Let's consider dealing with diseases:
Àrùn is the Yoruba word for disease.
How does Yoruba conceptualize Àrùn?
Àrùn is classified as one of the 8 Ajogúns (Negative forces).
Èṣù is the principality that controls the activities of Ajogúns. Èṣù orders the Ajogúns away from the path of those who have made sacrifices, but does not do anything to preserve the one who hasn't made the requisite sacrifice.
What is man?
Biologically, Man himself is made up of DNA. Modern science makes us understand that taking human DNA samples can be helpful in creating preventive medicines such as vaccines.
What's the equivalence of this practice in the Yoruba system of thought?
The equivalence of the DNA is the Odu Ifá.
A Person's DNA contains chemical information that can be interpreted by scientists and from which they can trace disease history and even predict what sort of diseases can attack such person in the future.
The same is applicable to a person's Odù Ifá.
Your Odù Ifá can reveal not only your character trait and life trajectory, it can reveal a disease condition that you might need aájò (medication) to manage or which you will need a sacrifice to avoid.
There is no limit to what your Odù Ifá can reveal.
Your Odù Ifá will reveal the positives of your life and also the negatives. It will reveal the ones you can correct, the ones you need to correct and the ones you will just have to manage.
Now, how does this or how can this be helpful in modern medicine?
Recall that we said that Àrùn (Diseases) is an Ajogún that comes under the jurisdiction of Èṣù's authority and which can be warded off with sacrifices.
A life of good health for the Yoruba person (actually, for all humans) starts first from doing the Àkọ́ṣes (medicines and fortifications) in his Odù Ifá. If he doesn't do them, he will have the problem waiting for him in future - either he knows or not, It's a divine order that has been set and ignorance isn't an excuse. He will simply be an instrument in the hands of Western Medical experts whose medical philosophy is mostly reactive rather than preemptive. The western medicine focuses on eradicating the symptoms, Yoruba spiritual system focuses on identifying the cause, usually maybe a character flaw, in addition to treating the symptoms. This way, there is wholistic healing - bodily and character wise.
Furthermore, part of the information in an individual's Odù Ifá could include Taboos. In fact, every Odù Ifá has its Taboos.
If one doesn't know this and keeps living his life eating or doing his Taboos, this can manifest in some form of disease in the future which will again be an opportunity for teaching hospitals to practice their knowledge.
I am not saying Yoruba medicine has answers to every medical condition, western medicine too doesn't. I'm seeing a possible point of synergy.
But if Ifá as a spiritual system is under attack by western religion (even though many pastors, fathers, alfas have Ifá), how can we advance this system for humanity's good?
The first step in ensuring decent public health (both physiological and mental) is knowing one's Odù Ifá and then walking in conformity with the information therein. Each person's Odù Ifá can be (actually is) that person's individual Bible. Your own religion is (inside) your own Odù Ifá - that's where you work out your own salvation from (with fear and trembling).
The Àkọ́ṣes can be in form of Àsèjẹ́ (specially prepared foods mixed with specific herbs and incantations), Gbẹ́rẹ́ (Incisions), Herbal Baths, Soaps and so on.
All these are part of building WHOLENESS into man. They are the eternal order documented for us in Ifá. These Àkọ́ṣes regulate our spiritual frequency and keeps us in alignment with the other forces in the universe. It puts us in our own place with respect to the positioning of other entities in the cosmos.
It is the key to Ìwà Pẹ̀lẹ́ - which is the focus of the religion of Ifá/Ọ̀rúnmìlà.
Ìwà Pẹ̀lẹ́ in itself doesn't necessarily mean "gentle" but a place of perfect alignment between the individual and the forces at play within and around him. A dislocation of any of the forces can result in some form of breakdown that can manifest in either physical illness or psychological illness.
Note that the Àkọ́ṣes are not what to be done when one is sick. They are to be done as soon as one has the information and the means to do it. They are your spiritual chargers to living your life as ordained from before you were born.
Let's consider these thoughts and see how we can advance our cultural knowledge for contemporary relevance.
Mo ṣe Ẹ̀làbọ̀rú, Ẹ̀làbọyè, Ẹ̀làbọṣíṣẹ!!!
PS: The best thing that can happen to you in life is having a competent (truthful and knowledgeable) Babaláwo (Father of secrets) as your Oluwo to guide you into the discovery of your Odù and interpret its implication for your life.
May Ẹlẹ́dàá direct your path to the right Oluwo for your Ìtẹfá.
By Ayobami Ogedengbe.
Copyrights: © 2021
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