My South Africa

My South Africa

Where the ancestors live forever

Hail Madiba for his endeavour

Dawn of freedom colours this sky.

Wake up, South Africa is my cry.

A lazy nation is a slave.

A bright future is to save.

Unity lies on this mortal soil

Rise, my people, it's time to toil. 

 

Where the Lions roar in the jungles

And the Leopards seek their prey.

Buffaloes laze in the waters,

And the rhinos mark their domains

Elephants graze the vast lands.

Trumpeting the divine call

Come to see Africa.

A land of nature's gift

 

Where gold and coal bring money

A country of milk and honey

Maize relieves hunger.

Wines evoke joy and laughter.

Gifted with seasonal fruits

Reward nature with its juice

Be blessed to till this land

South Africa has made a  brand

 

Where the two oceans meet

Embracing the Mother City

Table Mountain is elite.

Serve a vision so pretty.

Many came from the east and west.

Made history sailing by

Near an island of  contest

City of passion and beauty

 

Where freedom was taken and given

Many have sailed the seven seas.

Black and white is we

Living with predators and prey

Some stayed to live forever.

Made the culture of today

South Africans are one nation.

Proud and happy as can be

Jayram Daya

"Where the ancestors live forever"- this sacred invocation echoes the eternal pulse of African spirituality, where the past breathes through the present and the spirit world walks beside the living. Before the rise of temples and dogmas, Africans understood a deep, eternal truth: that the spirit never dies, and that the bond between the living and the departed is not broken by death. In this original spiritual science, our ancestors are not forgotten; they are revered, consulted, and honoured as guardians of wisdom and protectors of the bloodline.

Unlike modern faiths, African ancestral worship is deeply intimate and personal. Each family honours its lineage, maintaining a spiritual dialogue that flows through generations. Rituals are performed not in man-made structures, but in communion with the living world-beam trees, by rivers, upon the sacred earth, where life bears witness to the ceremony.

Here, nature is the temple, memory is the scripture, and the spirit is eternal. Africa stands alone as the cradle of this wisdom—a civilization that did not seek gods in the sky, but found them in the breath of its ancestors, in the rhythm of drumming. This is not mythology. This is memory. This is the science of spirits.

Ancestral Worship: The Original Spiritual Science

Ancestral worship is not a ritual practice. It is a spiritual science rooted in the biology of existence that connects past and present. Every biological life form, from the smallest organism to the most evolved human, carries the coded memories of its predecessors. This is not just genetic inheritance. It is the transmission of lived experiences, a form of information transfer akin to what ancient humans intuitively called ancestral memory. Thus, all living beings acknowledge their roots by honoring their predecessors in the sense of their descent from a continuum.

The birth of ancestral worship in Africa

Early humans observed and interpreted birth and death before science could explain them. Death to them was not an end, but a transition, where the soul left the body, but remained spiritually present. Their ancestors weren't ghosts to be feared, but revered relatives, present in spirit to provide wisdom, protection, and moral instruction.

This deeper understanding of the life-death cycle was foundational to African spirituality. Using rituals, meditations, and offerings, they communicated with their ancestors. These were not acts of superstition, but of spiritual realization, the sacred science of soul remembrance. African societies were among the first to cultivate this bond consciously, teaching that their ancestors formed an invisible community with the living. An Igbo proverb states, "The laws were handed down to us by our elders when they died."

Transmission of Spiritual Knowledge from Africa to India

Nomadic African tribes carried their wisdom across oceans and continents. When they reached the Indian subcontinent, they encountered spiritual thinkers—Rishis and Munis, whose deep meditations revealed similar truths about the soul, karma, and the eternal cycle of life and death.

This sacred dialogue between African tribes and Indian sages gave birth to shared philosophies. Vedic traditions incorporate Pitru (ancestor) worship into rituals such as Shraddha and Tarpana. In Hindu thought, as in African belief, the soul (Atman) is eternal, and the body (Sharira) is a vessel. As a result of this spiritual exchange, ancestral worship became a core practice in India. Even today, it remains strong.

The West: Spiritually Young, Religiously Restorative

In contrast, the Western world at this time was still composed of scattered tribal groups, mostly unaware of spiritual metaphysics or the concept of the soul. Their understanding of life was centered on survival, without philosophical tools to explore the afterlife. Communicating with ancestors changed as the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, spread

Rather than embracing ancestral reverence, these faiths often labeled it heresy, paganism, or black magic. Life-force lineage honoring, which is a natural act, became demonized. Christianity adopted many ancestral worship principles without acknowledging them, however.

