The 6 Lessons From J.K Nyerere
Before you go, dear reader, please, note this…
…what you will be able to learn from these 6 lessons, it’s not about politics or religion issues, it’s about personal growth lessons (the how-to live lessons from the greatest) that can be applied in everyone’s lives.
J.K Nyerere is one of my greatest teachers. When it comes to the gurus and masters for how they have lived their lives, their characters and personalities gave us a lot of wisdom to live with.
As one among the founding fathers of Tanzania nation surely — it’s God who puts something inside him and be willing to share with us what he has, fearless.
What I have learned from our founding father J.K Nyerere, is more than lessons and if applied in normal life can bring tremendous and miraculous change.
1. I Learned About What It Really Means When We Talk About Freedom
J.K Nyerere divided freedom into three levels.
1. National freedom. Where all the citizens in a certain country can determine their own future but also to govern themselves without interference from others.
2. Freedom from hunger, disease, and poverty. Where a normal human can be free from any of them in their daily lives.
3. Personal or individual freedom. Where all beings will have a right to live in dignity and equality with all others but also have the ability to make their own personal decisions.
According to him, if you are/were able to master all of those three, then you are free.
2. No One Know the Best for Anyone
Even though we are all here for each other’s, J.K Nyerere still argues that no one knows the best for the other fellow (and I totally agree with him 100%).
So this is teaching us we should really stop acting like we have the responsibility to fix other's lives simply because we know what is best for them.
“No one in the country has the right to say “I know what is good for Tanzanians and the others must do it.” — J.K Nyerere
3. Poverty It’s Not the Problem
We still think we have the real problem with poverty but in reality, what makes many people suffer from this tragedy is the egoistic illusion which many of us are trapped into that.
“Poverty is not the real problem of the modern world. For we have the knowledge and resources which could enable us to overcome poverty.” — J.K Nyerere
It’s the ego that causes all of those problems to arise and define ourselves according to those circumstances.
“The real problem that creates misery, war, and hatred among men is the division of mankind into the rich and poor.” — J.K Nyerere
And where do all divisions come from? It’s come from the false self — the ego itself. Which many of us still aren’t free from the ego illusion.
But what is Ego? Ego is the false identity that always defines the lives of many. Many people define themselves according to what they have, do, or what others think of them. Many people separate themselves not only from others but from their creator too and end up losing their own nature.
Also during our childhood, we have been raised to believe in this false identity and until this moment many of us term to define ourselves that who we are is what we do, have, or our reputations.
4. Man Development Involves Spirituality Too Which Many of Us Don’t Care
We thought development it’s only on the material things that why most of us fail to live a balanced life.
We thought ourselves that if someone has a good house, a good car and got a good amount of money he/she is successful.
For the wisdom that I have now is that real success comes from within. And it doesn’t really matter how people choose to define success — I, (you) myself (yourself) should carry the meaning of success and defines it in a way that relates to who am I (who you are).
Our late father J.K Nyerere said that “The purpose of development is a man. It is the creations of conditions, both material and spiritual which enable man the individual, and man the species, to become his best.”
5. We Have to Be Aspire to Union with God and Reflect Him
For we were created by God’s image, living our lives on this planet Earth we have to reflect His image — which is something I think most of us are afraid of doing it.
As normal humans, we have to know that we are the creators of this universe, and we are part of the divine intelligence, that which is the creator of all creation.
We can create anything by using our mind (thoughts), words, and deeds (actions). This is how we create things and that is why the world is full of humans creations. (Just look around). We are so blessed and it’s one of God’s gifts which humans always take for granted plus our own free will.
“We say man was created in the image of God. I refuse to imagine a God who is poor, ignorant, superstition, fearful, oppressed, wretch — which is the lot of the majority of those He created in His own image.” — J.K Nyerere
I think it’s time now, we shouldn’t be afraid to carry God’s image with (within) us (talk, act or do) as we are reflecting Him. We have to union with Him all the time. God is the beginning of all things and He is for all of us.
“Men are creators of themselves and their conditions, but under present conditions, we are creatures, not of God, but of our fellow men” — J.K Nyerere
6. The Real Meaning of “Service” What Does It Mean to Be “Of Service to Others”
Either you are working in the church, cooperation, or school. Either you are a banker, shoemaker, or a baker — there is a purpose behind what you are doing — service.
But what does service really means?
Is it to create more charity and collect more money to helping others?
Is it to hold other people's hands and show them the direction where they should step their feet’s while walking?
Or is it about controlling your children’s if you are a parent telling them what they should do or shouldn’t do, what they should talk or shouldn't talk?
I don’t really know your views.
But according to our late founding father of Tanzania national (of which I agree with what he has observed)— J.K Nyerere, he doesn’t really entertain those kinds of things.
For him, for those who give their lives to the service is more about letting others stumble themselves — helping others to help themselves.
Is to help them realize who they are and who they aren’t so that they can be able to do what they are supposed to do. Taking responsibility for their own lives, help themselves, and later on — be able to help others.
The meaning of service today as stated by J.K Nyerere, first means that “kindness is not enough.”
“The men who are suffering from poverty, whether they are in the third world or in the developed world, need to be helped to stretch themselves; they need to be given confidence in their own ability to take control of their own lives. And they need to be helped to take this control, and to use it themselves for their own purposes. They need their own Uhuru and meaningful Uhuru.” — J.K Nyerere
Appreciation
Lessons learned from J.K Nyerere's book “Man and Development” If you are interested to learn more from this amazing book, the book is available at the national library, Dar es Salaam Tanzania with no payment. (Just pay a visit).
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