The 16 greater priests of Ifáwent to Ifáto ask how the could achieve the long life that Olodumare declared would occur. That is the question they took to Ifá.
1) They were warned not to call esúru (a type of yam) esurú, that is not to call one thing another.
2) The Elders were warned not to call esurú (type of sacred beads) ileke, that is, not to perform rites when the basic knowledge is not there, and not to know the difference.
3) They were warned not to call odide (Parrot) oode (Bat). that is, not to mislead people or lead a person down the wrong road.
4) They were warned not to call the leaves of iroko, oriro. That is, not to deceive people.
5) They were warned not to try to swim when they do not know how to. That is to say, not to pretend to be wise when you are not.
6) They were warned to be humble and not to be egocentric.
7) They were warned that one does not enter the house of an Obá with dishonest intentions.
8) They were warned not to use parrot feathers to clean their bottoms, that is to say, to break ewo or taboos, or to put Ifa texts to bad use.
9) They were warned not to defecate in epó (palm oil), meaning to maintain foods of the orishas Ifá pure and clean, like all the paraphenalia, instruments and thrones of Ifá.
10) They were warned that they should not urinate inside the afo (where epó is made), to respect and not to adulterate the rituals.
11) They were warned they should never take away a blind person's cane, That is to say to respect those who are less able than you, to respect strangers and to deal with people respectfully.
12) They were warned that they should not take away an old man's cane, that is to say that we must respect older people, our elders in this religion and always respect the heirarchies.
13) They were warned that they should never lie down with the wife of an Ogboni, that is to fulfill our oaths.
14) They warned they should never lay down with the wife of a friend. That is to say, not to betray.
15) They were warned not to be gossips, and not to divulge secrets.
16) They were warned they should not lay down with the wife of a Babalawo. Always comport yourself with honor and respect.
When the elders arrived on Earth they began to do everything that was prohibited. They began to die one after another and they shouted and accused Orunmila of murder. Orunmila said that it was not he that was killing them. Orunmila said to them that the elders were dying because they did not respect the orders of Ifá and that the ability to behave with honor and to obey the Mandates of Ifá is one's own responsibility.