IfaPath Logo
IfaPath
proverb

The earth is what we return to

Philosophical Summary

Associated with Ọ̀yẹ̀kú Méjì, this teaching shatters human ego and the hoarding of wealth. It asserts that every journey, regardless of its grandeur, terminates in the earth. It creates a theological symmetry between birth and death, reminding us that no status or power can circumvent the final return home to the soil.

Meaning

Our physical existence is a temporary journey that always leads back to the grounding reality of the earth.

Usage Context

Used during funerals to comfort the grieving or spoken to check those acting with excessive pride.

Sacred Verses

isese

Yorùbá

A dífá fún ilẹ̀; ilẹ̀ ni à ń bọ̀ l'éyìn.

English

The earth is what we return to after all journeys. No matter the path taken, the destination remains the same.

Tradition Perspectives

isese