In the West, people usually form their community around work or school, a neighborhood or a church, among colleagues, and friends of friends, and other people they have met along the path of life. They find their place in this community based on the special qualities and gifts they have - their kindness, their generosity, their wealth, their intelligence, their sense of humor, their beauty, and so forth.

Then, over time, things happen. Everyone in the community, at some point, is certain to fall from grace. One person will go through a divorce, another will have personal problems or get sick, someone will lose their job or betray a friendship - you know, bad things will happen.

In the West, I see that the person in trouble is often reevaluated, and maybe excluded from the community. I want to say that it shouldn't be that way. When a person falls from grace in their community, the circle that has formed around him has a responsibility to put those kinds of issues aside. When someone has been accepted as a member of the community, he or she should not be put to test whenever things get difficult. you put aside the question of whether he is good enough, or "Is he as good as I am?" The community sets those things aside and steps in to help when help is needed.

This is the Spirit of Ubuntu!

Excerpt from Sobonfu Somé's Falling Out of Grace: Meditations on Loss, Healing and Wisdom

 

Sobonfu's Upcoming Events at Novalis Ubuntu during January 2010

Awakening the Spirit of Ubuntu

Friday 22nd January, 8pm-10pm

In this talk, Sobonfu will be sharing the Dagara's view on how to "Awaken the Spirit of Ubuntu in 2010". This is a great talk for all those people who are interested in learning how to discover their greatest gifts and how to share them within the community. An ideal talk for community leaders, social organizations, or anyone interested in deepening their inner relationship with Ubuntu. (Read More...)

Introduction to the Grief Ritual

Saturday 23rd January, 9am - 12pm

Grieving is a natural gift of human nature. We are born with a wonderful ability to express our feelings.  When we have reached adulthood most of us have had great cause to grieve for lost loved ones, broken dreams, failed careers, and relationship crises. It is generally accepted (science has proven) that repressing emotions can lead to ill health. We know that unexpressed grief will burrow its way deep into the subconscious/psyche, numbing our feelings and disconnecting us from life itself. And yet we, as a culture, fail to support the expression of grief. There are so few places where it is acceptable to express our deepest feelings.  (Read More...)