Tag Archives: Love

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ÒRÚNMÌLÀ CARES FOR US AND LOVES US.

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Òrúnmìlà cares for us and loves us. Òrúnmìlà appreciates and values our care and love for him:

[1] It is our love, awe, gratitude, personal-rectitude and devotion to Òrúnmìlà that gives acceptability, acceptance and sweetness to our offerings and sacrifice. Our personal love, respect, gratitude and devotion is the seasoning that gives flavor to our gifts and sacrifices, and brings delight and satisfaction to Ifá.

[2] Offerings and sacrificial materials presented to Ifá absent of love, respect, gratitude and devotion are not accepted or approved by Ifá. When our love, truthfulness, humility, sincerity and devotion are part of the offering and sacrifice, then will our requests, offerings and sacrifices be ‘ebo fin, ebo da.’ The sacrifices, requests and offerings will be quickly received and approved by Ifá and the quick manifesting [quick acting] power of Ifá will be revealed. Whatever Òrúnmìlà partakes of becomes sacred, asé filled and holy. Whatever remains of what we offer to Òrúnmìlà should be handled with love, awe and respect.

[3] A simple offering of kolanut and cool clean water presented to Òrúnmìlà with love, gratitude and devotion will achieve and secure unprecedented and countless joy giving and astounding blessings for the devotee whereas the presentation of rare, expensive and hard to find materials to Òrúnmìlà without being accompanied by love, respect, personal-integrity and honesty will achieve nothing.

[4] Approach Òrúnmìlà with love, honesty, humility and transparency and you will personally know his great love, care and affection for you. The gate to the mysteries, blessings and powers of Ifá is called: humble-simplicity, gratitude, truthfulness and basic goodness.

[5] Òrúnmìlà does not need or want our money. Òrúnmìlà wants our friendship, our understanding, our respect, our sincerity, our loyal and trusting obedience. Òrúnmìlà wants our devotion, our simplicity and our love.

[6] Òrúnmìlà does not complicate our lives, Òrúnmìlà simplifies our lives and makes things easy, smooth and clear.

[7] If we take the time to know Òrúnmìlà and we build a genuine friendship and relationship with Òrúnmìlà our lives will be flooded with peace, joy, strength, comfort, assurance and true power. To know Òrúnmìlà is to know and have eternal life [the divine quality of life]. This eternal life is the divine and sublime quality of life that is enjoyed by Òrúnmìlà himself.

[8] When we have grown in our love for Òrúnmìlà and in our relationship of friendship with Òrúnmìlà we will have this deep realization and inspiring awareness:

Òrúnmìlà you and I are intimately related. We are surely one (having affinity for each other and living in harmony with one another).

[9] Owonrin-Oturupon:

According to the depth, love, sincerity and quality of our devotion to Òrúnmìlà in the same measure will Òrúnmìlà reciprocate. If we fervently and consistently worship, obey and emulate Òrúnmìlà, Òrúnmìlà will reward us with inconceivable and unanticipated benefits, blessings and satisfaction.

This special blessing and promise is not directed to the world in general but only to those who please Olodumare by genuinely following Òrúnmìlà. Òrúnmìlà does not have disobedient and disrespectful children. If they are disobedient and disrespectful then they are not children of Òrúnmìlà. The children of Òrúnmìlà are those who share and live Òrúnmìlà’s thoughts, words and actions.

[10] Ose-Irete:

By following Òrúnmìlà we become true followers of Olodumare. In Ose-Irete, Òrúnmìlà learned that the secret to true peace, happiness and success is to rely on Olodumare as our Divine Parent. We should feel [and know ] in our hearts that we are the literal children of Olodumare and therefore we should acknowledge His existence, supremacy and love. We must follow the example of Òrúnmìlà and make Olodumare our Father and then together with Òrúnmìlà then we can say:

“Olodumare, rescue me! You are the one I depend upon. Olodumare, please grant me your protection, for you are the one I am relying upon. Olodumare lift me out of the rut of confusion, disarray and meaningless living, for I am now acknowledging You and making you my Father. No one who depends on you will be dishonored, embarrassed, shamed or disgraced. Olodumare heal my life. Set my life in order and establish me in a true relationship and friendship with you.”

