Sobaliba

When we try to translate the Ao word Sobaliba to the English language, we often translate it as synonymous to words like culture, tradition or customs. However, a closer look into the word reveals that it is very much more than that. It can be said that all culture, tradition and customs are components of Sobaliba, but Sobaliba is more than just culture, tradition and customs. Sobaliba is the whole, while culture, tradition or customs are parts of the whole and not the whole. In other words, Sobaliba is much more than what we think it is.
Sobaliba is an untranslatable term that can only be lived. Sobaliba is a way of life. A philosophy. An unwritten code of ethics. That which binds the community as a cohesive whole. Sobaliba is a set of social standards, ethos and values. It is the collective spirit of solidarity. Sobaliba is the bedrock of Ao Naga social life. Therefore, to try to translate it to an equivalent English word is futile. To have it translated to words like culture, tradition or customs is shallow. The philosophical and social nature of the Ao Naga community gave form and substance to Sobaliba.
The selfless act of helping and assisting others without any expectation of a reward in return is Sobaliba. To be hospitable, selfless and kind to others is Sobaliba. Sobaliba means, among other things, being courteous, courageous, humble and always willing to stand up for the good of the whole community. Sobaliba means always being willing to be of help to others and, on the other hand, always trying not to be a burden to others. Sobaliba is the code that dictates us to put the welfare and interest of others before personal interests. To care for the unfortunate, to feed the poor, to love the lesser privileged, to give till it hurts is Sobaliba. Respect for elders, protecting the weak and fostering the young is Sobaliba. Being honest, upright and upholding that which is virtuous is Sobaliba. Sobaliba is the compelling moral force, the conscience, that finds expression in selflessness and service for the good and wellbeing of the whole community.
In the time immemorial past, our community grew on the vine of Sobaliba. We are what we are today, as a distinct community, because of Sobaliba. The social ills that we may have today, facing our community, is because we have diluted Sobaliba. In the process of our progress towards modernity, perhaps, we have forgotten where we came from. In exchange for convenience, consumerism and quest for material possession, maybe we have detached ourselves from what sustains us as a collective.
Rekindling Sobaliba will cure a lot of ills like rampant corruption. Sobaliba can offer us a new lease of life. The phrase “Sobaliba meteta liang” need to be told more often.