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Ahithreehah prayer
Ahithreehahs prayer, although so simple, really encompasses everything. It is a description of God, a spiritual excercise, a code of conduct, the meaning of life, a theory of the universe and, above all, a reminder that we are all to love each other as if we are family.
Basic meaning
In its basic form, it simply means, "My brother let us laugh and sing together" Since "ah" means brother in Hebrew and the i (Hebrew letter yod) is often added when used as a name for a boy. There are two people named ahi in the bible. A son of Abdiel of Gad (1 Chronicles 5:15) and a son of Shemer of Asher (1 Chronicles 7:34) link
A portrait of God
Originally, however, 'Ahi' meant "brother of YHWH" in Hebrew. What does YHWH mean? It is two parted "Yahh", and HWH, "Yahh", which resembled a snakes protruded tongue in Old Negev, was a representation of God as the healer, God of
of the storms, rain, sun, and Prince of Life. Yah was the disciplinarian, judge, protector, deliverer, teacher, purifier, and Father of his covenant people. link The other part of YHWH is HWH which means "the living" but the word also included YHWH’s sacred animal, the nehushtan or snake.
Old Negev Yahh, inscriptions
The first biblical account of the nehushtan is discussed in Numbers 21:4-8;
" The Bronze Serpent4And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 5And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neitheris there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
6And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived."
Historical and biblical records are in agreement that none of the foreign cults existing in Israel ever replaced the worship of Yahweh. It’s possible that the serpent-cult existed side-by-side with Yahweh in the form of oracular shrines, just as oracular shrines existed side-by-side with temples of Zeus and so on in Greece and Rome. Yahweh may have been identified with the serpent-god only in that the serpent was a "pedestal" for Yahweh. Worshippers imagined Yahweh to be standing upon the idol unseen. The same idea applied for the golden calf. Animal depictions served as a "connection" to the deity but were not the deity itself. Nehushtan was never meant to replace Yahweh, but to be a channel of Yahweh, i.e. a "way opener" related to watchtowers and water columns and pipes and in general the heavens. The serpent marked the way to the afterlife. The priestly formula was that Yahweh "stood upon" the brazen serpent-god just as he stood upon the brazen sea; both the serpent and sea were actual devotional artifacts in Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. During the reign of Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz, the brazen sea was displaced, actually taken down from on top of copper bulls, by order of the Assyrians.
For more analysis of Nehushtan you can see link
The Ahi-Order
Ahilik or the Ahi-order was a fraternity established by Ahi Evren in Ottoman Turkey. Ahithreehah attempts to follow this code of ethics. I have tailored the Ahi Order, slightly since the focus was on business excellence not religious and spiritual excellence.
AHİ ORDER
in the dictionary of Divan-i Lugat-it Turk (1074 CE) prepared by Kaşgarlı Mahmut. Ahi is described as “generous and charitable”.
Ahilik, as an organisation, devoted participants towards enjoyable fellowship, communal respect, looking after the poor and devotion to ones job as well as a code of ethics.
Aim and philosophy of Ahi Order
The philosophy of Ahi Order originated from Islamic mysticism. One of the most important
rules of Ahi establishment (which had its foundations on generosity and trustworthiness) was
that members referred to and considered each other as brothers. Looking after the poor was very central to Ahi-order. Workers in the fraternity would spend excess resources on philanthropy with the belief that when society is wealthy, their own wealth would increase with it. When we look after those around us, we also are looked after by those around us. This is the basis of the ahilik system.
Ahis, in their business and life, were required to have the following attributes: a) to be
truthful, b) to be trustworthy, c) to be honest, d) to be generous, e) to be just, f) to be
affectionate, g) to be kind and compassionate.
In their professional solidarity and organizational some of the ethical rules that they had to
adhere were as follows:
• Ahi had to add value to their environment through offering their skills
• Expertise was essential. young people were to be educated properly as to reach their highest potential; resulting in a happy and contented individual and society.
• Ahi had to learn and act according to experts and masters in both professional and personal life
• Ahi would help the poor and the jobless for their needs with the money he saved from his
profits; thus, implementing a social responsibility project.
• Ahi had to be knowledgeable so that even the King could consult with him personally.
• Ahilik was like a tree; the earth was honesty, the leaves were decency and the roots were to be in Allah (God).
