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We
live in a world where complexity too often equates to value. The more
bells and whistles our car, TV, or cell phones have, the more
attractive they appear. Yet, when one gains a measure of wisdom, you
realize that the greatest Truths are the simplest. Profundity lies in
the core of ideas and energy, not in the accessories. This is
particularly true of the Yoruba concept and understanding of Nature.
What is the great Truth the Yoruba wise men and women discovered?
It is:
Every aspect of Nature exhibits constant dynamic movement
designed to achieve, or maintain, Balance. A Thunderstorm dissipates
the excess heat; earthquakes remove excessive tectonic pressure, the
hours of daylight signal the dormancy or awakening of trees, plants and
animals into a current habitable environment.
The Yoruba observed, felt and understood both the power and
necessity of this balance. When, for short periods, Nature appeared out
of balance, be it through drought, forest fire, flood or excessive
heat, all the inhabitants of the area suffered. It was only after
Nature dynamically corrected the short term imbalance that health and
safety were restored. They also observed another critical Truth: All living things on this planet achieved their own balance as a result of Natures balance!
On a basic level this is easily understood. If our crops are
destroyed by drought, our homes washed away in floods or our children
struck by lightening, we suffer great imbalance in our lives. When
Nature has restored its' balance, we are able to restore our own. But
on another critical level, they also realized that just as the energy
of a Thunderstorm could correct the imbalance of drought, or the energy
of a forest fire could clear the way for removing dead trees and
allowing new growth to take place, that in the symbiotic relationship
of ALL living things on this planet, the various energies of Nature
could maintain or restore our personal balance as well!
They identified, and named many of these energies. They called them Irunmole or Orisa.
They became specialists in these various aspects. They
became intimately connected to specific aspects of Nature and worked to
be able to effectively access and use that energy to restore or
maintain balance in other humans.balance that allowed for our natural
symbiotic connection and relationship to the world we live in. But they
NEVER forgot that the process of restoring, or maintaining, our
personal balance was simply a bridge allowing us to connect to and
become balanced within the larger, more powerful Whole (Nature) of
which we are a literal part.
It was not until the World View of the West, a view that Man
was Supreme- in charge of Nature- insidiously wove its way into African
culture, that cause and effect became twisted.
The result of this twist is the almost permanent state of imbalance most of the West lives in.
When the fan thinks it controls the wind, imbalance results .
So, as the West has increasingly co-opted the ability to use the
Natural energies the Yoruba discovered, they have used them in ways
that, rather than restore balance and connect us to the Whole, separate
us from it in a frighteningly self-absorbed manner. A manner which not
only creates temporary imbalances in Nature through our total disregard
for its balance, but imbalances within ourselves, as we remain in a
constantly contradictory vibratory state with the Whole. We are like
the percussionist in the orchestra that continually bangs the symbols
in total disregard to the symphony itself.
In order to begin to understand, feel and restore ourselves
to the proper relationship with Nature, we must once again become part
of it. Quite frankly, I do not believe it can be done in Chicago , New York , Los Angeles , London or Paris .
The overwhelming dissonance of energy that Western societies
metropolitan areas exude make it virtually impossible. Instead you MUST
find the time to place yourself in a quiet, Natural environment. An
environment where the sounds of car horns, sirens, trains and planes
cannot be heard. An environment where you can hear the sound of waves,
birds, frogs wind rustling through the trees and bushes. Where you can
, without intent , allow your own energy, to meld with and become part
of the Whole from which you came. It is something that must be felt and
experienced in order to re-connect you to the energies in a productive
and rational way the ancient Yoruba understood. It is the reason the
Foundation, for almost twenty years, has created Sacred Space, Sacred Gardens ,
embedded within the purity of Nature for our initiations and work. When
one is in harmony with the Whole, those connections you make, those
sacred articles you create, will reflect the purity and Natural flow of
the energy.
Blessings
Philip Neimark
Ifa Foundation, Ifa College , American Ifa
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