Onye Kwe Chi Ya Ekwe: Decoding the Igbo Proverb

With this post, let’s try to unpack some of the lessons + wisdom folded into this Igbo ilu, Onye Kwe Chi Ya Ekwe. Before we do that, I’d like to recommend a song which has this ilu as a title by Great Abaraka - Onye Kwe Chi Ya Ekwe, which you can listen to on YouTube, afterall what is this life without egwu (music or play)?

"Ilu" is a word for proverb or axiom in Igbo language. Ilu is used to convey complex stories, principles and situations in a few words, through phrases that capture and retain the essential meaning of the experiences from which they are derived. Ilu bu nnu e ji eri nri, it is salt with which words are eaten. Ilu bu mmanu ndi Igbo ji eri okwu. Personally, i like to think proverbs & axioms are to Igbo language what the moon is to the sun, and then what they are to the earth is what proverbs are to us as a people.

Onye Kwe Chi ya Ekwe, posits that anything you agree to (that you truly believe in) your Chi is bound to agree to it, because that is how the cosmic law that guides the subconcious mind (Ikpa Chi) works. It cannot violate the human will, which is a faculty of the soul which self-determines, inclines, desires, and chooses. The human will is part of what makes us uniquely human, it is a mode that marks and identifies our souls as higher reflections of God (our source).

This ilu actually teaches us of the power of our subsconscious mind. Your subconscious mind is a part of your mental process that influences your thoughts, emotions, and behavior. Your subconscious mind is the sit of your Chi. Let me repeat that for emphasis, YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND IS THE SIT OF YOUR CHI, it is where your Chi resides. In fact, if we were to over simplify the phenomenon, we could say your subconscious mind is your chi and the statement would still be correct. Your subsconscious mind is a secondary mind system that regulates everything in your life. It is like a huge memory bank that stores everything that ever happens to us, and its capacity is virtually unlimited, sound familiar? It is responsible for all the reactions and automatic actions we can become aware of if we think about them, like our ability to drive a car or make a meal or take a shower. Your subconscious mind is subjective and does not think or reason independently; it merely obeys the commands it receives from your conscious mind. It is constantly running programs to control how you walk, sit, breathe, talk etc. This ilu teaches us that our Chi (subconscious mind) is malleable. It teaches that your chi is able to agree to, permit and accept whatever you embrace, believe and accept within yourself as your reality. Your chi has the ability to amplify and actualise (manifest) whatever you accept for yourself.

Onye kwe chi ya ekwe, implies that the future is not set in stone, it is not fixed, and that it can be influenced or changed by various factors. This ilu provides us with the wisdom of multiple possibilities, the knowledge that at any given moment, the future exists as multiple possibilities and can be influenced by our choices and actions. It teaches us that we have the agency and the power to shape our own destiny. In Igbo reality, we have the concept of ‘Onataru Chi’, which is the concept of destiny, a purpose which each person has derived from their source (god/chi). It is the assigned life purpose given to each individual from their lifeforce, to enable them thrive in this lifetime. It is believed that each person's experiences in life is shaped by their personal spirit (their chi), which is believed to be responsible for their fortune or misfortunes in life.

Onataru Chi as the concept of destiny, refers to a predetermined or inevitable course of events that will happen in the future within a person’s life, but it also holds the idea that it can be shaped and influenced by our choices and actions. It is important not to misplace or misunderstand this concept of destiny. Onataru Chi as a concept posits that while certain events in our lives may be predetermined, we have the power to shape our destiny through our thoughts, decisions, and actions (basically through our belief systems). It is the one thing in Igbo world view which it is said about that Dibias (the masters of mystic knowledge and so much more) cannot interfere with or manipulate, this is because it involves the direct relation of a person’s life force to their lifepath. Therefore, no one else but you can intervene in such a matter that pertains to your will in direct connection to your lifeforce which is the greatest expression of God (your primal source) within you. A dibia may be able to move mountains or quite literally turn water into wine, but when it comes to Onataru Chi which involves what is going to happen, what has to happen, or what is meant to be in your life, you are the only one that can save yourself, no one else can do it for you.

This concept of destiny has been greatly misunderstood overtime, because it can be associated with the idea of fate, which suggests that the future has been decided or planned by God or by some godlike power. However, like every other concept in Igbo cosmology, it accounts for the universal principle of polarity and duality. So this concept of destiny also implies that in as much as fate may be predetermined, we still have some degree of control over our lives and can actively work towards our goals and how we fulfill that fate. 

