- “One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu – the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality – Ubuntu – you are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.” -Nelson Mandela
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“Ubuntu” is a classical African concept which may be defined as “interconnectedness” or “oneness.” It is expressed in the statement, “I exist because you exist” or “I am what I am because of who we all are.” Ironically, this concept originated in South Africa, once the home of aparteid or “apartness.” It is the importance of ubuntu that makes solitary confinement such a harrowing punishment.
"One, Two, Three, Ubuntu!"
Perhaps this interconnectedness is best understood in terms of nature and the environment. According to the science of Living Systems Theory, everything in existence is part of a system of interconnected systems. There is no separation. Any perception of separation is actually a failure to see the complete picture, a myth arising from unenlightened misunderstanding.
In Buddhism, ubuntu is expressed by the idea of “interbeing” put forward by the great Vietnamese Monk and teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. “Interbeing” may be viewed as a formulation of the doctrine of ”dependant co-arising” found in the Paticca-samuppada-vibhanga Sutta. He describes it in his book, the Heart of Understanding,
“If you are a poet, you will see clearly that there is a cloud floating in this sheet of paper. Without a cloud, there will be no rain; without rain, the trees cannot grow; and without trees, we cannot make paper. The cloud is essential for the paper to exist. If the cloud is not here, the sheet of paper cannot be here either. So we can say that the cloud and the paper inter-are. “Interbeing” is a word that is not in the dictionary yet, but if we combine the prefix “inter-“ with the verb “to be,” we have a new verb, inter-be.”
The most important part of this realization is that there is no independent self – that the perception of self, of “me”, of “mine” is an illusion. Awareness that “I” is made of “n0n-I” elements leads to the understanding of non-self. It is this realization of non-self or interbeing that brings an end to suffering.
According to this understanding, the world is one. We are one. We are not separated isolated human beings. Diversity is what makes us strong. The world is strengthened by diversity, just as the environment and its constituent ecosystems are strengthened by diversity.
Interestingly, the Boston Celtics have chanted “Ubuntu!” when breaking huddle since the start of the 2008 season, the year they won the NBA Championship.