Contemplating The Commandments: Thou Shall Not Take Milk From The Mouth Of A Child

Contemplating The Commandments

Thou Shall Not Take Milk From The Mouth Of A Child

On the 19th Day of Tehuti, human beings were given the gift and responsibility of the Seventy-Seven Commandments, or the Code of Human Behavior. We convinced the Gods on that day that we wanted to be like them and replicate their world. We vowed to follow the Seventy-Seven Commandments, as the Commandments were given to humanity to ensure quality upon Earth. On the 19th of Tehuti, we were also told that we would be judged based on the Commandments. We would present ourselves before the God Wsr, and the history that we wrote for ourselves would be evaluated and weighed, based on how closely we followed the Commandments. The Gods blessed us with the Seventy-Seven Commandments but did not give us an understanding of them. It was and is still our obligation to seek an understanding of the Commandments. Some are clear-cut and easily understood, while others can leave the mind puzzled and confused. The short articles below attempt to help the seeker understand the Commandments and are written by various Earth Center Initiates.

One commandment that has given me a challenge states:

Thou shall not take milk from the mouth of a child. I can understand the literal meaning, but am trying to find deeper meaning as well.

We know that for a young child, milk is vital. All the elements a child needs for growth are fed from the mother to the child through the milk. I can see a close relationship between taking milk from the mouth of a child and the act of colonialism. The act of colonialism consists of stripping people away from their own culture. A baby will die if it is deprived of the substance that gives it life, just like a civilization of people will self-destruct without its cultures, values, traditions, languages, music, etc.

Colonialism has been destroying the values and qualities of humanity. It pulls humans farther and farther from our traditional ways that have survived for hundreds of thousands of years. These traditional ways hold the knowledge of how to survive and work harmoniously with the Earth. Colonialism acts as the hand that takes the milk from the mouth of a child. It separates people from what is vital to them the mouth bond between human beings and the Earth by taking away all the elements that teach us how to co-exist with nature. 

We can all look around us with an honest eye and see that our world is crumbling due to the effects of colonialism. This is why we must return to our original values - the values that existed long before our colonizers came, that our ancestors lived by, that maximize our qualities and bring human beings together.

- Marrwho Ha-Sati

The commandment "Thou Shall Not Take Milk from the Mouth of a Child" is one that I view both literally and figuratively, finding both aspects lead to the same concepts of human obligation and entitlement. 

Heru was born an orphan (as Wsr had died before his birth), as well as premature, weak, and alone. We are all born this way. Nobody asks to be born and therefore there are no attached entitlements or "rights", except for one. That "right" is the chance to survive. The only chance an infant has to survive is through milk, as the milk provides all of the nourishment needed to become strong and healthy and develop human abilities. 

To take milk from the mouth of a child is to stand in the way of a human being's chance to survive. As spiritual beings whose goals include the preservation of life, we must be very conscious of this commandment. It is also imperative that we stay aware of the many ways in which our society is set to trap us into breaking this commandment.

In our modern, westernized culture, there are other ways milk is taken from the mouth of a child that are not so obvious. There are many instances in this culture where mothers and fathers split and the children are not properly provided for. When a parent does not contribute enough to his or her child's welfare, and the child suffers from a lack of nourishment, the parent could be considered as breaking this commandment.

There are also instances within our culture of parents placing their own wants and desires over their obligations to their children. When a mother spends all her money and resources in procuring drugs or alcohol to sustain her habit and does not have enough left to provide proper nourishment to her children, she could also be breaking this commandment.

When a mother, as many mothers in this culture do, chooses not to breastfeed her child for reasons of comfort and convenience, it could be considered breaking this commandment. A mother's milk is formulated especially for her offspring and although there are countless formulas that mimic this substance, there really is no substitution for a mother's milk. By denying one's child the milk that was specifically made for her, one is breaking this commandment.

Commandments like this one demonstrate aspects of the human existence that come the closest to "rights". While most "rights' are nothing but illusions based on our emotional comforts, the right to survival is one that we, as spiritual people and students of M'TAM, should always take seriously. The best way to ensure the survival of humanity includes following the Seventy-Seven Commandments and striving always to do the right thing. 

Matiati Ha-Sati

Looking back at my childhood, I was raised by my mom, my aunt, and my grandparents. They all had one thing in mind for me and that was to ensure my proper growth and well-being in this world - I mean my survival.

If you're a caregiver of children, you know how much you are concerned for them. You want them to be safe, healthy, wise, and comfortable. You would do anything to ensure these things for them. If you aren't a caretaker of children, you know how parents are like this - they seem to always be on your back about everything to make sure you are "okay".

The commandment "Thou shall not take milk from the mouth of a child" basically says that you should do anything for your child to survive and not deprive the child of its need for survival. This is because doing so can hinder their growth mentally, physically, and spiritually. Wherever you come from or whatever your beliefs are, you know that the growth of a child is very important. Children are your priority, no matter if you are a parent, aunt, uncle, grandparent, or sibling.

There are situations where we find others breaking this commandment, and they may not be situations we would realize to be hindering a child's growth or survival. One example is putting a child in a foster home for a long period of time or up for adoption. A child needs their family to take care of them, not a stranger. They lose their roots and background. They lose connections with their relatives, therefore, making them vulnerable to spiritual and mental destruction. They need their family for survival.

Another example is slavery. The act of slavery takes away human rights, culture, and traditional lifestyles, all things needed for the survival of a child. Taking away a parent of a child or taking a child from his/her home, causes him/her to lose their identity, something that is needed for spiritual growth.

Although most of us agree that ensuring a child's survival is your first priority, we can find that societies don't always promote this. By keeping the commandment in mind, we can make certain children are given what they need to survive.

-Mahawa Ha-Sati