The Major Lesson:
When I affirm that “anything that exists serves a missing link of reality,” what spiritual implications follow from this claim? This expression, rooted in a deep metaphysical insight, is not merely an ontological statement; it is profoundly spiritual. It reveals that all beings participate in a sacred web of mutual dependence, each fulfilling a role that contributes to the wholeness of complementary service: In His mode of determination (na ụdị ya), God, in the eternity of His absolute benevolence, continuously serves all relative existential realities as their ultimate benefactor and sustainer. All existent realities in turn stay in a relationship of mutual complementary service to each other. At the heart of Ibuanyidanda spirituality is the awareness that every creature in their diverse modes of determination (na ụdị ha), human or nonhuman, plays a vital role in the totality of existence i.e. Every component, ideas and ideas of ideas, things and things of things, units and units of units, categories and categories of categories, entities and entities of entities; spiritual, material, visible and invisible etc. More concretely still: Every component, from humans (individuals and societies) to the fauna (animals) and flora (plants), as well as fungi, microbes, the soil, water, and the sunlight and geothermal energy that fuel the intricate ecosystems they form, etc., plays a vital role in the totality of existence. In other words, our world is a single, magnificent web. Every creature and element matters; they are missing links in mutual complementary service.
Hence, spirituality here is not withdrawal from the world but communion within it: a life of service, harmony, and joyful participation in the divine rhythm of being. To live spiritually in the Ibuanyidanda sense is to awaken to this truth: No being stands alone. Hence, to be is to be in mutual complementary relationships (ka sọ m adịna, i.e. that I may not be alone); every being points beyond itself toward others and toward the transcendent source of unity.
Now, to some specifics of the lessons:
1. Serving as a Missing Link of Reality
To exist is to serve. This service is not servitude but complementary fulfilment: the realisation that our being finds meaning only in relation to others. When one despises or neglects another, one wounds the harmony of the whole. Spiritual wisdom thus begins in humility, in the recognition that others complete us. For this reason, spirituality demands transcendence of egoistic fragmentation to embrace complementary unity, recognising the divine in all as co-constitutive elements of the whole: Isolation breeds existential amputation; authentic spirituality restores the links through service and interdependence.
Spiritual Imperative: In the imperative of Ibuanyidanda philosophy, I urge: “Allow the limitations of being to be the cause of your joy”. Expressed more concretely: Let the limitations of others, of yourself, be the source of your joy. Through these limits, the divine invites you into the fullness of relationship. In every lack, God reveals our need for one another, and in every weakness, an invitation to complement.
2. Ihe mkpuchi anya (Phenomenon of Concealment)
This refers to the veil of superficial perception that conceals deeper realities, often fuelled by our tension-laden ambivalent existential situations, fear, or hegemonic impulses. Spirituality involves unveiling or piercing through this concealment. This is an awakening to authentic existence, where one confronts hidden tensions, integrates contradictions, and aligns with the transcendent imperative of Ibuanyidanda philosophy, which demands that we allow the limitations of being to be the cause of our joy, thereby fostering liberation from illusory autonomy.
Spiritual Imperative: When life conceals its meaning, do not despair. Allow even confusion to lead you into joy, for through imperfection, reality reveals hidden harmony.
3. Ima-onwe-onye (being-in-control)
The call to ima-onwe-onye, meaning self-knowledge or being-in-control of our tension-laden ambivalent existential situations, deepens this spiritual journey. This is achieved in the self-imposed process of what I call noetic propaedeutic, where the ego learns to internalise all existent realities as missing links. One who knows oneself becomes aware of one’s limits and possibilities. Self-mastery in Ibuanyidanda thought does not mean domination or self-isolation; it means inner harmony, i.e. the ability to act responsibly within the network of complementarity. Such control is guided by reason, empathy, and respect for the order of reality. To know oneself in this sense is to transcend fragmentation and divisiveness, to reject polarising exclusivist tendencies, to master ambivalences, to recognise one’s dependence on others and on God, and thereby to overcome Ihe- mkpuchi-anya or the phenomenon of concealment that blinds us to the unity and relationality of being. The one who practices ima-onwe-onye (being-in-control) becomes a true bridge of peace, embodying balance between self and others. It is in this sense that I designated ima-onwe-onye or being-in-control, as the highest act of self-consciousness.
Spiritual Imperative: Guard the sanctuary of your inner life with calm discipline; master your thoughts, desires, and actions, so that your presence becomes a source of harmony for others – ima-onwe-onye. Through the existential tensions, learn who you are, and let that knowledge become your source of joy.
