The Zulu culture in Southern Africa, has a greeting similar to Namaste in Sanskrit (India). Its meaning is as beautiful and broad as Namaste, with no equivalent in English.
A Zulu will greet you with "Sawubona" and it literally means "I see you, you are important to me, I value you."
SAWUBONA: All my attention is with you, I see you, I accept you for what you are. You are part of me.
Sawubona, symbolises the importance of directing our attention to another person. It exists to remind us to understand others without prejudice.
In western culture, we say a hurried "Hello," and straight away move on to the subject we want to discuss. The Zulu people promote the need to see each other slowly. They maintain eye contact. They know how to feel and listen to another - how to embrace their soul. How to trust one another. How to place our full attention on another.
These are more than greetings. They're ways to enlighten the other person by communicating how important they are to us.
SAWBONA really means "We see you" and you will respond by saying, "Yebo, sawubona" (yes, we see you too). Why say "we" when it is just a single person greeting another. In Zulu tradition, the "I" is a connection to an ancient lineage of ancestors who, are always with you. So the greeting really means, "me and my ancestors see you," and your response means, "me and my ancestors see you too." It is an invitation to deep witnessing and presence.
Who wouldn't want to be greeted this way?
The giving to someone else of our full attention, is not only respectful, but also deeply loving.
*posted as received.
