RASTAFARI: The Name and the Story

... remember that leadership does not mean domination. The world is always well supplied with people who wish to rule and dominate others. The true leader is a different sort. He seeks effective activity which has a truly benificient purpose. He inspires others to follow in his wake, and holding aloft the torch of wisdom leads the way for society to realize its genuinely great aspirations.

RASTAFARI: The Origins

Ras Tafari Makonnen is the pre-coronation title and name of the Emperor Haile Selassie I from which we proudly derive the name of our movement. His Majesty's coronation and subsequent involvement in world affairs were predicted by Marcus Mosiah Garvey. Rastafari, the movement has continued this trend by influencing the political struggles of native peoples such as the Aborigines of Australia, the Maori of New Zealand and the Native peoples of North America.

the setting

In the 1930's, most Jamaicans lived under conditions their grandparents and great grandparents would have known under slavery and apprenticeship (its aftermath), with the exception that their descendants were nominally free.

The continued propoganda campaign by the colonial establishment to instill a sense of unworthiness in the Afrikan and his descendants had raged unabated for over 300 years, because of the economic benefit that europeans derived from exploiting afrikan labour.

It was logical in that context, therefore, to clothe this exploitation in the guise of bringing the gospel of Christ to the heathens.

This period was a time of great ferment within colonial populations especially since many had left their native lands to serve in some function during the Great War as World War 1 was termed. This war repealed the mostly unwritten code among European colonial powers that allowed them to put on or otherwise pretend a united front against their colonial populations. The horror of the war, however , could not be contained. It was clear that Europeans were divided and thus the idea of the independence struggle was born.

In Jamaica and the West Indies, this took the form of labour unrest which was, in essence, the only form of political activism that was permissible.

In Trinidad & Tobago and in Jamaica, this drive to form trade unions and so gain workers rights, the basis of any pluralistic democratic society.

The labour riots of 1938 in Jamaica would bring this simmering sense of injustice to a head and would eventually lead to universal adult sufferage, or the right of the adult population to vote regardless of property ownership in 1944.

RASTAFARI: The Origins

The Bible says in Genesis: "And God said; Let us make man in our own Image". This directly led to the then heretical idea of a black Christ.

Garvey actively encouraged the idea of the Black Christ, to counter missionary colonial propaganda that the Christ of the Bible was racially European and that the teachings of Jesus gave moral justification for slavery and the near enslavement that continued long after it was supposedly abolished.

These and other readings of the Bible inevitably led to the idea that Afrika was not the place of ignorance and insignificance that they were taught it was.

It therefore followed that its people could not be the degraded dregs of humanity that colonial society had brought to a better life, because of its keen desire to raise fallen humanity to its full potential.

The Christ of the Bible is and was prophesied to be a descendant of the House of David, the psalmist. The lineage of the Royal House in Ethiopia stretched to the union of Queen Sheba and King Solomon, the son of that David.

The 1930 crowning of Ras Tafari Makonnen as His Majesty, The Emperor Haile Selassie I , The King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, held so much significance to Jamaicans searching for an expression of their Afrikan identity.

Taken in conjunction with Garvey's admonition to look to the east from which a great king would come; it took on monumental significance for a larger number of people who were fundamentally unsure of the idea of Afrikan empowerment.

Essentially King Selassie I was symbolic of the greatness of Afrika. As leader of the only country that had resisted and remained unconquered by European colonial powers he personified Afrika unbowed. His person validated the struggle to overcome the systematic brainwashing of slavery and colonialism.

His lineage strengthened the idea of Israel in babylonian captivity and it was therefore logical to read references to Christ as referring to Selassie I.

This then led to an ongoing struggle to reevalute the world and to refashion it to fit reality as experienced.

To this day, many people are uncomfortable with the idea of a black Christ, largely because of the way the word black is used as an absolute negative in the Bible and because of the continuing residue of slavery.

yearnings

On the spiritual side, many bought into the promise of equality and fair treatment AFTER death, but many more questioned why it had to wait until then. Why in heaven, but not on earth?, the people asked, but they could get no satisfactory answers.

