There is an Ifá proverb that says: “The One who have conquered the enemy within will not fear the enemies from the outside”. This proverb states that we ourselves are always our own worst enemy – the greatest obstacle to reach abundance and happiness usually rest in our pride and resistance towards change.
Confronted with offence – offence is often what is returned – but this is like trying to stop a fire by throwing oil and candles upon it…often, in attempts of wiping out undesired energies in our lives we end up rushing to the heart of the undesired energy and generate more of what we do not want.
Like when we feel wronged, for many the first instinct is to attack – for others to run away – but for those who feel wronged the tendency is to grow in a distorted sense of justice where we expand the field of lawful and righteous negative action we can bestow upon the offender.
In these instances, when someone wrongs us we need to take some time to think if we might deserved the offence – or if the offense in question is related to us or not. Often an offense is the result of envy and self-hatred and you have been found the target for such projections not because you deserved – but because you were an unwilling mirror….sometimes the issue is quite different. Every offense gives us opportunity to honest introspection… because in all honesty, he who is without blame should cast the first stone and if we actually forgave ourselves our trespasses maybe we would forgive others trespassing in a greater spirit – namely the spirit of Love…
There is a tendency to never reflect upon this, but rather to stretch to ones weapons to defend ones honor, name or whatever – rarely people give thought to the simple mechanics of action and reaction, of simple polarities that takes place in meetings between men in a great variety of forms.
Quite often when people jump the gun and scream for justice when confronted with personal opinions, even when they take the shape of slander and lies, must question the issue of èké, dishonesty and falsehood.
I believe that we are all born good and blessed – but the world is a market, and at times it moves too fast, so fast that we at times act before we think. We get lost in the opportunities in the market, its thief’s and lost chances…When we get lost and sidetracked it is helpful if we are remembering this primordial good condition we carry within the web of our soul and allow it to take shape into love and kindness.
Inspired by love and kindness we will be humble in the face of the spirits and gods – and we will be Masters of our Fate… by displaying a good and honest character…in this we find the secrets of immortality, purpose and joy
In this scope I find the message in the odú Ifá Ògúndaretè to be worthy to contemplate:
Ògúndaretè
Kúkúndùkún a b’ewé gerugeru dábi
Oògùn l’agbára
Òpò oògùn a gun’mo gàlègàlè
Súgbón bi ó ba l’ópò oógún
Bí ó ba l’ekèé
Èké ó níí jê ó jê
Dandan inúrere jê ewé lo
Dífá fún Oòni Alànàk’èsùú
Èyítí kò gbódò kò oro Ifá sílè
Translation:
Sweet potato with fresh leaves might seem
Like a powerful potion
And an abundance of the magical medicine tends
To intoxicate the possessor
But even if you have a multitude of powerful
Potions,
If you are dishonest,
Your dishonesty will undermine their
Effectiveness
Surely, kindness will be more effective that
Such potions
This was the teaching of Ifá for
King Alanak’ esuu
One who dared not reject the advice of Ifá