Post by ifayomi on Aug 4, 2006 12:23:10 GMT -5
In response on another board that I belong, The question was posed do you believe life is a gamble I responded with what is below. I am so happy with my response(yes yes I am) that I wanted to share it here as well
Peace Oyinfunmilayo-Ifayomi
Thank you thank you for the freedom. This is only part.
As you mostly all know I am an Ifa devotee Ifa/Yoruba is an African Spiritual System out of west Africa Nigeria, Benin, Lagos, and other parts that were called Yorubaland. Dates back way back when at least 20,000 yrs if not more. Talks about creation everything. Having said that I now say this the teachings of Ifa teach us. That we all came here by choice, also before we came we knew of our destiny we made promises etc in Orun (heaven) before coming here of what we would achieve etc. we came with the protection and guidance if you will of a particular Orisa (divinity) (not almighty God) but a divinity one of the Orisa who would be for lack of a better way to put it our protector etc. Also in Orun we have what is known as Ori who guides us and is responsible so to speak for our destiny. when I say so to speak is Ori acts with us he/she leads us and guides us if we listen if we communicte with Ori. Now with that being said we also have who is known as Esu (Eshu) Elegba who is known as the trickser or Olupa (the policeman of Orun) Esu is the tester of character and also is the one to bring you to the place of decision but offers you choices right or wrong you choose, In African thought or cosmology everything is controled by the Orisa. nature everything and in order for you to be sucessful (not necc. materially) you must seek the Orisa for direction. Orunmila known as the divinity of wisdom knows all he knows our destinies he was there to my understanding before we came here he knows why we came and he also knows what to do to avoid the pitfalls or traps in life. whew Ok getting a bit gone here try to reel it back in now. In old Africa if you will even today not only in Africa but other indigenous peoples they have naming ceremonies at the birht of a child, for the African this was to give him his name as to what his destiny was to be. How was his destiny determined. It was determined by divination, what is still praticed in Ifa Santeria Dahomean Voodun, Hatian Voodoo Lucimi etc. When the divination was done by the priest and priestesses Orunmila revealed what had been determined in Orun before the child came (also children according to Ifa are Anscestors returning much more to say about that) This is why the ceremony was so important so that that child could be guided in the correct path to fulfill his/her destiny. I would like to add at this point we all have a destiny but the most we have to do is obtain Iwa Pele (gentle character) and Kayfia you have seen I ma sure the change in me from when you first met me (hence I am growing toward Iwa Pele) this is the ultimate destiny for all, but we also have special things in this life to do. Now the reason that many of us do not fulfill our destiny is because we do not know what it is. How do you know what is your destiny, well for this person it is consulting Ifa through divination etc. there are also obstacles that are in place to kee you from fulfilling your destiny hence according to Ifa through divination you can see what these obstacles are also recieve the answers in how to overcome them. Last thing said for now. Remeber Esu I mentioned earlier. I really do not want to blame him (so guess what I wont) but will say when we pass through the birthing canal we forget the promises made in Orun and we living in new europe for over 500yrs have had a disadvantage because we were not exposed to the teachings of our Anscestors when it came to destiny so we have stumbled tripped made huge mistakes (myself included obviously) and some of us have missed the boat. guess what remember I said the Anscestors return, thats right the wheel of reicarnation to try it all over again. and much more
Oyinfunmilayo-Ifayomi
Peace Oyinfunmilayo-Ifayomi
Thank you thank you for the freedom. This is only part.
As you mostly all know I am an Ifa devotee Ifa/Yoruba is an African Spiritual System out of west Africa Nigeria, Benin, Lagos, and other parts that were called Yorubaland. Dates back way back when at least 20,000 yrs if not more. Talks about creation everything. Having said that I now say this the teachings of Ifa teach us. That we all came here by choice, also before we came we knew of our destiny we made promises etc in Orun (heaven) before coming here of what we would achieve etc. we came with the protection and guidance if you will of a particular Orisa (divinity) (not almighty God) but a divinity one of the Orisa who would be for lack of a better way to put it our protector etc. Also in Orun we have what is known as Ori who guides us and is responsible so to speak for our destiny. when I say so to speak is Ori acts with us he/she leads us and guides us if we listen if we communicte with Ori. Now with that being said we also have who is known as Esu (Eshu) Elegba who is known as the trickser or Olupa (the policeman of Orun) Esu is the tester of character and also is the one to bring you to the place of decision but offers you choices right or wrong you choose, In African thought or cosmology everything is controled by the Orisa. nature everything and in order for you to be sucessful (not necc. materially) you must seek the Orisa for direction. Orunmila known as the divinity of wisdom knows all he knows our destinies he was there to my understanding before we came here he knows why we came and he also knows what to do to avoid the pitfalls or traps in life. whew Ok getting a bit gone here try to reel it back in now. In old Africa if you will even today not only in Africa but other indigenous peoples they have naming ceremonies at the birht of a child, for the African this was to give him his name as to what his destiny was to be. How was his destiny determined. It was determined by divination, what is still praticed in Ifa Santeria Dahomean Voodun, Hatian Voodoo Lucimi etc. When the divination was done by the priest and priestesses Orunmila revealed what had been determined in Orun before the child came (also children according to Ifa are Anscestors returning much more to say about that) This is why the ceremony was so important so that that child could be guided in the correct path to fulfill his/her destiny. I would like to add at this point we all have a destiny but the most we have to do is obtain Iwa Pele (gentle character) and Kayfia you have seen I ma sure the change in me from when you first met me (hence I am growing toward Iwa Pele) this is the ultimate destiny for all, but we also have special things in this life to do. Now the reason that many of us do not fulfill our destiny is because we do not know what it is. How do you know what is your destiny, well for this person it is consulting Ifa through divination etc. there are also obstacles that are in place to kee you from fulfilling your destiny hence according to Ifa through divination you can see what these obstacles are also recieve the answers in how to overcome them. Last thing said for now. Remeber Esu I mentioned earlier. I really do not want to blame him (so guess what I wont) but will say when we pass through the birthing canal we forget the promises made in Orun and we living in new europe for over 500yrs have had a disadvantage because we were not exposed to the teachings of our Anscestors when it came to destiny so we have stumbled tripped made huge mistakes (myself included obviously) and some of us have missed the boat. guess what remember I said the Anscestors return, thats right the wheel of reicarnation to try it all over again. and much more
Oyinfunmilayo-Ifayomi