Pilosopiya ni Eugine

Living Life Fully

2012-02-07T15:05:00.000+08:00

This article needs no introduction. It can speak for itself. Read on.

Living Life Fully

By Art Corpus

What is the purpose of life? What is the reason for living? Why are we in this world? These are the questions we normally ask when finally we decide to be serious with ourselves.

The answers are as many and diverse as there are minds that raise the question. One answer is that we are in this world to love, worship and serve God. That is the answer of religion. Another answer is: life has no purpose. It is for everyone to give purpose to his life if he wants. That is the answer of philosophy. The answer of science is something else. For science the purpose of life is to evolve because evolution is the law of the universe. As I have said, there are other answers; but these are the basic ones.

Of course, the logical questions that follows are: what is the correct answer? Is religion correct? Or is philosophy? Or is it science? Or are they all wrong?

The issue in this problem is LIFE. To answer the problem, therefore, we must first answer the question: What is life?

What is life? Wow! What a question! Before I asked myself this question, I thought I knew the answer. Now I must think again. That is the problem with these simple questions: they are not simple after all.

What is life? We are dealing here of course with human life; our life as humans, and so we have to rephrase the question accordingly: what is human life? What is basically human life, or if you want to narrow down the question, what are we really doing here as humans?

Come to think of it. What are we really doing in life as humans? In other words, what is the essence of human life?

To my mind, there is only one word that encapsulates whatever humans do and not do in this life. That word is EXPERIENCE. Everything we do is experience. And if we are not doing anything, even that is experience. The essence, the totality of human life, therefore is simply experience. And in the language of math, human life = experience.

The answer to our three original questions therefore is experience. The purpose of life is to experience life. The reason for living is to experience life. We are in this world to experience the world.

Hence, stripped of any religious, philosophical and scientific trappings, experience is the answer to life’s purpose. And since to experience life is nothing more than to live life, the purpose of life, in other words, is simply to live life.

What does this really mean logically? It means the question itself as to the purpose of life is irrelevant and even immaterial for us humans since we are living life anyway whether we like it or not.

But are we really living life? Or do we just go through life half awake or half asleep? When Jesus said: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”, is he not referring to the whole of humanity who are not fully conscious of what they are doing and therefore in effect, they really “do not know what they are doing”? Has not Jesus, by those words, spelled out the real problem of man: that man is not living life properly?

The answer is found implicitly in the aforequoted words of Jesus: we have to know what we are doing. In other words, we have to be fully conscious every moment that we are awake. Jesus in effect was saying that our presence should be complete in whatever we are doing; so we should not allow our mind to snatch our consciousness from the present and hold it hostage to the past or to the future. If we allow our mind to do this, then we are not really living life because life happens in the present and not in the past nor in the future; and so, we are not really experiencing reality because reality is now, not the past nor the future. Then we miss life, that wonderful reality that God has gifted us. Then we have not lived life, we have not experienced reality. Then we are a failure to ourselves. We are a failure to the universe. We are a failure to God.

Hence to live life fully is to be aware, to be fully conscious every waking moments of our life with our body, our mind and spirit. To live life fully is to interact with our environment, with the world in the fullness of our being. To live life fully is to accept completely the reality of the now. To live life fully is to surrender our being to the BEING of the present.

Now, what does this mean in concrete, in actual practice of day to day, of moment to moment living? It means appreciating the things and objects around us in full awareness with our senses because it is through our senses that we really know. It means touching with full attention the objects around us. Notice that as you touch them, each object responds individually and uniquely to your touch. Notice that as you caress with your fingers each object, it suddenly becomes alive – for it is really alive – and caress your fingers in return in gratitude for the attention you are giving it. Then suddenly you become pleasantly aware that everything – even objects you call inanimate – is alive and conscious and loves to be noticed and be given your gift of touch.

Then look closely at each object around you. In the stillness of your silent presence, notice the individual impact of their being. Allow the magic of your own being to fascinate their own and notice how they respond to yours. Then watch closely how in this mystical encounters of beings, the miracles of existence slowly and sweetly dawns in your consciousness. Then for the first time, you enjoy with gratitude the unspeakable bliss that comes to your soul in this moment of liberation from time as it is given a glimpse of eternity.

Then listen to Being. Listen to Existence. Listen to Absolute, the infinite potential, the mysterious NOTHING from which everything comes and goes. Listen to it in the silence that waits between gaps of every sound you hear. Listen to it in the rustling of the bamboo leaves, in the breaking of the waves on the shore. Listen to it in the stillness that punctuates every bird’s song and counts every drops of the falling rain. Listen to it in the dramatic suspends that interrupts the deafening claps of thunder and the blinding flash of lightning. Listen to it in the blooming of love during the night when lovers are alone and out of sight, when silence listens to their moan and sigh while the full moon watches from the sky. Listen to it in the laughters of children at play, in the compelling note of a baby’s cry and in the haunting melody of a mother’s lullaby. And finally listen to it in the reassuring cadence of the beating of your heart and in that unbounded awareness you enter into when your mind finally transcends itself and gives you an ineffable taste of nothing less than the Absolute, Being and Existence. Then all of the sudden, you are truly free, free from the slavery and tyranny of the monster that is your own mind which snatches you willy-nilly from your transcendental embrace with the eternal present and locks you away within the time-bound confines of the past and the future.

