Agbabo o jo onbi

Omo olomo o lee jomo taa bi ninu eni

Guardianship does not equal parentage
Another persons child cannot be like a child from ones bowels

WhichisprovenlaterintheOduwhenAbeshujiyanisabouttobesentencedtodeath,andhis
adoptedchildasksthathisclothberemovedsothatthebloodfromtheexecutionhewill
watchdoesnotstainit.
E mo jee ki awon o lese lorun
E je ki awon o file
Oba ni nje bob a je pe omoo re to bi nnu ni omo un
Ti kii she omo to gbawo
Se jo pee ki ejee Baba oun o mo ta si asho oun
Omo olomo o jomo eni looto
Let us set him free
If this boy had been his son truly
And not an adopted child
Would he say his fathers blood should not be allowed to spill on his cloth?
Cant we all see truly that a Guardian does not equte a parent
Another persons child can not be like a child from ones bowels

Through the wisdom of Odu, Ifa teaches us:

Initiation alone does not give one character.
Initiation alone does not give one knowledge.
Initiation alone does not give one seniority.
Initiation alone does not make one a true priest.


Odu Iwori Meji:
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Bi o ba te Ita tan
Ki o tun iye e re te
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, ma fi eja igba gun ope
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, ma fi aimowe wo odo
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, ma fi ibinu yo obe
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, ma ji kanjukanju jaye
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, ma fi warawara mkun ola
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, maseke, sodale
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, ma puro jaye
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, ma se igberaga si agba
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, ma so ireti nu
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, ma san bante Awo
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, bi o ba tefa tan
Ki o tun iye e re te o
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
English
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
If you undergo Ifa initiation (Itelodu)
Endeavor to use your wisdom and intelligence
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do not use a broken rope to climb a palm-tree
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do no enter into the river without knowing how to swim
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do not draw a knife in anger
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do not be in haste to enjoy your life
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do not be in a hurry to acquire wealth
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do not lie, do not be treacherous
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do not deceive in order to enjoy your life
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do not be arrogant to elders


Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do not lose hope
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do not make love to your colleague's spouse
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, when you have been given Ifa initiation
Initiate yourself again by using your wisdom and intelligence
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
On Character/Ethics
Ogbe Sooto (Ogbe Osa) Ifa says:

Bi oju ba npon Babalawo

Ki Babalawo ma puro
Bi oju ba npon Onishegun
Ki Onishegun ma shera
Keni ma sheke shera
Nitori ati sun awo
Difa fun Orunmila
Nijo ti eni Aimo wa nko ogun ja Baba
Won ni ki Baba rubo
Nje eni Aimo
Emi ma wa mo yin o
Emi ti mo monu-monu
To finu jo Oka
Mo ti mo Agbadu
To tinu jo Ere
Mo ti mo iwowo-Ereke
To finu jo Barapetu
Ifa a Babalawo is in grave want
Let him like not
If an herbalist is in need
Let him not be dishonest
Let no one lie or display dishonesty
Because of accountability when he dies
This is the declaration of Ifa for Orunmila
When unknown people (pretenders) waged war against him
Orunmila was asked to offer sacrifice
He complied
Now all you protestors
You have all been exposed
I now know the python
Which resembles the cobra
I now recognize the rattle snake
Which looks like the boa constrictor
I can now see through Iwowo Ereke (impersonator)


Who pretends that he is Orunmila himself.
Ifaherewarnsbothlayityandprieststwofold.Firstthatourethicsmustbeofthehighest
standard,andthatwenotlieinordertogetourwayaspriests.Itsnomatterwhetherthatbe
toassertpower,manipulateothersforourowngainortomakemoney.Intheend,wewillbe
judged.Butevenmoreimportant,Ifaremindsustonotmistakeonethingforanother,andto
notmistakethepriestforOrunmilahimself!Bewareofpriestswhobegintomistake
themselvesasOrisa.InthisOdu,Ifamakesitclearthatthecomparisonmaybesubtle,both
snakesbutofdifferenttypes,onemaynotsayoutrighttheythinkofthemselvesasOrisa,but
theiractionsbelietheirtruefeelings.WepriestsarenotOrisaincarnateonearth,weare
humbleservants,tothinkoractotherwiseisnonsense.
WhatIfadoesteachusistorespecteveryoneregardlessofstatus,withoutthatrespect,how
canoneclaimthetitleofpriest?In
Osa MejiIfasays:
Ori buruku kii wu tuulu
A ki i da ese asiwere mo loju ona
A ki i mori oloye lawujo
A difa fun Mobowu
Ti i se obinrin Ogun
Ori ti o joba lola
Enikan o mo
Ki toko-taya o mo pera
Won ni were mo
Ori ti o joba lola
Enikan o mo
The head of a person with a bad future does not swell up
No one can recognize the footprints of a madman on the road
And, no one can distinguish the head of an honorable person in an
assembly of people
This was the theaching of Ifa for Mobowu
Who was the wife of Ogun
Surely, the head that will wear the crown tomorrow
No one can recognize it
Therefore, let husband and wife stop calling each other names
And stop talking foolishly to each other
For the head that will wear the crown tomorrow
No one can tell which one it will be
Asidefromremindingusthatweneverknowwhenwewillneedhelpfromsomeone,orwho
thatwillbe,Ifaisclearthatwealsodonothaveforesight.Theleaders,andlikewisemadmen,
oftomorrowarenotknowntoday,sofromapracticalstandpoint,weshouldtreatallpeople
respectfully.

