THE TEACHING OF THE SPIRITS AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN THE YORÙBÁ TRADITION

THE TEACHING OF THE SPIRITS AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN THE YORÙBÁ TRADITION Teaching given by the Fon Spirit “Tata G”, Spiritual Emissary of Baba Odùdúwà: Saturday July 4, 2015.

Why do you think the Spirits are important? Because of the knowledge they transmit. Because they accompany us spiritually. How do you identify when a spirit is truly in the presence? A "Real" Spirit will have SINCERITY first of all. It is very important that all religious Lineages of the Yorùbá Tradition should have the Spiritual Guidance of a Spirit of Light (ÉGÚN), Why? Unfortunately, the conditions under which human beings live, after testing “POWER” often leads them to PERVERSION... Then this means that if someone is a Leader of a Religious House (ÒRÌŞÀ ILÉ or IFÁ ILÉ) of any lineage or whatever you call it, there is a tendency to Perversion due to their humanness or Human condition. What do the spirits do in this case? They put things in ORDER and likewise they Reprove all kinds of negative actions that leaders do. Let us go to history, talking about all religions in general. All religions in particular are governed by a spirituality. What happened through history? Religions were Perverting, Why? Because by trying to channel too many people, those who were the leaders had power over that number of people, then they put aside the spiritual aspect and retained the material aspect. Today the religious power is measure to the material power or economic power they possess, and it is not based on what they teach spiritually... We say; "The Catholic Church is very powerful," Why? Because of the economic power it generates. Muslims, Christians, Catholics, and etc .. They show their power through the material aspect, if my temple is prettier and more ostentatious, it means that I have more "power" than you. And this leaves aside all the roots of all religion. Remember what you have been told? All religions are good, but who make them bad or wrong in its practice is the human being. They are supposed to be a Way to reach God. Let’s speak boldly about Religions you know; you know more Catholicism because they influence a lot where you live. Parish Priests, the Priests / "Fathers of the Church" they only speak about the passages of the Bible, but they do not explain or give a life teaching to people, and at that moment it becomes Archaic. Why it becomes Archaic? Because these teachings were given at a specific period of time, and according to that period of time (culture and mental state) that was the basis of those teachings when they were given, but they have not EVOLVE, they have Not Been Modernized. All Religions Evolve or ought to Evolve. What was the time when the population explosion started? It was at the time of your grandparents that began the demographic explosion, why? Because at that time the Catholic Church condemned the use of contraceptive methods (condoms, etc). Those who remember their grandparents, at those times they use to had 11 children, 16 children, etc., because the Church did not allow the use of Contraceptives. Even until today they follow that kind of thinking. That's one of the reasons why there is an over population exploitation, the world began to fill with people uncontrollably and excessively because of the misinformation that they were given religiously. “Grow and multiply”. It's not a Life Teaching. I with all due respect I will ask your grandparents, The Church is going to financially support your 15 children??? That speaking about Life matters, is Absurd, Why? Because thanks to the overpopulation the levels of pollution increased in the world, there are fewer places to live and survive. People are dying of poisoning, Cancer and etc. This is something that truly the Church was wrong, and so it has happened through several religious traditions. It means that they have not adapted to the times and not have done a research beyond, they miss to have someone to tell them; "Let me see boys, you have to center yourself, the church doesn’t need followers who are multiplying and multiplying, the church needs to teach them how God must arrive through a methodology of life." Unfortunately, today we are seeing the ravages of all that. If your grandparents could take spiritual Possession of a human person, they themselves would tell you; "What harm did we do in order to do this or that". That situation they already have lived, and when they die they are confronted with the Absolute Truth, and that is something undeniable and irrefutable. Some people ask: How will you believe in the spirit of your “TATA G”, How do you know that he is telling the truth? From my perspective, and I say this with all due respect in the world, that speaks of the consciousness of people, it is that these are