All of a sudden, the sadness, bitterness, guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, all the problems of the past and the worry, stress, anxiety, unease, apprehensions – all the forms of fears of the future disappear like illusions that they really are. In sum, all the imaginary pains, unhappiness, problems caused by your identification with your mind, suddenly leave your consciousness because they cannot co-exist with the reality of Now. And so, the heavy weight of the years your mind has been carrying is now lifted from your shoulders. Then joy wells up unbidden from the depths of your being. Tears of bliss spring from your soul. Then finally, you have found peace. Then you realized that every moment of your life is perfection itself.

To live life fully also means being aware of NOTHINGNESS which envelops everything and from which everything comes and goes. And so, be aware of empty space around you, that vast emptiness with which Nothingness garbs itself and everything else in creation. Before, you take notice of objects. This time, notice also the empty space that surrounds the objects because it is really the space that gives existence and meaning to the objects. And if you are lucky, you might realize – as science does – that reality, that everything, is not only clothe with but is made up of emptiness. Then you might realize that your very own body is simply a field of vast emptiness and that you yourself is nothing else but NOTHING as everything else.

To live life fully then, is a humbling process. Whereas before you are living in a dream of your own grandeur, now you wake up to the reality that you are really NOTHING.

But then, to live life fully is also an enlightening process. Indeed, you wake up to the reality that you are nothing. But at the same time, you also wake up to the reality that everything else is nothing and therefore you are one with the wonderful world of NOTHINGNESS, one with the ocean of consciousness, one with the totality of BEING.

In sum, to live life fully is to die to your illusory self and be born again to your real Self.

William James: The Will to Believe

2011-09-22T21:37:00.000+08:00

William James says “an option [is] genuine option when it is forced, living, and momentous.” A live option has some appeal to the agent and a dead option is one that has no appeal to the agent. A forced option is when “there is no standing place outside of the alternative. Every dilemma is based on a complete logical disjunction, with no possibility of not choosing”

An option is momentous when it is a matter of life and death, now or never, or an important one in a lifetime situation. A trivial option, on the other hand, is “when the opportunity is not unique, when the stake is insignificant, when it does not make any difference”.

“Can our will either help or hinder our intellect in its perception of truth?” James asked. He then clarifies what willing nature is by stating that it is not “only mean such deliberate volitions as may have set up habits of belief that we cannot now escape from – I mean all such factors of belief as fear or hope, prejudice and passion, imitation and partisanship, the circumpressure of our caste and set.” He states that there are things we hardly know how or why yet we find ourselves believing. We believe in what has been told to us by the authorities or leaders. We line our beliefs to theirs. He then concludes that our non-intellectual nature does influence our convictions. He says, “pure insight and logic, whatever they might do ideally, are not the only things that really do produce our creed.”

His thesis is “Our passional nature not only lawfully may, but must, decide an option between propositions, whenever it is a genuine option that cannot by its nature be decided on intellectual grounds; for to say, under such circumstances, ‘Do not decide, but leave the question open,’ is itself a passional decision – just like deciding yes or no – and is attended with the same risk of losing the truth.” This simply says that when we have a genuine option (that is live, forced and momentous) that could not be decided merely on intellectual grounds, our passional nature must be or is on the right place to rule. It may seem that James is against the moral evidentialism of Clifford. The thesis of James is against the moral evidentialism of Clifford with regards to the idea that our passional nature has the right to be place before insufficient evidence. James sees the weakness of moral evidentialism of Clifford when it cannot answer immediately when the situation is asking for urgency. However, it does not connote that James disregards the significance of the intellectual grounds, that is, the sufficiency of evidence. It does not end here his preliminaries (in his essay).

There is one more thing we need to know, small but important. “We must know the truth; and we must avoid error.” In these two separate laws, as he calls it, which are not two ways of stating an identical commandment, is where he criticizes the doctrine of moral evidentialism of William Kingdon Clifford. He re-states, “Believe truth! Shun error! As two materially different laws, we might put first place or treat more imperative the avoidance of error then let the chance of truth take. For him this is the attitude of Clifford’s doctrine. He declares, “Believe nothing, [Clifford] tells us, keep you[r] mind in suspense forever, rather than by closing it on insufficient evidence incur the awful risk of believing lies … so Clifford’s exhortation … is like a general informing his soldiers that it is better to keep out of the battle forever than to risk a single wound.” This should not be the attitude; this is not only our epistemic obligation. The risk of being in error is just a small matter compared with the blessings of knowledge acquired. Being duped many times in any investigations is more awful than postponing the chance of having the truth. James said, “We may regard the chase for truth as paramount, and avoidance of error is secondary.”

