Rastafari i-ssertations: The Ancient African Perspective; What is the Current State of the Rastafari Movement.
The Impact of Westernisation and Judeo Christianity onRastafari Culture and Livity_ Part 1
by Iyah Ites Ifa WARNING: DISCLAIMER: SOME STATEMENTS MAY OFFEND SOME RASTAFARIANS AND CHRISTIANS. YET NO OFFENCE OR CONDESCENDING IS INTENDED. MY INTENTION IS TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH SO THAT IT MAY SET YOU FREE. HETEPU.
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The African Perspective on RastafariExcerpt: from pg 5 - 14
I have heard Mutabaruka say in his radio show, on Irie FM, (and this is from the archives of the show that are available from mutaseh website) that when he was rising in Rastafari livity and culture, he was living in the country and spent time in the bush, where he was acquainted with some Black Heart men there and they showed him Rastafari. He said that these ones would never speak of the bible really, only wisdom, spirituality, and black consciousness. He only heard of Rastas using the bible when he went downtown to Kingston and saw many dreadlocks reading up the bible! So it is clear that there is a connection with bible reading and urbanisation! Bear in mind, that urbanisation in this day and age is synonymous to westernisation (and to those who want to be pedantic and specific, yes Africans originated urban life and society, but the paradigms of those African urban builders and that of the Western urbanisation is somewhat quite different!). Some traditions are outworn, as some clothes need to be thown away as they have been worn to the limit.
So it was clear that there were and have always been two schools of Rastafari. The ones that use the bible, and the ones that don't.(there are ones who have found the truth within themselves from reading the bible and moved onto a different dimension of reality). The latter oftentimes can be heard and seen totally differently to the former. Some even say that their utterances were so deep and so heavy, and sometimes incomprehensible due to the unwavering speech in Iyahric. These Rastaman claimed that the livity, the ital livity, the African livity, and the God within is all they need to grow and develop spiritually. Elders such as Bongo I-scient, (Bongo Ashley or Ashley Iion, or Iyah) who apppears in the Rockers movie (and was actually never paid for the role in the movie) (He did want money and did the role act for educational purposes) is an example of such Rastaman, the majority who, by the way, cannot be seen in any video, or audio or any textbook. You must come across them in real life.
It is clear that one of the two schools, actually adhered to the principles much more devoutly than the other school (the one using the bible), who were actually in violation of the Principles.
One such principle is Repatriation (and Reparation). The latter is an actual idea, and actual livity, an actual mind state and paradigm altogether. Meaning, that the real repatriation is rather a spiritual and mental repatriation as opposed to the long awaited boats coming to pick up the blacks to return them 'home'. (Radiation physically is to finally return to the land of the African ancestors and to cast away
the land of the colonial masters, but repatriation start in the mind, and that mental awareness in on the forefront of Rastafari consciousness ti be achieved in his life time or the life time of next generation) the thought should.
Yes!! It is more important to return to Africa in your mind and spirit, than it is to return there to live forever. The evidence of this can be seen in those that repatriated physically but are still enslaved, and bound to the same Judeo-Christian Zionist ideology, while living in Africa, spiritually impoverished. “In the abundance of water the fool is thirsty!!” Yet Africa as the cradle of civilisation, where everything about religion, God, spirituality, was not only conceived, but perfectly intuited. The evidence of this is in the wealthy, peaceful, and prosperous civilisations of Pre-Dynastic Kemet, Kemet, and Pre-Columbian Africa (as well as Ancient America as history testifies to the work that Africans have done in that hemispehere centennaries before slavery and colonisation).
Hence, those still dependant on the bible for spiritual direction, instruction, and guidance, are not really adhering to the principle of Repatriation.
Africans have a spiritual text that is older than the bible, and as a matter of fact it is older than any other religious document ever found. The oldest spiritual text that is still in tact is in the texts of the Pyramid Texts of King Unas.
Rastas in the West, as well as some Rastas in Africa, absolutely refuse to deal with anything regarding Ancient Egypt or anything Traditional African Spirituality. Why? (One of the fundamental principles of Rastafari is anti-colonialism and to burn Babylon system, their religious indoctrination and servitude, African consciousness is a fundamental truth of each individual as such the study of Africa the cradle of civilization in particular the land Ethiopia and Egypt her eldest daughter is of paramount importance and Rastafari is Because there are taboos about those two subjects, and those taboos are derived from the Eurocentric, Judeo-Christian brainwashing of the King James Bible (who is actually and incidentally the author of another text entitled 'Demonology'. What a coincidence!). The same text is filled with propaganda against Ancient Egyptian/African people and their cultural practices. Anyone who follows this text by the book is bound to be Anti-African, as it is filled with Anti-African statements and ideas.