Ahis were against morally objectionable behaviour and tried to ensure peace and safety in the
society. One of their aims was to contribute to peaceful living, without conflict occurring
between producer and consumer, rich and poor, workers and bosses, state and nation. Ahi organisation adhered to this principle.
Mission and vision of Ahilik
The basic mission of Ahilik was to prepare perfect individuals to serve people and humanity
in order to attain a perfect society. An Ahi must; open his gate to guest, his pocket to his brother, his table to all who are hungry and must close; His eyes to illicit happenings, His mouth to sin/curse, His hand to cruelty
The philosophy always being “The system flourishes if the individuals within the system flourish.”
This is an edited and paraphrased version of a portion of the following paper http://www.quality.unze.ba/zbornici/QUALITY%202011/184-Q11-188.pdf
The ahi-order is rooted in the (Codex of Futuwwa) which Ahi knew the values of and lived accordingly. A paper on this titled "The Origin and Meaning of Al-Futuwwa" can be found here.
The Kundalini
In Hindi the snake image is also part of their belief system, although for different reasons (see link) This is the second meaning of Ahi meaning (snake) in Sanskrit, it is in reference to Vritra (an Asura), but seeing as his story is irrelevant and I've already covered the origins of many of these stories, I will not go into telling it. It's importance comes really in the fact that whether you believe that there are many Gods, as Hindus do, or only one God. As YHWH based religions do, we can all get together and laugh and sing together.
A very popular snake in Hinduism is the "coiled snake" at the base of the spine or the kundalini. According to, Ellie Crystal; a Psychic, Teacher, Author, Researcher,
Lecturer, and Broadcaster
Kundalini in the World's Religions
Kundalini is mainly associated with Hinduism. However, Kundalini as a spiritual experience is thought to have parallels in many of the mystical and gnostic traditions of the world's great religions.
Many factors point to the universality of the phenomenon. The early Christians might have referred to the concept as 'pneuma', and there are some recent parallels in contemporary Christian Charismatic 'Holy Ghost' phenomena. Religious studies also note parallels in Quakerism, Shakerism, Judaic Shuckling (torso-rocking prayer), the swaying zikr and whirling dervish of Islam, the quiverings of the Eastern Orthodox hesychast, the flowing movements of tai chi, the ecstatic shamanic dance, the ntum trance dance of the Bushman, Tibetan Buddhist tummo heat as practised by Milarepa, and the Indically-derived Andalusian flamenco (Sovatsky, 1998). Kundalini practice is centerfold in Japan's Aum Shinrikyo group and Kundalini-yoga is also one of the stages the practitioner is able to achieve.
Follow the crystalinks link to find out more about the kundalini.
This video explains the Kundalini very simply
In the prayer a number of chakras are activated. Let's start from the beginning
The sound 'Ah' Activates the heart Chakra (although very transformative, meaning the intention behind it can activate any of them) it is used as a seed sound in place of om. It is said with the note G which activates the throat chakra (I will talk more about this later). The energy the heart chakra attracts is love. Both divine love and love for our common man. Bob Marley shows that he really understood this when he sang the song "one love"
According to Jonathan Goldman, an international authority on sound healing and a pioneer in the field of harmonics,
Many spiritual masters believe that the activation of this chakra is most helpful for achieving higher consciousness and enlightenment. Most agree that the energy of love and the heart is the primary, essential energy of the universe.
Many people believe that the “AH” sound is the primary sound that is created when we are born—the sound being birthed on the inhalation of the first breath. The “AH” sound is also the last sound we make, riding on the energy of our final exhalation. In Tibetan Buddhism, there is a co-meditation technique which uses the “AH” sound. Chanting “AH” together (or even simply by just breathing together) allows people to attune and resonate with each other. It seems that the heart beat, respiration and brain waves of two people will entrain with each other through breathing or sounding “AH” together. This use of the “AH” sound may be particularly effective for those involved in hospice work. In this situation, the “AH” sound may once again be used as a sound of the heart chakra.
