ORUNMILA IFÀ ...

The incredible highlights of the master architect

Orunmila, the Yoruba philosopher and the architect of life. Orunmila Baba Ifà the spiritual

mouthpiece of Olodumare, the connector and the iconic semblance of the Yoruba culture,

tradition and religion, a spiritual blessing bestowed upon mankind by Olodumare, and

through the Yoruba people of Nigeria and of the West African ethnicities. Considered one of

the largest and predominant ethnic group in Africa, the Yoruba ethnic group consists about

35 per cent of the population of Nigeria and having about 40 million Yorubas across the

western part of Africa including Benin, Togo, Sierra Leone and Ghana. The history which

started off the Stone Age has extended around the globe including Brazil, Cuba, Trinidad

and Tobago and the United States.

According to the Yoruba mythology, Orunmila is the spirit of wisdom and the “Igba keji

Olodumare“ (second in command to Olodumare), the master architect and the spiritual

evidence of knowledge among the irumoles, he is the divinity of destiny and prophecy, the

very first Babalawo (Ifà priest and father of mysteries ) who came from the heaven to the

earth, the holy one given the knowledge, wisdom and understanding of Olodumare which

were all encoded in the 256 Odu Ifà. He is the Eleri Ipin (witness of fate), the Agboniregun

(the embodiment of knowledge and wisdom of Ifà), the highest form of divination practised

among the Yoruba people.

A reference to the wisdom of Ifà, Orunmila is actually not just Ifà, but tne who leads the

priesthood of Ifà; he is the person and the spiritual brain who brought Ifà (the wisdom of

Oludumare) to the earth in the cause of humanity. Orunmila interlinked the gap between

Olodumare and mankind with the mathematics of Ifà divinity. A priest and diagrammer of

the table of Ifà, the Babalawo in the heavens. The priests of Ifà are called Babalawos and

IyanIfàs female Ifà priest). It is Orunmila (meaning: ”only heaven knows the secret to

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salvation and survival,“ or, “Orun-ni- omo-eni-mala”) who brought the spiritual voice of

Olodumare to mankind through the Ifà divination.

Also called Ela, Elesoode (Ela ties Ide on) while in the heaven, Orunmila was present in the

heavens at the beginning, he assisted Olodumare in the organization and the creation of the

universe. Orunmila was however sent to Ikole aiye (habitable earth) by Eledumare to help

organize and also pave way for humanity in the universe. He arrived the habitable earth to

complete the determinable functions of Eledumare, this was carried out after Ogun and

Obatala had returned unsuccessfully to the heavens, they could not carry out the functions

as determined by Olodumare, Orunmila however arrived Ikole aiye to carry out the

functions of Eledumare, this was done successfully, he however planted Tete Abalaye; the

first plant that was planted on earth.

Unlike Obatala in the celestial realm, who according to the Yoruba mythology is Olumori,

(moulder of the head), Orunmila is considered the holy one who knew the significance of Ori

according to the spiritual reasoning of Olodumare, he knew and recognizes the reasons why

Olodumare has put Ori as the supreme deity above all other Orisas including Orunmila

himself. It is Ori who can intercede and affect the reality of a person much closer than any

Orisa. However, Orunmila demonstrated the necessary qualities of a kind human being

while he lived on earth. He was humble, amazing, intelligent and respectful. He came from

heaven to earth in order to complete the mission Olodumare sent him.

The only one who has been able to uniquely reveal the mystery of the divine and spiritual

plane of existence, the spiritual revelations were exhibited in all his qualities; he demon-

strated perseverance, patience, understanding and compassion.

Orunmila is the most important of all deities, he is the handler, planner, designer and the

constructor of the universe, the Orisa who designed the spiritual line from the heavens to

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the earth; he solves all problems by his spiritual manifestation of Olodumare’s purposes

through the consultation of Ifà.

Present in the beginning, Orunmila is the detent of intuition, the mystery and the spiritual

destiny of humanity.

Orunmila is the brain behind the knowledge and understanding of Ifà divinity, the architect

who projected the spiritual diagrams from Olodumare to mankind; the one who repaired the

irreparable damage caused by humanity.