Many say, that it is because “ His Majesty glories in the bible, and that is his recommended source of refuge.” Okay, then why don't these same people trim their locks, as His Majesty never really sported locks (whatever you may think)? Or why don't they occasionally eat meat, especially raw beef, as His Majesty did on occasional bases? Actually, that is no longer a farce, as nowadays and of recent times, many Rastaman have trimmed their locks, eaten meat, joined the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, so that they become more “like” His Imperial Majesty. I will leave the obvious for you to suss out for yourself, as the most important resource with you is your spirit. (Many are still struggling to over stand the livity Rastafari and will find it difficult to over stand that Rastafari is the conscience of the people who firmly stand for international morality and not religious ideology).
Rasta people stop thinking, speaking and living like Christians, know your Self as Rastafari.
We are living in what the Kamau say is the “Eve of the Destroying of the Enemies of the Lord God of the World (Nebertcher)'. Approaching the end of what the hindhus call the Kali Yuga. Entering the Pachakarma and Kachina upheavals and cataclyms that the Hopi Indians and Native Americans talked about, the I Chingalso, the end of this Baktun of the Mayan calendar. We are entering into the Age of Ausar, the God Man. The Age of Aquarius that Bunny Wailer sang about in the '60s. Thus, the climate is positive and 'fortunate' or 'auspicious', where Babylon rule is coming to an end, and it is the return of the Afrocentric paradigm that will cover and rule the earth, when Black Man and Black Woman come to know their Self (as well as the coming and physical manifestation of the Paut Neteru, the Arican Tree of Life, and the awakening of spiritual/psychic powers within many people of African descent all over the world, the part the New Age people don't tell you about). Nevertheless, unfortunately many Blacks are still caught up with Jeezus the Slave God, and still going to church. Here we are, at the eve of the beginning of a new age, one which is more spiritual and conscientious, and Rastas are still talking about Haile Selassie is going to return to save the world!! Sounds very much like Christians waiting for Jeezus to come back.
Therefore, it is the 21 st century, for heaven's sake, it is time that people do away with superstitions, dogma and immature childish beliefs. Like you really believe that Ancient Africans worhsipped 'many gods' and were pagans and thus evil?? Really?? You hate yourself that much to believe your ancestors were devils? Study history and ask yourself who the real devil is. This young Nigerian boy, I have been talking to about the Orisas, is telling me how much his ancestors made god angry by worshipping Shango, Obatala, etc, and how he loves Jeezus, etc. I ask him “What God did they make angry?”. How can God, who is so powerful, soloving, and so intelligent, be angry? Or jealous as the bible tells you?
Hence it is Reality Check time for all people, and all Rasta have to look into themselves and ask themselves who they really are. Putting your faith, hope, beliefs, in a person, and thinking that only this person is divine, and is due to receive ceaseless praises (actually the true worship of God is the living of truthand devotion to spiritual development), is as much valid as valid as Superman orany other Super Hero they have invented (the super-hero and the “messiah” ideology is the same thing). Rastafari culture cannot expect to grow, advance, and achieve great things, such as accomplish the will of the Most High and His Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie,and the Ancestors, without discarding of the bible and the false beliefs that are associated with them.
It is time to throw away ALL that is Juedo-Christian and Islamic, and find our Original ways of thinking, our Original Cosmology and Theology. Otherwise, Rastafari as a culture and movement, will be stuck and wither and die. The Rt Hon King Emmanuel say 'The white world couldn't teach me anything, because they couldn't teach themselves to save their Self.” King Emmanuel's Self taughthis person how to save himself, and how his followers could do the same. After studying the Metu Neter, Kamitic spirituality, the competent student can make theobservation that King Emmanuel teachings are closer to African/Kamitic knowledge, than any other sect of Rastafari.
As I have said to many people, Rastafari culture and livity has much more in common with some practices and spiritual systems of the east such as Taoism, and those traditional systems of Africa such as Ifa in Yoruba, Vodou and Juju, then they have in common with the Christain, Jew and Muslim. You can try to research the Daada peoples of West Africa, and you find that they are who have natty dreadlocks, live ital, vegetarian, against Westernisation, play music, teach and practice Traditional African Science (spirituality). They have been there for hundreds of years, before Rasta rose in Jamaica.
The case now, is that most Rasta believe in the wrong and false ideas and notionsthat the followers of the 3 major religions do. For example, Rastas talk about “There is only one life to live..” , where Africans and Orientals KNOW that reincarnation is a fact. So should every Rasta. As it is known that Rastafari is about Life, and that we don't believe in 'death', and thatwe bun death and the world of the dead that we live in. So every Ras should know that Life is eternal, and so are we, and it is about going and coming and then going again to come again. Bobo Shanty people should know this as the Father King Emmanuel the 7 th talked about re-incarnation (but Jah couldn't spoonfeed everything to you, Bobo, the Man is cryptic and mystic, so many didn't watch and learn, and many saw but understood little, as the Man himself say “Some have wisdom, or knowledge, but they lack understanding”, the Man is thefullness of all 3, Holy Emmanuel I Selassie I JAH Rastafari!).