I often recommend the “AH” as a sound for people who want to work with short mantras in groups. The reason for this is that as has been discussed, “AH” is an extremely transformative sound. Yet, most people know of it only as a vowel sound, and thus it defies association with any spiritual denomination or description as a mantra. While other sounds such as “OM” might be rejected by certain audiences because they are recognized as Eastern mantras or coming from another spiritual traditions, the sounding of an “AH” is acceptable by everyone regardless of their background, culture or religion. (so in other words, the sound "ah" can be used as a seed mantra, in the same way that om can.) link
The next sound is "eee" this activates our crown chakra. The crown chakra is our connection to the higher things in life. The super-natural, God. Many people are unable to ever activate this chakra, because doing so requires you to let go of anything that is worldly. It doesn't mean you can't have it in your life, but you need to be able to let go of it. So you can put the higher things above all else. It is said with the b flat note which activates the third-eye. The third eye is how we see the supernatural world and the source of revelation and wisdom. Perhaps this is where the whole concept of Ahithreehah has come from for me. I tend to get revelation and gain wisdom through dreams, Ahithreehah being one of them.
The book "Seed Sounds for the Tuning of the Chakras" Written by James D'Angelo PHD an authroity on sound healing therapies
Says this about laughter and the activation of the throat chakra.
The breath sound of H is a natural and pure sound. When the breath is flowing freely through the throat chakra it's expression reflects such qualities
The joy of laughter is on the breath in its various expressions; huh, hoh, hah, heh and hee If the eyes are the windows of the soul, then the throat is the doorway of the same.
Communication involves both speaking and listening so it is right that this chakra connects with the sense of hearing.
The purification of the throat chakra within the neck converts us into emissaries who can express and convey empathy for others and Ecstasy for life through sound waves. By testifying to the truth and persuading others to do the same echoing the sages, we abide farewell to separation and beckon wholeness (holiness) to suffuse our being.
Our purity of purpose is centered in the throat chakra, and the effort to release it is the metaphorical dichotomy between Heaven and Hell. The re-tuning of this chakra is the fullest emergence of our eternal hum, the sound of the true self...
A blocked throat chakra fetters the voice, and instead of speaking forthrightly, we feel inwardly chastened and become hesitant, repressed, reticent, and embarassed, perhaps even ashamed.This is said to the note F which activates the heart chakra
Finally, as Siddartha Guittama put it
When we focus on the value of "brother, let us laugh and sing together" and actually act this out due to the nature of the prayer, we are becoming brothers and sisters amongst each other.
The meaning of Life
The melody behind the prayer, provides an answer to the meaning of life. It goes like "g b(flat) fff". b(flat) is in the middle of a and b. So if you look at your birth as your starting point (A) and your death as your ending point (B) then how you get from A to B is all in interpretation, since b(flat) is the same note as a(sharp) the note is all in how you interpret it. Notice it is not in between "g" and "f" though but instead a "step-up" in the music. I take this as, in life, you have to take a stand.
The importance of taking a stand can be illustrated by another dream I had that ties in here.
In my dream I asked an angel will everyone be punished in Hell and/or will everyone be rewarded in Heaven, or just some?
He responded by saying
“We become [Plastic Chastic] when bad things happen to us.”
Q-Chastic EP was a record that was never introduced officially. Vinyl is a type of plastic. In other words we become “never introduced officially” (absent) when bad things happen to us.
Some are punished some are not. The worst thing is to be absent of either.
Revelation 3:14-22King James Version (KJV)
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
The people who will be punished are the people who do not take a stand for anything. Since they will be absent from both Heaven and Hell. They will miss the whole show, if they choose not to be there. They punish themselves.
“The function of rhyme in poetry is to establish structure while creating a pleasant or even beautiful symmetry among a poem’s verses.”
If we look at the use of Rhyming and this reason for rhyming. It can be used as a metaphor for life. By not taking a stand for anything we lose all structure and the pleasant and beautiful things which are gained from the system. We are punished in this life as much as the next.
But in Ahithreehah we try to set all our religious beliefs and otherwise aside to become united as one people. We do this through laughing and singing with each other and through respecting other peoples beliefs and feeling free to share our own. The prayer is a sung prayer so we are in essence singing together as we say it. We are laughing together as we merrily sing "hah,hah,hah"
The Body Language
The body language in the prayer is a spiritual play. It is 3-parted.
