jaaja_Knower of Self

Sesa Woruban: HTP jaaja_Knower of Self.
jaaja_Knower of Self: htp to you SESA


Sesa Woruban: Question #1: What does it mean to "Know Thyself."
jaaja_Knower of Self: The Self. There is the true Self (pure consciousness or pure awareness) and there is that which most people come to identify with as the ego self (mind, body, senses). The former being absolute reality, the only reality that ever was and is. The later being an illusion or reflexion of the former. To Know Thy Self is not to identify with one’s ego identity (mind, body, senses) as being primary, but to identify with that which transcends and goes beyond the finite state of the mind, body, and senses.

jaaja_Knower of Self: True reality (Self) is that which is eternal, without ending, unchanging. To know one’s Highest Self is to know what is truly real, to identify with one’s true essence, that which is eternal, pure and all knowing. To come into understanding of this knowledge not only intellectually but most importantly, through incorporating it into one’s character and personal nature paves the way towards immortality. This is the ultimate aim of all individual souls. To finally know (through experience of) the answer to the question, “Who am I ". To identify with what is truly real.

jaaja_Knower of Self: Letting go of the world of illusions, the individual soul is now free and able to re-submerge its individual awareness into eternal awareness, bringing about a boundless sense of clarity and inner peace (htp), while still living in physical form and beyond.


Sesa Woruban: Question #2: Explain the concept of "htp"?
jaaja_Knower of Self: Htp (…:…) is symbolized as a loaf of bread (divine food) placed on an offering mat. It symbolizes divine offerings made to the Neters (Gods) who are responsible for maintaining order and balance in the world. Metaphorically speaking, if the Neters are content, then peace and harmony is to be found throughout creation.

jaaja_Knower of Self: To go one step further, Htp symbolizes inner peace. It is the unshakable inner peace that is experienced when the heart (consciousness) is free of all desire, wanting for nothing, knowing that one’s true nature is full, lacking in no way whatsoever.


Sesa Woruban: Question #3: How important is the concept of self determination to Afrikan independence?
jaaja_Knower of Self: If I had to compare the concepts of self-determination and independence to an apple tree, self-determination would be the beginning stages, the roots and body of the tree while independence would represent the fruit. One representing the foundation while the other being an end result. You can’t have one without some form of the other. Adding to that, what determines how successful the end results will be depends on what surrounding conditions the tree must bear. If the seeds of the tree are planted in rich fertile ground, then one could reasonably expect a healthy outcome.

jaaja_Knower of Self: If the seeds on the other hand are planted in depleted, unfertile soil, the end result will be distorted and stunted at best. Self-determination is a mindset that has to be developed just like anything else. It cannot be assumed that Afrikans will be born knowing it. Also, wanting it is not enough. We also have to be clear on how to go about obtaining it.


Sesa Woruban: Question #4: Do you think working within the system to create positive change is a viable option for Afrikans?
jaaja_Knower of Self: Working within the system is an option and to some degree can and has brought about some forms of change, but we should ask ourselves what degree of change are we expecting to achieve by working within this system. The history speaks for itself in my opinion. America has been able to destroy more Afrurakan potential at a faster rate than we have been able to produce positive change for Afrurakan people by working within its system. Our children are being mis-educated in their schools and are dropping out completely.

jaaja_Knower of Self: We are being locked up in their prisons at record numbers, high unemployment, etc. The list goes on. Generation after generation has been born into this system, and with each generation few are able to make it while the many fall to the wayside. If this were a business strategy, with these kinds of results, any rational thinking person would have fired the management a long time ago. We have worked within the American system long enough. It has and continues to fail us terribly.

jaaja_Knower of Self: We can continue to do what is possible by working within the system but must at the same time begin to broaden our perspective.