Churches became places where the dead were buried and prayed for. The figure of Jesus Christ—a passed-on soul and moral guardian—is worshipped as the eternal son of God, echoing the ancestral role. In much the same way that African and Indian families pray for their ancestors, Christians remember and honor Jesus' crucifixion. The Church, built often on graves, mirrors the African concept of the “living-dead” community—but the Christian community gathers by doctrine, not bloodline.

The church rejected ancestral worship outwardly, but reformed it discreetly within by praying in graveyards, venerating saints, and acknowledging the soul's eternal nature.

Ancestry in All Life: A Universal Truth

In deep meditation and spiritual vision, one can perceive a profound truth: every living entity is born from a previous form of life, and it carries that life within it, not just as genetics but as energy, memory, and soul imprint. The body acts, the soul remembers. And this soul-vibrant field of energy that connects us to those who came before.

Ancestral worship is not a cultural accident or an outdated ritual. It is a universal instinct rooted in biology, consciousness, and spiritual awareness. From the African plains to the Himalayan caves, from tribal elders to modern mystics, the call of our ancestors is alive. It reminds us that we are never alone; we walk with the unseen hands of those who made us.

Conclusion: Honoring the Eternal Family

Our ancestors are there. They are among us, guiding, witnessing, and evolving through us. Every time we act with integrity, offer a prayer, speak truth, or seek inner knowledge, we honor the soul line we come from. Whether in an African village or a Hindu home, in quiet reflection or sacred chant, we acknowledge our place in the circle of life.

Let us not forget that ancestor worship is not about the dead, but living properly and being grateful for the lives that sustain us.

“Walk Like You Have 3000 Ancestors Behind You”

This African proverb encapsulates a timeless truth: every living being is the product of an unbroken ancestral chain stretching back to the first human mother, Mitochondrial Eve, an African woman. Ancestral worship, often misunderstood as superstition, is a profound spiritual science rooted in biology, memory, and cosmic continuity.

The article reaffirms what ancient African and Indian sages intuitively realized: our ancestors are not dead, but they are with us, guiding us, and shaping our path. Just as DNA carries physical traits, the soul carries information, wisdom, and energetic imprints from one life to the next. Therefore, paying respect to your ancestors is paying respect to the best energy that has supported all living things throughout history.

African traditions, particularly Ifa and Yoruba, hold that communion with their ancestors is not a ritual for priests but a natural practice for all. By building altars, maintaining cleanliness, offering food, lighting candles, and meditating, people create portals to communicate with these benevolent forces. These practices aren’t dark arts—they’re acts of spiritual and biological reverence.

The message is clear: the lineage within you is sacred. Working on your healing uplifts your entire ancestral bloodline, past and future. This aligns with Vedic thought, too, where the soul (Atman) carries samskaras (impressions) across lifetimes, and one’s dharma is influenced by familial karma.

Ultimately, this philosophy reveals that no one is alone. Our ancestors- American, Indian, and beyond—are not simply memories. They are the hidden companions in our meditation, the whispers in our conscience, and the protectors of our destiny. To venerate them is to remember who we are and walk with strength, wisdom, and continuity.

 27 May 2025; As we stand on the thresholds of another Freedom Day, let us remember the hope, unity, and dreams that once lifted South Africa into the dawn. We proved to the world 30 years ago that peace could bring equality, not violence - that we could rise together as one nation. Today, we must awaken. The spirit of service, honesty, and work must be rekindled by casting aside corruption, selfishness, and laziness. South Africa's beauty, soul, and future belong to all who love her enough to heal her. Those who believed in a better tomorrow gave us this freedom. We must rebuild, restore, and honour that gift. Let's work together to make South Africa even better.

It is a poem I wrote to honour my contributions to the country where I live, work, and prosper. Although I still consider India my Mathru Bhumi, I firmly believe South Africa is my Karma Bhumi - my place of action and duty. My first draft of the poem was written after I returned from India and was completed just before the first democratic elections in South Africa held on 27 April 1994. This version has been carefully edited from the original to reflect the spirit of that moment and the journey since.

I am proud to be a South African who shares these sentiments, reminding us to cherish our nation's beauty, strength, and spirit. Let us stand together, rise above our challenges, and work with renewed purpose to build the South Africa we all dream of, a land of hope, unity, and opportunity for all.