Contemplation on the Odu Oturupon Oworin

A mirror's reflection shows only the surface of a three dimensional object, unable to pierce the guarded shell we create. Gaze into your heart, and you'll find those scratches and bumps form a life patina that holds its own beauty. Find that beauty and you will surely love again.  -- Marcos Ifalola --

Contemplations on the Odu Ika Ofun

A barking dog charging towards a stranger
May seem a dangerous threat
Even when their only goal is to eventually unleash a

Torrent of gentle face licking
Playful banter can often be misconstrued for malice
When one reflexively reacts without
Deeper understanding and clarity of intent
A dogs language is not our own and
If misunderstood leads us to the
Wrong conclusion

Contemplations of the Odu Ofun Odi

We are not all created equal, but what makes us human is our ability to treat each other as equals.  If for no other reason, then in acknowledgement that change is the only constant and today's hegemony is tomorrow's history.   -- Marcos Ifalola

Contemplations on the Odu Iwori Oshe (iwori ose, iwori wowo)

We are all just one breath away from ruin, whether because of unexpected illness, financial or natural disaster or random acts of violence. Anyone who says their fame or fortune comes solely from hard work and does not factor in luck and happenstance is filled with a fool's hubris and delusions of grandeur and control. The only way we, as individuals and as a species, can survive, is to hedge our bets by nurturing community, and strengthening and extending our tribes.  If we help each other, we help us all.  -- Marcos Ifalola

Contemplations on the Odu Otura Ogbe (Otura Niko)

Templars, shaolin, sohei, almoravids, Sengueï Ngaro, it's no coincidence that throughout history some of the greatest warriors were monks.  The question is not what you can do in the name of religion, but what you can do to make the world a better and more balanced place. Religious ferver will always give way to excess and extreme and must be tempered with restraint and contemplation lest it devolve into a world of the powerful and powerless.  -- marcos ifalola

Contemplations on the Odu Otura Oyekun

From madness, we descend into chaos, as we have done for hundreds of centuries. A pendulum swings to each extreme until it eventually rests in a peaceful state in the middle. This does not last long as it is usually disturbed by a passing wind, or pushed by a hand moved by its belief that one extreme or another is in fact the true middle. -- Marcos Ifalola 

Contemplations on the Odu Oshe Ika

Endings are just beginnings in disguise.
The finality of an end is merely an illusion created by our minds
to deal with the fear of the unknown path beyond.
We do this in preparation for the inevitable ending of consciousness as we know it,
beyond which lies
the incomprehensible existence of life after death.
Once one realizes this,
we can see that life is simply a journey
which has no beginning or ending.
This is when we begin to glimpse
the limitless nature of truth.
-- Marcos Ifalola