Fig. 1 Together | illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon

The meaning of “Sawubona”, a South African greeting, moved my heart. It’s an entire practice and path that I’ll continue to practice and mindfully embody. I pass on to you the following article and video that I’ve gathered here with much warmth. – Lalah

Sawubona!!

It is an ancient isiZulu greeting which means: We see you. It’s equivalent to Hello and Namaste. So if we meet and greet, I would say “sawubona” [We see you], and you will respond by saying “yebo, sawubona” [yes, we see you too].

Why do we say “We” see you even when it is just me, a single individual person greeting you, and why do you respond by the same when it is just you, a single individual person greeting me?

In Zulu tradition, the “I” is the connection to an ancient lineage of ancestors, and my ancestors are always with me.

So when I meet you, not only am I meeting you, but my ancestors whom I’m representing meet you too.

So sawubona [we see you] means me and my ancestors see you, and your response means you and your ancestors see me too.

But Sawubona is more than just a greeting, it also means: we see each other, we acknowledge each other, and we recognize each other.

Youth worker and community leader Orland Bishop explains the meaning of the Zulu greeting Sawubona ("We see you") as an invitation to a deep witnessing and presence. This greeting forms an agreement to affirm and investigate the mutual potential and obligation that is present in a given moment. At its deepest level, Orland explains, this "seeing" is essential to human freedom. [via Global Oneness Project]

Sawubona is an invitation to deep witnessing and presence. It invites us to communicate, to explore the possibilities of helping each other. It means we witness your journey.

If you don’t see someone, you will not affect them, and as a result, you are unlikely to effect positive change on them.

Relationship problems start when people don’t see, acknowledge and recognize each other’s hopes and aspirations.

In moments of conflict, seeing someone whole is both a noble and a difficult thing. It is worthwhile pursuit because that’s where possibility lives.

Seeing goes beyond the physical, it is about the internal emotions.

It is about care, about warmth, about doing work that matters.

When we truly see people, when we see their hopes, dreams, and desires.

When we truly see people, we see people who need our humility, our undivided attention, and our assistance.

We need to see each other more.

Sawubona!!

[Original source: Orland Bishop, ShadeTree Multicultural Foundation]

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