Sesa Woruban: Question #5: Will you speak a little on the dual nature/mind of the Afrikans in the states?
jaaja_Knower of Self: Today, there seems to be two mindsets that exist within the so-called Afrikan American. First there are the majority of us who’ve been mis-educated and misinformed about our history, the world, and ourselves. The dominant Western culture in the past few centuries has been able to successfully recondition large numbers of us to see the world in a way that places the European on top while leaving Afrikaans with a very distorted view of them selves.

jaaja_Knower of Self: Europeans have promoted Western culture as the most refined and most valued culture in the world, while at the same time promoting the false image that the Afrikaan has contributed virtually nothing to human civilization. In the process they’ve falsely convinced far too many Afrurakan people that in order to get ahead, we must subjugate our own systems and beliefs, and incorporate more western values into our ways of thinking.

jaaja_Knower of Self: Sadly, far too many of us have bought into this false notion. As a result, this kind of Afrikan holds a very distorted image of him self and having no self-identity strives to become more westernized in mannerism. While this group does have some complaints about the system, fundamentally they see nothing wrong with the way in which it functions, at least not to such a degree that would require major revolutionary change.

jaaja_Knower of Self: They believe that through assimilating within the system the imbalances that exist will eventually disappear. So far time has proven them wrong. On the other hand there is another group of Afrikans living in America who have not been comfortable with the arrangement between themselves and westerners.

jaaja_Knower of Self: This group has chosen a different approach. Their path has been one based on the study of our own history, our own experience, and our own image of the world. Through development self-determination will become a reality. This group is skeptical, and in my opinion rightfully so, that the imbalance of power that exist in America and around the world will probably never be equitably distributed if left up to westerners.

jaaja_Knower of Self: Strangely enough, a large number of Afrikaans who belong to the first group feel the same way, but at the same time feeling as though there are no other viable options. They continue to go along trying to make the best of the situation. Both groups fundamentally say they want the same things (freedom, self-determination, independence). At the same time it’s clear that both have chosen two different ways of going about it. Neither group in my opinion knows with absolute certainty the best road to travel. One thing is certain though, the first group is operating on a false premise and therefore in my opinion is destined to fail. You cannot build an image of yourself based on someone else’s image. Self-determination is the opposite of that. It’s about building based on one’s own view of oneself and of the world. The first group’s definition of freedom and self-determination in my opinion is distorted. They seem to believe that freedom and self-determination is to be found in the adopting of Western values.

jaaja_Knower of Self: They are associating an ideological concept (freedom, self-termination, independence) with a specific group of people, believing foolishly that becoming more like these people; these ideological concepts will become a reality. They are chasing an illusion, and so speaking for myself, I’ll take my chances with the second group of Afrikaans who seek to reach these objectives by regaining knowledge of themselves.


Sesa Woruban: Question #6: What are 3 major forces opposing Afrikans in the states?
jaaja_Knower of Self: One. Our ability to control our own, make our own laws and govern our selves. In America the western power structure makes the rules and to a large extent we are forced to go along. Their rules usually don’t have our best interest in mind, and historically were aimed and designed specifically at bringing about our destruction. There is no doubt that this has been a huge disadvantage that we as so-called Afrikan- Americans have had to endure.

jaaja_Knower of Self: Two. Being subject to their rule we’ve become assimilated into their system losing our sense of self-identity in the process. They for the most part educate us. They provide the majority of information we receive about the world, thereby allowing them to shape our perceptions of the world, of others and of ourselves.

jaaja_Knower of Self: As we should know by now, most of what they have taught us about ourselves and of themselves has been wrong, and was designed to give them a psychological advantage over us and other groups throughout the world. We have to change this perception. We must educate our own. It is our responsibility and privilege, and no one else’s.

jaaja_Knower of Self: Third is the issue of dependency. We are far too dependent on the system. We act as though all the answers to our problems are to be found within the same system that is responsible for producing the problems. Again, they educate us, they feed us, we depend on them for employment, etc. We are far too dependent on this system. We have virtually all our eggs in the western basket. The effect of this has been disastrous and has to be addressed. We need more than just one option. We have more options available. We just haven’t utilized them. All that being said, there is no obstacle facing us that we are not capable of overcoming.


Sesa Woruban: Question #7: What do you see a common thread that could unite Afrikans in the states?
jaaja_Knower of Self: Ultimately, all Afrikans must be fundamentally united, not only in the states, but all over the globe. The common thread that should be used to unite all Afrikaans here in America and around the world is the fact that we are all Afrikaans. We all share a common ancestry, a common history, a common experience. All efforts should be made to point out the commonalities we share as Afrikan people and let what we have in common serve as the glue that binds us together.


