African Concepts of Being
Junious Ricardo Stanton
African Concept of Being
"In the
eternal cycle of Afrikan life, a human being is acknowledged as having come
from the spirit world (the ancestors and the source of life and being.) Spiritual
reality manifests as 'human beingness.' Thus, the Afrikan human being (Muntu)
comes with a consciousness (‘Kra,). His or her 'destiny' (Nkrabea) is carried within
the ‘Kra and contains a 'mission,' a 'message,' an 'intelligence.' We who are
Afrikan have chosen to be so. To choose to be Afrikan is to choose to fight for
Afrika, otherwise, why come back? We believe that each of us is an ancestor
returned. Rebirth into Afrikanness is, then, both a privilege and a duty. We achieve
continued connection to the Afrikan family and we become part of the race army.
As Afrikans, we have serious work to do. Being Afrikan is not meant to be
easy." Dr Marimba Ani A Praise Song for Dr Frances
During the month of February we talked about rethinking
African History, reexamining what our African ancestors wrought from antiquity
to the present and repositioning African History as the oldest, longest
chronicle of human progress on earth. We spoke about huge megaliths throughout
the continent that are eons old, that demonstrate an advanced ability to move,
carve and arrange stones many weighing tons from one place to another. Not only
did they move, carve and arrange those stones but they did so within a
metaphysical and astronomic context which showed not only a fascination with
the heavens, an attempt to map and track the stars but also a proclivity to
arrange their lives in an orderly manner just like what they saw in the
heavens.
Africans are a spiritual people. Out of our spirituality
came values and social organization that prioritized an awe of spirit, of nature,
harmony, balance, cooperation, mutual aid and exemplary moral character. Our
ancestors said the universe was teleological meaning is was intelligently
designed with purpose and meaning and everything flowed from this purpose and
meaning (Divine Order, Ma'at).
Africans created the first notions of ethics and morality
and their deep thought laid the foundation for what we call philosophy, a Greek
word literally meaning the love of wisdom. However this love of wisdom was not
what the West means. In the West philosophy is abstract notions of existence
from a mostly material perspective, linear thinking or how many angels can
dance on the head of a pin for example. For Africans philosophy is practical,
pragmatic and applicable on very level.
African deep thought was about pondering the nature of
existence, the universe, how we all are intricately interconnected and related
to the universe and its CREATOR. African deep thought was very ancient, holistic
and universal. For example almost every ethnic and tribal group had/has a word
for the universal life force/intelligence that permeates all creation. The Zulus
of South Africa call it Umoya. Umoya is the core essence of
existence and it is malleable for the benefit of the people but it's misuse can
result in negative consequences.
"Zulu tradition explains the world, natural, human,
or otherwise as imbued with a force ‘Umoya’, this force is spirit, life force
and air, all as one. Nothing is without it, and it affects every state and
level of our being. This is an important truth, which corresponds with other
shamanic principles all over the world. The super-nature acts are a bending of,
or a manipulating of this force, which is mastered by various individuals in
Zulu spiritual practice, and this force can be bent for a positive or negative
effect, with great consequences. The belief in the super-nature processes is
innate in Zulu cultural tradition; it is an intrinsically part of existence and
not taken lightly. The Sangoma is not seen as a master or mistress of magick
but rather as a healer who knows how to deal with the imbalance of Umoya and
the bending or manipulating which may have taken place to cause the imbalance.
All in ancient Zulu cultural tradition must lead to balance, equilibrium and an
awareness of such harmonies so that the individual and communities can learn
from it, correct it and maintain the appropriate balance. It can be tipped so
easily through carelessness, ignorance, greed, neglect, lust, negative intent
or lack of respect of the ancestors, and when this happens, the lesson or
outcome maybe illness or adversity in all its forms; for individuals or the
greater community." The Zulu People
http://lightworkers.org/wisdom/julie-miller/186568/zulu-people
Africans knew there was energy surrounding, penetrating
and resident in them. They also learned how to access and use this energy/intelligence/spirit.
