John Dau's third book is coming out soon!

My Third Book is coming out soon!

The Pillars of Wisdom

By: John Dau

The Pillars of Wisdom is more than just a compilation of stories full of wisdom. These stories introduce morals in a light-hearted way that inspire wisdom in yourself. I have never read a more thought-provoking and inspirational piece. You will walk away from reading this book, constantly pondering self-improvement.” -Liz Bullock.

The lively stories in this book are classified according to the following Dinka pillars of wisdom: respect, empathy, honesty, fairness, sharing, listening, welcoming, brotherhood, friendship, love, perseverance, and other subliminal lessons. 

 These values are universal and shared across societies. My Dinka people hold them so dearly and strictly that they form the foundation of each individual in South Sudan. Children learn these morals daily through action-packed and thought-provoking stories and proverbs such as the ones I have recorded in this book.

 When my young sons and daughters watch cartoons on television in America, I sometimes smile to myself. When I was their age, I knew all about talking animals. I grew up in South Sudan listening to my relatives and friends sharing Dinka folklore in which animals spoke to humans and to each other. Who needed ‘Dora the Explorer’ or ‘Peppa the Pig?’ I had ‘Hyena,’ ‘Lion,’ and ‘Atok Bird.’

 These stories have helped shape who I am: a proud member of the African people who are steeped, at a very early age, in the values of education, respect, integrity, accountability, hard work, and family ties. I know these animals, and these stories, intimately.

 I invite your children, along with my own children, to read these tales and love them as I do. I want these bits of folklore to remind my children of their Dinka heritage—and to help them grow internally to develop good characteristics. In doing so, I have decided that these powerful messages should be shared with children all around the world.

 I have found, in nearly a decade of living and traveling in America, that western education gives children some of the best formal schooling possible. However, after the afternoon bell rings, they’re not getting enough positive informal education. Many parents are so busy with jobs and house chores, and sometimes taking classes of their own, that they could use the help of these delightful stories to reinforce their values to their children. Furthermore, grandparents -– ever present storytellers in the Dinka world –- are absent in most American homes. Children have fewer opportunities to absorb crucial life lessons from these respected elders.

 In my homeland, we told stories to help fill the young with wisdom acquired from the tribe. Lessons imparted by Turtle and Lion and all of the other animals rang true many years ago when I watched over my father’s cows in Duk Payuel, South Sudan. They rang true when I struggled to maintain my identity, my faith, and my hope as a Lost Boy of Sudan in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya – a struggle chronicled in the National Geographic book and documentary film God Grew Tired of Us. They ring true today, as I live and work as a U.S. citizen, husband, father, and foundation president in New York and Virginia.

 Dinka folklore in South Sudan is a shared daily ritual. Most often I heard these stories at the end of the day. Father would put the cows and dog in our luak, or cattle hut, and then join us inside our home. Mother would secure the house to make sure the windows and doors had been shut against the mosquitoes outside. Then, my brothers and sisters and I would start an elaborate list to determine the order of storytelling for the evening. “Okay,” we’d say, “Who will tell a story?” We’d beg and tease each other to share new stories heard during the day, but each of us would try to make someone else tell the first one.

 Sometimes, after we sorted out the correct order and worked through all of own stories, we’d beg Mother to give us one. Sometimes she would say she was too tired, but we knew if we begged her (and we always begged her), she would reward us with one of our favorite stories passed dow= from long, long ago. Father told stories too, always leaving us hungry for more encounters with Wily Hyena and Noble Lion.

 Nobody ever told a story to put children to sleep. No, stories were too important for that. Father warned us not to tell stories during the daytime. 

“You could get lost,” he said. We heard that same message from elders in the village. Like other young children, I took Father’s words literally: Stories could make you forget how to get home! Only as I grew older did I, and the other children, figure out the elders meant to trick us and make us think. We figured out, perhaps with an admonishment from older brothers and sisters, that if we told stories while we were supposed to be watching over our cattle and goats, we might lose track of our herds. If we paid too much attention to stories about Lion and Hyena, real-life versions of those animals might sneak into our pastures and carry off our livestock.

