| I prayed last in 1985
By THERESA ONWUGHALU
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
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• Ato Arinze
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
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Ato Arinze is an artist from Onitsha, in Anambra State, but
born and bred in Lagos State. The 40-year-old sculptor, who
graduated from Yaba College of Technology in 1991, is one
of the experts that can turn clay into useful fascinating
art pieces. He talks about his relationship with God.
God
My perception of God is everywhere. He is within me and He
is within you. Some religions visualise Him as an entity.
Relationship with God
You see people often ask me that question and I begin to wonder
why. Like they say we are the image of God. We were created
in his image and likeness. One’s relationship with God
should not arise. It is like one asking someone his relationship
with his mum? I can say it is cordial and friendly.
Well, there is need for us to actually confirm our relationship
with God. Without having that understanding, one will not
be functional in the society. Somebody who is not communicating
with God will never live in a house, will never wear a fine
dress. You see, such people you see them on the streets. What
I am saying is that God in Himself is an understanding being.
It is something you have to know.
It is the knowledge you must have. In the real sense of it
at every state of understanding or consciousness, God means
something else. So, what He is to you may not be what He is
to me. Some people think that God is up there. Some think
that God is on the ground but me, God is within me. My body
is the temple of God. So, the struggle which I undergo everyday
is to keep my body pure so that God will have good environment
to operate within me. And this is the struggle for everybody
in humanity today.
Communicating with God
If you ask me how I communicate in God I will say that I communicate
with God by working and by getting involve with good activities;
activities that are of service to humanity. I relate with
God through rendering useful services to humanity. This is
seen in what I do in my studio, which is a great service to
humanity. And I believe that the energy I used in doing that
comes from Him.
Religion
The religion I profess is the religion of love. I will say
I am a traditionalist with a broad mind. I understand that
every other religion is relevance for the growth of any individual
if the person is actually striving. Each of those religions
was founded but not at the same time.
Prayers
I believe it works, but I will tell you the truth. The last
time I prayed was in 1985. Since then I have never bothered
to pray. That is why I said that the understanding of God
depends on one’s state of consciousness. What it is
to you may be different from what it is to some other persons.
You see, to some kind of people prayers is very important.
Paying of tithe
Well, I pay my tithe in my own way. Yes, you see these works,
I bought them from the younger artists. That is how I pay
my tithe. Ten percent of what I earn, I use it to help those
younger ones around me. If tomorrow I make about $10 million
for instance, I would build a school. 10% of that money would
be used to set up primary schools in 20 or 30 places.
Holy books
I have read all the holy books. In fact, I have read the Bible,
Koran. I have read some parts of the Lotus, Suntrap, Budhist
and other materials. For an artist, he needs these for him
to function well. He gets to study a lot of religious holy
books whenever he can lay his hands on them.
Problems
When I have a problem, I blame myself. I asked myself why
I put myself in such mess and I look for solution.
Eternity
Eternity, heaven or hell is relative. Does it really exist
somewhere? Or does it really exist here? At what point do
we experience it. For me one experiences hell or heaven when
one is alive. You don’t have to wait until you die.
So, if tomorrow you begin to feel pain or some kind of sorrow,
one is in hell. If tomorrow you begin to feel hi, you just
find yourself in heaven. For I have the understanding that
you get to experience it here.
Reincarnation
Well some of these things were done in the past and passed
on to us. Some religions believe in re-incarnation. These
are mere speculations they may exist or may not. If one could
move further from one’s own comfort’s zone, you
may come to that point where you begin to say that re-incarnation
is real or not. Sometimes one has to feel these things. For
me, I won’t say that there is something like re-incarnation
or not. I have not come to the point of understanding to know
if it is real or not. For now, it is only base on what I am
told. Until I begin to feel it myself then I can answer such
a question.
Mysticism
As an artist, for instance, and for someone who is aspiring
to be great, on that level you are a custodian of that profession.
As I said, you have to delve into investigating your environment,
things that you hear or see. Along the line, when I was reading,
there is this thing they call mysticism. When I was engaged
in that, I was reading this and reading that. I am not the
first person to do that I learn it from the masters. People
like Michael Angello. Mysticism is actually studying holy
books.
The masters did this thing and I am following their own part
too. All the people who want to be great passed through that
level even our own Wole Soyinka. So, the thing is, along the
line you will now come to understand that no society grows
with the knowledge of a foreign religion. All the nations
have their own traditional religions as their official religion
in their countries.
So, for us in Africa, we have come to a stage where we have
to go back and start investigating whether all those things
they told our parents and us were truth. That is why I told
you that I am a traditionalist. I am more comfortable with
the religious philosophy of Ikenga symbol than any other philosophy
just like Wole Soyinka is more comfortable with the Ifa tradition
based on the Ogun worship system.
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