absurd and stupid questions. Why they are absurd and stupid? Look, they forget that they are in a Religious / Spiritual path of a tradition, and by being in a religious path, and easily anyone who is not present, or does not belong to the Yoruba tradition could tell you: "How is it possible that you believe what those little 16 Cowrie shells (Ẹ́rindínlógún) supposedly say (as an Oracle), or How you believe in what the divination chain (OPẸ̀LẸ́) supposedly says?” These questions do not only are trying to attack us, but they themselves are Denigrating. Whomever look at that written conversation of one defending and the other attacking your spiritual practice, would say, "Wait a Moment, both of you are within the same religion or spiritual tradition, and you pay attention and believe what some Cowrie shells supposedly “say”, and those shells are not even alive ..." That is why it is so important the to do the Ancestor Worship. The ancestor worship arose even before the cult of the ÒRÌŞÀ, Why? At that time when there were no doctors, the first thing they did was say to the people; Go with “Tom”, and that person fell into spiritual trance or under Spiritual Possession by a Spirit Guide or Ancestor, he took possession by the Spirit and connected with the Consciousness of a Plant, and the spirit would say: You can use this plant in this or that way and so you're going to heal yourself of this problem. That's why the Ancestors were worshiped even before the ÒRÌŞÀ Deities, because at the beginning all of them fallowed what the Spirit of the Ancestors taught them. The Ancestors (Égúngún) are very important because they are the ones who ground all human beings on Earth and prevent their PERVERSION.... Why? If we talk logically, let say: I’m not here today and you are gathered here today, who tells you that what you are doing is not wrong in your way of acting and thinking? Remember that I gave you a key reference that only God (Olọ́fin Ọ̀run), the ÒRÌŞÀ and the SPIRITS / Ancestor can JUDGE people. Let me clarify, I mean the True Ancestors. As they do make you see on the Internet, that you are before an enlightened Being and that you are the Elect. If they allowed to continue in that Error of their "Truth" that would mean that you are not in the presence with a spirit like me. The problem with these people is that they have not found a “Real Spirit”, just as I told you, the issue is complex, and the situation about mediumship is complex. Question by one of the brothers: Can it be that a spirit to convey a message may be that they are wrong? Recall that when a person dies, one of the primary things which must happen is for the Soul to be taken to the "TRIAL BEFORE THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH" and going through the Absolute Truth, there is no room for error there. Do you understand the purpose of all the Ancestors? In Africa they do the Égúngún Festival (The Festival of the Ancestor) and in this festival there is a specific temple for the Mediums of Égúngún, where they go put on a very special dress, this dress is completely covered and no light enters. Among the mediums there are people who are Babalawo, OLÒRÌŞÀ and uninitiated people who have the spiritual gift. A small ritual is done in the sacred room until they get under spiritual possession, then they go out to the village and the Ancestors begin to run after common people with long sticks and beat them, and they do as a rebuke to their bad actions that they have done. How a person who sees nothing will be running after other people? The Ancestors are precisely those who put order on all this, in a little more relatively primitive way. When the ancient Yoruba conquered a people, the way they did it was not using full force, it was based on certain knowledge of wisdom that they managed to conquer them and beyond that to indoctrinate and make these tribes and cultures adopt the Worship or the Deities that Baba Odùdúwà brought. Baba Odùdúwà says that the best way to teach people is not by blows or through violence. The best way to teach people is first; telling them about what are the struggles that they can go through in Life. Second: Give them time. Why do you think is like this? Let me Clarify, that's one way to hit people, but not physically, but in the spiritual aspect. Nobody in this world, even if they are our worst enemy, we must enjoy their defeat. What would be the right way to go? When time already gave you the answer, so to speak, which is something I now understand that it is crass and absurd to consider that you has enemies. A while ago I said that I do not consider them enemies, I consider them our opponents, not enemies. They do not have the strength or understanding to make a war, they only oppose, and they do not generate anything more. First, we must not see anyone as our enemies. If we see them as enemies, then what