 In our stories, animals talk to one another and to human beings. In fact, everything, even trees, can talk in a Dinka story. Today, the Dinka believe that some animals still talk to one another, such as hyenas to hyenas, and that people with special skills can communicate with animals, up to a point. A cow might remind a Dinka boy not to take all of its milk, for example, because the cow needs some left over for its calf. And everyone knows you cannot punish an animal without telling it what it did wrong.

 Of course, the Dinka don’t literally carry on conversations with animals, but they still absorb much wisdom from God’s many creatures. In these stories, we know that Hyena is selfish, untrustworthy, lazy, greedy, and cowardly. These are qualities no Dinka would ever want to see in a child, so Hyena is a prominent figure giving warning in our stories. We know that Fox is cunning and clever, that Eagle is reliable and sometimes gullible, and that Lion is patient, noble, and strong – but not belligerent.

 These stories are told here just as I remember them, with only two small concessions. The first is that every good Dinka tale should have a song in the middle of it. We Dinka love to make up songs and sing them, and if I were telling you the story of “How Fox Tried to Fool Atok,” I would work a song into the narrative.

 The second has to do with language and our tribal name. Westerners know my people as the Dinka. That name arose from a miscommunication between some of my ancestors and the first British explorers who, many decades ago, visited what is the modern-day Republic of South Sudan. We Dinka, however, refer to ourselves by a name virtually unknown in the West; Monyjang. The word translates into English as “Men of All Men.”

 With a tribal name like that, and our rich folktales, it is obvious we are proud people. We keep our heritage and lessons alive, whether in South Sudan or in other parts of the world. Even today, when I do South Sudanese things, I do them under my Monyjang name, and I remember my heritage.

 -- John Dau (Dhieu-Deng Leek)

 Stories in this book are classified according to the main Dinka pillars of wisdom: respect, empathy, honesty, fairness, sharing, listening, welcoming, brotherhood, friendship, love, and perseverance.

Respect

 In this category, readers will feel the effect of respect. Respect is self-control. Children will learn that failure to respect oneself always results in unfortunate consequences.

 Empathy

 Through storytelling, the Dinka people express their own feelings and gain understanding of another person's experiences and emotions. Children will learn that the ability to share someone else's feelings demands the daily practice of empathy and a deep spiritual accountability toward the other. 

Honesty

Like other societies, the members of the Dinka community work hard to stay honest in everything they do. Choosing not to lie, steal, cheat, or deceive in any way is taught to everyone via storytelling. When we are honest, we build strength of character that will allow us to be of great service to one another and to the world. 

Fairness

The Dinka believe that fairness is the number one trait that everyone and a leader or chief especially, should possess. Instilling fairness in children early builds personal character and promotes honesty and respect for others in the community. This is why Dinka parents prioritize modeling fairness to their children since their children are watching them and often want to be like their parents.

Sharing

Sharing in the Dinka society has no limit. Food sharing has been, and continues to be, a critical piece of the identity of the Dinka and sharing plays a prominent role in stories such  as the  ones below.

 Listening

Since almost every communication is done verbally, the Dinka society always puts emphasis on effective listening. The ability to actively understand information provided by relatives, friends, and elders in the community is important. These stories will help readers understand why listening is a delightful and life-saving virtue. 

Welcoming

Hospitality is truly in the genes of the Dinka people. It can take 30 minutes for the Dinka greeting for those who have been away from each other for a long time. The greeting itself is amazing and it’s something to watch, as this story illustrates.

Brotherhood

Brotherhood in Dinka society is a bond and feeling of friendship, support, and understanding between people who may have the same interests. Dinka people hold that all people should regard and treat one another as equals.

 Friendship

Camaraderie is important for joy in life. Cooperation and support between two or more people opens our hearts. The stories on this category reveal what it takes to really know a friend and to nurture treasured mutual friendship.

 Love

For the Dinka strong affection and love for another arises out of kinship or personal ties within the family. These stories apply the love in a family to the those the family touches.

Perseverance

Listen to your heart! More than ever before we know that inner drive, determination, perseverance, and sticking with a goal gives our children the confidence to mature and be able to fully develop the gifts they have to better the world. The Dinka know that perseverance allows us to create things of value to ourselves and others, without letting fear or discouragement hold us back.