Èlà Ìwòri

Èlà Ìwòri: The supreme enlightener, purifier and protector. Èlà is pure power, intelligence and compassion.

Èlà takun wa gureh! Èlà kot’ina ko to ro. Èlà omo osin mo wa ri ooo. Àse.

Èlà is the celestial power, divine intelligence and wisdom which nurtures our character [purifies, activates and develops our interior faculties].

Èlà is the divine master who guides, illumines and develops our consciousness [intelligence, emotions, feelings, understanding, will and intent. 

Èlà is the power which moulds our character, refines our personality and purifies our actions [the intent of our actions].  Èlà makes us conscious of our spiritual nature and encourages [inspires and empowers] us to develop [cultivate] our spiritual nature. 

Èlà is the true master, friend and guide of all divine seers, sages and divine priests. Èlà is the true companion of all men and women of authentic [spiritual] knowledge and power. Divine knowledge, power and ability flows from Èlà. The power of divine discernment, insight and seership flows from Èlà. The divine energy and spiritual current of compassion, friendliness, humility, courage, rectitude and love flows from Èlà. 

The wondrous, miraculous and wonderful power which achieves the seemingly impossible flows from Èlà. The desire, motivation and inspiration to save, serve, uplift, protect and help others flows from Èlà. Strength, understanding, intelligence and forgiveness flows from Èlà. Overcoming, prevailing and persevering power flows from Èlà. Trust, certainty, assurance and confidence flows from Èlà. 

Whoever dedicates himself to following the path of Èlà will be surely be among the spiritual elite. Such a person will be truly worthy of trust and confidence. 

Divine-fire [purification and maturity], light, radiance, splendor, illumination, luminosity, brilliance and effulgence flows from Èlà. Divine-life [the divine quality that is true-life], energy, zeal, health, harmony, empowerment, peace and vitality flows from Èlà. The [true] devotee of Èlà omo osin asiwaju cannot be conquered by the evil, deceptive and malicious ones. The devotee of Èlà omo osin asiwaju can never and will never perish. The devotees of Èlà omo osin asiwaju can see, understand and perceive beyond the appearance of things. They can see thru things instead of merely at things. They dwell in the heart of Èlà and Èlà dwells in their heart. Great is the peace, and ever-increasing is the happiness [satisfaction] of the follower of Èlà.

Èlà is the spiritual light, energy and fire emanating from Olódùmarè which purifies [cleans, heals and harmonizes] and guides our interior being. This is why Èlà is called the savior, the salvation, the safety, the supreme security and the unassailable refuge. 

What is it that Èlà saves us from? What is it that is ruining and destroying our world, our personal lives, our collective lives and our relationships?

The answer is: Pretense [arrogance], indifference, deep spiritual-ignorance, inner-defilements [corruption], selfishness and hypocrisy. 

When pretense, selfishness, indifference, inner corruptive tendencies and hypocrisy are absent from our individual and collective lives, our world and quality of life becomes like a paradise, like heaven. When our hearts are saturated and overflowing with humility, valor, moral courage, compassion, moral cleanliness, honesty and sincerity, everything in life at all levels and functions of society becomes good, orderly, productive, wholesome and life-affirming. The condition of today’s world is an expression of the inner-state of the human beings which comprise it. It is what is in our hearts; your heart and my heart that is ruining the world. To this end the divine energy and power called Èlà manifests itself in our hearts to deliver us from ignorance, inner-defilements and the corrosive effects of inner-defilements. 

May Èlà manifest to us and extend to us the rope of Èlà! Àse.

Èlà himself is the rope of life. Èlà appears to cleanse our hearts, he manifests to purify and heal our conscience. The Èlà power descends [appears and manifests] to make us partakers of a wholesome, uplifting and sincere faith. This is why he is called Ela omo osin asiwaju. Èlà is the supreme or leading guiding power of Olódùmarè set apart to purify, cleanse and develop our interior-life, personality, character and inner-qualities. 

Èlà is light to illumine our path. Èlà is fire to burn out and remove the dross and impurities contaminating the gold of our inner-self. Èlà is nourishment for our heart, spirit and mind. Èlà is the divine potency which heals, adjusts, revitalizes and harmonizes our life. We cannot make the world better just by attempting to make external changes and adjustments. We cannot make the world better just by implementing external reforms.

The problems in our present life and world do not lie on the outside features of life. It is not a lack of natural resources or means which is ruining our society. It is the lack of inner-riches and inner-resources which is ruining us and causing us to misuse, mismanage and abuse the inner and outer resources that nature makes available to us. 

Only when we come face to face with this fact in personal experiences and in an accepting way are we then in a position to receive the relief, aid and transformative-wondrous inconceivable power of Èlà. Only when we really discern and feel our need are we able in sincerity to call out to Èlà. 

Èlà only responds when when we personally, individually and honestly perceive our deep seated need for renewal, change, spiritual reinforcement and reformation in the inner and outer aspects of our lives. 

When the interior life is healthy, clean, strong, whole, pure and vibrant, this inner state will be expressed and seen in the outer reality and practical day-to-day workings of our world. This is the meaning of the Ifá revelation which says, “Ifá will mend our world”. By ‘world’ Ifá means our personal and individual inner-life condition and state. By ‘world’ Ifá means the world of our will, feelings, thoughts, emotions and intent. Ifá teaches us that when we have reached the limit of our ability and strength that we should not despair or give up on ourselves. 

While continuing to apply ourselves diligently and wholeheartedly we should simultaneously acknowledge our limitations and should therefore call on Èlà for spiritual support, revitalization, reinforcement. This applies to the person who has been applying themselves diligently and wholeheartedly, because it is only the person who has been all along applying themselves that becomes aware of their true need, actual condition, lack and limitations. Èlà only supports the one who really feels and experiences his need for help, who really wants  to receive Èlà’s support and who intends to utilize it for his own benefit and the benefit of others. This is the individual and collective way in which Èlà Ìwòri is saving, guiding, protecting and benefiting us directly and indirectly.

Èlà takun wa gureh! Èlà kot’ina ko to ro. Èlà omo osin mo wa ri ooo. Àse.

By Awo Òrúnmìlà Mark Casillas