these feelings and emotions as part of its bio-electro-magnetic and chemical processes. Ara Ojubo is a magnificent creation. It is not just a piece of meat. It has too many capacities for us to discuss here, but we can mention one very important capacity. Ara Ojubo is a two-way broadcast station for communication and connection between your physical Ori and your Spiritual Ori. Those ‘negative’ feelings, emotions, and attitudes are like static in a radio. They are indicators that for you, something is out of alignment in the L’oja. You see, Spiritual Ori does not experience or generate those ‘negative’ emotions.
Ara Ojubo is designed to keep you and I in alignment with our Higher Self. So, when we do something or experience something that generates those ‘negative emotional signals’ we know that we need to reflect on our circumstances, and upon how we perceive, and respond, to those circumstances, events, and situations. Our perceptions and our responses should enable us to regain and maintain those ‘positive emotional signals’ that align with the energetic vibration of Spiritual Ori, which is positive, confident, powerful, aware, wise, compassionate, and creative (and much more). When we shift our perceptions and thoughts we actually change the chemistry of Ara Ojubo and in so doing shift our Ase Ami (energy signature) to be in resonance with our Spiritual Ori. Body, Mind, and Spirit all work together in perfect harmony. The material realm and the spiritual realm enter into that degree of Isopo where the distinction between the two becomes less and less, and we are able to materialize our Birthright. We are able to move the Ase in accordance with our will and intention.
You and I are born to be successful in fulfilling our chosen destinies. What is a birthright? It is a particular right of possession or privilege one has from birth, especially as an eldest child. It is also a natural or moral right, possessed by everyone. It is under varying circumstances an inheritance, a heritage, and a right, something due, a prerogative. Instead of waking up tomorrow as you may have today, how about trying something different.
Ori mi Apere!
Ori mi Apesin!
Mo dide! Mo dide Lalafia, Ayo, ati I’mo’re!
My Ori, Carrier of my Destiny!
My Ori, the Most Precious!
I rise! I rise in Peace, Joy, and Gratitude!
It is Your Birthright to be Happy, Successful, and Fulfilled! It is also your ‘choice’ to be happy, successful, and fulfilled! These experiences exist as potentials, as possibilities within the Spiritual Mathematics of the L’oja! We have been given all of the tools (build into Ara Ojubo) we need to be able to enjoy these potentials. They, however, are not guarantees! Like every birthright, they must be claimed through some process and ceremony. They are ‘if/then’ axioms within the Spiritual Mathematics of the L’oja. The Ifa Corpse tells us over and over that we are each empowered to choose our way of being and moving in the L’oja. With the guidance of our Spiritual Ori, and the assistance of Egun, the Orisa, and Ifa Divination we can unlock the Awo (mysteries) of the L’oja and experience happiness, success, and fulfillment. The L’oja that each of us lives in is the L’oja that we fashion with our perceptions and interpretations of our experiences, our reactions or responses to those experiences, and the stories we tell ourselves about the choices we have made. The story that Ifa tells is one where you and I can claim happiness, success, and fulfillment.
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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If you would like to donate to any of the annual Festivals or to any of the Ifa Temples, Shrines, School, Electronic Communications Center Initiative, or general funds, please contact me by email and I will provide you with the bank transfer information so that you can make your donation directly and securely.
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. (View Art)
Modupe!
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!
