Nowadays, there is a disagreement inside the practice of Ifá in the diaspora, but this is not the case among native Yoruban erudite scholars and practitioners of the Yoruba religion (Ifá).

This sounds illogical and difficult to understand but, on the other hand, you try to find a reason behind this excessive sense of belonging that currently exists in the diaspora among the followers of the Yoruba religion, ill-named Santeria. All this has led to believe, in many of them, that this religion is originally from their own country or region. I am writing precisely about my fellow countrymen, from Cuba. This is something I can sustain, but also taking into account that this is due to the love felt for the religion. This is the reason why you may understand their eagerness, although it does not change the fact that the religion does not belong to them. It is a dualism which confirms two principles or conflicting powers: what is good and what is bad. Here, faith and reason create two different and unyielding worlds with similar principles. However, the love and respect for the religion through “different concepts” change the connotation and direction of the conflict. This is the way I see it.

In previous articles, I have written about the history of this religion and how it arrived in our countries. We, Cubans, have been responsible for spreading this religion through Latin America and parts of Europe; I can proudly affirm this. Due respect should be given to many who, despite not having all they needed to perform their work, were able to carry it out with dignity and tangible solutions which prevented this religion from becoming extinct in our land. Thanks to these people we have inherited this Yoruba religion, not the Catholic or Christian ones, without in any way detracting from them.

Those were other times, many years ago, when the first generation of Yoruba practitioners, descending from those who had been slaves, inherited the traditional knowledge but I think they started to create alternatives due to the lack of materials in some cases and knowledge in others. They did not have a temple or any communication with their masters, so they had to resort to their spirituality or any other path to implement what they had to do in their daily routines or in ceremonies. This situation was very detrimental and the lack of information generated a lot of initiatives in the practice of the Òrìsà, which in turn created a kind of Ifá subsystem. It is a fact that there are many gaps in the global practice and many practitioners hold on to their beliefs or refuse to see those gaps, obvious as they may be.

At the present time, there is literature about this issue, communication has made the difference and you have the opportunity to consult and verify all this from reliable sources. Why not do it?

Bí okò babèrè, ókò ní rí idáhùn. (If you never ask yourself the question, you will never get the answer).

Ifá is only one; there are NOT two as I have heard. We humans and believers are the ones with the possibility of travelling inside as an omolùábí (the whole being), admitting our mistakes with total conviction and finding a way to improve or at least reduce them. In other words, to make it our objective to perfect our Iwá (character), based on the fact that we are not perfect. I wrote a phrase many years ago which says: “the worst defect that we have is precisely being humans”. Imperfection is part of our own being but, at the same time, solutions can be found when you study how to find self improvement. Our reasoning can help us find the right path through Ifá and grow spiritually to complement ourselves. Thus, we can bring the spiritual balance that we need into our lives, together with the surrounding world, nature and other beings.

Borokínní o kó iwa já Eníkan Kí seun seun (Someone respected cannot be so good in every field, no one is that good).

The two doors exist with their tangible relevance but your personal choice or your free will plays an outstanding role. This role consists of seeking the perfection of your essence, of the tradition that you practice and increase your knowledge about yourself and what you want to be. Your responsibility is to follow the roots given by the faith you have in Olodumare (God).

 Awo Ifájàre Roberto III