By Charo R. Walker
BlackFood News Reporter
At 75 years, Fu Kiau Bunseki, is still going strong. On Monday night he uplifted the audience that gathered at the Indaba Project Lecture Series II with his wisdom, knowledge and humour as he gave insight into the question: “Who are we?”
Bunseki is considered one of the great scholars of African religion, and the leading authority on the Bantu-Kongo civilization. He is also a genuine practitioner of the Kongo spiritual tradition.
In his introduction, he told the gathering – of which BlackFood was a part – that he felt something when he arrived in The Bahamas; something that he had not felt anywhere else. He said that it felt as if people were standing; telling him, “welcome.”
In answering the question, “Who are we?” Bunseki used African cosmology as his frame of reference.
African cosmology or world view, he said, gives us – first – the power to know our surroundings and our environment.
He also stated that this world view enabled us to see and hear things clearly. It allows self healing as no one else – but us – can heal us, he added.
Africans were the first humans and God gave us the first instructions, stated Bunseki. Hence, knowledge of our world view will give us the power to look back and remember.
He used the Congolese culture as a way of explaining the African world view.
For instance, in Congolese culture, no one dies; instead, people go on “vacation”. Ancestors come back, so dying isn’t seen as the end.
In Congolese culture there is also the Vees (V’s); a concept that Bunseki spoke about at length.
“You have to stand in your “V” to be in balance,” stated Bunseki.
He also stated that our “V” can only open to a 180 degree maximum.
Beyond the 180 degrees, we must rely on the community to ensure that we are alright. Hence, our eyes are not for us, they are for others. When we realize this, he said, there should be no hate, no violence; because we are watching out for each other.
Two V’s open and facing each other were necessary for two people to meet, he said. He went on to say that the open V’s were a symbol of marriage, of business partners; of the two becoming one.
Bunseki also stated that the male and female sexual organs – the crotch area – were considered “V’s”. He, therefore, encouraged us to respect our sexuality and know God.
He said that women were cursing the environment that babies have to live in. “You can’t let just anyone into your V,” he declared.
After grounding his presentation with knowledge of African cosmology, he then moved directly to the question: “Who are we?”
However, he encouraged us to ask “What are we?” instead of asking, “Who are we?”
We are not what we think we are, stated Bunseki. He said that we do not even know who we are.
He told the audience that our bodies were simply boxes. And inside each box is identical living seed energy.
In fact, Bunseki stated that we are the seed, of a seed, of a seed, of a seed, of a seed, of a seed, of a seed…..and on and on to the very first creation; the African.
Thus, we are all really millions of years old because we all are connected to that very first African.
Bunseki added that there were no different races since we were all boxes that had evolved from that first African.
Sprinkled throughout Baba Fu Kiau’s lecture were the following words of wisdom:
1. The only time that God works is when a child is born.
2. The Divine Power will provide; look at the trees.
3. Words have power. You can make anything “happen” with words.
4. Symbols have a profound impact on our lives. Be careful of the images that you convey to your children.
5. We are responsible for children going astray.
6. We don’t know who each child will become, so we have to take care of each child.
7. Anyone at the age of your mom or dad is your mom or dad.
8. There is no such thing as the past, present, and future. We go back and forth. We use language from the past in the present. We can change the future from today.
9. There are four important keys in your life: breathing, crying at birth, the ability to do things such as gardening, cooking, and reading, and going on “vacation”.
10. In cities, there is too much cement, less trees, and little air. Walk bare feet from time to time; sit on the grass. The earth is healing us, speaking directly to us.
11. All humans think, act, and feel. They can do these positively or negatively. We make a choice to do these things positively or negatively and then we move on. Making a decision is crucial; thinking negatively isn’t bad.
12. Love is crucial. Love is the key. We have to accept that we are one.♦bf