Day 113: Ubuntu

Day 113: “Ubuntu”

Moving into my new house in San Francisco this week, I’ve been exposed to the term Ubuntu. Not only is it the name of my thirty-person co-op house, Chateau Ubuntu, but it’s also a concept of compassion and humanity.

From my dad, I learned that the term loosely translates into “I am, because of you.”

The fact that I share a room with five other people, and share my house with 30 other people, proves to me that in today’s world — where the Paradox of our Age (The Dalai Lama) is undoubtedly prevalent — there are still groups of people that revolve around the idea of community and emotions.

The Paradox of our Age is simple. It points out the advancements we have made to our society, while also emphasizing the ironic consequences that have followed.

[…]

We spend more, but we have less

We have bigger houses, but smaller families

More conveniences, but less time…

More medicines, but less wellness…

We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often

We have added years to life, but not life to years

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back

But have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor…

These are the times of tall men, and short character…

These are the days of two incomes, but more divorces

Of fancier houses, but broken homes

The Paradox of our Age, The Dalai Lama

In the past few months, I’ve started to immerse myself into some communities. First was foreign communities — traveling around to different countries, learning a new language or city geography, and slowly understanding how the native people live and behave.

The second was online communities — creating a space where gamers alike can share their passions and interests, where they can band together and accomplish a feat of slaying dragons, or just share some funny memes and tease one another.

The latest community is Chateau Ubuntu. A three story house in the middle of San Francisco — a space where people, in search of direction or beginning a new chapter, can have a foundation to build up from. A space that can bring out the compassion and kindness of complete strangers, in the midst of a time when people mostly think about themselves.

Healthy communities — ones that run on the idea of respect, love, and understanding — can change people’s lives. Instead of shouldering a burden alone, people with a community’s support can go above and beyond their expectations.

I believe that strength and imagination evolve when emotions are fueling that power — and even more so, when the emotions of others magnify that power many times over.