Iraivan Temple Update – June 26th
2 Responses to “Iraivan Temple Update – June 26th”
From Our Gurus' Teachings
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Archives are now available through 2001. Light colored days have no posts. 1998-2001 coming later.
June 29th, 2020 at 5:40 pm
Alafia (Blessing)
Thank you for the work that the monks continue to do to bring light to the world. This is my story,
Many. many, many years ago, I visited the Island of Kauai and was invited to visit the Monastery when the foundation was being poured into the first levels of the Pillar of the Temple. The day that I arrived was an auspicious moment in my life because your Guru was visiting and bestowing very specific blessings linked to the building of the temple and the work of the monastery.
During the prayer transmission, everyone present were invited to place prayers on paper to be placed at the feet of your Guru. My prayers were on behalf of the Divine mothers of our West African Yoruba Ifa Traditions called the “Iyamis.”
Then we were guided to also place our prayers into the foundation were the cement would be poured. My letter & prayer were written for guidance from the “wisdom of the divine mother Iyami Osoronga! My request was to awaken my call to service to the beauty of the Great Feminine Principle of the Divine Mother and to serve her movement to raise awareness of her “Return” to balance humanity for its’ evolutionary intent in Beauty.
Many things happened over the years, then…..
I returned several years later (2000-2001) with my elders of the Orisa Traditions within our Ifa lineage as it had evolved from the “Middle Passage” of the slave trade through the Caribbean into the United States because I wanted them to see the temple and the beauty of what was being created. It was my desire to share and see the depth and collective strength of the world within the Hindu Traditions that was a reflection of beauty of our Yoruba lineages of West Africa. This was wha I witnessed during my travels through temples in the country of Nigeria in 1984 where I received two Chieftancies at the age of 24 as a descendant who had returned to the “motherland!”
What had been accomplished was an example of what my heart felt we could also contribute to the collective understanding West African Storytelling Yoruba Ifa traditions that emerged from the Heroic Journey’s of our ancestor’s through the “Middle Passage from Africa to the Americas!”
As a descendant of the Yoruba born in the Americas through bloodlines of African, Native Caribbean and Spanish ancestry, it has been my dream to help the world see that we the Yoruba people of the West Coast Region of Africa were linked to “Lemurian” lineage of the earths evolutionary intent.
My research in Cultural Anthropology and world travels had revealed this for many years. The Temple and the Hindu teachings I visited in Kaui were the Eastern-Western Axis of wisdom between two cultures and traditions holding the keys to freedom, joy & love for our human design in the wisdom of the “Mothers!”
Over the past year 2019- 2020 many visions, dreams and encounters personally & professionally manifested. Yesterday in a dialogue about the future work for our tradition within our lineage, a symbol linked to the Hindu traditions manifested as a confirmation that indeed it is time for us to share what we as descendants of the Yoruba Ifa Storytelling traditions also know. It is time that we now also step forth and share what we understand about mindfulness, awareness and manifestation. We are ready and see it is vital to guiding those in service to the next 7 generations to come.
My intent in this commentary is simple to say Modupue (Thank you) for the confirmation! Thank you for the blessings that have safely guiding me to know also being the next stage of our work within the communities we serve. My spirit dances in joy to see how much has been achieved and created in such beauty since I first place my prayers at the feet of your Guru and in the foundation of the temple. Ase!
In Beauty,
Iyanifa, Marilyn Omifunke Torres, Egiogbe-Irete
Chief Olumento Agbomola of Imota
Chief Iyasale Egungun of Imota
West Africa, Nigeria, USA
Currently Residential Faculty
South Mountain Community College – Storytelling Institute
Maricopa Community Colleges – Phoenix, Arizona
June 29, 2020
January 16th, 2021 at 5:57 am
I just learned of Marilyn “Omi Funke” Torres through the Acts of Faith Daily Meditations for People of Color compilations by Iyanla Vanzant, where she quotes Marilyn ” Sitting in a sacred places means you must sit alone”, which is so true and profound.
This compelled me learn more about Ms. Torres. Reading her comments above, to me epitomize the beauty of our African lineage, its connection to other cultures, and the importance of passing the legacy on through the powerful art of Storytelling.