The Vital Importance of Becoming Acquainted with and Knowing Òrúnmìlà:
Sometimes in life we are too wise for our own good. At times we are ignorant of that which is truly for our highest and best benefit. We neglect and ignore what is truly in our best interest. We unwisely long for and cling to things that do not, and cannot satisfy our hearts, and which do not strengthen and elevate our minds [life]. We often give up quickly on the spiritual path when we are beginning to penetrate into the real and are about to attain genuine understanding, achievement and progress. We impatiently trade in true progress for things which only fatten our ego and cause us to become stuck in repetitive, self-defeating and wearisome patterns of superficiality, pettiness and lack of substance which further makes our lives empty, hollow, unsatisfying and lacking in meaning. We trade our pure gold for valueless glitter. We are moving, but we are not going anywhere, and we are not making genuine progress in any direction because we are walking aimlessly in circles without knowing what our true destination [aim] should be and the way to get there. We want to be able to believe in the divine and in people again but we have been let down so much, disappointed and hurt by others that we have lost our confidence, assurance and willingness to believe and trust, even when we really want to. How do we remedy this and come out of this predicament?
We all need guidance and we all need an attainable and realistic ideal [purpose and aim] to inspire us, guide us and to give our lives meaning. We need to know our purpose for existing and we need to achieve this purpose. As followers of Ifá, we should know and have this guidance and ideal [purpose and aim] to inspire us, guide us and to give our lives a satisfying purpose. Where do we begin in our quest to discover this guidance and ideal? How do we begin to realize our innate desires for satisfaction, fulfillment and meaning in life?
We must begin by coming to know and understand the person and nature of Òrúnmìlà.
The divine irunmole-orisa and holy sage of Ekiti, our divine master Òrúnmìlà, is our guide, exemplar and ideal. He is our inspirer, protector, encourager and guide who reveals the path to us and walks alongside us as we advance in our journey of attainment. Òrúnmìlà Oba Atayese is the sure and reliable guide, because Òrúnmìlà is the embodiment of simple, unpretentious, guileless and honest behavior and thoughts. Òrúnmìlà is profoundly simple. His simplicity is of divine origin. His simplicity is born of wisdom, knowledge, understanding, vast experience and confidence. These qualities in Òrúnmìlà enable him to establish us in certainty, serenity, contentment, assurance, confidence and peace. Òrúnmìlà is the master of consistent good character and consistent noble behavior. Òrúnmìlà is loving and lovable. Òrúnmìlà is tender hearted but of strong will, tactfulness and determination. Òrúnmìlà is not a sentimental personality. His love and compassion are not wishy-washy, weak or soft. His love, sympathetic-understanding and compassion are stronger and harder than a diamond! Òrúnmìlà reveals to us the true meaning, value and greatness of being human beings. He unfolds before our understanding our divine dignity and our extraordinary greatness and potential.
The love of Òrúnmìlà is blended with, and inseparable from divine intelligence, sheer honesty, deep insight and a firm and truthful will. Òrúnmìlà has such an extraordinary, sweet and confidence inspiring personality and character. We never need be afraid of our past mistakes before Òrúnmìlà. Just like when you face the light of the sun and it casts a shadow behind you which cannot come before you, in like manner we can approach Òrúnmìlà and his light, without fear and/or worry. Òrúnmìlà will not allow the shadows of our past to come up before us. He will not allow our past errors or mistakes to hinder and obstruct our present and future progress, success and prosperity. Òrúnmìlà knows how to convert poison into medicine, and he knows how to relate to us as unique and individual persons. He knows our history, our origins and the factors that have made us who we are today. What is good he can make better. What was bad, he can correct, heal and make good.
The character and personality of Òrúnmìlà is such that when we are with him and before him, Òrúnmìlà makes us feel that we are the most important person to him, and we are! Òrúnmìlà is the one who loves us and counsels us better than our nearest and dearest loved ones. In the presence of Òrúnmìlà one only experiences a boundless love, sympathetic understanding, confidence, certainty, assurance and peace. All fear, worry, insecurity and anxiety melts away when we make real contact with Òrúnmìlà and come to know him. How can we meet and know Òrúnmìlà? Can we really know him and meet him in person? And if we can really know him and meet him how do we go about it?
Òrúnmìlà can be known and loved just like you know and love your nearest and dearest friends and kin. The first step is to make the firm resolve and determination to really know and become intimately acquainted with Òrúnmìlà Amuwagun. Unless there is a true and firm resolve [determination] to know him and walk with him we will not be able to move even a hairs length in the direction of Òrúnmìlà, and Òrúnmìlà will seem to us to be a distant personality and power whose friendship and nearness cannot be attained and enjoyed. If you do not want to really know [meet] Òrúnmìlà and you do not really intend to become his follower then he will always be hidden, unknown and concealed to you. But if you really want to know and see [meet] Òrúnmìlà, and you are intending to be a genuine student then there are many avenues available to you for you to know, see and experience Òrúnmìlà Awinrin in person [directly]. Every sincere human being can achieve this. If there is sincerity, genuine interest, devotion, simplicity and devotion in you, then you have the capacity and ability [all you need] to receive the personal vision [manifestation] of Òrúnmìlà. Then you will find out and know for yourself who and what Òrúnmìlà is. No one else will have to tell you anything because you will be knowing [seeing and experiencing] him yourself directly, continuously and realistically. Personally knowing Òrúnmìlà makes all the difference in the world. We should offer our friendship and loyalty to Òrúnmìlà and make him our best friend. Knowing Òrúnmìlà makes us authentic, fearless and partakers of a freedom which cannot be communicated in words and which must be personally, pragmatically and realistically known each one for himself or herself.