The emergence of Marcus Garvey as the spokesman for the Afrikan at home and abroad was to open the floodgates of Afrikan yearning to reclaim a nearly forgotten identity.

Many Jamaicans of that time resisted the notion that they were doomed to be eternal carriers of wood and water , in perpetual servitude to the other races because the colour of their skin marked them as being sinful, and the only way to repentance was through a lifetime of penance. Hence the equality part after death, but only after.

Rastafari, therefore, was not a knee jerk response to political demagoguery but a manifestation of Afrikan yearning for identity and re-integration with Afrika itself. In many ways therefore, Rasta is and continues to be "..the dream and the hope of the negro slave..", Dr Maya Angelou.

RASTAFARI: The Early Years

expansion

From the 30's to the early 50's; Rasta continued to grow against the tide of official and social approbation. This approbation had some basis in reality since Rasta challenged the composition of the social order which had white British Jamaicans firmly on top and the descendants of field hands at the bottom. It also challenged the validity of Christianity as practised by the different social classes, particularly the so-called divine right of whites to rule with impunity.

In the context of a particularly difficult colonial experience by the British in Jamaica, vis a vis the frequency, number and ferocity of rebellions during slavery. It was not unreasonable to take this position, given that those factors had led to the imposition of Crown Colony status (That is to say that Jamaica was directly ruled by the Crown through a viceroy) and mass executions of early freedom fighters.

Early elders were charged with sedition and locked up. Others were declared insane and placed in Bellview Mental Hospital, the Jamaican equivalent of Bedlam, a prison for the criminally insane. Churches and schools, newspapers and radio stations were conscripted in the fight against this Ras Tafarian-ism. The basic reason given was that Rasta was the servant of Satan, since Rasta worshipped man in the person of His Imperial Majesty. And a black man at that.

dichotomies

Notwithstanding the apparent dichotomy, Christianity as practised in Jamaica emphasises the godhood of Yeshua ha'Notzri (Jesus of Nazareth) whom we are told is the product of parthenogenesis (having developed spontaneously in his mother's womb). He is also portrayed as being physically similar to those who brought Christianity to the Island in order to further their own agenda. So the entire overclass was united in this fight.

Christianity as practised by european colonials between themselves was undoubtedly full of charity and good works. However, Christianity as imposed upon Afrikans made much of a translation of the bible that equated black with evil and white with good.

The Christian Church in its many manifestations all supported the status quo, until it grew a conscience in the person of William Wilberforce - a Methodist minister- who counselled and eventually persuaded the English Parliament to abolish the slave trade in 1807.

In return for the subsequent abolition of slavery in 1850, West Indian plantation owners were given a golden handshake in the form of a grant of 20 million pounds sterling to share between themselves.

Afrikans who had been put upon since Columbus had been discovered by the native Arawak Amerindians in 1494, continued in poverty.

RASTAFARI: The Early Years

a black god?

Rasta was the lowest of the low, the poorest of the poor, yet secure in his knowledge that his fight was a righteous one. How could a man love his neighbour, if he did not first love and accept himself? and what did it gain a man or woman to deny their blackness, when that could never be erased and when it was the image of JAH. Was it not logical that if God was seen through european eyes as white, then God revealed to the afrikan in exile must neccessarily be black?

Don't try to tell me that a religion that Preaches of a Black God is not a colour thing said the critics.

It's not a colour thing, said Rasta. Logically, why should any one preach hatred of colour when it is not the colour of the skin that one hates but the mindset that almost invariably accompanies it.

People who, as a group, have used skin colour as a weapon are remarkably quick to assume that their underlying assumptions about colour of skin will hold true across the board in reverse.

In this case, first hand experience with those who have come with whips, to those who have come with honeyed lips, have led jamaicans to the conclusion that the medium is the message, thus creating a problem for genuine people.

Who is to say that god is not black? all it does is underline the fact that humanity worships a divine creator clothed in their own image.