Orunmila who had 16 children was able to define the cause of humanity by projecting

spiritually designed diagrams of life; he designed the characters of humanity through

representing all spiritual and mysterious attitudes of man and his creator in 16 forms. He

likened the diagrams to the attitude of one of his sons who refused to prostrate to the

orders of his father Orunmila. He claimed that a king would not bow to the orders of

another king, he demonstrated a disrespect towards the father Orunmila. This attitude

provoked the reason why Orunmila returned to the heavens where he was the architect of

life beside Eledumare.

The return of Orunmila to (Orun) the heavens, led to serious hard times, hunger, miserable

situations on earth due to the annoyance of Orunmila who abandoned his mission on earth

and went back to the heavens because of the disrespect of one of his children towards him.

The traditional priests of that time did everything possible but nothing could be done to

reverse the situation, nothing positive came out from all the attempts and the (ebos)

sacrifices offered to Olodumare.

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The remaining 15 children of Orunmila then decided to beg the father to return to the earth

and complete his mission, but Orunmila refused to return because he was still heartbroken

about the attitude of one of his children. The situation was so alarming that the son who

was disrespectful to Orunmila went personally to beg the father Orunmila to forgive his

rudeness and to return to complete his mission on earth for peace and tranquility to reign.

After the son’s regrets, Orunmila forgave the attitudes of the son but still maintained his

stand of not returning to earth.

He reigned in peace and tranquility on earth and also sent “ikin” palm kernel to the earth as

a source of communication with him in the spiritual realm and through Ifà consultations.

Orunmila however transformed his 16 children as symbols of “Odus”, the spiritual link of the

Orisa towards the cause of humanity.

In esoteric teaching of the Yoruba tradition of Ifà, Orunmila Ela was born on earth by

Yemoja and Osumare. Yemoja was the first Orisa that gave birth in the water (Yemo-Iyale.

Yemo, the mother of the earth, the ancient name given by Oduduwa).

According to Awo Ifàlenu, Yemoja was married to Orisa Oko who was really sick and needed

an urgent cure. She however consulted Orisa Oracle with Elegba who after consultations

told Yemoja that she had to go to the mountain hills without crossing the river. Yemoja

however embarked on the journey but met Osumare (Rainbow) who was perfect and very

good-looking but had a defect which was having all sorts of colours on his skin like rainbow.

He was neither a black skinned nor white, he was composed of all colours. Yemoja who

needed the help of Osumare to cross the river had to succumb to the request of Osumare

who demanded a sexual relation with her before he could help her cross the river. Yemoja

however gave herself intimately to Osumare because she wanted to cure her husband Orisa

Oko who was sick by all means.

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After giving herself intimately to Osumare, Yemoja continued her journey, passing through

the river to the mountain range and climbed to the top where she found the ikin (the sacred

seed of Ifà). Yemoja went back home with the ikin and give the juice to her husband Orisa

Oko to drink with his medicine, he drank and was healed completely. Yemoja was happy to

have helped heal her husband but little did she know she was pregnant from her

relationship with Osumare. Yemoja became furious, not knowing what to do. She started

hiding the pregnancy from Orisa Oko by wrapping more clothes around her, she believed

Orisa Oko would kill her if the truth of the pregnancy be told.

Yemoja wanted to have an abortion but she could not succeed and went straight to the

beach where she sat for a while and gave birth to her baby in the sea. Yemoja wanted to

leave the baby boy who she had name Orunmila in the sea because of Orisa Oko who could

kill her if he knew the truth. The baby boy Orunmila who started talking, walking and eating

on the very first day he was born, asked his mother Yemoja: “why do you want to leave me

here in the sea and go home?” Yemoja replied “I am afraid that my husband Orisa oko will

kill you and myself.” The baby Orunmila however told the mother not to be afraid, that he

was responsible for giving the ikin that cured the husband from his sickness. He asked her

to take him home, and that he will make consultations to convince Orisa Oko of his power of

divinity.

Yemoja took him home to Orisa Oko who, after seeing the baby boy, held him by the neck

and wanted to kill him. “I gave the ikin that cured you, I can make consultations to resolve

all problems,” the baby boy Orunmila told Orisa Oko. The baby boy Orunmila asked for ikin

to be painted white. The tree of Ifà suddenly grew from the ikin after it was painted, the

baby boy made consultations and told Orisa Oko all about his personal life. Orisa Oko

became perplexed and recognized the greatness in the baby boy, he was very happy and

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decided to spare the boy. Suddenly a voice came from the heavens to the baby boy saying

“you are unique, you have been destined, you have seen the creation of earth, you are now

a diviner.”