Thequestionofcharacteranditsaffectonthepriesthoodisevenmoreprofoundlyaddressed
inthe
Odu Ofun Otura whereIfastates:
Eke pa bi, o di
Odale pa'bi, ko yan
Oninure pa bi, o ye peregede
The liar casts the Kola nut and it yields a bad omen
the commitment breaker casts the kola nut and it does not yield a good
result
But the good hearted person casts the kola nut and the result is clearly
promising
PriestsmakeacommitmenttoupholdandprotectOrisa/Ifaandtheirprinciples,sopriests
whohavebrokenthiscommitmentwhencastingatoolofdivination(thiscasekolanut,but
againIfaismetaphors,sotome,anyformofdivination,includingIkinIfaorcowries)will
notyieldagoodresult.Thismeansthatthestate/characterofthedivinerISinfactimportant
totheresult,andaffectstheoutcomeofdivination.Ifthatisthecase,howcanonegive
seniorityletalonerespecttopriestwithnocharacter.
Further,theprayersandactionofthepriestbeforediviningaredesignedspecificallyto
awakenthevoiceoftheOrisa,ifnotdoneproperly,theobjectsusedtodivineremainjustthat,
inanimateobjectsandnotconduitsfortheDivineword.It'simportanttoremembertheif
consecrationwastheonlythingthatmakeIkinorDinlogun/Cowrie"speak"thepriest
wouldn'thavetoprayordoanything,simplycastandgo.
ThesearejustafewofthemanyeseIfathatdealwithcharacter,pointedouttoshowthat
withoutcharacter,thetitleofpriestandrespectthatgoeswithit,aremeaningless.
On Age/Wisdom
Whethertheageiscountedinyearsofinitiationoryearsonearth,agealonedoesnotmakea
priest.Though,wecancertainlydeducethatwhileagedoesntguaranteewisdom,withoutage
(yearsonearth)wisdomcantbefullyattained.ThisiswhyinYorubaculture,yearsof
initiationcanneveroutweighyearsonearth,soitwouldbeabsurdtoseea45yearold
dobale/kunletoa20yearold,regardlessoftheiryearsasapriest.Alsoofnotethough,isthat
yearsonearthandeldershipdoesnotguaranteecharacter(orwisdomforthatmatter.The
Odu Ogbe Iwori says:
Ishekushe lewe le she


Iwa ihukuhu ni ti agbalagba
Bad conduct is what is attributed to youth
Bad character is what is attributed to elders
Ifaexplainsthatinouryouth,whenwedosomethingbad,theactioncomesfromnotknowing
better.Asanelder,lifeshouldteachustoknowbetter,sowhenwedosomethingbad,life
shouldhavealreadytaughtusso,andthereforeitmustcomefrombadcharacter.Without
character,eldershipmeansnothing,regardlessofhowyoumeasurethattime.
Eldershipfurtherdoesnotmeanthatoneholdsnoresponsibilitytohelpthosethatarejunior,
whichisyetanothershowoftruecharacter.Eldershipisretainedbyrememberingones
status,andhelpingthoseatadifferentlevel,whetheritsageormentalability.TheOdu
Oyekun Mejiremindsofthisbystating:
Owo ewe o to pepe
Ti agbalagba o wo akeregbe
Ishe ewe be agba
Ki o ma she ko mo
Gbogboo wa ni a nishe a jo mbe 'raa wa
A dia fun Orunmila
Eyi ti akapoo re
O pe lejo lodo Olodumare
Olodumaree waa rannshe si Orunmila
Pe ki o waa so idi naa
Ti ko fi gbe akapoo re
Nigba ti Orunmila de iwaju Olodumare
O ni oun sa gbogbo agbara oun fun akapo
O ni Ipin akapo ni o gbo
nigba naa ni oro naa
Too waa ye Olodumare yekeyeke
Inuu re si dun
Pe oun ko da ejo eekun kan
A child is not tall enough to stretch his hand and reach the high shelf
An adults hands can not enter the mouth of a gourd
The work an adult begs a child to do
Let him not refuse to do
We all have work to do for each others good
Ifa divination was performed for Orunmila
About whom his devotee
Would make complaint to Olodumare
Olodumare then sent for Orunmila
To explain the reason why
He did not support his devotee
When Orunmila got to the presence of Olodumare
He explained that he had done all in his power for his devotee


