“BI NNKA BI”
“No one should
bite the other”
Symbol of
peace and harmony.
This Adinkra
symbol cautions against provocation and strife. The image is based on two fish
biting each other`s tails. How many Asians know about the Adinkra symbols of
the Africans which include “bi nnka bi”, illustrated above. These
symbols, originally created by the Akan of Ghana and the Gyaman of Cote
d`Ivoire represent concepts and philosophies about life. It also carries key
messages which serve in governing social behaviour and ensuring co- existence.
Is it not amazing to know
that the core of Confucius` message could be summarised by this African Adinkra
symbol? The Ancient Chinese philosopher and social reformer, Confucius, did
indeed project these same important values of human existence aimed at ensuring
social cohesion. It is therefore not surprising that in 1995, at a Nobel Prize
ceremony in Paris, a Swedish physicist opined that “If man wants to survive the
21st century, he must return to 25 centuries ago and draw on the
wisdom of Confucius”.
In today`s turbulent world,
marked by strife, and social fragmentation, what kind of wisdom could we draw
from the life and legacy of Confucius? One of the precepts that the Confucian
wisdom preaches is harmony among people. As Confucius wisely stated,
“The superior man is in
harmony but does not follow the crowd. The Inferior man follows the crowd but
is not in harmony”.
Being in social harmony
does not mean conforming to a social trend or losing one`s self-identity in the
wave of group living. It simply means being able to co-exist peacefully
regardless of differing opinions. Inferior men, as Confucius points out, cannot
live in harmony even though they may have common ideas and interests.
If we take a global
perspective, in today`s world, various countries, nations and ethnic groups
have different values, but all the peoples of the world must aspire towards
living together harmoniously rather than resorting to war and violence at every
turn.
In the present world where
more and more Asians are found in Africa and more Africans have moved to Asia,
one unchanging recipe to development is social harmony and this central idea of
Confucianism still retains a power and a force that give them relevance to
people`s existence even today. Indeed Confucius says – “Bi nnka bi” and it is
up to us to put into practice this simple message of harmony.
AfriqAsia Merge –
…Bridging the gap, embracing the differences.
- AfriqAsia Fabric of peace -
和 平
Hépíng - Chinese character for peace.
