Ifá knowledge is intended only for sincere, teachable, sane, stable and honest people:
It is unwise, wearisome and a waste of time to invest ones time to instruct, enlighten and teach people who are insincere, incorrigible, stubborn and dishonest, the sacred and sublime teachings of Ifá. Such people are unfit, unprepared, undeserving and unworthy of Ifa instruction. These are people who behave and act as if they know something or everything but in fact they are dwelling in ignorance, foolishness and are trapped in a state of self-conceit, being driven here-and-there by the figments of their own imagination and their own vain desires. Deluded, insincere and unrealistic people make the worse students. Until they are willing to come out of their delusions and wake up from their unrealistic dream world they cannot learn or improve.
Ifá knowledge is real knowledge for real people. Ifá knowledge is for sincere, obedient, humble, grounded and honest people. Ifá knowledge is for the purpose of patient and persevering practice. Ifá teaching is first and foremost for self-cultivation, self-practice and self-mastery and then to be shared with others. Ifá is like a mirror where we can see and face ourselves factually where we truly are and as we presently actually are. Avoiding the extremes of inflating ourselves or berating ourselves, we can, through Ifá, see and assess ourselves honestly without comparing ourselves to anyone; we can be honest with ourselves about the pains, disappointments, dissatisfaction, troubles and sufferings we are experiencing and enduring. We can see and discern the drawbacks of our past actions and behavior and correct ourselves, thereby putting a stop to the dissatisfaction, sorrow, disorder, emptiness and conflict in our lives. This is what Ifá is for; and only humble, sincere, obedient and honest persons can apply and benefit from Ifa instruction, but stubborn, prideful, incorrigible and deluded people take a strange delight in being heedless, complacent and shameless. Why do we say that they are heedless, complacent and shameless, and therefore unfit for Ifá instruction? We say this because even though these people are familiarized with the content of Ifá instruction, and are even able on an intellectual level able to explain many things pertaining to the realm of Ifá moral-spiritual knowledge, yet their own hearts and minds are far away and heedless of the things they know and expound. The truths of Ifá are outside of them and do not dwell in theirs hearts, minds and practical life. When it is time to decide and take a course of action, the teachings and injunctions of Ifá do not register in the minds of these people, on the contrary, these people side with their selfish, petty, base wants and desires. The spirit and truth of Ifá (Orunmila) has not penetrated into their hearts, minds and life, because they resist it and do not allow it entrance. These people forget that Orunmila withdraws himself and puts distance between himself and such stubborn, selfish and unreasoning people. The truth of the matter is that these type of people who know a lot intellectually about Ifá and like to show off their intellectual knowledge of Ifá can be more stubborn and incorrigible than people who know a little. It is better to know a little of Ifá and practice it than to know a great deal and yet practice nothing. Knowing much but practicing little or nothing is the way in which such ignorant and foolish people become heedless and disrespectful towards Ifá. What they recommend to others they themselves do not practice and/or cultivate to any discernible and appreciable degree! How such a person can be called a knower of Ifa, I don’t know?! These are the same people that you later find full of negatively, speaking badly of others and complaining about their lot in life and how they are not benefiting from their Ifá initiations etc. etc. They spend their time sowing sour lemons and yet they want to reap sweet mangoes! They are always complaining, bickering, fault-finding and dissatisfied with everything and everyone except themselves. Instead of planting, tending to and cultivating their own garden they are busy trespassing in the gardens of others and busy uprooting the hard work, efforts and dedication of others. Can you believe these kinds of people and their great stupidity and blindness?! Then they dare ask and wonder why their lives are as they are, lacking in satisfaction, meaning, purpose and direction.
Let us ensure that our own lives are in keeping with the teachings of Ifá; and the example and experiences of Orunmila. Let us leave these troublesome, problematic and unreflective people to themselves so that perhaps they might learn from their own self-inflicted wounds, pains and sorrows. Let us not waste our time on insincere, incorrigible, useless and dishonest people. Instead let us give our time, attention, care and valuable Ifá knowledge and experience to good hearted, sensible, appreciative and practical people.
