The Bantu word ‘Ubuntu’ from Southern Africa is often translated as “I am because we are”. In this phrase, we find a recognition that everything is intrinsically connected. We exist because everything else exists. We belong to the world. If only more of us could realise that we are not separate from each other. That we are all of the same source, no matter what gender we are, age we are, species we are. If we realised this in an embodied way, we would not disrespect each other in the way we’ve been doing, and we would not disrespect nature.
Recognising the interconnectedness of the world is common sense when you think about it. You wouldn’t be here, you wouldn't be you, without the plants you’ve been eating, the countless people who have shaped your culture, all your ancestors, the sun which gives light and warmth. You are not disconnected from these things. You move with them, and they with you. In Buddhist lingo, this insight is called ‘dependent origination’.
Some people don’t recognise the importance of ideas or philosophy. They often dismiss those who deal with philosophy as unrealistic or disconnected from the “real world”. They might think that a lot of ideas are abstract, having no practical application. While it is true that some philosophy is abstract, I see philosophy as a thoughtful way of living and thinking. Ideas and worldviews, the fundamental ways in which we think, underlie all our actions. Until we understand our cultural conditioning, until we understand our assumptions and ways of thinking, then we won’t grow and evolve as people and as societies. This doesn't mean we should all become academics and well-read. But it does mean we would do well to bring awareness to the ways we think about the world, and to realise that the dominant worldview of our culture isn't necessarily truthful.
Thich Nhat Hanh coined the term ‘interbeing’ to describe our interconnectedness with all things. As with the Buddhist phrase ‘dependent origination’, the idea of interbeing shows that we exist in connection with all the other manifold aspects of our world, including things we aren’t normally conscious of. For example, we don’t regularly reflect on how our existence depends on the right level of oxygen in our environment, the soil in which our food grows, and the sun which helped grow such food. With the notion of interbeing, we learn that we cannot really disconnect our identity from that of the air, the soil and the sun.
We would do well to integrate this interconnected way of perceiving things into our cultural worldview. If we lived in a society and culture which adopted this more truthful way of perceiving the world, in which our thoughts and ideas were more harmonious with the way the world is, then we would not suffer as much as we do. We would not need to egotistically assert ourselves all the time. We would not try to dominate, control and colonise the world.