Roots of Heaven

From #1 bestselling author Ajarn Shaman Shu — Oluwo Jolaoso Osainbola — comes the foundation volume of The Ancient Wisdom Series.

Roots of Heaven opens the gates of the Yoruba spiritual universe: the sixteen principal Orisa (Orisha), the divine forces through whom Olodumare, the Supreme Source, moves in creation. Born in the sacred land of Ile-Ife and carried across the waters into the diaspora, this tradition remains one of humanity's oldest living systems of wisdom, devotion, and ancestral power.

Written by an initiated Oluwo of Ifa, this is not an outsider's survey — it is a guide from within the tradition itself.

Inside Volume One you will discover:

The sixteen principal Orisa — their stories, praise names, domains, and sacred symbols
Obatala's white cloth of wisdom, Ogun's iron, Oshun's sweet waters, Shango's thunder, Yemoja's motherly ocean, and more
Olodumare, Ori, and ashe — the spiritual architecture of the Yoruba cosmos
Colors, offerings, and altar traditions across Yoruba and diaspora lineages
How the Orisa traveled — from Ile-Ife to Cuba, Brazil, Trinidad, and the Americas
Prayers and practices to begin walking with the Orisa in daily life

Part of the Orisha wisdom library from Buddha University Press, The Ancient Wisdom Series unites scholarship and devotion — honoring the tradition while opening its depths to the modern seeker. The journey continues in deep-dive volumes on the individual Orisa, including OLOKUN: Lord of the Deep.

About the Author
Robert S. Shumake, publishing as Ajarn Shaman Shu, has lived two lives in one — the builder and the priest — and his books are where the two meet. He rose from a Ford factory floor to become founding president and CEO of Inheritance Capital Group, a Black Enterprise-ranked private equity firm, served as honorary consul for Botswana and Tanzania, and founded Inheritance Media Group, owner of more than 300 publications produced by an AI-run newsroom. In spirit, each tradition that initiated him gave him a name: Buddhist Ajarn in the Theravada and Vajrayana lines, Oluwo Jolaoso Osainbola in Ifá, and Shri Surya Narayana Swamikal in the Tamil Siddha line. He is the founder of Soul Tribes International Ministries and of Buddha Digital Temple and its universities — Orisha University, Buddha University, and Shiva University. He authored Detroit’s Proposal E, the 2021 ballot initiative that decriminalized entheogenic plants in Detroit, and is the author of more than 140 published books and 86+ DOI-registered academic publications. His philosophy: the Double Bottom Line — make a profit, and make a difference. Robertshumake.biz