If Jehovah can be jewish to jews and the Buddah is chinese to chinese, why should not God be black to blacks.

If the god you worship must have a colour, must you not neccessarily percieve him as white if you are white or brown if you are brown? and who but an ignoramus and a dunce could fault you on this most personal of rituals?

In reality, what was feared was not the fact that a couple of marginalized people forming some cult, it was the ideas behind Rastafari.

The subtext was that black and white were equal. Therefore one could conclude that if black and white were equal, then whites had no inherent right to rule, nor did they have any moral basis from which to impose their philosophies.

And that any achievements that they claimed to have made could not be separated from the glaring fact that it could not have progressed as fast as it did without the unwilling help of afrikans in exile.

Thus, Afrikans were owed a piece of the pie and with interest too.

RASTAFARI: The Early Years

catch afire

At first, society resisted the idea of goodness, let alone greatness in Afrikan people, but as time went by Rasta showed no wavering in the doctrine, despite the horrendous toll that the society through its criminal Justice System inflicted upon anyone who dared to wear dreadlocks or appear to offer support to Rasta. Up until 1972, it was unwritten policy that Rasta must be forcibly put down through the most horrific of means including murder and assault causing grievous bodily harm.

This above all, was the single most important factor in catching and holding the attention of the ordinary citizenry who readily sympathized, when they realized that they were just as vulnerable as Rasta. Now there was a commonality they could relate to. Now they could begin to see the Rasta world view that Jamaica was babilan and run under a babylonian system and that they were like those who wept by the rivers of Babylon, when they remembered Zion:

Because of the scorched earth policies of the colonial administration (which were copied by early Jamaican governments) there was serious effort to move Rasta into militancy of the sort that led to armed revolutions, and this culminated in the attack on the Coral Gardens Police Station outside of Montego Bay in the 1950's. Several policemen died as well as several bredrin. Suddenly the colony had a Ras Tafarian problem. Little could be done, however as decolonization was very much on the minds of the British who were relinquishing their empire left and right. Thus was born the idea of the dreadlocked criminal, a stereotype that has worked its way into Holly-Weird.

Rasta spoke out against this type of violence, reasoning at the gatherings (NIAHBINGI) that the way of Rasta was to shun the works of babilan. Since babilan had used violence upon Rasta and the people, in an attempt to convert Rasta to their corrupt mentality, Rasta could not be seen to be emulating the acts of babilan, however worthwhile the intended result. Which was not the same as preaching the nonviolence of Gandhi, but which had a similar effect. Furthermore, the scriptures clearly said that JAH reserved judgement unto HIMself.

Furthermore, the commandmants were clear: Thou shalt not kill. Thus was born the enduring image that most Jamaicans have of Rasta: That of the peaceloving being.

RASTAFARI: Structure & Organization

expansion

Although there were attempts to form the Rasta church or an analogue, they never really caught on in the movement as a whole. The primary reason for this failure (if it can be so termed) stems from the dynamics of Rastafari, the movement.

Inability to communicate with any degree of regularity meant that Rastas were isolated by geography and therefore the idea of the regular service went out the window. But the idea of gatherings persisted, and thus the Niahbingi was created. The first Niahbingi was held by Prince Emmanuel I, who is revered by his followers as at least being the equal of His Majesty.

Rastafari is such an intensely personal sacrifice that in making it, one outdistances the idea of church and congregation.

While there are many laudable ideas about church and congregation, it has one weak link that is a major problem with the vast majority of Rastafari. Its leader and the council of elders are flesh and subject to the failings of the flesh which is the lot of all Imanity.

The evidence is all around in the churches. Not only that, but the governing body of the church has real power that cannot be separated from their personal lives.

Thus, spiritual power is always associated with temporal power and the risk of such power passing into the hands of the unfit ought not to be a possibility, as it always is.

If Rasta were to be constituted into a church recognized by babilan, then that would create a structure that implicitly recognized the authority of babilan. This church would then have a formal leadership which could be compromised and therefore lead to schismatic interpretations of the Scripture that would not benefit Rasta as a whole, but only in part.

