A Wake Up Call
I met Master Naba in 2006 when he came to the WorldBeat Center in San Diego, CA to give a lecture. Makeda, the director of the WorldBeat Center, had invited him to come and express his knowledge. Individuals from different ethnic backgrounds and all walks of life were present. We were looking forward to the lecture. Master Naba started his lecture, and from the beginning it was a direct wake up call. I called it a "wake up call" because he addressed the following issues:
a) religion - how we worship a god that has no history
b) ancestors - how we have forgotten who really is responsible for us being here
c) politics - because of our state of consciousness we choose corruptible leaders
d) conduct and behaviour - how it is reflected in the family, community, society, etc.
It has been 2 years since that lecture, and I might have forgotten some important points he made, but as he talked I related to every- thing he said. Some questions were addressed to him as he spoke, and he replied to these just as strongly. He then asked the audience to hold the questions till the end. I was carefully listening to every word he said. I was right there with him, enjoying his courage to express his truth.
The time for questions arrived, and as they were asked, I could hear that his message was not received. People did not want to "wake up." They wanted to be told about the Dogons and to be entertained. They were upset that they had not heard what they thought they had been promised: Knowledge of the Dogon. What they wanted was to hear more rhetoric, more stuff and to continue to sleep. They were too blind to see the physical, spiritual, mental and honest presence of a Dogon priest expressing his knowledge and sharing his truth. Yes they heard what he said but did not accept the honest, straightforward message a Dogon priest was delivering. He was assisting us to remember who we really are. He was walking his talk! The audience couldn't see that; they refused to listen. What they saw in him was arrogance. How dare he come to the USA and reprimand us! He was supposed to enlighten our intellect, so they said, but he was enlightening our spirit -- so I heard.
As soon as he set foot inside the Worldbeat Center that night and saw the audience, he must have realised the approach he had to use in order to reach them. Only he knows why he chose to deliver his lecture the way he did. He decisively and strongly addressed the audience on the above issues. Master Naba spoke how ironic it is that we worship the same god of those that enslaved us. He reminded us the importance of being grateful by continuously acknowledging our ancestors who are responsible for our lives. If we want more blessings, awareness, respect and to assist the world to be a better place to live in, it is of utmost necessity to remember our ancestors daily. Because of our alliance to a god with no history and a reluctant attitude towards our ancestors, our actions express a lack of consciousness that directly affect our family, community, society, nation, etc. Each person reacted to the lecture in accordance to the motive that had taken them to it. I was a satisfied and happy listener. We heard about the Dogon and we experienced one! I felt elated to see how brave he was to give that kind of message. "More power to him!" I thought. He touched my soul, my spirit. I wanted to know more about him, his organisation, and his message.
I went to the table where the herbs and supplies were displayed for sale. There I met two of his initiates, Nehez and Marrwho. I bought the poster of the original 77 commandments, the Healing Kitchen book, and about 5 or 6 Firefly magazines. We were told that classes would be offered in the future. I was ready to remember this knowledge. It was in 2007 when I became a student of The Earth Center. In 2008 I finished all three classes: Medu, Ka'at Ibi, and Traditional Healing This year, I found out that the lecture I attended was Master Naba's last public one on this continent before he returned to his loving Merita (Africa). I felt honoured to have met him and to acknowledge his message.
This year, 2008, Master Naba left to join his ancestors in the Imentet, the World of the Dead. We miss him physically but we know spiritually we are still connected. Through the study and application of his teachings and the 24 hour commitment of being a Kem (person who accepts and practices Kemetic knowledge), I want to remember him and to evolve as a human being here on Earth. Thank you Master Naba for coming all the way to this continent to assist us in our evolution. Thank you for showing me your power, courage, knowledge and persistence. Thank you to the elders of the Dogon tribe that practice Kemetic knowledge that allowed Master Naba to remind us the brothers and sisters that have been away from Mama Merita (Africa) of these truths.
Each of us that have chosen to evolve and to assist Mother Earth in its evolution need to be persistent and courageous with this knowl- edge that can only make us powerful from inside out, which is the new wake up call for this 21st century revolution! Thank you to our ancestors that have kept this knowledge alive so that even though some move away from them, eventually the cycle is completed and the return is inevitable. Peace is that contentment from knowing your truth which in turn sets you free!