are we? We are also an enemy. Second: Give them time. There is a thought that says when the Pride, Human Stupidity Talk or Shout, then Wisdom of Human should remain silent. So our method on the Internet against our opponents is to be Silent first, then when you sit and meditate and decrypting, do as my “matter” (my Medium) or ẸLẸ̀GÚN that says something abstract and very wise: "When I understand my Enemy enough to defeat them, at that moment I also Love them.” Why? In this life you must take the time, let's see: If you are in opposition to me, but before I will understand the thoughts, the circumstances and the events for which you are in opposition to me, and after I understood what you're trying to say, because I understood the reason why you are in opposition, and if you are right, I must be silent, but if you have not the reason, then I must get you out of your mistake, even if you still will not want to get out of your wrong reasoning. Why? For the community what will happen? Look, now I can take a person and say to them: “boy you've been wrong on this and that. And the community will say, "Oh, is the “Tata G” who is talking and scolding, he must be bad or this or that". Now, if that person answers in a wise way, even if you like me and consider me, you are going to give the reason to reason, and are not to be carried away by certain peculiarities of life. If this we do it bigger, Who would give us the reason? Life itself and the world. True or False? If you really get to get an "ORÍ TÙTÚ" = A Fresh / Cool Consciousness in any situation in your life, you will realize how easy it is to beat them or stumping, it disappears. Why do you think that you achieved it? First, because you will understand who is right Second, if you are the holders of Reason, they will have a way to express it and give it to see others. But if you are not holders of Reason; What is going to give them? Will give them knowledge and understanding to know when you are taking the issues as their own. That's a lot of the importance of the Ancestors.

What is the reason? What guy is right? Reason comes from reasoning, is right, because his reasoning is better than the other person... Precisely he or she is reasoning things, and is the one we give the reason, the one who really Reasons things. True or False, it is a human condition to think that we are always on the correct side. When certain situations occur is a human condition we consider that we are right. Why? Because we live under a common universe that it happens to be personal, and living under that they say; I within my universe fine and as I think I'm okay, all others must be wrong, I'm not arguing, I'm not getting to see what is your view, what is the point of view of Tom, and the view of others. I'm not arguing, I'm staying alone with what I consider, having or not having the reason. The Spirits / Ancestors are the ones that give us reason, the Ancestors are the ones that lead us to have a good reason. Do you think that We (the Spirits) learn from you (the Live people)? YES, we (the spirits) learn from you. GOD, the ÒRÌŞÀ and the ANCESTORS share a common feature that is Impartiality, Why? To be more objective, fair. Now You realize how important our Ancestors are. In what way the Ancestors take care of us? The primary way to protect us is through the guidance, obviously when their children are young and are playing with fire they are told to be careful with fire because they can get burn, if the child understands, we prevent the child from burning. It also is the same with the Ancestors and people, if the ancestors tell you to do not go down this path because you are going to be in a bad situation, if you don’t follow that path, you prevented that from happening, and if you took that path - you experienced it- You learned from it. That is the primary way that they protect us, the secondary ways that they use to help us is to cleanse the spirit, they help us to avoid the negative things of others against us, etc ... Obviously the Cult of the Ancestors is very particular in regard to the severity, there are different verses of Ifá who tell us that Òrúnmìlà used to Égún, the Égúngún, Òrun as the Afro Cubans call it (or ORO) as a tool of Protection and to Counter Attack, Why do you think is that relationship? Because the Ancestors are IMPARTIAL, they execute the Divine Justice, and are the ones that do or they apply faster the Divine Justice, and that is why Òrúnmìlà used them as a spiritual counter attack weapon. If you read verses the Yoruba Traditionalist, you will understand that aspect of the Spirits. If you read Ifá verses from the Afro Cuban Tradition particularly, they show these elements of the Ancestors as if they were a type of "Nganga" / “Prenda” of “Palo Mayombe”, and literally they use them in that way. There are many even Cubans involved in religion, which they get