In effect it would lead to the idea that the brain is more important than the stomach, while overlooking the reality that both need to work in harmony.

RASTAFARI: Structure & Organization

commonality

The lack of a definite structure has led to problems that could have been ameliorated by force in numbers, but it has also thwarted any attempts to impose a rigid and universal dogma by any one person or group. Thus, it is a given that no Rasta can speak for all, he or she can only speak for him/herself.

Therefore, the structure of Rasta is similar to that of the internet. This frees the audience of the burden of correlating philosophy with dogma and goes right to the heart of the matter: Is it supported by scripture and to what extent? Thus no one can hide behind the power of a structure and make pronouncements that will materially affect the way one acts upon his/her revelation of JAH, by forcing agreement or disagreement.

Stripped of any underlying power base, such pronouncements can be seen and revealed according to its inherent good sense. Hence there is no fear of censure for those who oppose. Rather there is an unspoken requirement that any pronouncement must be tested in order for it to gain merit.

This is not to say that we do not have a common philosophy, but in our separate revelations of JAH we are able to manifest that which has been revealed to us.

Because the Bible was used to justify the enslavement of the ancestors, it has to be interpreted within a public context to get its true meaning, therefore no one can claim to be more adept at interpreting the Bible. Experienced and with greater overstanding, yes. But no more adept.

After all, the words of one's mouth and the meditation of his/her heart must manifest in a life that strives to be without reproach. And even the mouths of babes and sucklings utter truth that escapes the wisest among us all.

On this level, Rasta is truly democratic in that all Rasta may be teachers and students simultaneously, because of the value we place on revelations. This is similar to the gnostic approach to Christianity, which has been overtaken by the more dogmatic view of established church bureaucracies.

The nature of social pressure and the internal kinetics of Rasta has often led to a distrust of Rasta communities, because of the inherent risks posed to it by the military and constabulary. The major exception is the Bobo Shante who are led by Prince Emmanuel I and who have persisted against all the odds, primarily because of their remoteness and relative inaccessability.

RASTAFARI: Structure & Organization

niahbingi

A gathering of Rastafari originally focused on celebrating important dates in the Movemant of JAH people. Such gatherings revolve around Bible readings, use of the sacramant and drumming as the central activities.

It is more than a religious gathering, however, since Rasta does not compartmentalize life into spiritual and non-spiritual periods.

Now InI must explain that Rastafari is not internalised as a religion. Rastafari is an integrated way of living and of thinking that goes beyond most definitions of religion.

That is to say, that Rasta is in touch with his/her spirituality each minute of the day since the King man or the Queen wears the covenant of dreadlocks as an outward sign of that spirituality and humility before JAH, who is All.

As the movemant grew, the concept of the Niahbingi or Bingi expanded to include dates that did not neccessarily include dates related to the life and travels of H.I.M. Selassie I.

The Niahbingi is a meeting place where Rasta celebrates the gifts of JAH. It is the closest we come to an organized meeting as far as the idea of a church is concerned. These infrequent gatherings are characterized by a sharing of worldly and Iritual (spiritual) gifts. By custom, no one is ever turned away from a Niahbingi, however, by that same token, all are expected to fully participate in the debates and discussion that are characteristic of the Afrikan oral tradition. A concept which can be frightening to those who believe what they will about Rasta.

Such debates and discussions often centre around interpretation of the Bible. The irony, as Rasta is well aware, is that this is the same book that was used to justify I&I servitude in times not too long ago. Hence, the task of interpreting the words of the Bible, which often have been translated with certain agenda in mind, is treated as one which merits careful deliberation. This flies in the face of those who believe that Rasta is illiterate and unschooled, even by Western ideals. Those who are familiar with it, know (as opposed to believe) that the King James Version of the Bible is second to none in the difficulty of its language.

