I’m a firm believer in what I imagine would be called panculturalism and panlinguism. They are inextricably linked: our culture creates our language, which then shapes the evolution of our culture. The human range of thought is restricted to things that we can describe with our language, and cultural tendencies unique to a specific group become a part of their language, and ultimately become an innate part of the lives of those peoples.
My favorite example is Banjar. Banjar is a Balinese concept I was told means “family, and nobody left behind”. You may note it’s similar to the definition of Ohana in Lilo and Stitch (great movie). It’s a necessary part of island culture - if they don’t work together they will quickly run out of resources and drive their own culture extinct.
English does not have a word that equates to Banjar, and the paraphrase definition, while accurate and plainly understandable, does not allow for the concept to become ingrained in our culture. It’s not a single idea, like, for example, the word Friendship. When an idea becomes a word, it becomes a fact, and all English speakers understand and experience and live out the concept of Friendship because of this. Fewer and fewer English speakers include Banjar in their lives. Perhaps it is relatable to the Golden Rule, “do unto others as you would have them do unto yourself” (or any one of the variations). Because it’s not a single word, a single idea, it is possible to view the Golden Rule as an opinion, rather than a fact.
I do everything I can to live with and through Banjar. Ever since I learned the word, I have kept it in my mind’s heart. I knew I never wanted to forget the word, and forget that way of life. Banjar shortly became part of my vocabulary as deeply ingrained as Fire Hydrant, but far more important. I do not have to remind myself of the word every morning, or keep it on a poster. To me, it is simply a fact. This allows me to live the best life I can in consideration of the community as a whole. Things as basic as holding the door and things as potentially untoward as loaning someone a prophylactic are natural instincts, and I am better for it.
This is why I choose to learn as many words in as many languages as I can, why I seek out opportunities to practice traditions of other cultures.
This is especially practical when it comes to religion. I am a Christian, but I have come to personally understand that all religions are essentially the same - they are simply different methods of rejoicing in the fact that we exist, and sets of rules on how to live a good life. Often, the rules, the deities, and the stories are similar. We should wonder how many of the differences are simply a matter of things being literally lost in the translation of sacred texts into a language that the religion was not built with. What if Slavery came from a poor translation of ideas similar to humility or “a willingness to serve (for the greater good)”? What if male dominance came from a language where Strength happened to be linguistically masculine? I strongly believe all practitioners of any religion, and anyone who does not practice a religion at all, should seek opportunities to partake in services of worship unfamiliar to them. When we learn how others pray, we learn what they are thankful for, what is important to them, and, ultimately, why they are the way that they are. Religious persons should also take time to hear the opinions of those who do not adhere to any religion or do not believe in any version of what I know as God, for the same reason. Along with this, we should welcome any and all to watch, and participate in our worship services, even if they are not “members”.
I applaud the United Methodist Church for making this an important part of their identity. I have also seen this in some Episcopal services, and I have been allowed to pray in Balinese temples side by side with those for whom the worship was a way of life. The latter allowed me to grow, to experience a new method of worshipping God, and to appreciate my own faith more.
Those who do not seek to learn about other cultures, especially within their own country (divides between caucasians and African Americans in the US are notable here), are failing themselves. Those who actively avoid other cultures and opinions are failing society.
I believe the best way to start learning about another culture is by listening to its music. Music is not, in fact, a universal language. Traditional Chinese music is as different from traditional British music as Mandarin is different from English. Rap is as different from Country Music as a Harlem accent is different from that of a Tennessean. But, it does not take nearly as much effort to listen to someone else’s music as it does to learn their language. Turn on, tune in, and open up your mind’s heart to the music of the peoples of the world. Within, you will find their soul, and you will discover it’s not so different from your own.
Ubud, Bali - 11 June 2018
My favorite example is Banjar. Banjar is a Balinese concept I was told means “family, and nobody left behind”. You may note it’s similar to the definition of Ohana in Lilo and Stitch (great movie). It’s a necessary part of island culture - if they don’t work together they will quickly run out of resources and drive their own culture extinct.
English does not have a word that equates to Banjar, and the paraphrase definition, while accurate and plainly understandable, does not allow for the concept to become ingrained in our culture. It’s not a single idea, like, for example, the word Friendship. When an idea becomes a word, it becomes a fact, and all English speakers understand and experience and live out the concept of Friendship because of this. Fewer and fewer English speakers include Banjar in their lives. Perhaps it is relatable to the Golden Rule, “do unto others as you would have them do unto yourself” (or any one of the variations). Because it’s not a single word, a single idea, it is possible to view the Golden Rule as an opinion, rather than a fact.
I do everything I can to live with and through Banjar. Ever since I learned the word, I have kept it in my mind’s heart. I knew I never wanted to forget the word, and forget that way of life. Banjar shortly became part of my vocabulary as deeply ingrained as Fire Hydrant, but far more important. I do not have to remind myself of the word every morning, or keep it on a poster. To me, it is simply a fact. This allows me to live the best life I can in consideration of the community as a whole. Things as basic as holding the door and things as potentially untoward as loaning someone a prophylactic are natural instincts, and I am better for it.
This is why I choose to learn as many words in as many languages as I can, why I seek out opportunities to practice traditions of other cultures.
This is especially practical when it comes to religion. I am a Christian, but I have come to personally understand that all religions are essentially the same - they are simply different methods of rejoicing in the fact that we exist, and sets of rules on how to live a good life. Often, the rules, the deities, and the stories are similar. We should wonder how many of the differences are simply a matter of things being literally lost in the translation of sacred texts into a language that the religion was not built with. What if Slavery came from a poor translation of ideas similar to humility or “a willingness to serve (for the greater good)”? What if male dominance came from a language where Strength happened to be linguistically masculine? I strongly believe all practitioners of any religion, and anyone who does not practice a religion at all, should seek opportunities to partake in services of worship unfamiliar to them. When we learn how others pray, we learn what they are thankful for, what is important to them, and, ultimately, why they are the way that they are. Religious persons should also take time to hear the opinions of those who do not adhere to any religion or do not believe in any version of what I know as God, for the same reason. Along with this, we should welcome any and all to watch, and participate in our worship services, even if they are not “members”.
I applaud the United Methodist Church for making this an important part of their identity. I have also seen this in some Episcopal services, and I have been allowed to pray in Balinese temples side by side with those for whom the worship was a way of life. The latter allowed me to grow, to experience a new method of worshipping God, and to appreciate my own faith more.
Those who do not seek to learn about other cultures, especially within their own country (divides between caucasians and African Americans in the US are notable here), are failing themselves. Those who actively avoid other cultures and opinions are failing society.
I believe the best way to start learning about another culture is by listening to its music. Music is not, in fact, a universal language. Traditional Chinese music is as different from traditional British music as Mandarin is different from English. Rap is as different from Country Music as a Harlem accent is different from that of a Tennessean. But, it does not take nearly as much effort to listen to someone else’s music as it does to learn their language. Turn on, tune in, and open up your mind’s heart to the music of the peoples of the world. Within, you will find their soul, and you will discover it’s not so different from your own.
Ubud, Bali - 11 June 2018