He was confirmed as Orunmila, meaning “Orun-lo mo eni mala” Heaven knows who will be

saved.

Orunmila is the witness of creation. Yemoja never separates from Osumare because he

gave her the luck of a very special son called Orunmila. Osumare lives in the rainbow.

Orunmila, the wisdom of Olodumare, did not only project the spiritual link between man and

God but also diagramed an optional means by which Opele Ifà became important in the

practice of Ifà divinity, a link between Olodumare and Orunmila.

According to Yoruba mythology, Orunmila constructed Opele Ifà out of annoyance. He was

not satisfied with the attitude of one of his spiritual servants called Opele. Opele was a

captured slave who Orunmila acquired from his masters at Kara market in Ejigbokun,

Orunmila took him to his palace, taught him several spiritual things, made him a monk in

his temple, initiated him and named him Opele Ifà. Orunmila however started designating

most of his spiritual works for Opele to do. He would attend to the villagers in the absence

of Orunmila; while Orunmila travelled, he would do exactly as Orunmila instructed and

attend to the villagers.

After a while Opele became arrogant, selfish, greedy and disrespectful to the villagers. He

would demand 8 goats from the villagers for consultations instead of 1 goat as Orunmila

would do. This became unsustainable for the villagers so much so that the Ooni of Ife

requested Opele’s presence in his palace. The Ooni of Ife also requested a consultation from

Opele who in turn requested 8 goats and 8 cows from the Ooni, instead of 1. The Ooni

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condemned this and immediately sent Opele out of his palace. Ooni of Ife however reported

Opele to Orunmila and as soon as Orunmila returned from his journey, the Ooni of Ife asked

Orunmila to do something that will bring back the respect of Ifà and dignity to the villagers,

Orunmila became very annoyed and summoned Opele to his Shrine. Opele could not explain

why he became so greedy to the villagers in the absence of Orunmila, he was rude and

speechless. Orunmila got annoyed and hit Opele with his staff by the head, Opele fell down

and turned to pieces of wooden stones. Orunmila then picked 8 pieces of the wooden stones

and tied it together with a rope and said, “From today you shall become the utility tool to all

Ifà priests, you shall tell them whatever they ask of you, you shall never lie again for all

eternity.“ This is the reason why Ifà priests bring out the Opele Ifà to tell the truth to their

devotees and to all who want to know the truth about their future.

Considered the mouth piece of Olodumare, Orunmila mediate while he was in the heavens

and while he lived as a human on earth, he was the father of philosophy, a Yoruba father of

wisdom whose modes of philosophising bear similarities and were aimed at solving problems

in the local environments that also have universal application. Orunmila formulated Ifà

codification, which contains wisdom for living and practical handle on a wide range of

human experiences, The Odu Ifà became the computerised storage of ancient Yoruba

knowledge in all areas of rational endeavour. Orunmila’s 16 faithful acolytes were

committed to memorize Odu IFÀ that runs into thousands of verses.

According to Sophie Oluwole, the late Yoruba and Ifà scholar who compared Orunmila to the

Greek philosopher Socrates in her book- Socrates and Orunmila, two Patron saints of

classical philosophy, She said “It is consistent to treat Ifà literary corpus as Yoruba scripture

produced by holy men and women under divine inspiration.“ She explained that the works

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of these ancient Yoruba thinkers could never have been products of mythical characters.

She described the Yoruba philosophical thinking as unique and inspirational.

Eleri Ipin, the witness of creation, Orunmila witnessed the creation of the heavens, earth

and everything therein. He would testify to every being that wants to manifest in the flesh

on earth, he would send the being in Ikole Orun (heaven) to consult Ajala Mopin to receive

Ori (head) before coming to the earth in the flesh. Ajala Mopin is the Irunmole who gives

Ori. Orunmila Ifà consults the oracle for every being in Ikole Orun, including the Orisa who

wants to visit the earth in the flesh, Ifà would summon several of them to sacrifices before

they would be allowed to come and live in the habitable earth.

Orunmila is the database of Olodumare, the one who keeps the record of all according to

the determinations of Eledumare.

It is a fact that all that was, is, and will be, are visible in the diagrams, statistics, and the

spiritual mathematics of the 256 Odus according to Orunmila, the master designer and

architect of life.