Ancestral Wisdom and Modern Application

by Heqitem Shemzimen

These days, it's rare to hear words that convey the concept of "Ancestors." This is not surprising given the system we follow, or should I say, that we endure. It's true that today we refer to our world or system as the modern system, but when we talk about a modern system, it implies that there is an even older system that has been falsified to create this new one.

In ancient times, human beings, from birth, faced natural challenges, that is, challenges that nature, their environment, and their culture forced them to respect; but these challenges were there to ensure the evolution of human beings. At that time, there was no need to teach a human being wisdom; it was the challenges they faced that shaped them until they reached a certain level of wisdom. There was no need to tell a human being that they must be intelligent; nature and education would force them to be intelligent. Intelligence alone does not allow one to become wise; there is also respect for principles, for cultures, for traditions, etc.

So, since the goal of man was to evolve spiritually, there were only two choices: either you evolve with the principles of nature, that is, to face the challenges it presents you, or you decide to ignore nature and these challenges, which we would call the process of self-destruction. There is also the issue of honoring Ancestors. There are people who say they invoke their Ancestors, but their Ancestors don't come. Yes, they won't. We must know that our Ancestors need to be cared for so that they can protect and assist us.

These challenges still exist today, but it's just that the modern man we have become refuses to face challenges. For some, it's total ignorance, but nature knows no excuses. Nature doesn't know what we call reason. For nature, if you don't know, it's because you haven't sought to know. In this so-called modern world, human beings are confronted with the challenges that society or the modern system forces them to face, like religion and politics. Now we can even see that religion has become political. Ancestral wisdom always comes with the concepts of honor,  purpose,  respect for principles, and discipline. In ancient times, when you were born, you were directly subject to the principles of nature. Moreover, all these principles were transmitted through education and language. All of this can be called culture. There was also spirituality, which was the most important and essential thing for man because it is through spirituality that we honor our Ancestors and connect with them.

Today, religion has replaced spirituality, and principles have been replaced by laws. They have even introduced distraction and corruption to distance human beings as far as possible from true reality. They have ensured that people accept what they say, without asking questions. There are many other things I could mention, but I will stop there.

Despite everything I have mentioned that the system forces us to apply, we can still apply our spirituality and our ancestral culture in today's life. It's true that the system prevents us from looking to the past, but it isn't in our house to see what we're doing. The system forces us to work for it, but it doesn't tell us not to work for ourselves. M’TAM teaches us that we can have a sacred space in our home where we can interact with our Ancestors. We can even leave food in this space for the Ancestors. One thing is certain: each of us comes from somewhere, and that somewhere is our past. The modern system tells us that the past doesn't exist, and bases everything it does on the future. For men of different cultures, the past serves as a crutch for the present and a library for the future. The Prophet Neb Naba Lamoussa Morodenibig said, "The world you want to see is up to you to build." Therefore, if we want to see a world where ancestral wisdom is recognized and valued, it is up to us to build this world. No one will come and do it for us. 

He who honestly seeks will find it, and when you find it, do everything to preserve it, since someone in this world is always seeking what you have already acquired. Ancestral wisdom is something that, if we succeed in acquiring it, remains within us, and we have it everywhere and at all times.