Reflection on the Initiatic Tales of Hej-Ptah
Prophet Neb Naba has a way of speaking volumes in just a few short statements. The Introduction to the Initiatic Tales of Hej-Ptah summarizes my first year of initiation in less than 3 pages of text. The remainder of my life will be spent trying to implement the doctrines he shares with humanity and this lifetime will not come close to being long enough. Every initiate knows it takes a great deal of humility, honesty, and courage to take this journey. There are no shortcuts. One can not coast along. The path is hard, long, lonely, and steadily uphill. New challenges are at every junction and corruption lurks in every crevice. But we all must begin where we are, wherever we are.
As a child, I can remember asking my parents and elders very innocently, “Why did God make us, why are we here?” I was filled with questions that no one seemed to have answers to. The answers to these types of questions would be referenced to the Bible in some form of fashion. My mother, in particular, always referred me to the Bible for everything. She would give me answers I guess she felt were appropriate for a young child without really answering the question. As an adult, I assume she didn’t really have an answer because no one answered her youthful questions either beyond “It’s in the Bible.”
This scenario is quite similar to my young nephew asking me about his purpose a year ago. I gracefully danced around the question with witty little remarks that seemed appropriate for an 8 year old. I dodged the question by putting it back on him with some lame response of “You have to find that out for yourself.” Thankfully, he didn’t ask me if I had found my purpose. Whew!
This seemingly tough question isn’t really tough at all if you have been properly educated. But without the foundation of the creation of humanity, one is lost and bound to repeat what has been repeated to them. The M’TAM teachings make it crystal clear that most people don’t have a clue about much of anything. Human beings can not invent; we are only capable of copying. Due to limitations of the human being, we can only teach our children what has been taught to us. So, if we have been taught fabrications, lies, and barbarism, we pass that on to our children even with the best of intentions. We won’t even recognise the evil as evil because the evil is so embedded in us; and no one willingly just admits to being evil and corrupt unless it can be convincingly presented. Evil is so dynamic that it can disguise itself in any form. Evil can cloak itself in the most enticing and beautiful fabrics of existence and weave its way into even the hidden spaces.
If you ask a typical human being what is evil, everyone will point to everything that is outside of themselves. If you want to find evil, look over there. Prior to the M’TAM education, I would readily point to Wall Street, politicians, governments, and the racist colonisers as the true face of evil. I was convinced that my battle was with THEM over there. Having been exposed to the Kemetic teachings, I realise that the true battle is within me. It is only behind closed doors that I can reluctantly admit to all the evil that dwells in me that I must battle on a daily basis. The toughest part is letting go of what has come to destroy me and replacing it with what ensures my survival. Although it is very logical and sounds rather simple, it comes with many challenges.
The tendency to destroy is evident in everything that the modern society promotes. This destructive nature is rationalised because this society sees the destruction of another as the only path to survival. This is the principle of evil that is represented by SETH. But if destruction keeps destroying, what will be left? Destruction will feed upon itself until it is also consumed. This principle of evil lies within every human being and must be contained in order to survive. If not contained, evil will overcome the individual and lead the one to self-destruction.
The principle of good that is represented by WSR/HERU also lies within every human being. This is the principle that most of us find comfort in identifying with. We like to view ourselves as “the good one”, a child of God, and some even go so far as to call themselves the “chosen ones”. We readily see the good/God in us, but we would destroy anyone who points out the nature of evil/SETH in us.
The survival of humanity rests in our ability to stop viewing existence in this dualistic manner. Good vs evil. Us vs. them. We have created these battles based upon our own limited human perceptions. We have taken the keys and codes of human behaviour and shaped them to our own likings and understanding. We have fashioned the original blueprint to now be the very road map that threatens the existence of humanity.
The M’TAM education gives the initiate a chance to see how all of humanity has strayed from our original mission in life. I have been taught how both principles of good and evil are necessary, but must be carefully balanced. I have been given history lessons that fill in the blanks for many of the adolescent- type questions that I’ve spent my life searching for. The Kemetic School of Philosophy and Spirituality gives the initiate an opportunity to return to our original goals; to reclaim our ancestral traditions and to wake up from the barbaric stupor I’ve been trapped in.
It would be very easy to walk away from this path because of my emotions and corrupt nature. I am faced with many challenges as a human being trying to reach the world of the NETERU. I am getting a glimpse of reality and it contradicts my original perceptions. As Master Naba says, I am like an orphan that has been reared by my father’s assassin. The choice lies with do I do what is logical or do I do what makes me comfortable. Logic reminds me that I made a promise on the 19th day of TEHUTI to be good. Logic also shows that survival comes with sacrifice; it is not fun or easy but necessary.
I know I am living in a world of barbarism. It is useless to point out all the examples of barbarism around me unless I am going to do something about it. This education challenges me to realise I cannot change the world around me, I can only change myself. I must be the person that I want to see in all of humanity. So my greatest challenge does not lie with colonisers, corrupt governments, racism, inequalities, and the like. The greatest challenge lies within me and continuously finding the courage to continue to climb uphill. Daily, I must recognise the evil in me and find ways to contain it.
A year ago, I envisioned sitting around in circles roasting marshmallows reading these campsite stories of The Initiatic Tales of Hej-Ptah to young children and enlightening their young minds. Here I sit deeply contemplating the first 3 pages and I’m filled with childlike wonderment. I realise it is my mind that needs to be enlightened to go beyond my original perceptions of everything. By changing myself, perhaps I will become fit to guide others back home.
