Many people have heard of the term ‘Rasta’, but they can often only refer it to dreadlocks and reggae music

RASTA LIVING

Many people have heard of the term ‘Rasta’, but they can often only refer it to dreadlocks and reggae music. What is Rasta exactly? Rasta is not only listening to reggae music and having dreadlocks; Rasta is much more. Rasta is a way of life: to live from the heart.

The origin of Rasta can be found at the beginning of the 20th century and has arisen with Ras Tafari, better known as Emperor Haile Selassie I (1892-1975) of Ethiopia. His name means literally “Might of the Trinity”. As all his predecessors, Haile Selassie I is in the bloodline of King Salomon. In the old Ethiopian epos “Kebra Negast” (“Glory of the Kings”) it is written that in the 10th century BC the Ethiopian Queen Makeda (also known as the Queen of Sheba) visits King Salomon and gets pregnant of him. The child, named Bayna Lehkem (“son of the wise man”), becomes Emperor Menelik I. He is an Emperor of an Imperial Dynasty that will continue until 1974.

As an Emperor, Haile Selassie I introduced democracy, electricity, airplanes, schools and universities, and also thanks to him, Ethiopia is the only African country that has never been colonized and staid independent. In 1963 he founded “The Organization of African Unity” (OAU), an organization that defended the independence of African nations. As a Christian, Haile Selassie I worked on the unity of peoples. Themes in his messages are love for each other and God, unity of all people, peace and justice. Haile Selassie I gave an example that inspired a lot of people and gave them hope and love: Rastafari. In the beginning most Rasta’s were Africans in Jamaica and in the 1970’s the message of Rastafari was spread around the world, due to Bob Marley.

Rasta is no religion, no sect, and no philosophical movement. Rasta is a way of life, a view of life. A Rasta lives with the 10 commandments in his or her heart, especially the first and second ones (see Matthew 22:37-40). A Rasta strives after perfect love and unity of all people and with God (“JAH” as called by the Rasta’s). A well known sentence is “One Love, One People, One Destiny”. A Rasta could be seen as a messenger of love and unity.

Everything that is against the vision of love and unity, is called Babylon or Babylon System by the Rasta’s. This comes from the Biblical Babylon. Rasta’s see Babylon as the cause of slavery, downpressors, apartheid, war, destruction of nature, etc., so mainly the Western society of today. Song texts in reggae music are often about the destruction of Babylon. Rastafari wants to re-establish the unity and love on earth and therefore Rasta’s want to leave Babylon and go to Holy Mount Zion. Mount Zion is also a Biblical term and stands for the Promised Land, a place of beauty and love. To some Rasta’s Zion is in Ethiopia, to others it is the new earth or heaven.

Rasta can be without doctrines, so among Rasta’s there are many different visions. Many Rasta’s have dreadlocks and a beard as a sign of their devotion to JAH. This is after the nazirites (see Numbers 6:5). Dreadlocks have become some kind of fashion trend; 10 years ago you could call someone with dreadlocks a Rasta, today many people with dreadlocks don’t even know what Rastafari exactly is. Many Rasta’s have a diet, the so-called Ital diet that consists of fresh food (no additional chemicals) without salt, meat and milk. This is often in combination with teetotalism, but there are also Rasta’s who drink alcohol, smoke tabacco, eat meat and use cannabis for meditation or inspiration. Some say that you have to have a clean and pure body, others say that salvation is not in a diet or in dreadlocks, but it is in the heart.

Some Rasta’s joined a church or Christian organization. Bob Marley, for instance, was a member of the Twelve Tribes of Israel organization, before he was baptized in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Other Rasta’s have their own meetings, the so-called Nyahbinghi’s. During these meetings, that can continue for 1-3 days or even a week, songs are chanted, music is made and reasoning takes place. Within Rastafari, there are several orders, like the Bobo Shanti, Twelve Tribes, and the Nyahbinghi, but there are also a lot of Rasta’s that have their own vision. But in spite of that, Rasta’s have Respect for others and there is a unity.

Today, Rastafari is still growing and there are millions of Rasta’s scattered over the world. Rastafari has its own language, signs and symbols, like a lion (the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, see Revelations 5:5) and the colors red, gold and green (the colors of the Ethiopian flag). Rasta’s say, for example, “I and I” in stead of “I”, “me” and “my”. “I and I” literally means “me and JAH”. This is not strange, because a Rasta always walks in unity with JAH. A Rasta is conscious in his/her language, without having to act like a prophet or saint.

You can get to know more about Rastafari by listening to the texts in reggae music. Reggae is a way for Rasta’s to express their visions and feelings of unity and love. Besides unity and love, there are also other themes like strength, equality, freedom, Haile Selassie I, Babylon System, conquering evil, and the exodus to Zion. Some well known reggae artists are: Burning Spear, Ijahman, Sizzla, U-roy, Israel Vibration, Jah Shaka, Culture, Alpha Blondy, Bunny Wailer, Prince Alla, Garnett Silk, Luciano, Capleton, Misty in Roots, The Meditations, The Mystic Revealers, Ras Michael & The Sons of Negus, Yami Bolo, Itals and Max Romeo, just to mention a few.

Generally, the colors green, yellow and red are considered to be the rasta colors. Sometimes the color black is added to this.
As mentioned in the "What is rasta?" text, the colors green, yellow (or gold) and red are the colors of the Ethiopian flag. Ethiopia is the country where the roots of rastafarianism lie.

The color black in the rasta culture comes from the Jamaican flag. This flag consists of the colors green, yellow and black. Jamaica is often associated with rasta today because of the many followers, of the rasta way of life, that live there.

'They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cutting in their flesh.' Leviticus 21:5

One of the most recognizable features of Rastafari culture is the growing and wearing of dreadlocks, uncombed and uncut hair that is allowed to mat and twine into distinctive locks. As mentioned in the "What is rasta?" text, dreadlocks are a form of uncut hair that symbolize the unity with God (see Numbers 6:5). This practice also symbolizes the roots of Rastafarians, a contrast to the straight, fine hair of the establishment. There are two theories regarding the origin of the dreadlocks that we know today. The first attributes them to Hindu holy men who came to Jamaica in the late 19th century to work as indentured laborers. A second theory traces their look to the Mau-Mau revolt in Kenya. Mau leaders wore dreadlocks , and Rastafari emulated them in this aspect of their appearance. They also shared similarities in their resistance to Colonial rule.

More infos :