Most people who have read tracts, pamphlets, and self-styled learned books, often come away with beliefs about Rasta, are reflective of their deep rooted ignorance of the dynamics of Rasta. In spite of massive propogandizing, a number of persons do manage to "get over" the hurdle of the misconceptions which are placed before them. This then leads to a greater overstanding of themselves which, in its turn, leads to a more positive vibe and greater inner harmony.

True, Rasta has been a catalyst for social change, and a voice in the wilderness, long before self overstanding became another fad. True, Rasta aspirations and the status quo, do not have much common ground, however, Rasta is not a political being.

RASTAFARI: Living Rasta

livity

A gathering of Rastafari originally focused on celebrating important dates in the Movemant of JAH people. Such gatherings revolve around Bible readings, use of the sacramant and drumming as the central activities.

It is more than a religious gathering, however, since Rasta does not compartmentalize life into spiritual and non-spiritual periods.

Now InI must explain that Rastafari is not internalised as a religion. Rastafari is an integrated way of living and of thinking that goes beyond most definitions of religion.

That is to say, that Rasta is in touch with his/her spirituality each minute of the day since the King man or the Queen wears the covenant of dreadlocks as an outward sign of that spirituality and humility before JAH, who is All.

As the movemant grew, the concept of the Niahbingi or Bingi expanded to include dates that did not neccessarily include dates related to the life and travels of H.I.M. Selassie I.

The Niahbingi is a meeting place where Rasta celebrates the gifts of JAH. It is the closest we come to an organized meeting as far as the idea of a church is concerned. These infrequent gatherings are characterized by a sharing of worldly and Iritual (spiritual) gifts. By custom, no one is ever turned away from a Niahbingi, however, by that same token, all are expected to fully participate in the debates and discussion that are characteristic of the Afrikan oral tradition. A concept which can be frightening to those who believe what they will about Rasta.

Such debates and discussions often centre around interpretation of the Bible. The irony, as Rasta is well aware, is that this is the same book that was used to justify I&I servitude in times not too long ago. Hence, the task of interpreting the words of the Bible, which often have been translated with certain agenda in mind, is treated as one which merits careful deliberation. This flies in the face of those who believe that Rasta is illiterate and unschooled, even by Western ideals. Those who are familiar with it, know (as opposed to believe) that the King James Version of the Bible is second to none in the difficulty of its language.

Most people who have read tracts, pamphlets, and self-styled learned books, often come away with beliefs about Rasta, are reflective of their deep rooted ignorance of the dynamics of Rasta. In spite of massive propogandizing, a number of persons do manage to "get over" the hurdle of the misconceptions which are placed before them. This then leads to a greater overstanding of themselves which, in its turn, leads to a more positive vibe and greater inner harmony.

True, Rasta has been a catalyst for social change, and a voice in the wilderness, long before self overstanding became another fad. True, Rasta aspirations and the status quo, do not have much common ground, however, Rasta is not a political being.

RASTAFARI: Living Rasta

language and voices

The language of Rasta is materially different from that used in English. Although InI will mainly discuss Rasta in English, there are concepts which that language cannot fully communicate, and therefore the Rasta terms will be used in particular contexts.

No one personifies Rasta. InI have no central body to oversee I and to dominate I thinking. Therefore, all authority on who is Rasta is expressed in the Bible. The Bible is not infallible, since it was written by man in search of JAH and expresses only what the particular man or woman saw and overstood in relation to that one's experiences and knowledge.

There are no untrue Rasta. Therefore there are no true Rasta.

Either one fulfills his or her vow or one does not. In this instance InI do not speak wordsounds of judgemant on human lapses, but rather point to essential corruption within the I-rit (or spirit) of he or she who claims to be Rasta, yet continues to be babilan's tool. In this category are included many who claim to be Rasta, and who outwardly appear to manifest Rasta, but whose works fall far short of the glory.

Rasta casts away belief as doubt and embraces knowledge as the only way of approaching JAH. To believe is to allow doubt to creep in and so destroy your livity. Knowledge is as fine gold heaped in the palaces of the Pharaohs.The raison d'etre of Rastafari is praising JAH, therefore the Holly-weird ( Hollywood) demonization of Rasta as violent, drug-crazed criminal elements completely misrepresent Rasta to the extent that the more critical mind may well ask why this is so.

