Ubunto - I am because we are!

On the vast and colorful continent of Africa, there is a word that echoes beyond the boundaries of space and time. It is a word that carries with it the weight of history and the promise of a more humane future. That word is Ubuntu.
Imagine yourself, for a moment, in an African village, surrounded by mud huts and to the sound of drums, on a late afternoon, where the sun is setting over the golden savannahs. This is where the story I want to share unfolds, a story about solidarity, compassion and the essence of humanity, told by journalist and philosopher Lia Diskin during the World Peace Festival in Florianópolis in 2006.

Imagine yourself, for a moment, in an African village, surrounded by mud huts and to the sound of drums, on a late afternoon, where the sun is setting over the golden savannahs. This is where the story I want to share unfolds, a story about solidarity, compassion and the essence of humanity, told by journalist and philosopher Lia Diskin during the World Peace Festival in Florianópolis in 2006.

An anthropologist, curious and eager to unravel the mysteries of the local culture, decided to challenge the village children with a competition. He offered a basket full of sweets and treats as a prize to whoever reached it first. An innocent gesture, he thought, a way to connect with the children and learn more about their traditions.

But what he didn't expect was the children's response, a response that would echo in his heart forever. When he shouted "Now!", instead of running towards the basket, the children joined hands and ran together towards the tree. Once there, they began to distribute the sweets among themselves, sharing smiles and laughter.

Intrigued and moved, the anthropologist asked the children why they had acted like that. And the simple but profound answer resonated in his soul: "Ubuntu, Uncle," they said. "How could one of us be happy if all the others were sad?"

And there, under that ancient tree, the anthropologist realized that he had witnessed something extraordinary, and finally understood the true meaning of Ubuntu. "I am because we are" or, in other words, "I only exist because we exist". It wasn't just about sharing sweets, it was about sharing the very essence of humanity. Ubuntu was about recognizing our interconnectedness and our responsibility to each other.

Ubuntu is not just a word, I would venture to say that it is our true human essence, a loving essence, which is capable of caring, of seeing others and being sensitive and empathetic to their pain. That sometimes gets covered up by layers of pain and trauma that have permeated our lives.

I invite each and every one of you to peel back these layers in order to reconnect with your true essence, and there is nothing better for this than exercising our love, our solidarity and our charity towards others. Service is one of the shortest paths to spiritual evolution and it is through solidarity that we discover the true meaning of humanity. And this touches and transforms not only the lives of others, but also your own. 

https://ensinarhistoria.com.br/

And do you know why? 

Because deep down, the other person's pain is also your pain, because we are all interconnected and as long as one being suffers in this world, no other can achieve full happiness. 

Look around you and see what you can do today for someone who needs your help?

Namaste!

Narjara Thamiz