When we worship Olodumare by following and loving Òrúnmìlà, and by entrusting ourselves to Òrúnmìlà then Òrúnmìlà embraces us and claims us as his own. When we belong to Òrúnmìlà in our hearts, thinking and living, whatever we ask from Òrúnmìlà that is good and beneficial for us and others he will surely grant it at the opportune time!

[11] Owonrin-Ogbe:

Òrúnmìlà! You are the manifestation of Olodumare. You are the sanctuary, safety and refuge. Òrúnmìlà Awimilogbon, masterful and empowered teacher, guide and mentor save me and come to my aid. Òrúnmìlà I have entrusted myself to you and you have promised and vowed to give relief, safety and solutions to all who wholeheartedly rely upon you. Òrúnmìlà! If affliction is pursuing me, True Master Òrúnmìlà, you will surely rescue and save me. Orunmila! If argument, controversy, conflict and hostility are pursuing me, True Master Òrúnmìlà, you will surely rescue me and save me. Òrúnmìlà! If loss, injustice, envy, jealousy, sickness and any other kind of evil or malice is pursuing me, True Master Òrúnmìlà, you will surely rescue me and save me because you are the manifestation of Olodumare, you are the sanctuary, safety and sure refuge of all who entrust themselves to you by living according to your instructions, ways and example.

[12] How wonderful, great, sympathetic and understanding is Òrúnmìlà! My Ifá friends and family, let us get to know Òrúnmìlà better. When we know Òrúnmìlà in truth we will not have to try to force ourselves to trust or believe in him. When we make the effort to know Òrúnmìlà and to walk with him in friendship, love and hospitality, Òrúnmìlà himself will install and activate his asé, awareness, wisdom, power and blessings in our hearts. Then a true confidence and faith that is not artificially contrived will arise in our hearts and minds. No matter how turbulent or unstable things outside of us may be or may become, inwardly we will have peace, stability, joy, confidence and persevering certainty of success. When we become acquainted with Òrúnmìlà and we know him truthfully we become partakers and enjoyers of the true life, of the peaceful life, of the empowered life, of the harmonious and satisfying life. In knowing Òrúnmìlà and in adopting his ways we will be able to achieve all things good, useful and necessary.

May Òrúnmìlà Awinrin endow you with his blessings of peace, wellbeing, happiness, health, strength, truth[fulness], success, empowered wisdom, prosperity and longevity. Asé.

Awo - ancestral pride temple

NURTURING LOVE, GENTLENESS, PATIENCE AND KINDNESS TOWARDS OURSELF

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To be capable of genuinely loving others we must first have a wholesome love towards ourselves. Never disparage, berate and put yourself down. Sometimes because of the way some people were brought up, trained and educated by their parents or community they unfortunately learned to undervalue themselves, discount themselves and under-appreciate themselves. There are people who think that humility and spirituality consists in berating oneself, disparaging oneself, in putting ones face in the mud and putting oneself down. They sadly think that this is humility and spirituality. They erroneously think that Olodumare (God) is pleased by such a sad, demeaning and pitiful outlook. Olodumare (God) has created us with honor, dignity, respect and wonder.



