Sumak Kawsay – The way to a good life

How to live a good life? What does the good life even mean? Each of us understands this term differently and as individuals we strive for different things. The ideal of a good life differs depending on the culture to which we belong, life circumstances, social status, level of education and other factors. And yet, what we all meet and agree on when we talk about the good life is health and love, as well as a life filled with meaning (as each of us understands it).

Cultures around the world have developed their own concepts of the good life, as well as ways to achieve it. In our capitalist world, a good life often means acquiring material goods (real estate, savings), maintaining an attractive body (gyms, diets), as well as the ideal of eternal youth (beauty industry, surgical interventions). These are all the values that are at stake, which are capital with which we ensure a comfortable position in society and in life. The emphasis of our achievements is mostly directed outwards – towards things beyond us and on other people’s perception of us. Reducing health to good looks, love to seduction, and the meaning of life to material goods, many of us feel empty and unfulfilled.

Could it be otherwise? Can we imagine a society that functions on different principles? And if so, what could it look like? We would be surprised if we realized how many different value systems existed, and still exist (albeit on the defensive), which are successful, functional, and at the same time do not deprive us of our meaning and humanity. One of such ideals and value systems is sumak kawsay.

Term Sumak kawsay

Sumak kawsay is a neologism created in an attempt to describe the traditional Andean ideal of living. Composed of the Quechua word sumak which represents the ideal of fulfillment, and the word kawsay which means life, vital energy. In the Spanish-speaking world, this term is translated as buen vivir, that is, as good living. This term was not used by the ancient peoples of the Andes, but they lived these rules every day without naming the concept itself. The term sumak kawsay originated in the 1990s among left-wing indigenous activists of the Andean region. First of all in Ecuador and Bolivia. It is created as a counterweight to the capitalist concept of the good life and is an attempt at anti-colonial and anti-class struggle in this part of the world. However, although the term is relatively new, the principles and rules on which it rests are centuries old and predate numerous South American cultures.

The Andean world view has always been very practical. This is also reflected in their philosophy, at the center of which is the question of life energy and its circulation. They did everything to preserve energy and, if possible, increase it, and they considered it the greatest treasure. Also, they took care that it was in constant movement and balance, because this guaranteed the survival of nature, and thus of humanity. On the foundations of these two basic preoccupations, they built a value system based on three principles and two sacred rules.

Three principles of a good life

The first principle is munay, the feeling of universal love that is expressed through kindness, tenderness, acceptance, beauty. On the external level, this principle implies benevolence and kindness in communication with others. On an inner level, this principle strives to find peace in the heart, acceptance and understanding.

The second principle is yachay, which means to learn and know. It emphasizes intellectual curiosity and open-mindedness. This principle supports and encourages the acquisition of life experience and wisdom. On an inner, psychological level, yachay involves carefully unlearning thought patterns that do not serve our well-being and happiness.

The third principle is llank’ay, which means physical work and action. It is the active principle that makes things happen. In addition to physical work, it also includes mental and creative work, thus achieving balance and strength of both mind and body.

Two sacred rules

The sacred rules of the Andean culture help us to understand the context in which the stated principles of the good life function. The rules point us to the main values that every valid life should strive for and apply. They are embedded in the Andean life experience, which has always been focused on cooperation, helping and joining forces. In inaccessible mountain forests, strength and reciprocity mean the very premise for the possibility of life.

The first rule is kawsay and means life force, or life itself. It is the primordial energy that is found in everything around us and from which we are all made. Both people and nature. We all have limited amounts of energy and we must take care of it. The best way to do this is to practice the three principles that keep us present and focused on what is essential and current.

The second rule is ayni which means reciprocity. It enables the circulation of energy and renewal of life. It implies a conscious and willing recognition of the connection between humans and the natural world that sustains us. By giving back all the good that comes to us from others, nature and the world of living energy, the circle of life is complete. It is a rule that is certainly applied in relationships between people and implies a wide range of association, care for the community and gratitude for everything that the wider community has given us and made possible.

Good life in practice

Three principles help prepare us for sound judgment, for emotional openness, and for physical agility. Through munay we open and clean our heart. With the help of yachaya, we work to renounce harmful and untrue opinions, judgments, and the idea that the accumulation of information equals knowledge. Llank’ay prepares us to act in life according to purpose and goal. These principles are synergistic. Although independent, they work as a unit and support each other.

They essentially represent the ability to feel, think and act. In their association, sacred rules that exist beyond us and are universal have the main say. Reciprocity, ayni, guides and unites them all. There is no specific starting or ending point. Together they form the circle of life. And life, kawsay, embraces them and all things as it continually evolves toward the creative ideal.

The meaning of the term today

Sumak kawsay is a rounded set of values that takes into account our personal needs, but also the needs of the wider community, and the planet we live on. It emphasizes the need to keep our feelings, thoughts and body active. It gives us power because the good life is in our hands, not somewhere outside. Sumak kawsay gives us confidence and directs us to what we can, not what we should. Unlike the times we live in, the Andean worldview keeps us present in the moment and in touch with ourselves.

Through the ideals of taking care of oneself, a person is in active contact with his essence. He is aware of what he feels, takes care of his thoughts, and does things that make sense. There, the question of the meaning of life does not arise as something that should be solved all at once. The meaning of life is considered a journey and something we build. Therefore, the purpose of life is not definitive, it is constantly being built and developed.

Another feature of this view of life is its insistence that man does not exist independently of his environment. Through awareness of reciprocity and the cycle of life, this set of values teaches us that only in a world that we take care of can we ourselves thrive. This is particularly visible in the environmental movements that exist in this part of the world that refer to sumak kawsay.

Finally, sumak kawsay is an opportunity to think about what we can apply in our communities and in our lives. Balancing between the demands of the civilization we live in and our needs as human and thinking beings, the principles and rules of sumak kawsay are here to tell us that a different world is possible.

Aleksandar Obradović

Aleksandar Obradović

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