to call them as a Nganga to the Spiritual Altar. Some people do not do this of course, but if happens. There are people who seamlessly blend everything. They give this notion of Severity to the Ancestors, because they were the ones most deeply rooted to this Earth, and by being Impartial/fair, they are the ones who are responsible for making justice more quickly. Does this reference to the Spirits of the Nganga, that they fulfil requests from people, whether they are good or bad? The Spirits Nganga say: "You want to do something wrong, you'll have your consequences, I do for you, but the day of tomorrow; I myself will collect what you owe ..." What happens is that they don’t read you that little part of the Contract clauses that written in very small letters, Hahaha… If we're talking that the DEAD ones are Impartial: The Dead ones says; "You want to die by your own hand, no problem". Question: But is there Dead ones who are allied with the Dark Side? Yes, indeed, they are allied with the negative part that every human being has. What is the place of residence of God, and what they call in Catholicism as the Devil? GOD is Residing deep within each of you. Who decides to do good, and who choose to do evil? It's up to You. What they call the Devil, is the Tempter, but finally n the end the one who decides to act right or wrong is You. It is a lie that the Devil appears to us and tell us you have to do evil, (He may have tempted to do wrong), but you are the one who choose to do it or not. The actions of people tell us about their Subconscious mind, because there are times and often occurs that they act unconsciously, however, in the Subconscious is where Remorse is born, so rather than been something negative, I would call him a Tempter, as is the one that will put things in such a way to Tempt you, nothing else, if you want to grab them, it's up to you, and if you don’t want to grab them too. In what part would you place the Ancestors in a religious organization? What place they would occupy? What would be their role in a religious organization? To Guide, to apply Justice, to be an Impartial Judge, What would happen if you lack the support of the Ancestors or the Spiritual Guide? All Religious Cult that lacks a Spiritual Guide (on the astral plane or beyond) becomes subjective, because they are going to depend on what the human guide thinks and what other members of the group think. The Ancestors are those who guide, that correct you, the ones who help to Amend the Way, also avoids the perversion within the Socio-Religious Group. Based on that my people, and regarding our opponents, how does that leave us? Answer: That leave us in advantage, because most of them seem that they don’t even have a true spiritual guide or they do not heed the message of light from the Ancestors, because if not the spirit would correct them and would put them in place, and would put them to reason what they are really doing. In what most Ifá priests fall, especially in the afro Cuban tradition? They fall in something so subjective, which can be easily knocked down. In the Afro-Cuban Ifá Treatise of the Odù of Obara-Sa it says: That even the Babalawo can be mount (or go under spiritual possession) all ÒRÌŞÀ he knows. There is when you realize the level of knowledge they have and the religious shortcomings they are suffering as a religious group. THE YORUBA RELIGION (or any Religion) IS NOT TO BE USE IT AS GOD GAVE ME TO UNDERSTAND, OR HOW MY WILL LIKE IT or according to my Subjectivity. Religion is designed to be run as it should be, starting from the basics. Why it is said that to see ÉGÚN is something terrible? Why Women will veer when the ÉGÚN Spiritual Consultation is done? Are we talking about ÉGÚN or about the collective ÉGÚN? They are different, first ÉGÚN / Égúngún is the material vase, Igbá, is where the power of the Spirits of the Ancestors is deposit, we are not talking about spirits as such, we are talking about the Power or the aspect that that has the Igbá of Égún, talking about it in the Astral aspect, the appearance of ÉGÚN is Grotesque, Enormous, is a Colossus, to that is what Baba Odùdúwà refers when he says that about ÉGÚN. Women turn around and show their back when we do the Égún Obi or Àgbon (Coconut) Divination to ÉGÚN because for females it’s easier to see the Energy of ÉGÚN. The problem is that there is too much ignorance about that, because when I am referring to the Collective of ÉGÚN, I am not talking about the Spirit of your Mom, your Dad, No. I'm talking about all the energy that governs all Spirits ... the Spirit of the Great Chief (Baba Odùdúwà) imposes when he manifests, now imagine to see the entire collective Energy of all the Spirit - ÉGÚN. That is what we are referring to. But because there is too much ignorance about that. They believe that ÉGÚN is the Dead (Muerto, Kú), and it is not about that.