As a Babaláwo, no matter how you are feeling, when a person runs to you for help, you are to help. That is what you have been commissioned to do. This is why you are called an AKÁPÒ Ọ̀RÚNMÌLÀ - the one who carries the bag of Ọ̀rúnmìlà.
The traditional way you see the Jehovah's witnesses with a bag is the way the Babaláwo is referred to as Akápò. Inside the Àpò, that is, the bag, you have your Ọ̀pẹ̀lẹ̀, Iroke, Ikin, Ìyẹ̀ròsùn, Irukere, mini-Ọpọ́n, Ìbò and other items. This is because the work can come anytime.
In the Odù Ìwòrì-Obara, Ifá prevents his Akápò from using the hands with which he is supposed to cast Ifá to till the ground.
Which means, he can't even go to farm, he should rather sit beside his Ọpọ́n and wait for who will come, needing the help of Ọ̀rúnmìlà, that, is the source of his own livelihood. IFÁ speaks of the same of Ìlàrí Olodumare in Odù Ìrẹtẹ̀ Méjì.
This particular self-sacrifice is part of the Ìsìn/Ẹ̀sìn, the religion of Ifá.
As an Akápò, you have put on yourself the yoke of Ọ̀rúnmìlà and you no longer "own" yourself.
And for the period of time when you are learning Ifá under an Oluwo - because the gift of Ifá knowledge, divination and interpretation doesn't just jump on you, you have to train for it, during the period of this training also - you do not "own" yourself. Your Oluwo "owns" you.
This is also part of the Ìsìn/Ẹ̀sìn/Religion of Ifá.
Being a Babaláwo is a Ministry, guided by divine powers. It is not mere science. The powers behind it operate a very just reward system. Serve man truthfully, Serve Irúnmọlẹ̀ honestly, this is pleasing to Olodumare.
To be an Ifá scholar and researcher however, you don't need to be a Babaláwo who attends to people's problems. You also do not need an Oluwo to teach or train you. You can get books on Ifá, visit different Babaláwos to get information to satisfy the scope of your own academic curiosity.
Àbọrú Àbọyè Àbọṣíṣẹ.
Pic: Babalawo Sergio Ramirez Hernandez casting IFÁ. Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Lagba
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