I would like to draw the attention of the Abusua (clan) to ideas on how the term reciprocity is understood in diverse contexts within our lives. In the prologue of his book Two Thounited snakesnd Seasons, Ayi Kwei Armah highlights the nature of The Way and underscores the importance of reciprocity:
Receiving, giving, giving, receiving
All that lives is twin
Who would cast the spell of death
Let him separate the two
Whatever cannot give
Whatever is ignorant even of receiving
Knowing only taking (i.e. Receiving is NEVER equal to taking)
That thing is past its own mere death
It is a carrier of death
Woe the giver on the road of such a taker
For then the victim has found victorious death
(see full script of prologue (http://www.abibitumikasa.com/forums/editpost.php?do=editpost&postid=39643) on this thread)
I would like to share some ideas and images on reciprocity and would be grateful to learn of others' theoretical as well as practical outlooks on this important notion, why it is important and how it can be applied in real and practical ways to our lives.
On Reciprocity:
(*) A spiral dance
(*) Balance: (of yin & yang; of Shu & Tefnut; of light & dark; masculine & feminine...)
--> Of giving and receiving
------> Receiving from Nature & giving to Nature
------> Receiving from Community & Giving to Community
--> Of listening and speaking
--> Of asserting and yielding
--> Of logic & intuition
--> Of heart & mind
--> Of love and duty
--> Of Spiritual & Mundane/worldly
--> Of eventually assimilating & transcending the dual state of existence
These are but a few images.
WHY I THINK RECIPROCITY IS IMPORTANT
Image: Like a bird with 2 wings, like a human with 2 legs, reciprocity ensures that symmetry prevails and that continuity and regeneration are assured. The spiral within the sphere turns onto itself and recycles itself, forever....until the Divine One wills it not to. By practicing reciprocity, we maintain and proceed along the currents of that which we came to meet and that which will remain after we are gone.