He created us in innocence and with the capacity to grow and develop in fullness of divine goodness, wisdom and happiness. It does not please Olodumare neither is it good and beneficial for us to torture ourselves by telling ourselves that we are impure, inherently bad, valueless, undeserving and incapable. Olodumare is not pleased with this attitude or outlook because it is simply not true. Neither does our heart and conscience approve of this attitude or outlook. We should understand that such an outlook is something wrong that somehow or other was impressed upon us. It is simply something erroneous that we learned but that we can unlearn and divest ourselves of, because we must, because it is not true. Everything about a human being is intrinsically divine, holy, sacred and beautiful. Despite all appearances human beings all godlings. Human beings are evolving and developing towards a glorious and unimaginable destiny. All that we are and can become is according to the wisdom, excellent planning and goodness of the supreme creator. We are among the greatest works of Olodumare. We have not yet come to understand just who and what we really are but in due time Olodumare Agotun will educate and enlighten us all. Our spirit, mind and body are fundamentally good, clean and wonderful. But what we choose to do with our spirit, mind and body is what can degrade us or elevate us. We should not treat our minds, bodies and spirit with disrespect, harshness and roughness. We must be respectful, gentle and kind towards ourselves. We must learn to not blame ourselves for the difficulties and challenges that we experience in life. Difficulty and challenge is part and parcel of life and part of Olodumare’s training program for us. We must rid ourselves of the idea that everything unpleasant that we experience in life is our fault. This is simply not true. We should have and cultivate a wonderful sense of self-respect, dignity and wholesome self-esteem.

READ ALSO: THE TRUE GLORY, SIGNIFICANCE, PURPOSE AND HONOR OF BEING AN AWO




Olodumare himself dwells in our spirit, mind and body in his Ori manifestation! This should be a sign and indicator of our high dignity and greatness before the eyes of Olodumare. The asé of the various Orisa also dwells with us and within us. How sacred, wonderful, extraordinary and inspiring beings we are! We are to treat the totality of our being with respect and we should uphold our lives by being chaste and pure in our habits, demeanor and activities. Never call yourself low! If you discern that something in your life requires correction then simply correct it. Improve yourself with honor, zeal, gentleness and sincerity but do not deflate yourself by berating and disparaging  yourself. Do not kill your spirit by thinking lowly of yourself. It is possible to think highly of oneself without falling prey to conceit, arrogance and pride. Conceit, arrogance and pride is only the distorting or corrupting of our sense of wholesome self-esteem. Wholesome self-esteem and self-confidence should be our natural state, abiding demeanor and attitude. When we mistreat ourselves we become physically, psychologically and spiritually sick and diseased. Never hurt, mistreat or injure yourself in the name of ‘spirituality’, ‘religion’ or for any other cause for that matter. Extremism is not an expression of spiritual health or godliness. We can live simple and realistic lives while enjoying a deep and satisfying communion and connection with Olodumare. We should also cultivate and enjoy an uplifting awareness of our value, dignity and fundamental goodness. We can be normal and serve Olodumare. Eccentric, baseless, ignorant and extreme practices will always injure us and put us at a distance from the genuine path of truth, love and harmony (health).

How can you serve your fellow man, the Irunmole and Olodumare except through this body, mind and spirit which Olodumare has fashioned for us. Loving and caring for yourself is an expression of your love and respect for Olodumare. You cannot have inner peace, inner cohesiveness, unity of strength and outer harmony if you cultivate and direct aggression, hate and pessimism towards yourself. On the contrary you will lose strength, vitality, memory, intelligence and focus by dissipating your inner wholesome energy by treating yourself with harshness and aggression. We must love ourselves. Our love and care for ourselves is the expression of Olodumare’s love and care for us. It is through the harmonious unity of our spirit, mind and body that we can find joy and delight in life. We should not hate ourselves neither should we be our own enemies. Self-defeating ideas and practices do not come from Olodumare. Self-deprecating and self-defeating ideas or feelings cannot arise in us when our inner life and understanding are clear and healthy. Your being is a temple of the divine. Your life is a blessing and source of blessing to others. There is no one like you in all of creation. There is no one who can replace you. You are an original creation! When you revere and love yourself, the springs of inner love within yourself will flow out freely to others, replenishing them with joy, dignity and a renewed sense of personal honor. Develop this love, honor and respect for yourself and let if flow out to others in all that you say and do. This disposition will activate your interior powers and will put them in motion in a healthy, harmonious and satisfying way. Be kind and gentle towards yourself. Be a true friend to yourself. When you are good to yourself you will be good to others because your self is not different from the self of others.

