What is Sābanto?

7/8/2021

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Sābanto is an English loanword into the Japanese language, written phonetically. Japanese doesn't have a natural V or a hard R. The macron over the A means it's an elongated sound, imitating an R. The word means a ‘servant’. The word maid - maido - is more popular in Japan to describe a servant. However, I found a use of Sābanto in the context of the book more effective.

What does it symbolize?

To answer that question we need to go back and look at hierarchies and caste systems in human history.

There is little evidence that social levels existed before the Neolithic period. However, starting about 7500 years ago, the first farming cultures showed signs of division. For example, some people were cultivating less fertile soil than the others.

In Mesopotamia, 5500 years ago (3500 BC) society was already categorizing its people into groups based on socioeconomic factors like wealth, income, race, education, ethnicity, gender, occupation, social status, or derived power (social and political). That is also when the first mention of slavery is documented.

This divide between people continued through the ages of Ancient Greece, Egypt, the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages. What is worth noticing is that society always has groups at the bottom of the hierarchy.

Even with the abolition of slavery, this divide continued to exist. There was no longer a master and a slave but there were still wealthy and beggars. This dynamic was existent up to and including the industrial revolution, when human life was expendable in the name of chasing cheaper production and maximizing profits.

Today there are still people at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Homeless, addicted and mentally ill, to name a few. Many times we go about our lives and we forget that they exist. We race to be part of the world of the better off - those standing higher than us - as an ultimate reward. We work on our education and careers. We gamble, hoping to make that jump up one day, kick up our feet and finally relax, enjoying the new reality.

Many examples in history show that the chances of becoming extremely wealthy are close to none. However, a single unfortunate event in our lives might make us poor and homeless. That is why it might be better for us to look down and prepare for our fall, rather than chase the unattainable. What kind of help would we like to receive when we hit the rock bottom of society? If we bring that bottom higher, maybe the fall wouldn't be that long and painful?

Will we ever be able to remove the lowest level in our society and ensure that no one is homeless or ever goes hungry or cold? Can Sābanto finally be the real answer? Can Sābanto serve humanity?

Sābanto is an IDEA.
Sābanto is HOPE.
Sābanto is a REVOLUTION.

References:
https://www.wired.com/2012/05/neolithic-social-hierarchy/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_slavery
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_stratification

1 Comment

Tony Pereira

7/10/2021 02:29:34 pm

On the question; will we ever be able remove the most vulnerable in society? We will never be able to; people’s fortunes will continue to change, people will continue to become unwell physically and mentally, and people are just born into and live in poverty. With that said, there those who acknowledge that they are unhappy in their current state and are able to adapt and work towards bettering their situation, and there are those who cannot or choose not to. It’s the latter that we need to as you put it, raise the bottom higher to lessen the fall. It will never be perfect, paradise is not here.

Now my pragmatic side says how do we pay for supporting these vulnerable people? taxes can only go so high before people revolt, and people can only donate so much. So how do we address this need? My suggestion, this may sound silly/naive, but large private and publicly traded companies should start funding homes/treatment centres from their social/commercial budgets. If Molson brewery sponsored the building of a housing centre with a Molson sign on top of it, or if Tim Hortons sponsored a treatment or education centre with their banner on it, I think many would endorse their products.

But that is a pipe dream I think.

We will always have the poor among us, to remind us of our human condition.

“ You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” John 12:8

-Tony

What is Sābanto?

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