When you feel, hear and see the spirit, presence, power and person of Òrúnmìlà you will be blessed!!! As soon as you hear [experience] the voice of Òrúnmìlà your heart will be flooded with love, hope, gratitude, wonder, awe, courage and peace. You will experience something akin to a divine fire in your heart, which fills you, empowers you and surrounds you. Divine understanding and sympathetic understanding will arise in you. Clear seeing consciousness, divine power [ability] and penetrative insight will be your constant and faithful companions, guides and protectors. Your present character, inner condition-state and behavior will become qualitively [positively] transformed and sublimated. Your character and personality will become divinely sweet, attractive, harmonious, simple, authentic and magnetic. A spirit of loving friendliness, confidence and trust will emanate from you which will disarm others of their worries, fears and doubts and will fill them with renewed hope, inspiration and certainty of success. If you resolve to be true, authentic and real, then Òrúnmìlà will most surely agree to meet with you and reveal himself and share his wisdom, his ways and powers with you.
To meet, see, experience and know Òrúnmìlà there is no particular place, no particular time and no particular ritual required. In the eyes of Òrúnmìlà nobody is intrinsically unworthy because he knows our origins and our true divine personality and eternal identity. Òrúnmìlà knows what we are destined to become, and he sees us and relates to us according to our true divine nature, eternal identity and dignity, and not according to our present lot, circumstance or condition in life. Òrúnmìlà sees all, values all and loves all with the same intensity, hope, value and assurance. It is just a matter of our personal receptivity, desire, eagerness to know Òrúnmìlà, our earnestness, affinity and responsiveness to Òrúnmìlà. Do not be afraid to approach Òrúnmìlà. Whatever he reveals and whatever action he takes in regard to you will always be for your benefit, happiness, uplift and wellbeing. Do not let your mind be tainted, troubled or swayed by the baseless, valueless and unsubstantiated opinions of others. Know Òrúnmìlà for yourself.
It is impossible to know Òrúnmìlà and not love him, trust him and obey him. Do not be afraid of your past. The moment your firmly turn your heart and mind to Òrúnmìlà your negative past will lose its power and influence over you. Òrúnmìlà will neutralize and transform all negative effects and he will turn them into positive effects. This is why Òrúnmìlà is called the one who turns our sorrow into joy!!! Òrúnmìlà turns our problems into victories, triumphs and blessings!!! Òrúnmìlà will strip away the negative imprints, impressions and mental-emotional and spiritual cankers that have had an adverse influence upon your life. If you are determined to know Òrúnmìlà then nothing and no one can stand in your way!! As soon as you make the determination to truly meet, see, experience and know Òrúnmìlà, at that moment Òrúnmìlà is present to you and his asé will work itself into your life, mind, spirit and circumstances. The moment you begin to seriously think about Òrúnmìlà, know that at that moment Òrúnmìlà is seriously thinking about you!! Òrúnmìlà is always thinking about and devising the best and efficacious means to enable us to come out of our troubles and transcend suffering. We only need to give Òrúnmìlà a chance to discover his traceless ways of bringing resolution to our problems and challenges!! Give your willingness to trust to Òrúnmìlà and he will not fail you! Give him what you honestly can and are able to offer him of your heart, sentiment and feeling, and Òrúnmìlà will accept this from you. Direct to Òrúnmìlà what measure of faith you have. What if you don’t have faith but you want to have this faith and confidence? Then offer to Òrúnmìlà your doubts, unclarity, worries, doubts, fear, mixed-feelings and uncertainty, and Òrúnmìlà will even accept this from you and he will purify, cleanse and empower these things and give them back to you in their positive transformative expressions.
Open your heart and mind to Òrúnmìlà. Just be yourself as you are. You do not need to do or practice any rite or ritual to meet, experience and know Òrúnmìlà. You don’t need to speak to Òrúnmìlà in Yoruba to get his attention and to form a lasting bond of friendship with him. No matter what language you speak, Òrúnmìlà will perfectly understand you. Òrúnmìlà will always fully reciprocate your earnestness, straightforwardness and sincerity.
Besides, beyond your spoken words, Òrúnmìlà can read the language of your heart, feeling, intention and sentiment. Do not forget that the name Òrúnmìlà means ‘heaven knows how to save’. Òrúnmìlà understands and speaks in all the languages of humanity, sentient beings of other worlds and the divinities!!! Just be simple, sincere, authentic and transparent. Òrúnmìlà loves you and cares for you. Even as you read these words you will feel something like an invisible current of loving, reassuring and empowering electricity welling up within your being and moving warmly around your body. This is Òrúnmìlà being with you and confirming this message to your heart.
Òrúnmìlà is with you. Now it is your decision and choice if you want to be with Òrúnmìlà, to know him and to walk with him. Òrúnmìlà does not expect anyone to follow him in advance before him bestowing his blessings, benefits and assurance to others. We follow Òrúnmìlà based on the evidence of the good, wonderful and loving things he has done for us and is doing for us which we have deeply experienced and verified in our lives.
This is the wonderful nature and way of Òrúnmìlà. May my wonderful friend, mentor and preceptor Òrúnmìlà Awinrin be with you to encourage you, to inspire you, to protect you, to appear before you and to illumine you.
May you be among the privileged to know, appreciate and experience the wonders, love, sincerity, strength, impartiality, life-giving harmonizing power and gracefulness of Òrúnmìlà Awimilogbon Amuwagun. Asé.
Ela-Òrúnmìlà moyin aboru. Ela-Òrúnmìlà moyin aboye. Ela-Òrúnmìlà moyin abosise.
~ Awo Òrúnmìlà Mark Casillas