READ ALSO: ON THE NEED TO HAVE SIMULTANEOUS CONFIDENCE IFA-OLODUMARE AND OURSELVES



Comparing ourselves with others is a big mistake. Olodumare did not create us to be exactly like anyone else. When we compare ourselves to others what can happen is that we create for ourselves imaginary lacks and deficiencies that we simply do not have. Olodumare did intend for any two people to be exactly alike physically, intellectually and spiritually. Learn how to take stock of your own wholesome virtues, affinities and unique abilities. Value and love yourself. Exercise kindness, patience and gentleness towards yourself. Do not compare yourself to others and do not compare others to you. Find delight, satisfaction and dignity in your own self and you will find life smiling upon you notwithstanding the challenges, emerging problems and difficulties that we ALL have, confront and share as human beings.

Appreciating the Constant and Persevering Concern, Love, Kindness and Dedication of Ifá towards us

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Each human being will respond eagerly and wholeheartedly to what ever honestly meets his peculiar needs. From where ever, who ever or whatever source a person receives genuine help and relief, he will naturally, sincerely and appreciatively respond in gratitude, love, trust, confidence and faith. Truth, faith and understanding are a personal matter. Through simple and innocent habits we can discern and discover the truths that are relevant to our own peculiar lives. Through simple and innocent habits we can each in our own way realize the Supreme Reality. This is why there is no one supreme ‘religion’ or ‘philosophy’ of life. We are all growing, developing and maturing in the truth. There can be no one size fit all religion, outlook or philosophy. All faiths, philosophy’s, religions and outlooks are expressions of our personal and collective growth, understanding and development. The Supreme Guiding Power is leading us all in the unique and personal way that is best for each of us. Whether we know or or not, we are all being lead by Ifá, the universal wisdom of creation. Ifá is leading each one us in his own wonderful way. Ifá is eternal. Ifá knows all people and beings; and Ifá applies the appropriate and perfect means of relief, deliverance and perfection for each one of us. The aim of Ifá is always the same: to lead us to fullness of happiness, enlightenment; and to rid us of our ignorance, immaturity, misunderstandings, defilements and delusions. There is no falsity in Ifá. Ifá is the teacher of god’s and men. Ifá is the guide and teacher of all living beings in all the worlds and dimensions of existence. Ifá alone, truly and completely understands things as they are. Ifá teaches us that all people without exception should cultivate spiritual roots and virtues according to their nature.



The spirit of Ifá is a great compassion, power and love which has vowed to unfailingly heal, correct, enlighten and save all people by any and all means. This is why Ifá is also called by the adjective ela, which means the savior, safety, security, the safeguard, competent guide, perfect defense and unassailable protector. Ifá is the spirit of a mother towards her child, nourishing and protecting it. Ifá is the great spirit of concern that prompts it to be ill with the sufferings, pains and afflictions of people, to suffer with their suffering. This is why Ifá is called the one who counsels, advices and guides one better than ones loved ones, relatives and friends.



Ifá says, your happiness is my happiness and your sorrow is my sorrow. Ifá never forgets this spirit for a single moment. A mother realizes her motherhood by loving her child; then the child reacting to the mother’s love feels safe, secure, peaceful and at ease. Ifá’s spirit of compassion is stimulated according to the needs and sufferings of men; man’s faith in Ifá is the reaction to this spirit of love, provision and kindness, and it leads him to enlightenment, humility, salvation, serenity, affection and perfection. Ifá appears before people in countless, friendly and appealing forms and brings them the wisest methods of relief. Ifá will mend our world. Ifá will unfailingly, in his own way and time, lead us all to happiness, deliverance and perfection.

READ ALSO: WHAT IS MY WORSHIP AND RELIGION?