Throughout all human history there have been those who were especially adept at
recognizing, channeling and manipulating this energy. In European language they
are called Shaman, Medicine Men and Women, healers, priests or witches and
wizards. Indigenous Africans called them many names. It must be kept in mind
that for Africans good character, ethics, harmony, balance and cooperation were
essential values they lived by not only within their immediate families but the
larger community, their environment and the vast spirit world.
"The ancestors are not seen as separate
from Ubuntu; they are the wisdom keepers of Ubuntu as they pass
from body to spirit and maintain contact with those who are still in the
physical body. The concept of body, mind and soul and ancestral practice also
includes issues of ecology. This issue is an important part of life, especially
in the way the Zulu and African peoples relate to nature. The African concept
of spirituality is ecological, manifesting, sensitivity towards and solidarity
with the earth. The Zulu’s regard Mother Nature not as an object of
subjugation, but as a mother and symbol of the divine; in ancient tradition,
Zulu and African peoples would not cut a tree without certain rituals, the
people are connected to nature. The tree treated no differently in respect than
a human would be. The relationship with the whole of nature was important,
nurturing it instead of dominating it. Life in an African village is connected
to the entire God-source created part
of life." ibid
One reason I say we need to relearn and embrace our
Africanity and our deep thought, philosophy and metaphysical legacy is because
it was what helped us to thrive and advance and when necessary to fight and
defeat our enemies. Calling upon the deep knowledge of the spirit realm is what
allowed indigenous Africans like the Ashanti, Zulus, Kongo and Diasporan
African settlements in the Caribbean, South America and US called Palmares,
Haitians, Saramakas and Maroons to stand bravely against the weapons of mass
destruction of the Europeans and hold our own. This is the main reason
Europeans don't want us to know who we are or our glorious history. This is why
their "educational system" is designed to negate us and African on
every level.
One reason African warriors were so fierce is because our
deep thought about the nature of existence taught them life was eternal. We
understood when the life force left the physical shell of our bodies, it did
not cease, the spirit continued to exist. So the fear of extinction and
annihilation was not in them; it did not deter them from their task of defending
and protecting the community.
Most African societies hold that reincarnation is real, that
children are ancestors returning to the earth realm to serve the community
again. "It is not widely
realized, however, that reincarnation is an essential tenet of many traditional
African religious systems and philosophies. Belief in rebirth has been reported
amongst peoples scattered the length and breadth of the mighty continent:
Akamba (Kenya), Akan (Ghana), Lango (Uganda), Luo (Zambia), Ndebele (Zimbabwe),
Sebei (Uganda), Yoruba (Nigeria), Shona (Zimbabwe), Nupe (Nigeria), Illa
(Zambia), and many others. There is, of course, a wide variation in understanding
of the processes of rebirth: beliefs range from that in a 'partial'
reincarnation of an ancestor in one or several individuals strictly within the
same family, to that in an endless cycle of rebirths linked to a notion of
cleansing and refinement of the inner nature. As there are endless shades of
understanding, reincarnation is known by many names: amongst the Yorubas of
Nigeria rebirth is referred to in various ways, including Yiya
omo, translated as the 'shooting forth of a branch'
or 'turning to be child,' and A-tun-wa, 'another
coming.' The Aboh-speaking peoples of the Ibo family of nations in Nigeria
speak of Inua u'we or
'returning to life,' as they believe death is an end to one life only and a
gateway to another; man must be reborn, for reincarnation is a spiritual
necessity." Reincarnation in African Traditional Religion by Andrew
Rooke http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/world/africa/af-rook2.htm
Africans
are a deep and creative people. We need to fully reclaim our deepness and creativity.
We have to replace our culturally induced shame and self-hatred with pride and
a sense of divine purpose. We need to resurrect the ancient African ideas about the nature of existence, what it
means to be human and our role in the cosmic scheme. We must accept we are the
caretakers and custodians of the planet. As such we have to reclaim our spirit,
reconnect to THE ONE SOURCE of ALL, restore and live Ma'at, neutralize and
nullify the usurpers and restore righteousness to the planet. This is our task,
our destiny and our calling anything less is an affront to the ancestors and
THE CREATOR.
-30-
posted by Junious Ricardo Stanton @ 10:22 AM
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