But that the destiny chosen by the devotee made his efforts fruitless
It was then that the matter
Became quite clear to Olodumare
And he was happy
That he did not pronounce his judgment on the evidence of only one of the
two parties.
Additionally,thisOduremindsusthateldershipisattainedandkeptbybeingjustandwise.
Olodumareseeingtwojuniors(Orunmilaandhisdevotee)waswiseinwaitingtohearboth
sidesofthestorybeforepronouncingjudgement.Thisallowedhimtorealizethatnotallwas
asonepersonmighthaveitseem,andsorenderedjustjudgement.
IfatellsusinOrangun Meji (Ofun Meji)theeldestofOduthatbecamethejuniorof
Oduupondescendingtoearth:
Onpabi nii jeji
Agba okanjuwa a jeta
To ba jeta tan
A gneru u re a yaa lo
Dia fun Eni iwaju
Ti yoo deni ikeyin
Ebo ni won ni ko waa she
O koti ogbonhin sebo
Nje aimowa a hu u won ni o
Ai mede e pe e won ni o
Ara iwaji o, lo deni ikeyin
Aimowaa hu u won ni o
He who breaks a Kola nut (with 4 valves) will eat two valves
An avaricious elder is he who eats three valves
After eating three valves
He carries his load unaided and proceeds on this way
These were the declaration of Ifa to the person at the forefront (the
senior/leader)
Who shall later become the person at the very rear (the junior/follower)
He was advised to offer sacrifice
He refused to comply
It is their lack of propriety in manners
It is their lack of diplomacy
The person at the forefront
Had turned into the person at the very rear
It is their lack of propriety and manners

Evenanelderandleadercanlosetheirstatusforlackofcharacter,astoldmyIfainOrangun
Meji.

On Mentorship
Itistheroleofthepriesttoactasmentorandadvisortothedevotee,butthesearenotthings
whichcomeeasily,quickly,orinstantlyuponinitiation.
InOtura-Elejin (Otura Ogbe)Ifatellsus:
Tishe tiya lomode kekere fi n koFa
Bo ba dagba tan
Nii ri ere e ee je o
Diafun Otura
Ti yoo towo bili ni Ishaga
Mo towo boko
Mo fahun rere yo o
Igba Otura towo boko
Lo la wale
Mo towo boko
Mo fahun rere yo o
A child studies Ifa with labor and suffering
When he grows up
He will reap all the rewards
This was the declaration of Ifa to Otura
When he would dip his hand into the boat of success
I dip my hands into the boat
And I pull out all good things of life
When Otura dipped his hand into the boar
He became successful from his sojourn to his home
I dip my hands into the boat
And I pull out all the good things of life
InthestoryofOrunmilascreationofthesystemofDiviningIfa,wearetold:
Ifa, iwo lara iwaju
Emi ni ero eyin
Ara iwaju nii ko ero eyin logbon
Iwo loo komo loran

Ifa, you are the leader

I am the follower
The leader is he who teaches the follower wisdom


You are the one who teaches one
Just as ones sibling
ItisasleadersthatIfawantsustoteachIfasfollowerswisdom,andsowithoutwisdom,
characterandscholarshiphowcanweaccomplishthis?Ifwedonotstudy,wedonotshow
character,wedonotshowleadershiphowcanwetrulycallourselvespriests,letalone
demandrespectandseniorstatus?
Illendthiswithonthesombernotecreatedbyastanzafrom
Odu Eji Ogbe
A o t'okun dokun
ka too ri winni-winni agbe
A o tosa dosa
Ka too ri doodo orun Aluko
A baa t'okun dokun
Ki a tosa dosa
Ka too ri oloooto Awo
Odi Ile-Ifa Akelubeke
Dia fun Igbin
O n'sawo lo sode Ileyo
O wa mekun sekun igbe
O mohun seyere aro
O ni: Eniyan an won o
Eniyan an soro
Ka too ri olooto Awo
Ona a jin
Translation:
We shall travel from ocean to ocean
Before we can see the tiny specie of the Blue Touraco
We shall wind from river to river
Before we can see the specie of Maroon Touraco with goiter on their necks
Whether we travel from ocean to ocean
and from there wend river to river
Before we can find a truthful Babalawo
We shall reach Ile-Ife Akelubebe
That is the declaration of the oracle of Igbin (snail)
When going to Ileyo town to practice Ifa
He made his weeping a shouting lamentation
He made his song a dirge of lamentation
He said: Human beings (truthful ones) are scarce
Human beings are difficult
Before we can find a truthful Babalawo
We shall travel far
AboruAboyeAboshishe