The 2007 Spiritual Pilgrimage to Meritah
Going into it I knew that this would be different from any of the traveling I had done in the past. I could be sure of this because my experience as an Initiate within the traditional education system had already proven to be worlds different than any education I had pursued before. This is not to discount my previous travel experiences, throughout my life I have always been extremely fortunate to experience other cultures from the perspective of family and of community. When I have traveled to countries vastly different from the one I was born and raised in I have had the opportunity to stay with families, experience the day to day life far from the cultural isolation of the hotel or the tour group. For many Americans abroad, a trip to a foreign country is not much different from a trip to the museum or zoo. The typical tourist is shuttled around, and, from behind the safety of the glass pane of the tour bus window, observes the culture but never touches it. Well, maybe in some cases this is appropriate, maybe the touch of the typical American would soil the cultural purity of some parts of the world. They might leave behind them the scent of capitalism, or the dark shadow of Hollywood. But I knew that this would not be the case in traveling with students from The Earth Center, and I could be sure that this would not be the case traveling with Master Naba. After months of being educated about the pricelessness of strong cultural values, and preserving what our ancestors have left for us, I knew that there would be nothing but great respect for the culture expressed by the students on the pilgrimage.
Khefira HaSati
Earth Center Initiate, Chicago, IL, USA
Upon first arriving in Merita I came to a realization. When I went to use the restroom I saw that in the hotels there were no seat attachments on the toilets. It would turn out that the hotels would be where we would find bathrooms most similar to those we know in the states. This detail would really set the stage in my understanding of our traditional culture and its ability to remain realistic about the situation. In America, we have a great, fancy toilet, some even have padded seat some even have padded seat attachments and soft carpets in front of them for the comfort of your feet, we put baskets of magazines or newspapers next to thur feet, we pur baskets of magazines or deins our busines: We have turned even this basic human necessity of deffication, which realistically has nothing comfortable or luxurious about it, into a luxurious activity where we find relaxation and pleasure. In Merita I did not want to stay in the bathrooms any longer than was absolutely needed and with no seat to sit down and it was much harder to do even if I would have wanted to. In reality we have done an excellent job, here in the states, of manufacturing a big illusion around this simple body function. Well we have a saying at The Earth Center that goes, "How you are with anything is how you are with everything."
This was a big part of the culture shock that we would experience. There is much less energy put into the taste or presentation of the food especially in the villages. Though the food is still tasty it is not as heavily spiced, it is valued for the nourishment and energy it gives the body not the taste or pleasure it gives eater. As each one of us succeeded in releasing our necessity for illusion we would be very comfortable and maintain a level of relaxation from the absence of stress caused to the mind when our illusions and the illusions that others benefit from our living in, are released.
Once this took place we were able to observe the benefit of being in a place with such rich culture and values. Upon our arrival from the States to the Accra airport in Ghana we walked, accompanied by Master Naba's son to a telephono office where we tried to reach Master Naba by phone, who was in Sokode, Togo. We could not reach him and this led to us explaining to the men at the office where we were headed and the situation that we were in; it was well past midnite and we needed to find a hotel.
One of the men in this telephono office led us to a taxicab and then accompanied us to two different hotels to make sure that we got safely to our destination with no hassles or problems. This happened many times during our trip. There was a level of humanity that is just not seen here in the consumer-based marketplace of the United States. It is what happens when the illusions of life are taken out and people who's goals are aimed at being quality people realize that alone we are weak and we need each other to survive.
On our trip from Accra, Ghana to Sokode, Togo we rode the infamous "bush taxi" we had heard about the bush taxis from our elders in The Earth Center that had already been on pilgrimages. They had told us how packed and cramped they could be as well as how unpleasant the aroma of so many people packed in one van can get. This was all true. In a sixteen-passenger van we rode for hours on end with 24 passengers, in some of our bush taxi adventures we rode with chickens or guinea fowl and even some with goats or extra human passengers hanging off the roof. It was an experience but it re-emphasized the difference between a culture who's necessity is comfort and luxury (United States) and a culture who's necessity is practicality, reality and survival (Merita). In one of these bush taxi adventure we were taken off the road by our driver (not to vorry, he will not be hired next year), who from then on became known as "chaufferu de la infirme" (Chaffeur from Hell). While we were trying to push our van out of the thick mud of the corn cops two semi-trucks and one other bush taxi stopped to assist us. One of the semis towed us back onto the road, this process ended up taking over an hour and all of the people who stopped stayed to see us back on the road. When we all succeeded, many of us tried to thank the brothers and sisters who had helped or lent their support only to the reply of big smiles and heads shaking in disagreement while saying, "We are all one" or "We are all humans."
We were received so well in air of this sentiment everywhere we went that it really made us feel at home. We were able to go to a few spiritual and social ceremonies all of which we were asked to participate in and when we did were shown a lot of gratitude, support and enjoyment. The experience of being in a real social fabric and amongst our own culture that we were taken from gave us such a warm feeling it is hard to explain in words.