The half-lotus (see legs) There is a common phrase that goes the Jewel is in the Lotus. This means that we should approach every moment as if it was brand-new (as a young child does), then we find the treasure (or jewel) which is the true appreciation for life.
the namaskara (see hands) This is a symbol of respect for the life of each individual.
the namaskara (see hands) This is a symbol of respect for the life of each individual.
and the fighting stance at the end.
Notice the hands on the man on the left of the word karate.
The karate chop can be seen as reminiscent of the philosophy I believe we should approach life with. Gichin Funakoshi the “father of modern karate” once said,
"As a mirror's polished surface reflects whatever stands before it, and a quiet valley carries even small sounds, so must the student of Karate render his mind empty of selfishness and wickedness in an effort to react appropriately to anything he might encounter. This is the meaning of kara in karate."
In life we should strive towards the opposite of these things, common-fellowship and goodness. This ties into the ahi-order.
"The ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory nor in defeat but in the perfection of the character of its participants."
On another level it is a spiritual metaphor. Tong qi-jong uses the prayer move as a means of controlling our "qi" (bioelectric or internal energy) and preventing it from scattering all over our body.
demonstrations like this prove the existence of qi. In the ahithreehah prayer we collect and balance all of our qi energy through the Namaste (or prayer) stance then extenuate it into a basic fighting stance. We are in a sense meditating on the way we should fight.
blackbeltmag.com summarizes the philosophy of martial arts in general as
For the past 30 years or so, American parents who give a darn about their kids have noticed that the marital arts teach their children about respect, discipline, hard work, sacrifice and humility. Children are likewise taught that they should walk away from trouble, lose the ego and fight only as a last resort. This blends in well with Western Christian principles such as turning the other cheek, the Golden Rule and forgiveness.When need be, I think the Chinese martial arts provide a good approach to dealing with conflicts occuring between our brothers.
So what are we fighting for? We are fighting to maintain all the values and ideals Ahithreehah.
A reminder of this motive for fighting is the fact that the right fist is raised. This can be seen as a metaphor for these values and all the values in Ahithreehah being "raised" is "right". According to The Guardian, the original meaning of the raised fist as a political symbol is as follows
The clenched fist was first used by the communists in the Spanish civil war, as a counterpoint to the open-palmed Roman salute adopted by the fascists. The clenched fist symbolises strength and unity - fingers which are individually fragile can together make a powerful fist. article
The Logo
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This is the full logo that ties everything together. It is a Water Snake wearing a Jingasa coolie (military grade hat)
According to samuraisword.com
"The Jingasa were used by samurai and sometimes matchlock soldiers, mostly during the mid to late Edo period (1700-1860) The word "Gasa" meaning hat and "Jin" military. As the Edo period was a period of peace, Kabuto were used less and Jingasa became more popular.
The function of the Jingasa was still the same as for Kabuto, but with less accent on protection against arrow or sword, but from rain or sunshine, and to give an accent on the other aspects of "Samurai's daily life in times of peace" like: Police duty, Hunting, Riding etc. next to showing the Samurai's social status."
So the Jingasa is deeply tied into the Samurai history which the samurai is a symbol of martial arts and Ahithreehahs symbolism with the martial arts.
Nehushtan and the kundalini are represented as a snake with the squiggly line and the rattler tail. With Nehushtan, the head at the top of the snake could be seen as the God Head, The head is also an ahi tuna shape though (a reminder we are all brothers of YHWH). The kundalini is our connection to the universe our em"bodi"ment of how we perceive God and each other.
The rattlers tail makes up a music note and the word hah is printed symbolizing laughter,
An Ahi tuna is presented a 3 makes up his eyes (or gills) doesn't really matter, and his body forms the word "hah". A symbolic way of saying Ahithreehah
The logo can be printed as just the fish, in this case It would be leaving out the concept of the snake though. I suppose the meaning would still be the same as we worship the God above the living, not the snake itself, and the kundalini is a deeply spiritual concept, not necessarily needed to be drawn.
Conclusion
In conclusion Ahithreehah is about our connection with each other and with God, the prayer is a good spiritual experience as well as a mental focal point in how to live our lives for the betterment of others, it provides the meaning of life and a theory of the universe, it provides order and discipline but if you only take one thing away from my whole message with the prayer. Look at your fist and remember that we are all stronger united than individuals.
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