Ifá is divine and universal. Ifá is not partial to any one or anything. Ifá loves and cares for us all with such a fullness and uniqueness that we cannot fathom or appreciate. Ifá makes us feel and think that we are Ifa’s choicest, select and most favorite child. Whomever knows Ifá truly feels, experiences and knows that Ifá loves and cares for him as if he were Ifá’s only or most favorite child. This is how Ifá thinks, feels and cares for us all, without exception.




We should have a deep love, affection and trust toward Ifá. Ifá is completely unselfish and full of love and concern. Let us cultivate, elevate and develop our love and appreciation for Ifá. It is impossible to know Ifá and not feel deep love, affection, reverence and devotion towards Ifá. Ifá love us and cares for us more than we know. Let us praise Ifá by listening to, honoring and obeying the unselfish and loving counsel of Ifá. When we listen to and obey Ifa we bring countless blessings and unknown to ourselves, our families, our community and our world.

Ogbo ato asure iworiwofun.

Love, Dedication, Devotion and Respect towards the Irunmole/Orisa

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Ela ‘boru. Ela ‘boye. Ela ‘bosise.

Do you love and revere the Irunmole/Orisa? Do you? Do your honor them and rightly represent them? Do you really? If the Irunmole/Orisa had a conversation with everyone whom you know and they were to disclose everything they know about your activities, thoughts and intentions for all to see, how do you think you would fare? Would your conscience and actions uphold and vindicate you or would you have to lower your head in shame and dishonor? What do you say?

What is the basis of your personal relationship with the Irunmole/Orisa? Are you mindful of them and aware of what their aims are? Do you share affinity with the Irunmole/Orisa and their aims? Or do you only draw near to them to ask for favors and benefits with a heart lacking in consideration, appreciation and love? Do the Irunmole/Orisa exist to serve you or should you be serving them and acquainting yourself with their program, plans and activities?



Do you think that you can secure the favor of the Irunmole/Orisa and bribe them with a sacrificial offering, offering of some fruits/vegetables and/or some other trinkets? Do you think and believe that the Irunmole/Orisa are really interested in these things and desirous of them? Do you think that Irunmole/Orisa are really dependent on you for offerings of water, liquor, meats and other eatables?

Are not the Irunmole/Orisa more interested in your quality of heart and manner of living? Is it not your genuine inner love, appreciation, awe and reverence (respect) for the Irunmole/Orisa the true ‘food and nourishment’ which causes their hearts to take delight in you and which strengthens them with enthusiasm, gratitude and care?

Do you think that the Irunmole/Orisa are partial and biased like ordinary human beings? Do you not know that the good actions of others which they reward will also be shared by you if you engage in the same good and honest actions? Do you not know that the same bad and dishonest actions that they chastise, discipline and punish in others will also be equally shared by you if you are engaging in the same bad, irreverent and dishonest actions?

What is the proof that you really love and care for the Irunmole/Orisa? Other than yourself who is benefiting from your love, awe, reverence and dedication to the Irunmole/Orisa? What are you gaining from your devotion to the Irunmole/Orisa? What are the Irunmole/Orisa gaining from your devotion and service to them? Are you really serving them or are you serving yourself in their name?

Are you truly honoring or praising them with your life and devotion or are you simply praising yourself and worshipping your ‘self’? Are you collaborating with the noble objectives of the Irunmole/Orisa or are you attempting to do the impossible, to use the Irunmole/Orisa for your own purposes and indulgence? What is your aim and purpose in your devotion and service to the Irunmole/Orisa? Do you in fact have genuine unselfish devotion to the Irunmole/Orisa and are you really serving them? Do people see, perceive and experience the nobility, truthfulness and sincerity of the Irunmole/Orisa in you and in your life or do they feel that you are just taking them along for a ride and attempting to pull the wool over their eyes?




Ponder these questions carefully and seriously? Self deception is the greatest tragedy. Artificial, ostentatious and fake piety is the greatest hypocrisy. Falsity is fatal to esin ibile.

Ela ‘boru. Ela ‘boye. Ela ‘bosise.