For more clarity on the principle of polarity and duality which we just made reference to; in a sense polarity is movement, while duality is standstill. We do not have to decide between ‘light’ and ‘darkness’, we have both. This principle suggest that everything in the universe has its opposite or counterpart. Polarity refers to the existence of opposites, while duality refers to the experience and integration of those opposites. Understanding the principle of polarity and duality as our ancestors (Ndi Mvu na Ndi Egede) did, can aid in our spiritual evolution and the expansion of consciousness.

Onaturu Chi as a concept also explicitly points to that which we have derived or accepted directly from our source, which is what we have pointed out earlier. And that which we have accepted from our source, at its purest form, is the ability to be just as it is—to be god in this world (co-creators), to be the greatest expressions of god in whatever we do. No one else can interfere with that process when it is taken up. People excel the most in those areas where whether knowingly or unknowingly, they are the most comfortable expressing their greatest self i.e being GOD. That is also what Onataru Chi, one’s destined path is about. When you do find what that area in life is for you, continue on that path and no one will be able to interfere. 

Remember this ilu as you embark on your life’s journey, Onye Kwe Chi Ya Ekweee. We would like to hear from you, so please leave us a comment below and tell us what this ilu means to you. Share this post with someone and tell us how it resonates with you.

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Eleven Other Cool Igbo Proverbs & Axioms to Ponder on:

1. Aha onye kporo nkita ya, ka oga aza - The name that one gives their dog is the name it will bear.

2. Chi onye adighi n’izu ihe anaghi eme ya - No matter how many divinities sit together to plot a man’s ruin, it will come to nothing unless his Chi is there among them.

3. Ebe onye dara ka chi ya kwaturu ya - Where a person falls is where they were tripped by their Chi.

4. Ebe onye oso ruru, onye ije ga eru ya! - Wherever one who runs reaches, one who walks would also reach.

5. Ife kwulu, ife akwudebe ya - When something stands/exists, something else will stand/exist beside it.

6. Onye nyobe mmuo ofu Chi ya - Whoever attempts to delve deeply into spirit ultimately encounters their Chi.

7. Mmadu anaghi akari Chi ya - One cannot be greater than their Chi’s potential.

8. Mmadụ bụ Chi ibe ya - Each person is their neighbors Chi.

9. Onye cholu iga Chi ya n’iru ga agbagbu onwe ya n’oso - Whoever wants to surpass their Chi will end up running into their own ruin.

10. Onye Chi ya akwatughi, o nweghi ihe na-eme ya- One who has the support of their Chi will remain unharmed.

11. Okwu Igbo bu n’ilu n’ilu, o malu uche akpa ya kpazie omimi - Igbo communication is in metaphors and subtleties; it is up to the eager mind to pursue and decipher the means of the alluded reference in nature.

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Recommended resources:

• Cymatic Waves (Onye kwe, Chi ya Ekwe) | Ọdịnala Institute (Article)

• Inspiring Lessons from the Igbos for Invoking your Personal Chi | Sreelatha Balasubramanian (Article)

• The Heart, Mind and Spirit | Professor Mohamed Omar Salem (Article)

• Step 2: Chi na Eke | Odinani: The Sacred Arts & Sciences of the Igbo People (Article)

• Step 5: Akaraka | Odinani: The Sacred Arts & Sciences of the Igbo People (Article)

• Chinua Achebe on Chi in Igbo cosmology (Article)

• Chi And How To Appease Your Chi | Dibia Nwangwu Uchendu (Article)

• If You Are Seeking Your Life Purpose Read This | An Ode to Chukwu Okike | Udochi Okeke (Article)

• Akaraaka: The Purpose of Your Life | Brian Ewuzie (Article)

• Chi The Supreme Spirit | M. O. Ené (Article)

• What is Chi in Igbo Cosmology? | Ikenga Nation TV (YouTube)

• Chi Explained - Igbo Cosmology | Medicine Shell (YouTube)

• How To Feed Your Chi And Be In Good Terms With Your Chi | Nwaanyi Amechi ọkụnanọ (YouTube)

• Meaning Of CHI In Igbo Odinani | Understanding CHI In Igbo Cosmology | Igbo Spirituality | Voice Of The Sun (YouTube)

• Akara Aka in Conjunction with Chi | Nwaanyi Amechi ọkụnanọ (YouTube)

• Chi Is An Autoring Mechanism | Igboheritage Tv (YouTube)

• ODINANI / African Spirituality : CHI / Qi / KA / Ori | UGOEBENAJA (YouTube)

• Heart & Brain Coherence Secret Revealed | Dr Joe Dispenza | Ed Mylett Podcast (YouTube)

• Neuroscience of Transformation - Cracking the Habit Code | Dr. Joe Dispenza (YouTube)