The Vulture perches on top of a high wall Its gaze would cover the city Its gaze would cover the forests Cast divination for Saniyan Saniyan, the slave of destiny in heaven He was asked to offer sacrifice Everybody had chosen what he or she would become during his or her subliminal stage When coming from the city of heaven When he arrived on the earth He was asking for what to do ‘Do you know what’? They said Òrúnmìlà is the one that knows no other thing except sacrifices All those things which man chooses as destiny that is bad It is he that would use sacrifice to mend it They told Saniyan to go and offer sacrifice to his Orí ‘It is their Orí that would be against them’ ‘They would say it is Ifá’ He performed the sacrifice And life pleased him They retraced their steps to the right way They said it was exactly what his Babaláwos predicted The Vulture perches on top of a high wall Its gaze would cover the city Its gaze would cover the forests Cast divination for Saniyan Saniyan, the slave of destiny in heaven He was asked to take care of the ground And offer sacrifice They would say it is Ifá Saniyan If their Orí is against them They would say it is Ifá Saniyan So it is their Orí that is against them in the earth? - Holy Odu OyekuIka One way to fully appreciate the significance of this verse is to take into consideration the fact that Orunmila is praised as the Eleri ipin, or intermediary of fate. In the Holy Odu IrosunOse, Ifa teaches that when the irunmole sent Ori to bring Eniyan [humanity] back to heaven, it was Orunmila who agreed to return to heaven on Eniyan's behalf, and appease all the deities. Out of appreciation, the irunmole accepted the offerings and declared that Eniyan would be further blessed. In addition, Eniyan would be required to complete the ritual annually and that Orunmila would function as the intermediary of eniyan's fate. That is, Orunmila would carry Eniyan's sacrifice to the irunmole. And so, tension between heaven and earth is conceptualized as a brokered exchange. At the root of this exchange, however, is your ability to make informed decisions, as is clearly expressed in the verse of OyekuIka: All those things which man chooses as destiny that is bad It is he [Orunmila] that would use sacrifice to mend it People sometimes choose misfortune for ourselves. Our judgement can be flawed. Our perception can be distorted. We can be downright foolish. Either way, we must acknowledge the fact that there are times when we are the source of our problems. In those instances, you might say that Ori works against us. The Holy Odu OyekuIka definitely says as much: ‘It is their Orí that would be against them’ ‘They would say it is Ifá’ Here, it is also important to consider how Ifa works best. Through wise teachings, which require sacrifice, combined with observances, Ifa imposes a set of behavioral standards onto the individual, as well as the group. These standards ensure a certain quality of life by outlining what must be done to maintain stability, increase prosperity and strengthen dignity.
As such, Ifa sets performance limits, as well as requirements. On one hand, there are things you cannot do. On the other hand, there are things at which you must be excellent. Most importantly, Ifa reveals itself through natural consequences. I have heard it said that "If Ifa did not manifest like a nightmare, the novice would never become a believer." This is certainly what must inform Òrúnmìlà's reputation for being a very disciplined ritual specialist, which is clearly stated in the verse of OyekuIka, above: Òrúnmìlà is the one that knows no other thing except sacrifices. So, whenever you go to consult Ifa, be prepared to complete the sacrifice. As OyekuIka informs us, when he went to consult Ifa, "They told Saniyan to go and offer sacrifice to his Orí... He performed the sacrifice and life pleased him." And so it was, that Saniyan became seru ipin l'orun, the slave of destiny in heaven, which is a way to praise Ori. Through Ifa devotion you practice the art of serving your destiny faithfully. Stated differently, by doing the same things for Ori that Orunmila does, you become the broker of peace and order in your life and the lives of those you're destined to serve. Thus, you gradually resolve the tension between heaven and earth, between the physical and metaphysical worlds. THE GOOD CONDITION It is vital that you also know that the name Saniyan means, "A specially chosen person." This fact points directly to the very purpose of humanity, which is called Eniyan, meaning "A chosen person." The name derives from a verse from the Holy Odu IrosunIwori, which says: Let us do things with joy. Those who want to go, let them go. Those who want to stay, let them stay. Surely, humans have been chosen to bring good into the world. The all-knowing one, priest of Òrunmìlà, Cast Ifá for Òrunmìlà. He said the people of the world would come to ask him a certain question. He said that Òrunmìlà should sacrifice. Òrunmìlà heard and complied. One day, all kinds of people; good people and those who do not allow good in other people’s lives gathered together. They then went to Òrunmìlà. They said “Coming back and forth to earth tires us, Òrunmìlà. Therefore, please allow us to rest in heaven.” Òrunmìlà said “You cannot avoid going back and forth to earth Until you bring about the good condition that Olódùmarè has ordained for every human being. After then, you may rest in heaven.” They asked “What is the good condition?” Òrunmìlà said “The good condition is a good world; a world in which there is full knowledge of all things; happiness everywhere. Life without anxiety or fears of enemies. Without clashes with snakes or other animals, Without fear of death, disease, litigation, losses, wizards, witches or Èsù. Without fear of poverty or misery. Because of your wisdom, your compelling desire for good character and your internal strength. The things needed to bring about the good condition in the world then are; Wisdom that is fully adequate to govern the world; Sacrifice, character, the love of doing good for all people, especially those in need, And those who seek our assistance, And the eagerness and struggle to increase good in the world, And not let any good at all be lost. People will continue to go to heaven And they will go back and forth to earth after their transfiguration Until everyone has achieved the good condition. Thus, when the children of Odùduà gather together, Those chosen to bring good into the world are called Ènìyàn, or the chosen ones.” As a result of the declaration above, the descendants of Odùduà are known as ènìyàn, which means “the chosen ones” in Yoruba. More significantly, this particular text explains that Olódùmarè, the Creator and Lord of life and existence, has assigned each of us a divine mission to help bring about the Good Condition. CONCLUSION I am always looking for leaders who are devoted to improving the world through positive influence. Is that you? Visit ObafemiO.com or OrisaLifestyle.com to find out how Obafemi Origunwa and the Orisa Lifestyle Academy can help you live the medicine that will heal your life and heal the lives of those you're destined to serve.
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