Sesa Woruban: Question #8: What is your opinion on music as a cultural expression?
jaaja_Knower of Self: Spiritually speaking music represents vibration. I learned from study of Self that all things in the realm of time and space vibrate. To whatever degree you vibrate is where you shall be. One can change their state of consciousness just by altering the degree in which consciousness vibrates. Concentrating on lower vibrations will place consciousness in that place. Concentrating on higher vibrations will elevate consciousness to that degree. So with that background, yes music is a cultural __expression and can give us clues on the state of mind we are experiencing collectively at any given time.

jaaja_Knower of Self: Not only does it give us clues, but we can also pre-determine what state of mind we’d like to promote just by the music (vibrations) we allow ourselves to create and listen to. If you went back and took a look at the kinds of music Afrikan people played, and created throughout our experience here in America and in the world, you can almost sense the mood or mind state we were in at that specific time in history.

jaaja_Knower of Self: Everything from the drum, gospel, ragtime, blues, jazz, all the way up to present day Hip Hop. You can tell what state of mind we as a people are in based on the kinds of music (vibrations) we produced. The goal is to concentrate on higher vibrations, which will yield a better quality of life for us all. Music is a cultural __expression. Let’s express what is best in us and not the worse.


Sesa Woruban: Question #9: What are the dangers in allowing the hijacking of Afrikan creative concepts?
jaaja_Knower of Self: I don’t believe that all information should be shared with all people at all times. Knowledge in the hands of the ignorant always runs the risk of being misused and mis-applied. Some have taken our concepts and claimed them as their own. Things have been flipped on their head and as a result we have suffered. But what rises will someday fall. No imbalance will remain that way indefinitely. So the thieves can enjoy their moment in the sun for now, but they cannot run for long.


Sesa Woruban: Question #10: Please name 3 books that had the greatest impact on who you are today.
jaaja_Knower of Self: If I had to narrow it down to three books that have had the greatest impact on shaping my world perception the first one would be " Mis-education of the Negro " written by Carter G. Woodson. This book woke me up and showed me for the first time just how backward my perceptions of the world and of myself were. This book showed me how the values I had come to believe were my own were not really mine at all, but were the values of those who had programmed me to think and act according to what they saw as my appropriate place in their society. I think I was about 20 years old when I first read this book. From that point on, I knew that all I had learned about the world and myself had to be relearned. This book showed me just how much work needed to be done and gave me a direction in which to begin.

jaaja_Knower of Self: During the course of re-educating myself I found the next book that had a major impact on my life. It was called " Isis Papers" written by Frances Cress Welsing. Before this book, I understood that I was misled and mis-educated about the Afrikan contribution to human civilization. With this book, now for the first time I knew that the damage done to Afrikan people was not only through what was taught or not taught to us through history, but what was also conditioned within us psychologically. She presented many of her theories in this book. Some I agreed with, others I had my questions. But what clearly stood out to me was that we as Afrurakans were damaged psychologically to a degree that to this day most of us still do not completely realize. I began to see that the reason I and so many of my people act out in the counter productive manner in which we sometimes do; it is a result of the deeply rooted psychological effects slavery has had on us. It was another piece of the puzzle that I could now see clearly and begin to correct.

jaaja_Knower of Self: The third book that has had a major impact on me happed just a few years back. I picked up a book called " The Philosophy of Enlightenment" by Muata Ashby and during the course of reading it discovered why after all the years of studying I always felt like something was still missing from the picture. Before this book, I would always reflect on our situation as African people, our struggles, and the struggles of the world in general trying to make sense of it all. I would always end up back at the place I had started, not being able to make sense of the reasons why everything was the way it was. After reading this book it really hit home that the other missing piece of the puzzle for me was the spiritual aspect. I had heard others say it many times, but in my state of mind at that time, being turned off by the current condition of religion in general, I had always dismissed it as escapism.

jaaja_Knower of Self: I had mistakenly associated spirituality with religion, which are two different things, and unknowingly prevented myself from discovering another missing piece to the puzzle. I now know that all knowledge and understand must start from the foundation of what is truly real. What is truly real can only be discovered threw spiritual awakening. Of course, I read many books in between the course of reading these three. I had even read books on spirituality such as the Kybalion and Ra Un Nefer’s books Medu Neter 1 and 2.

jaaja_Knower of Self: All these books had major effect on raising my level of awareness, but the three mentioned above represent major awakening points. The learning process has no ending. I read once where it said, “the one that truly knows, knows that he knows nothing at all ". Thanks again sister SESA for providing me the opportunity to explore my own thoughts. Htp …:…


Sesa Woruban: Thank you for your time God jaaja.
jaaja_Knower of Self: Thank you for having me