Another example, is how they believe that Man was created first, or Adam camebefore Eve ( it is bad enough that they believe in Adam and Eve, and that theythink these were real people), yet science shows that every human being is first female, and then they differentiate into male.
This is another issue, which puts livity and spirituality at stake, is the issue of knowledge versus belief, faith and information, and opinions versus truth. A Real African Man and Woman operates, i.e. bases their thoughts feelings, emotions, sayings and doings, on TRUTH and not opinion or beliefs. And truth is based uponfacts, that can be proved.
Rastafari dont deal with opinions, or faith, or even beliefs, Rastafari deal with KNOWLEDGE OF TRUTH.
King Emmanuel was one of the Rastafari Leaders who spoke of teachings that are closer to the traditional and ancient African understandings (although he also stressed about the bible, yet he showed many truths regarding it, which is beyond the scope of this article). One such teaching was “Man is God and God is Man”, another is “Man of Righteousness is God in Flesh” and others included thatwe Africans in Ancient Africa always revered (some say 'worship' which is is incorrect) a Divine King, who was the embodiment of the Supreme Being.
The knowledge that man is Divine, is concealed within the name of the movment, people, and culture/livity, which is Rastafar-I, and the divine Iyahric language (which is actually an initiatory language to initiate ones into knowing and realising their Self.) Rastafari is pronounced to imply that the Rastaman and King Jah Rastafari/The Creator were One and the Same. In Iyahric, “I and I” means one's person (InI means God in man) (me and you is division and clash of identity, and line of thinking)(esoterially and on a more profound level, althoughhidden, it means the Self and the Person/Ego is One), as well as implying thatthe I in me is the same I in you and the same I in the birds, fish, sea, and sky. Jah Rassstafari!
However, as with the bible, for every statement that implies that Man is a Divine Being, there is also another statement, within the culture that refutes that and implies that man is a human being.
My experience with this was realised when I saw an “Elder” who claimed to be aRasta and an Elder Ras at that too, speak about fasting to the youths in the hills who were not able to maintain the fast. In response to them breaking the fastearly because they were “hungry” (meaning were not skilled, adept enough toresist the urges of the flesh/ego/person/lower being), he excused them by saying that it is ok because, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak!”. Another false adage that finds its source in the bible. You find, after properly studying the Kamitic teachings, that this is due to an inactive or a weak will, and that the brother appealed to their lower part of their being, and assosciated his and their identity with the lower part of their being. That is, if the spirit was truly “willing” it would overpower the urges and cravings of the flesh, as that is the crux of “mindover matter”. Yet many of us are ignorant of this, as we are ignorant of the Original African spiritual teachings. I complained about this incident to a Bobo Shanti priest and he said that it is true. I remember feeling so much dismay and disappointment, and realised that the spiritual standard is not as high as Ithought it to be or as it proclaimed to be, some Rastas put their Self and their livity so low that it is on par with the weak religious doctrines of Westernreligions. I don't think any Taoist Priest or even real Kamitic/African priest wouldsay the “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”! Foolishness, man! There are also many other foolish and completely untrue statements in the bible, like "Woman cannot teach”, “It is evil to braid and plait hair, only pagans do that.”, and many others, which one realises after careful study that these are African traditions that they are condemning. The Rastafari Elders are Ancient Canaanites, and Ancient Kamites, Ancient Ghanians and Ancient Kushites, who returned in 'this dispensation', this age in the late 19th century, in the slave plantation designations of Jamaica, with the rememberance of the ancient teachings on self-knowledge and our ancient African identity. The rememberance is in the livity, more than it is in the bible doctrines. These are man who learnt these spiritual truths from within, and have much in common with Ancient Kamit, Africa and Asia, even Ancient America. (By the way, not all black people in the carribean were brought there forcefully through slavery, Ivan Van Sertima and many scholars have brought forth evidence, sincethe '70s that Blacks sailed there in ancient times and were there even before the Arawak and Native Americans of North and South, of whom many actually intermarried with the blacks there when they reached there from Asia).
As a result of not returning completely to our African spiritual culture and heritage, we find that we are approaching Life, God, and everything in the wrong manner, and worse in a foreign manner. So you are not really being your Self! Thus, there is an identity crisis going on, or worse, you are a victim of asubliminal programming (mind control) and you are unaware of it.
The idea that we should worship Haile Selassie, by giving praises to him in achurch or other building, like you are singing and worhsipping Jeezus is wrong, and it is not truly African. It is not African, neither is it true, to depend of someone to 'save' you. Rastas should know (and not BELIEVE) that no one oranything, or any being, can save you. Slavation, Blessings, and Punishments, are delegated to you to be responsible for. Yes, you are responsible for blessing or cursing yourself. Of course, the Most High blesses you daily, and has ever done and shall ever do so, even without you doing anything. Yet, God does not punishor reward anyone, you reward and punish yourself. As King Emmanuel say “It is a self-save judgment, i.e. that I didn't come to save you, but to show you to save your Self.” .....
Link:
The African Perspective on Rastafari
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