What Is Tradition?
Tradition (Ọdịnala/Odịnanị/Odinana).
Odinani is the spiritual bedrock of Igbo remarkable tradition, culture and civilization. It is the ancient tradition and way of life of the igbo people that connects humans to CHUKWU OKIKE through our various, personal spiritual guardian called Chi. Amazingly, Odinani is an ancient sacred science that enable our people live in peace, joy, love and harmony with the cosmic, Chi and the supernatural forces called “mmụọ” or alushi. Tradition is the ancient way of venerating natural spirits of the land, water, fire and air. It has been the way in which one can get his or her heart’s desires from their ancestral spirits. During our forefathers era, tradition existed and will continue to exist even in the next generation. Tradition has been existing before imported Christian religion and for religion to overpower tradition, it is highly impossible. Though, they tried with lots of false accusations, false teachings and campaigns of falsehoods that made people to destroy their ancestral spirits which affected many kindreds. However, they did not succeed with the false accusations.
Tradition is the natural way of communicating with spirits, though some people are turning it into something evil and demonic by doing what the ancestors abhor, this made many people see it as evil beliefs. In tradition, we have natural spirits that have been existing even before our forefathers, the spirits are: 1. Agwụ 2. Ndị Ichie 3. Ajani 4. Ndị Mmiri 5. Mmụọ (Udo, Ogwugwu, Ngene, Ngwụ, Akpu, Orji, Ofufve, Akwali Ọmụmụ, Arọbunagu etc), these are the spirits that make up tradition.
Every human created has spiritual link with all these spirits, but they can only bless and protect those who recognize, align, venerate and appease them. Many abandoned tradition to religion, while many abandoned religion to tradition based on their beliefs and reason. Actually, true living that can make one live long is found in tradition. Religion believes in false and man-made doctrines. Religion is always against tradition. That is why many religionists always regret at last as it is filled with doctrines and dogmas. Many who know the truth but afraid of being known for one, stand on both sides (tradition and religion).
Oftentimes people ask the meaning and difference between Ọdịnanị and Omenana Igbo. Remember that Igbos speak their language according to their mother tongue dialect and location. They usually mistake Omenana and Ọdịnana to be same whereas they are not. Spirituality is Ọdịnana (tradition) while Omenana is Culture. Omenana is hinged on Odinana. Ọdịnanị is highly spiritual made by spirits, nature and has no expiry date. Omenana is about culture, the people’s way of life, their food, how they dress, music, myth, folklore among others. Omenana is fabricated by humans according to the exigencies of time based on their own cosmology. Cosmology is the perception of people, how they view the world based on primordial ancestral evolution. Omenana is documented and written in books for instance in the Bible, Torah, Koran, Bayagad Gita, Five Classics Nkowmi, the Grail message among others while Ọdịnanị is intrinsically spiritual in nature. How does one begin to write and document about it? The spirit guides operates on different levels and instruct the chosen ones according to their spiritual vibration and energy. Ọdịnanị is unadulterated and without human input. It is written and engraved in Nature and can never be documented! It is the greatest and at the highest echelon. Ọdịnanị is most valuable, a never ending cycle and a school of spirituality with an invisible voluminous spiritual library. One does not need to attend a university to know about Ọdịnanị Igbo spirituality like the yorubas do to learn about ifa.
However, Omenana is induced by humans filled with doctrines and dogmas. A people or community can as well establish their own Omenana for their own selfish purpose and betterment. It can be for edification or destruction based on their peculiar needs! Frankly, It is not universal!
The reason Igbos neglected their culture for Christianity is because Christianity is a hiding place of evil doers. We need young men and women who will uphold and practice the Ọdịnana spirituality. Not get-rich-quick occult minded individuals. I get a lot of questions on tradition (Ọdịnana) daily. I am not surprised at such questions being thrown my way as a Dibịa Ọdịnana. This is because the bad ones have soiled the outlook of tradition. Let me state it unequivocally that Tradition is nature. Tradition is your root (Nto ana). Tradition is not bad the way it is portrayed to be in Nollywood movies.
Tradition is not about being diabolic or fetish. It has nothing to do with the devil/Satan/demon/occult. Tradition does not hinder people’s progress in life. Tradition is not about killing people for money and material gain. If actually it happens, it is going against nature. Tradition has Nsọ (dos & donts). One can actually view Tradition as the law of cause and effect. It simply means that whatever good and bad deeds one does or mete out to people, is returned back in double folds in lgbo language ọ metara buru n’ishi ya. Tradition does not have heaven or hell. Rather, tradition is very peaceful as it encourages real Nwafo to know their your root and ancestral foundation which is uplifting and rewarding. Strive to know the foundational
spirits backing the lineage like Udo, Ogwugwu, Ngene, Ngwụ as knowing them will be rewarding. This knowledge should serve as an eye opener for one to fulfill their purpose on earth. Therefore, it is pertinent for one to embrace their tradition and learn various ways to be in tune with the universe. The mistakes our parents made which affected them should not be repeated in our generation. We need to pay more attention on spirituality/tradition than religion. Every country has their own tradition and a generation without tradition have no future. They always end up in crisis, confusion, herd mentality and are subdued into beliefs of white supremacy.
Tradition comes with peace of mind, body and soul unlike religion that threatens one of going to hell that does not exist, if you do not keep to its doctrines! Religion promises one heaven therefore lots of Christians resorted in making earth inhabitable for others. Tradition is based on Nsọ Ani, many inhuman acts are not condoned rather considered taboos, abomination or sacrilegious when undertaken by any defaulter who is prone to correction and carrying out of cleansing rituals in atonement.
Religion promoted lesbianism, homosexuality, bestiality and other evil social vices while it damaged our communal lifestyle in various parts of Igboland. It brought about a decline in our population as they forced monogamy on Igbo society. Reason, we have high rate of single mothers, prostitutes, slay queens, side chicks among others. Previously, in Igbo society, polygamy was practiced and there was no existence of prostitution, but the advent of religion spoilt our cultural heritage. However, it is not late to return back to tradition because it is the way of life and prosperity for indigenous people
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