Men Prostrate, Women Kneel, Culture Does Instruct!
“Only in humility can one receive. He who stands in arrogance before the one from whom he seeks has already blocked the channel towards receiving…….”
Culture teaches, culture uplifts.
In the heart of Africa lies the abode of the Yorubas. Here in Yorubaland they live with unique cultural practices. Prominent among them; men prostrate and women kneel before parents, kings, regents and other elders in greetings or to receive blessings from them.
One cannot but ask; Has this cultural practice any spiritual significance?
Affirmatively; yes. Men prostrate, women kneel in clear recognition of their smallness before their parents, kings, regents and elders.
To truly receive while seeking, one must be humble. One must cultivate humility and recognize the superiority of the one from whom one seeks. Only in humility can one receive. He who stands in arrogance before the one from whom he seeks has already blocked the channel towards receiving and has not cultivated the soil for an anchorage of blessings. Moreover, he or she has blocked the necessary impetus for giving with earnestness. Everything depends on the attitude of the seeker. The seeker receives as much as he or she has given in terms of humility and openness. The Laws are perfect.
The Yorubas again gave us a wise saying; “It’s only a child who lifts his arms, yearning for lifting does one bend down to lift.”
What a culture!
…And so in kneeling and prostrating, we are being directly shown how we human beings should be before our Creator; the Source of All. We must stand before Him in perpetual recognition of our smallness and nothingness.
He who is grounded in the awareness of his smallness before another human being would not find it difficult to recognize his nothingness before the Almighty Father of All. To truly receive from Him, we must approach His Throne in humility and in recognition of our smallness and nothingness before His Omnipotence and His unapproachable Majesty.
One who approaches the Throne of the Almighty Father of All in arrogance, full of his own importance, his own supposed power has already shut himself off receiving; for his arrogance and believe in his own power automatically shut off his belief in the Power of the Almighty.
Herein lies the high spiritual significance of this unique Yoruba culture. Culture teaches, culture uplifts.
©Leo
