Who Am I doing Here?*

The H3O/Art of Life Blog
3 hours ago
4 min read

By Dr. Gloria Latimore-Peace

Presented by Omni-U Virtual University

"I am because we are and because we are, therefore I am."

John S. Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy.

At some time on your earthly sojourn, you are likely to have asked yourself- in reference to where you are at a particular point in "your" life- What am I doing here?" or "Why am I here?" It is also quite probable that you, too, have gone in search of the answer to these questions in order that you might “do God’s will,” as was the goal of Ancestor Rev. Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Maa Kheru. Like many others, you may have sought after your purpose by enlisting "Life" coaches, reading well advertised self-help books, or attending self-help seminars presided over by expert motivational speakers who are committed to their own "purpose" of making a living by serving as your tour guide.

It is interesting to observe that so many of Us seem to be convinced that the vital answers to Life's essential questions have not been made available to Us. However, there are those who believe that We did not "make Ourselves"[1], as well as that Our purpose was known “before We were formed in Our Mothers' womb”, by the Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Infinite One. Therefore, it follows that it is both possible and imperative that We seek to “come into the knowledge” as did Ancestor Kelan Phil Cohran, Maa Kheru. However, We must resist the temptation to lean on the “understanding” imposed on Us by Our adversaries and their Agents .[2] It is incumbent upon Us to "get wisdom.”

Thus, it is to Our Source that We must hearken for our "identity, purpose, and direction,"[3] if Our living is not to be in vain.

There are even more critical questions associated with the pursuit of purpose. A principal one revolves around the question of identity, ie., exactly "who" is it that is seeking to know what he/ she is doing here?

Because We take it for granted that we know who we are, we are not inclined to ask Ourselves the foundational question posed by our ancient Ancestors as they embarked upon Way of Life, i.e, the Culture:

Who Are We?

Notice that the subject of their question was not the individual ego,”I”, but We, i.e., I and I. [4]

Inherent in the African Way of looking at the world is Ubuntu: "I am because we are and because we are, therefore I am."

It is from this Ancestral perspective that we examine this subject , “Who Am I doing here? Since the "who"- whom we are addressing herein- is I and I , the question applies to We/Us as a people.

To reiterate, It is incumbent upon Us to seek the Wisdom of our Ancestors; to do what we have been admonished to do, i.e., "Know Thyself."

I am persuaded that the "Self" to whom the Ancients referred - the True " Self- is not the same as the personality which has been socialized to “be” and to "see" I and I as a separate "self" that is defined by mental and and physical attributes as well as an endless stream of roles, jobs, careers and pursuits, etc. To say that you are "self- made" is not only an oxymoron, it is an illusion. In the context of this reality,the would-be- clever quip to "do you" defies reason. Who is this "you" that “you” do? And, what is the benefit of doing the "you" that the false version of "you" imagines itself to be and do?

To "Know Thyself," is to know that I and I are not the body. As precious as it is, the body is a transient form that serves as a vessel to embody the "Life" with which We are endowed by Our Source. Life is about Being not about "doing" some “body.” Birth and death are inherent in the cycle of Life. Life is everlasting.

As we return to the question- "Who Am I doing here?"- we replace the interrogative with a declarative statement. It is our conviction that it is "I AM" that matters; that restoring our true Identity requires that our consciousness transcend the level of the question; that We must go, as Mystic Wayne Sebamurti Gentry teaches, “beyond mere thinking.”

Amen Ra

*Revised

Blog/Notes:

[1]Know ye that the Lord He is God, It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves.

Psalm 100:3 KJV

[2] “Your Concept of God and Religion is European” Dr. Marimba Ani

[3] Dr. Haki Madhubuti

https://youtu.be/mCE_megHDss?is=zgLdNneTuLfajWue

[4] I and I is an expression to totalize the concept of Oneness. God is within all and we are One people.

Recommended Reading:

The Nature of Independence: A Look Beyond Mere Thinking” Wayne Sebamurti Gentry

https://share.google/1JuhioYOnDz8hz81H