By Ambrose Ekhosuehi
A sage is a person of great wisdom and in every culture there are human beings of extraordinary character, not even a seer nor a sorcerer but a champion in the life culture.
A sage observes and tells how things are and why nature is not to be blamed for things that happen.
In the ancient period, there were champions of Christendom i.e. St. George for England, St. Andrew for Scotland, St Patrick for Ireland, St: David for Wales, St. Denis for France, St. James for Spain, St. Anthony for Italy.
The reign of Oba Ewuare the Great was notable for the number of famous sages or champions in Benin Kingdom. They were Okhuaihe of Ikhuen, Ovato of Igieduma, Emuen of Uhi, Ezuku of Ogan, Ogan of Ekhua, Ake of Isi, Izelogha of Ilobi, Oza of Oredo, Ebomisi of Ugo, Oravan of Irhirhi, Ireghezi of Ekae and many others. They were deified to remember them for their heroic deeds.
Also there were great women of heroic valour; such as Queen Idia. A valiant woman who surprised the Idah army and wiped the army out. She was the first Iyoba Queen of Uselu. The first Benin Woman, courageous, brave enough to lead troops-arm forces supported by the Christian soldiers when Oba Esigie was at war pushing out the frontiers of his kingdom in every direction at the time the war was against the ruler of Idah; a member of the same family as the Oba. Like saint Walpurga of Germany, Queen Idia began Eko N’ Orhue “stomach of purity” in Benin City.
Queen Idia could be compared to Saint Joan of Arc who helped the King of France to re-conquer his kingdom for at that time the English king was after the throne of France. After overcoming opposition from Churchmen and courtiers, Joan was given a small army with which she raised the siege of Orleans. She then enjoyed a series of spectacular military successes, during which the king was able to be crowned with Joan at his side.
The Benin says “Aise Agbon hi” it is not on Earth one tells what to be. It is destined and if a person looses the law of nature, the deeds will stream back in abundance.
The law of reciprocal action, otherwise known as the Law of sowing and reaping is one of the Laws that hold sway over all the happenings in creation. The divine Law cannot be altered and by their fruits their deeds shall be known.
There was a person in the past earthly life, who was brought before a ruler, accused by the community of attempting to disturb the tradition of the people.
The person was placed under severe punishments. The supervisor would take no nonsense, no standing, no stopping, no singing, no talking and no resting. Work, work at all the time, all day. His whip never left his hands and always ready to deal mercilessly with any one dare violating his order. Urinating is by permission. Any other excuse is not allowed.
Spontaneous song of sorrow broke out from the mouth of the victims. “Our backs are bent but our spirits will not break, we work, we toil, we work, we toil and we work for a meager piece of bread. We work and toil in order to be fed. Our backs are bent but our spirits will not break”
Unfortunately for the workers, the supervisor heard their voices from a distance. Brandishing his dangerous whip, the supervisor came and indeed met the workers singing at the same time bent on their sinew.
The supervisor did not waste time in delivering severe, painful lashes on the naked backs of the workers. Men and women received the same punishment, serious beatings they would never forget.
Just as the supervisor was doing what he did, he sighted one of the boys sitting on the ground, because the boy was working so hard that his machete missed its target and landed a deep cut on the boy’s leg. The others felt sorry and wept for the boy. The pain was too much that the young man could not continue his work and he had to sit down.
The supervisor moved closer to the boy and asked him “why are you sitting down instead of working? The young man tried to explain and to convince him that he was sitting down because he had a serious wound.
He was confident that if the supervisor sees the wound he would be merciful and spare him any punishment.
The supervisor looked at the wound, paused for a while and all of a sudden raised the hard object in his hand and struck a heavy blow on the already bleeding wound, tearing the wound the more and aggravating the pain to an unbearable condition.
An excruciation cry of pain broke forth from the mouth of the young man in total anguish, an indication that the pain was indeed unbearable. The young man relapsed into unconsciousness, the boy fainted. The supervisor looked at the boy and walked away.
The sage advises that whatever one does for a person is actually done to oneself for every act is a seed sown in creation which must germinate and flow back to the sower. In this respect, thoughts, words and deeds are not exempted. Any thought, word, or deed directed at another person will retroactively flow back to strengthened and multiplied.
The supervisor was born cripple, lame-Uke, in the reincarnated world-Agbon ne ariavbere, for the sins committed on his workers because he once destroyed someone’s leg, suffered on and never an arbitrary act of God. In so far as social approval is concerned, subjective factors enter into the definition of sage and sorcery. Objectively sage cures, protects, profits people and things; while sorcery harms, hinders or destroy the victim or something belonging to the victim.
The sage on the other hand champions every good deed. No matter the odd, ogha re gha yon, in the society, in industry, in warfare, in religion, in tradition and profile wisdom without expecting any reward but eternal rewards in the life culture.
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