Do not allow fear, anger and worry to dictate the tune or music of your life. Never allow evil, weakness, sickness or lack to fill your mind. Do not continually occupy your essence with thoughts of death, disaster, disease, failure and distortion.

Life is mind. Mind is God. God is love and goodness.

When the mind becomes filled with goodness, wisdom and pure love, the desire to do evil—to oneself or to others—begins to disappear.

The mind stands as a bridge between the physical and the spiritual. When the mind becomes weak and uncontrolled, both the physical and spiritual dimensions of life suffer the consequences. Therefore, work continuously upon your mental state. Develop your mind until it possesses the discipline, wisdom and strength associated with the sage, the saint and the saviour.

COMMON SENSE MUST ACCOMPANY SPIRITUAL WISDOM

There was once a man who came before Ọ̀rúnmìlà seeking the blessing of a child.

Ọ̀rúnmìlà looked at him and asked:

Where is your wife or partner? How do you expect to generate a child without the woman through whom that child may be born? First find a reliable wife with whom you can build a family.

The teaching is profound.

A man without a wife asking for the blessing of the womb while refusing to address the obvious physical condition before him demonstrates foolishness rather than spirituality.

In other words:

A foolish question invites a foolish answer.

Spirituality must never become an excuse for abandoning reason, wisdom and common sense.

Build your mental capacity so that you may become wise, victorious, successful, prosperous, healthy, wealthy, happy and joyful at all levels of existence.

FIRST CONQUER THE VICES WITHIN

When a person continually smokes, drinks excessively, engages in immorality, deliberately harms others or repeatedly behaves in ways that harm himself, such a person has not yet developed sufficient mental discipline to overcome those habits.

Therefore, one of the first battles is within.

Fear must be confronted.

Doubt must be confronted.

Anger must be disciplined.

Destructive habits must be overcome.

The mind must be trained.

Embrace strong mental capacity so that you can overcome physical vices and spiritual weaknesses.

If someone remains completely convinced that his problems can never be solved because certain physical or spiritual forces are greater than him, a wise Babaláwo or priest should recognize that sacrifice, ritual or initiation alone cannot replace the development of the person’s mind.

Such a person also needs teaching, prayer, wisdom and mental fortification.

He must be taught to recognize the power within himself.

His body itself contains and represents sacred forces. His Orí must be respected. His mouth must become an instrument of Ìwúre — prayer and supplication. He should pray fervently with positive emotions and good feelings, hold his head in prayer, discipline his thoughts and continually strengthen his inner state.

Until mental wisdom and mental strength are developed, little can be accomplished fully at the different levels of existence—including this present world, Ayé Àkàmarà.

KNOW YOURSELF AND DISCOVER OLÓDÙMARÈ WITHIN

Developing a strong mental state gradually leads toward self-knowledge.

And through knowing yourself, you begin to recognize the spirit of Olódùmarè within and the presence of the divinities surrounding and supporting existence.

Ọ̀rúnmìlà Bara Àgbọnnìrègún is called Baba Akeyo — the Great Teacher.

The significance of the teacher is not merely that he possesses knowledge. The true teacher awakens the student to discover himself or herself, develop wisdom and fulfil destiny according to the dictates of Enitolódù, Olódùmarè or Olú-Ìwà (Olúwa).

But there is another important lesson:

Even Baba Akeyo continues to learn.

A genuine teacher never reaches a point where he believes that nothing remains for him to understand.

He learns from elders.

He learns from nature.

He learns from experience.

He learns from other priests.

And sometimes, he learns from his own disciples.

This principle is beautifully expressed in the teaching:

“Àgbà tó mọ èyí, kò mọ èyí…”

The elder who knows this may not know that.

In other words:

No human being knows everything.

This is why an Ifá priest or teacher may even learn something from a trusted devotee or disciple. Knowledge does not become worthless simply because it comes from someone younger or less established.

The wise person recognizes wisdom wherever wisdom appears.

LEARNING IS ITSELF A SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE

We must therefore continue learning until the day we return to our ancestors at Gbálẹ̀.

Learning and teaching Ifá—or indeed any worthwhile subject—cultivates:

knowledge, wisdom, understanding, patience, calmness, discipline and good habits.

Through profound knowledge and the character required to carry that knowledge, a human being progressively manifests qualities associated with Òrìṣà.

The more sincerely we learn, the more clearly we understand how little we know.

And the more sincerely we teach, the more carefully we must examine ourselves.

This is why knowledge must never produce arrogance.

Knowledge should produce wisdom.
Wisdom should produce humility.
Understanding should produce patience.
Discipline should produce strength.
And spiritual knowledge should produce good character.

Spend more time learning than fearing.

Spend more time praying than worrying.

Spend more time developing yourself than condemning others.

Spend more time cultivating wisdom than entertaining destructive thoughts.

Use learning and teaching to move yourself away from the folly of mental weakness. Build your life upon the solid foundation of faith, wisdom, knowledge, discipline and conviction in victory, prosperity and success that can extend from one generation to another.

Protect your mind.

Educate your mind.

Discipline your mind.

Strengthen your Orí.

Use your mouth for Ìwúre.

Continue learning.

And never believe that you already know everything.

Orí rẹ á gbé ọ o.
May your Orí uplift, bless and support you forever.

Àṣẹ.