4. The Joy of Being or Jide ka iji (hold firmly on to goodness)
When the veil of concealment is lifted, and ima-onwe-onye accomplished, one experiences the Joy of Being (jide ka iji), a spiritual state in which existence is affirmed not in domination but in joyful participation. This joy springs from realising that to hold firmly on to goodness (jide ka iji) is to serve others, to complete what is lacking in them, and to allow oneself to be completed by others in turn. Hence, the Igbo saying jide ka iji (hold firmly to goodness) expresses a profound metaphysical contentment. It teaches that authentic possession does not lie in greed or accumulation but in gratitude, endurance, and fidelity to one’s being. Joy, in this sense, is a spiritual strength, i.e. the serenity that comes from accepting one’s place as a necessary link in the chain of existence. It is the joy of belonging, the peace of knowing that one’s being contributes meaningfully to the whole.
In Jide ka iji (hold firmly to goodness), therefore, we encounter the ecstatic joy arising from steadfast commitment to complementary service. It is not a fleeting emotion but the enduring bliss of being fully integrated into reality’s missing links, embracing one’s role without reservation. This joy sustains the human spirit in the face of existential fragility, transforming struggles into meaningful participation in the infinite.
Spiritual Imperative: Hold firmly to the life God has given you with grateful joy; receive others as partners in your journey, and let every limitation lead you into deeper trust, communion, and peace – jide ka iji.
5. Communion as Sacred Complementarity
Ibuanyidanda spirituality culminates in complementary communion. Every encounter is sacred because it reveals the hidden bond uniting all beings. To harm another diminishes oneself; to build harmony deepens participation in divine life. This consequential reciprocity deriving from the inherent necessary bond between all existent realities exposes what I call the ontological boomerang effect of Ibuanyidanda philosophy. This is again vividly captured by the Igbo adage: “egbe bere ugo bere nke sị ibe ya ebena nku kwaa ya“, i.e. let the kite perch, let the eagle perch, whichever denies the other this right to perch, let its wings break. In this communion, God is not distant; God is the ultimate horizon of all relations. He is the foundation that makes mutual service and coexistence possible as the absolute benefactor of all existent realities. Ibuanyidanda spirituality is thus a path of relational holiness: to serve, love, harmonise, and rejoice in life’s interdependence.
Spiritual Imperative: Live rejoicing in interdependence. Reject the illusion of isolation (ka sọ m dị). Let your strength cover your brother’s weakness so the load becomes light for all – no task is insurmountable for danda the ant – Ibuanyidanda. Exist consciously as a missing link to your neighbour: where they lack, you provide; where you stumble, they uphold. Find your tranquillity not in solitude, but in the harmony of our shared completeness.
Conclusion:
The Spirituality of Ibuanyidanda calls every human person to live as a self-conscious participant in the unity of being; as a joyful, disciplined, and compassionate presence in the world. To be spiritual, in this light, is to live with and for others, in awareness that:
Anything that exists serves a missing link of reality for the joy of being.
To know oneself (ima-onwe-onye) is to live in harmony. To rejoice in being (jide ka iji) is to abide in peace. Ultimately, it is a spirituality of service, of joy, of communion, of truth, and openness. It invites the human person to live as a missing link in the divine order; self-conscious, compassionate, and radiant with the joy of interconnected beings.
References
Asouzu, Innocent I. Effective leadership and the ambivalence of human interest: The Nigerian paradox in a complementary perspective. University of Calabar Press, Calabar, 2003.
—— Method and Principles of Complementary Reflection in and Beyond African Philosophy. Calabar University Press, Calabar, 2004.
—— Ibuanyidanda. New Complementary Ontology. Beyond World-immanentism, Ethnocentric Reduction and Impositions. Litverlag, Münster, Zürich, New Brunswick, London, 2007.
—— Ibuanyidanda (complementary Reflection) and Some Basic Philosophical Problems in Africa Today: Sense Experience,” ihe Mkpuchi Anya” and the Super-maxim. LIT Verlag, Münster, 2013.
—— Philosophy as Witness: How the Life and Work of Bishop Ezeonyia Reflect Some Basic Assumptions of Ibuanyidanda Philosophy. In: The Life and Times of Bishop Ezeonyia CSSp. Gedenkschrift in Honour of the Pioneer Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Aba. Published by Rex Digital Printing Press, Aba, 2025.