Rasta is not a piecemeal philosophy or religion to be quartered and parceled like trade goods. It is a complete way of life that requires real sacrifice and real committmant. And it places self reliance squarely on the shoulders of the upful one.

To be Rasta is to reject the old self and to rejoice in life. To be resolute, to know that JAH live and to suffer for your knowledge, and in so doing come to know Rasta.

He or she who has not suffered materially, physically and spititually for the sake of Rasta has not truly earned the right to be so called and is yet still in the Roots stage. That of the diligent seeker of wisdom. Only those who have had to live Rasta in the face of major obstacles can truly be said to know Rasta and who, therefore, know that to know is to live.

Faith without works is like the dessicated leaf that falls to the ground, withered and useless only for new growth. Works without faith is like the new bud, full of promise. Faith with works is like the morning sun or the song of birds in praise to JAH.

JAH is man, and man is JAH yet InI are not the same, nor equal.

To behold JAH is to behold onesself and all of I-manity (U-manity [humanity]), for InI was made in the I-mage of JAH. Rastafari is manifested in the one who seeks knowledge for the sake of truly knowing, not in those who seek knowledge for power or perverse fantasies.

RASTAFARI: Living Rasta

precepts

No one dominates Rasta, by consensus and by the demands of the vow of the Nazarite.

For InI am called to seek JAH and to serve HIM, though I man tarry in babilan for yet a while, InI am not of babilan and must be the unyielding enemy of its soullessness and its mad rush for material gain. InI must resist the strong wash of its currents and its siren song advertising decadence and sensuality to the exclusion of spirituality.

No one converts to Rasta.

The deeds of a lifetime cannot be washed away by decision in a split second. Yet by diligence and perseverance is the battle won. InI nuh come to fight flesh and blood, but principalities and spiritual wickednessess in high and low places. Therefore Rasta chants I-tinually, hoping each day for a greater glimpse of the fulness of JAH.

No one can stop being Rasta, anymore than one can cease to be human, or the bird can cease to be a bird.

Many come to the realization after many years that Rasta is not for them, mainly because of heightened expectations and the need to dominate and control that which is inutterably free. The spirit lives, not to serve Imanity but to complemant it, make it whole. Many people are afraid of what they see within themselves and choose to hide from it, by selfdestructing, hoping to deny JAH within them.

No one is sinless.

Not now not ever, while we are yet on this plane of existence. For on this plane InI am exposed to sin, so that InI may fight the good fight and thereby expose the hollowness of its promises.

No one can adequately judge another one.

The man cannot fill the shoes of his brother nor can the sister feel her sister's pain.

Therefore, InI can only judge Iself, and others by I seen (spiritual experiences). Thus am I unfit to cast the first stone.

Yet InI can agree with the judgemant that a one has caused on him or herself, and can therefore turn InI face from that one. For vengeance is the province of JAH and HIS judgemant is HIS statemant on the affairs of man.

RASTAFARI: Living Rasta

doctrines

the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein, for he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the mighty floods.....

Niahbingi do not subscribe to the idea of 2 gods and a duppy (or ghost - the Holy Ghost of Christianity) and insist that God is one, indivisible and undivided and ultimately unknowable on the physical plane. That the manifestation of JAH ought not to be worshipped as JAH, since focus will move away from JAH.

Although there is no practical difference between the manifestation and the power giving rise to the manifestation, it must always be borne in mind that JAH is not limited to, or is wholly comprised of the manifestation. The toe is not the foot but to separate toe and foot is to misunderstand.

This is the major difference between Niahbingi and the other branches. There is no implicit or explicit criticism of other viewpoints in this statement, since Niahbingi cannot and does not claim that its seen is the only seen (spiritual view).