There was a level of hospitality that we witnessed that far surpasses what we know here in the states. There are a few places in the US' South that mimic this but paired with the culture, social fabric and the feelings of family, Merita hospitality stands alone at the top. As one of the requirements of being a Kem says, it is a requirement for a Kem person to do charitable acts for other Kem people. We were able to witness and experience the effect of people fulfilling this obligation firsthand. In the villages and traditional areas of Merita this human value is seen as second nature in the people.
Sadly however there is an ever-pressing issue that is threatening the beauty and the value of our culture and home. This is the cancer of the colonial influence and the modern values or lack of a value system. In the big cities you could see the youth growing up idolizing to a certain extent the corruption that is found in the states. You can see a big difference in the behavior demeanor of and the youth and adults in he village compared to the big cities. You could see the ideas of individuality and selfishness that has infected those in the big cities. This was sad, because though dramatically different than what we see in the disregard for others here in the states, one could see the path of destruction of cultural values that has started. One can also see the beginnings of the path of destruction of the natural environment as well. Now when one flies into a big city like Accra at night time they look down to see the burning lights over the Earth's surface, which as Master Naba once observed is like seeing an open wound or searing burn on the Earth. In the village we noticed that the natural environment is not destroyed or altered unless absolutely necessary. Master Naba said that we (the Gourmantche) do not even dig into the Earth more than a few inches unless digging a well. This emphasizes the concept of humans sacrificing their desires, conveniences and time in order to preserve the well being of the environment and those around them. This is truly the underlining concept of human quality, and one experiences it in Merita.
Considering the cancer that is spreading throughout the world it is important for all individuals interested in preserving their existence and the existence of the natural world to begin to put our energy towards cultures that live according to this selfless life preserving concept. Perhaps it is important to show our dissatisfaction with the way the modern world is ruining the existence for everyone, but much more importantly we must show our support for our brothers and sisters back home who have maintained this beautiful way of living since humanity's beginnings through all of the seductive, contagious, corruption of the modern world. I recommend that anyone who reads this accompany and recommend those you know to accompany The Earth Center on the next Pilgrimage to experience such quality and begin to put themselves on the side of the preservers, the builders rather than the destroyers.
Nehez Meniooh
Earth Center Initiate, Chicago, IL USA
The era unfolding before us right now is an era for every son and daughter worthy of Wsr, to assert and to elevate ourselves. In an era in which the only alternative being, no doubt, a reassessment of everything that belonged to our ancestors - as in cultural and traditional assets - as in the traditions of those who knew how to rule over our ancestors by keeping them together and in harmony, and who created objects coveted by many, I was left astounded but also filled with wonder by the passion and infatuation of the initiates from The Earth Center during their last pilgrimage to Kemet.
Those initiates who aim at reactivating these Kemetic (traditional) values to counter the Sethian actions which, even now, continue to plunge us into this state of disgrace. So words cannot express my satisfaction with all these initiates who, seeing what lay before them, understood that the stakes were so high that they needed to cross the oceans and brave the air to return to their roots (Merita, to the bosom of their peers.
Even today, nostalgia holds us together as we remember the moments spent with these initiates and the atmosphere which prevailed under the roof of The Earth Center here in Kemet and around Master Naba who was happy at his return to home. Without devoting more time on these details, though moving and nostalgic, the incredible thing for me was to observe them quickly and painlessly learn the day-to-day life of the Dogon people, even though they had lived for a long time in a society that is different and contradictory to the realities of Kemet.
Some people brought their bare hands to farm work and others to domestic activities. The men whom they met were their fathers, the women their mothers and the young their brothers and sisters, and the fact made real their sense of family and politeness.
And these virtues made them Kem people. No one could think that they had come from another world whose system does not stop plunging the human race into distress. From today as before, this continent (Merita), which has longed for people like them, will not stop shouting loud and clear in order to bring in its next renaissance. And Merita's revival will happen only because of the commitment of its worthy daughters and sons all over the world who accept The Earth Center.
I say to these initiates, "Be sure and proud to be an example and a model for others, seeing your determination and your courage. One clue is that His Majesty the Great King of Gulmu (The Gourmantche), symbol and protector of the values which our ancestors left us, has made you his famous guests by opening the doors of his palace Brandly and constantly - all this recognizes and supports your fight against the dehumanization of people of color and against the devaluation of their spiritual system. Since it is the home of all homes and the pillar of all knowledge, I could not close without expressing my strong wish to se you again, very soon, in Merita, and with the new soldiers who took on the struggle against forces of Seth. Our effectiveness in this batle depends entirely on our wilingress to bring ourselves closer to our ancestors. Bur crabling his commour willingnes to brings speaks well for the future of our children, in this world as well in that of Wsr's."
Lamoussa Naba Bassirou
Earth Center Initiate, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Merita
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