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Scoundrels, Sages and the Marketplace




I have this year received a surprising amount of communication concerned with charlatans and fraud, and it is naturally sad to see how so many are being taken for a ride by self declared sages in the various marketplaces we find open to our quest and journey. It is also sad to see true sages being debunked due to the disharmony in the very relationship between teacher and seeker as it is sad to see how many of those being taken for a fraudulent ride chooses to own their anger instead of taking the lesson and move on. I say, if you found a good place; stay, if the place you found is not good; then go.  

I have in my own quest amidst the marketplaces found sages, prophets, true friends, brothers and sisters as much as I have found the conmen, thieves, lunatics and the ‘wanna be enemies’. Over the years I have been angry, resented, filled with love and immensely content. Over the years my sense of discernment has become better thanks to the loonies, quacks and impostors encountered and I have understood that these people serve a purpose in the great design we not always are aware of. These people are holding the juices of bitterness that enables us to appreciate the sweetness of the world. Not only this, but these insolent frauds we meet on our path, these conmen of mystery they do bring the mystery of trickery to our life and places us in the crossroad. At this crossroad we can chose to take the lesson and move on wiser or we can stay in hatred until we see nothing but fire.  

Ifá speaks in the odù Ìrosùwòrì how there are two kinds of people in the world. There are good people and there are those who do not allow goodness to reach the life of other people. The odù tells prior to this that humans have been elected to bring good into the world, failing this will make one to experience repeated rebirths as a spiritual being undertaking the same human journey until one have accomplished to bring goodness to the world. Those who contribute to goodness, to the knowledge of what is good and bring happiness are those who will find heavenly rest, living a life without enemies, anxiety or fear. But also those who do good will occasionally have to return to the human experience in order to fortify what is good on earth and bring the light of wisdom to those who withhold good from the life of others. 

This world where we embark on our human journey is the meeting point where the invisible and visible world meets and is understood to be a marketplace. As in any marketplace we can make the good and bad deal and we meet charlatans, quacks and frauds as much as the honest merchant and good friend. Sometimes we find all of these in the same person...

Many of us have been taught that it is only human to react with anger when we make the bad deal or are taken for a fraudulent ride. I would say that there are nuances here. To have a reaction confronted with fraud and trickery is one thing, but the anger it evokes is something entirely different. When a good man is subject for fraud the tendency is to react, recognize and leave the situation, a truly good man will bless the quack and move on not allowing such incident to impair his ability of spreading goodness and joy. When we react with anger we instantly call upon the army of spirits of misfortune (ajogun) as we generate a negative circuit rooted in not being able to let goodness into one’s own or others life. 

When we allow anger to take the reins of the chariot of our soul the spirit of righteousness is not far away as we becomes judgmental in our self righteousness and point fingers in every direction – not realizing that there will always be three fingers pointing back at our selves... In this moment we have become alienated from ourselves, from the purpose of the human journey and we cloud in darkness and distortion our divine soul and character. We turn into what Ìká’wòrí calls Serarè – Self injurers – those who throws ashes and evil at others not realizing that we are stained by the very same ashes we throw out upon others. Ifá understands this to be a path of ruin of Self, where anxiety, plotting and revenge are the spirits following such person. 

The odu, Ìrosúwòrì ends one of its stanzas with stating that: “Those chosen to bring good into the world are called human beings (eniyan) or the chosen ones”, and refers to this as a mystery. 

This word, eniyan, which is usually translated to ‘human beings’ refers to a particular kind of humans, those who brings sweetness and goodness to the world, because they are able to recall the wisdom that makes it possible - and in this lies a great mystery.

In my experience, when we are offered bitterness we have a choice. We can stay and eat the bitterness or we can leave and experience sweetness. Those needing the bitterness will attract it and taste it so they can know better how sweet and good the world can. Because any charlatan will sooner or later choke on his own quacks as he slowly is digging his own grave, this should be no concern for the seeker of goodness. 

For my part, I welcome both the fraud and sage to take their role in this our marketplace so we can have this wonderful experience of humanity as spiritual beings chosen to be vessels of goodness... And how can we choose if not bitterness points to sweetness and sweetness to bitterness... in this lies the merchants dance in the marketplace of the worlds... So, choose well if you should stay or if you should go...




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