Re-embracing The African View of Reality

                                      Re-embracing the African View of Reality

                                                    Junious Ricardo Stanton

“Indeed, African social structures and cultural traditions are infused with a spirituality that cannot be easily separated from the rest of the community’s life at any point. To analyze religion as a separate system of beliefs and ritual practices apart from subsistence, kinship, language, politics, and the landscape, for example, is to misunderstand African religion in general and African cosmology in particular. Thus, African culture could be described as a complex web of religion, attitudes and behavior, morality, politics, and economy. The African thought system influences the African cognitive process and lifestyle.” Encyclopedia of African Religion Edited by Molefi Kete Asante and Ama Azama page 178

As we acknowledge four hundred years of traumatized separation from our African roots, hereditary lineages, culture, homeland and the deleterious affect this has had on us, and we ponder ways to heal ourselves, restore sanity and balance to our personal and collective lives; it becomes clear we must re-embrace our Africaness and our sacred being.

For the past two weeks we have looked at the significance of African cosmology in general, how it fundamentally differs from the Neanderthal and Caucasian worldviews and focusing on the preeminence of spirit in African cosmology and culture. The Western view of reality differs from the African view and that is to be expected given our differing histories.

We must recognize the West has deliberately denigrated and viciously maligned Africa and her people. While this is a topic for another time, the Europeans’ disdain for all things Africa and aboriginal are rooted in their collective deep insecurities, inadequacies and embarrassment at their own histories.

Our primary challenge healing, transforming and resurrecting ourselves from the vile caricatures and stereotypes our adversaries created, project and promote doing the arduous work to relearn and recreate the archetypes our ancestors envisioned, created and pioneered eons ago. We must embrace and appreciate our African heritage, respect and honor our rich cultural traditions and the essence of what it means to be African in a world dominated by non-African thought, values and behavior.

At the root of African cosmology is the reality of spirit, energy, consciousness, purpose, power and order that is infused in everything. Western scientists and theoreticians are now recognizing this. “Science is discovering that the Universe is infinite in all directions, both at the atomic (micro) level and at the planetary (macro) level. It is also finding that what we call ‘matter’ is not what it appears to be. In fact studies suggest that matter is 99% empty space surrounded by an idea (information, thought) consciousness. Contrary to popular belief, quantum physicists have found that they cannot explain what matter is or what holds it together.” The Hidden Properties of Matter The Mystical Teachings of Memphite Theology in Ancient Egypt Dr Muata Abhaya Ashby page 48.

So what is the significance of all this you ask? How does this impact me/us? This changes everything. No longer are we tied to the Western notions of dead materialism, the nature of the universe, being and how we relate to nature and ourselves! In other words we can refashion reality. Europeans aren’t as smart as they think they are and because they lack a comprehension of SPIRIT they will continue to miss the mark.

Our ancestors’ idea of reality, the universe is conceived of as spiritual (conscious energy, purposeful power, ever changing) is real. It means we must reorient ourselves to living in accordance to this reality. We must return to Ubuntu (I am because we are, we are because I am), that Ubuntu is true on both the microcosmic (personal, familial and societal) level and the macrocosmic (I exist because THE CREATOR exists, THE CREATOR exists because I exist)) levels. It means Maat is real (Divine Order, truth, balance, harmony, justice, righteousness and reciprocity) and is the right/wise way to see everything, order our society and act accordingly!

We live in a world being ordered by those who live in opposition to Maat, they live what our Nile Valley ancestors called Isfet. This is consistent with the African concept of polarity, opposites. These people see themselves in strictly materialistic terms disconnected from SPIRIT and nature. They live and work in opposition to SPIRIT and nature. They love the material and reject SPIRIT unless it can be used to aid in their selfishness and evil. They love conflict, disruption, war and predation as opposed to peace and cooperation. That is their history.

Our sacred obligation as African people is to restore Maat. How do we do this, you ask? We do so by embracing and living in harmony with the principles we shared two weeks ago, by elevating our consciousness to resonate with the higher thoughts (the universe is mental) and vibrations (the principle of vibration) of THE CREATOR. We replace the base vibrations (lead) with the higher vibrations the metaphorical gold of the true alchemists who knew the Universe is mental! We become part of the swing, the inevitable movement (principle of rhythm), the cause and resulting effect embracing the male and feminine elements towards Maat.

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