We also hold, along with the other branches, that God is man and man is God and that there is no difference except in power ( in the sense of potential) since we are created in the I-mage of JAH. Our physical I-mage is earthly flesh and heavenly Irit (spirit), therefore InI reflect JAH ... through a glass, darkly 1Corinthians 13:12

That is to say that our seen of JAH is not the God in Heaven sitting on a great white throne, but the God on Earth trodding through babilan (adversity), which implies that all ones can see JAH face and be one with JAH, and that all ones are capable of goodliness (or godly behaviour). Our Seen also includes the concept of a vengeful God who insists upon an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, who requires strict adherence to HIS (biblical) laws, yet who is loving.

Like other Rasta, InI say that Iah will never die. The carcass may perish, but InI will not die. Nor does InI have to fleshly die to enter Zion unlike the teachings of the Christian Church, InI reward is now, on this earth. This is InI heaven, InI hell. All spiritual matters are decided on Earth. InI temporal immortality is in I children and their children's children. InI spiritual immortality is in JAH.

It is foolish to debate upon the exact nature of JAH, since that implies that a one on earth can truly know JAH. The point is that the nature of JAH as any one perceives it, is only an aspect, one fold in a length of cloth a mile long. And it is only in Zion that one can truly gaze upon 'JAH pretty, pretty face..' (Culture)

Niahbingi tams (a toque for the covering of the dreadlocks) almost always include black (for Afrika), unlike the 12 Tribes who wear a banner (equal bands of red, green and gold in their tams) and the Bobo Shante who generally do not wear the colours on their headdress, which is a kind of stylized turban.

In general Niahbingi Rastafari are solitary and do not subscribe to the idea or function of a priest or shepherd who has the power to determine doctrine. We shun the organization of the 12 Tribes and the Bobo Shante from a doctrinal point of view, but we recognize its usefulness to their adherents, that their livity is Rasta and therefore regard this difference as a doctrinal difference that is worthy of respect.

To name a few branches, there are Orthodox converts who attempt to bridge Rasta and Ethiopian Orthodoxy. Their theology is a mix of Christianity and Rasta and is based upon the premise that His Majesty is the manifestation of the Christ who was foretold in Isaiah 53 and various other parts of the Bible. That is they are essentially Christians who wear dreadlocks and participate in some Rasta traditions.

The 12 Tribes of Israel who view His Majesty as the Christ Revealed, that is to say that their theology is based upon a formal Christian perspective. Hence, the 12 Tribes always speak of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ now revealed as HIM Selassie I. They are essentially Rasta who participate in some Christian traditions.

The Bobo Shante (who view Prince Emanuel I as the Christ now revealed in this Iwah[or time], that is to say, within the Classical Trinity Selassie I would be the Father and Prince Emmanuel, the Son).

This group is Rasta who have evolved their own liturgy within a mostly monastic congregational or churchical setting and similarities to Christian Orthodoxy are as a result of the environment (Jamaica has an enormous number of churches per square mile), rather than a conscious wish to emulate Christianity.

Niahbingi Rasta and the BoboShante are exclusively Nazirites (and therefore wear dreadlocks). The 12 Tribes regard the wearing of locks as an option that may or may not be exercised.

RASTAFARI: Living Rasta

addenda

the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein, for he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the mighty floods.....

HIS MAJESTY IN JAMAICA: GROUNATION
While the Government of Sir Alexander Bustamente, given their prior and later treatment of Rasta, did have ulterior motives in inviting His Majesty to Jamaica; any semblance of control of the occasion quickly passed to the masses of Rasta and baldheads (non-rasta) who greeted HIM as they did.

The Daily Gleaner, grudgingly commented that no other head of state had ever been accorded the heartfelt outpouring of emotion that greeted His Majesty. Not even Elizabeth II, the Queen of England had ever had such an outpouring of welcome.

His Majesty was greeted by Niahbingi drumming and chants and a great many people waving coconut fronds (in lieu of palm leaves) and chants reminiscent of Eiasus Kristos' Palm Sunday welcome.

