ASUWADA

An Afrikan Concept of the Divine Community

by Àwòtunde Yáò Fáşęyίn

The Holy Odu-Ifa Osa'Gunda

All goodness became a grouping together in harmony
The grouping together of the strands of hair covered the head
The grouping together of hairs on the chin became the object of attention
The grouping together of trees became a forest
The grouping together of the eruwa grasses became a savannah
The grouping together of the beehives hold up the roof of the house
And the grouping together of the ita ants led to their covering the earth
ALASUWADA, Great Being who creates all beings in groups, we ask you humbly,
That You grant us things gathered in groups
So that they bring together all things good for us

Bees form swarms; Eeran plants grow together on the farm
Brooms are formed from bundles of twigs
Eeran grass grows in bunches on the plains
And the elegiri birds form flocks

It is as a grouping together that we encounter the grassland
It is as swarms that the locusts consume the farm
It is in several colonies that we find the termites in their mounds
It is in groves that we encounter the ekunkun trees on the water's edge
It is in clusters we find oore grass at the riverside
It is in schools that we find the ebbele fish in the ocean
It is in groups that we find the dragon fly
And the adosusu leaf is never found alone

Dews pouring lightly, pouring lightly were used to create the world
And likewise was done to create the earth
So that the goodness of togetherness could come forth at once
INDEED ALL GOODNESS TOOK THE FORM OF A GATHERING TOGETHER IN HARMONY

Now, if one ORI (head/divine consciousness-connection with the Creator) encounters good
It will spread out and touch two hundred
If my Ori is good it will spread out and touch you
And if your Ori is good it will spread out and touch me
For if just one Ori experiences good It will spread out and touch two hundred

Within the West African spiritual ontology, there exists the concept of what I like to call the "Divine Community". Each society expresses this central belief with various terms from their own languages. Within the Yoruba context this concept is expressed as asuwada (pronounced ah shoo wah dah). It is a concept that was kept much alive during the horrors and endurings of our experiences here in the Americas. It is at the root of what is commonly referred to as Black Southern Hospitality. In truth, it is a survival within the African spirit of reinforcing our communal contract with the Creator.

The Holy Odu-Ifa Osa'Gunda quoted above shows the innate profundity of the spiritual nature of our Yoruba Ancestors. This is a part of the alaashe, or the proverbial and metaphysical Ancestral Wisdom of the ages. The Ancestors call our attention to the simple, yet magnificent observance of Nature to learn, intuit, and apply the spiritual entity that is commonly called community. Implicit in the lesson is that: (1) God (Olodumare) is the very Author of the concept of community. Here Olodumare is called Alasuwada. (2)The things in Nature pointed out by this Odu all work TOGETHER for a common cause. The trees come together to make a forest. The hairs come together to cover the head (from the hot sun?). All is put in divine order so that chaos is put in its place.

This Odu makes it clear that once the coming together has taken place then the goodness (ire) of life flows in abundance. Where there is a uninfied front, there is not much room for a break in continuity. Here in the New World, we have lost our ideals and concepts of true community. Often community is defined as a "neighborhood" or a place wherein situates the home we stay. Hardly any reference is made to the coming together for a divine purpose as the Odu Osa'Gunda directs us. What has happened to our true concept of community? How can we gain it back?

The Odu is definite in stating that: "Now, if one Ori (divine consciousness/connection with Olodumare) encounters good (blessings, wealth, etc.)it will spread out and touch two hundred. If my Ori is good it will spread out and touch you. And if your Ori is good it will spread out and touch me". This is simply to say that true community is a divine directive from the Creator, and it will bring us all blessings when we recognize that "Your blessings are my blessings. My blessings are yours. Without one another we have no blessings". I cannot rejoice in my wealth and see my sister or brother in poverty. Western religion and miseducation has taken us so far away from our center that we look at working together as something to be dreaded. How then are we to raise ourselves above the states of poverty (both mentally and physically) in our communities? We have to stop the complaints and re-institute the culture and spiritual traditions of our own in order that we may become whole again.

On a final note the Odu states "Alasuwada, Great Being who creates all beings in groups, we ask you humbly that you grant us things gathered in groups so that they bring together all things good for us." This is clear in that it is saying that once we come together and help ourselves, the Creator will reciprocate Its universal love that we may become more prosperous in life. There will be no prosperity without the truth of Asuwada, the divine community of God.

Ase