It is this event over all, that cemented the fact of Rastafari on the social scene in Jamaica. In 30 years the movement had already grown to substantial numbers of committed Rasta, in terms of wearing dreadlocks and far more people who were tolerant and protective of Rasta as well as agreeing with fundamental Rasta values. This Rasta-centric expression was later exploited by Manley and the PNP, and in the process paved the way for Reggae music to explode the way it did.

Sheshamane, the land grant in I-thopia, was claimed by a few Rasta who emigrated. Owing to the high cost of transport, however, it was effectively out of the reach of the ordinary Rasta, but the fact that it exists, is another link that Rasta has created with the homeland. Later political troubles in Addis Abeba have continued to frustrate the taking up of the Emperor's grant.

RASTA AND THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH (in which the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is denounced as being a tool of Babilan)
Many of the clergy who were at the gathering ( a meeting of national reconciliation in 1971) tacitly supported the policies of the Government of Jamaica begun by Alexander Bustamante and continued by Donald Sangster and the then Prime Minister Hugh Shearer, of attacking Rasta by forcibly trimming our dreadlocks and generally harassing us. These clergy stood and watched, while this happened. Their voice was muted, primarily because they were a part of the establishment in their role as clergy. It is one of the reasons why the socialist PNP, led by Michael Manley would , less than a year later, go on to win the PNP's first post-independence mandate by an overwhelming landslide. Manley's victory hinged upon his adoption of Rasta symbology, chief of which was the "Rod of Correction" (makwamya -the prayer stick used by Ethiopian clergy) which purportedly came from the hand of His Majesty himself.

THE "DEATH" OF H.I.M.
A one can be dead, even if he/she is breathing; while a next one can be alive even though the carcass is buried. I&I am more than I flesh and so, if I&I follow the precepts; I&I will live forIver. Therefore I&I shall live forevermore. There is, therefore, nothing wrong in the assertion that HIM is alive, since life is not confined to the flesh alone. It may be noted that it is generally accepted without surprise that Christians worship a dead man conceived by parthenogenesis.

RASTA AND JEWS
Rasta makes no claim to being Jewish, however we do know that we are Ethiopians (which is to say Afrikans) in exile. We also know that the people of the Bible who are referred to as Israelites also left descendants in Ethiopia. That which the Bible speaks of as the lot of the Israelites is our reality and the reality of far too many Afrikans at home and abroad.

RASTA AND CONVERTS
I&I (I-man Individual and Rasta in general) do not seek converts, because only JAH can speak to the heart of a one. Therefore, I&I cannot waste I time trying to save someone's soul. That one must meditate upon JAH and listen to the direct words of JAH so that his or her soul can be saved. JAH is a personal experience, not a portable high

SLAVERY IN ETHIOPIA
The slavery that existed in Ethiopia was different from the chattel slavery of the New World. In effect it was a kind of voluntary indenture that was markedly different from slavery in the Western Hemisphere, in that the "slaves" had rights that could not be extinguished. That is to say , that they were not owned as one would a cow or a sheep, as was the case in the Western Hemisphere. It was abolished by the Emperor in 1942 despite popular opposition and continued in remote areas long afterwards.

REINCARNATION
The concept of reincarnation (or from the Afrikan perspective, communion with one's ancestors) is not an exclusively Hindu philosophy. There is a great deal of Afrikan Tradition which deals with the subject. Thus a one is not a separate entity without roots, but rather, a link in a continuing chain that stretches from the beginning of time.

THE BOBO SHANTE
Prince Emmanuel has continued to be one of the most influential Rasta voices in Jamaica. While there is great difficulty with his claim to divinity by most Rasta, it must be stressed that he and his movement are seen and have always been seen to be Rasta. Differences have always arisen, but I&I know that with reason comes overstanding, even if there is no agreement.

It is to his and his movement's credit that "Bobo" dreads are to be seen all over Jamaica. Mainly associated with the broom industry [some of which are used to rid houses of ananses :)], these often celibate Rasta are respected for their spirituality and their withdrawal from society. Their encampment can be seen in all its splendour in the Bull Bay area of St. Andrew.