Our passionate nature has a big part in the formation of our opinions which influences us inevitably and is lawfully determinant of our choice. Scientific questions and in law courts are not in some way the scope of our passionate nature. It is because we need more time to investigate and be able to conclude beyond reasonable doubts. In these cases, James had weakened his criticisms to Clifford. Hence in the first glance these were the primary points of Clifford. The moral evidentialism of Clifford is much closer to the scientific method or the method of verification.

However, he tries to regain, but never did, when he stated that, “Human passions, however, are stronger than technical rules.” Then he immediately introduces that moral questions cannot wait for sensible proof. A moral question is not really concerned with existence or non-existence but of what is good or what would be good if it did exist. He says that we should not consult science but our heart regarding the worths of both "exists and does not exist". In order to understand what James is telling us here, let us be reminded of the genuine option James had told us first hand: live, forced and momentous option.

Let me relate a true story in this matter. There was once a woman who believed that she really had found her man. She was very happy. However, the man cheated twice to her. Though the woman truly loved the man and willingly engaged herself to him, they broke up. She told herself that she would never give any chances to him again. The woman had cut their communication while the man tried to amend himself and became so honest and truthful. Not only that, he also prepared a good future for themselves. After some years, for some reasons they regained their communication and the man was now ready to rebuild their relationship. The man told the woman, "This will be the last time that I’m going to ask you and if you would not still believe me that I’ve changed, then I will not be yours and you will not be mine”. Do you think the woman will accept the man again, not knowing the struggle and sacrifices of the man to change himself? I think not. (This was what really happened.) Why? Because she already closed the door for themselves. She closed the door for finding the truth if he really was a changed man. It was better for her to be in error than giving an open door to her ex-lover. It was better for her to be mistaken than giving chance to find the truth. She even did not know the sacrifices and struggles the man did for amending and changing himself.

What is religious hypothesis? James briefly states, “Science say things are; morality says some things are better than other things; and religion says two things, First is the best things are the eternal things; Second is that we are better off even now if we believe the first affirmation". If these are true, then religious hypothesis is living. It is also a momentous option because we are able to gain the vital good than lose it by our non-belief. History tells us that man does not live twice, disregarding the concept of reincarnation. Why then take the risk of being an unbeliever? It is forced so far as the good goes. Although we do avoid error by being skeptical if religion is untrue, we lose the good if the affirmation is true. James would not take the risk of not having the chance to achieve the prize or be at the winning side of his believing, though religious hypothesis has insufficient evidence. Skepticism, agnosticism in particular, James does not support but agrees to a rule when he said that “a rule of thinking which would absolutely prevent me from acknowledging certain kinds of truth if those kinds of truth were really there, would be irrational.” The rationality of religion resides on this rule that he introduces. It is really true that we cannot think otherwise that religious truth, if there is, it should be accepted as it is. But this rule is very hypothetical. This rule should be true if and only if religious truth exist. I do not agree that this rule is momentous or to the term of James, is a genuine option. It is because by its nature, it is hypothetical. It might be an imperative, however, it falls to the category of hypothetical imperative, that is, conditional. It is not then a forced option which follows that it is not live option.

James, however, assumes that his audiences might have the manner of thinking that says that they have the right to believe in their own risk any option that is live enough to trigger their will. Another thing is that freedom to believe can only cover living options which the intellect cannot by itself resolve; and living options never seem absurdities to them who has them to consider. In the end James said that we are the one holding our own lives, we respect one another’s mental freedom and each must act in his own accord. Whether we choose to believe or not, or wait to believe, we choose our own risk, our own fate, our own leap.

William Kingdon Clifford: Ethics of Belief

2011-09-22T21:32:00.001+08:00

“Thomas, one of the Twelve, said to the [disciples], ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put a hand into his side, I will not believe.’ Now a week later … Jesus came, and said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” — John 20:24–27.

William Clifford is like St Thomas, the Apostle, an evidentialist.
It is worth to present W. K. Clifford’s doctrine of moral evidentialism in his Ethics of Belief.

Clifford started his essay on his popular shipowner story and analogy. The shipowner knew that his ship was old, not over-well built at first and need repairs. He doubted that the ship would not make another trip and that it needed thorough overhauling and refitting. Builders and contractors were also suspicious of the ship. However, he succeeded in overcoming those doubts and suspicions. He said to himself that the ship, in his experiences, had gone safely through so many voyages and weathered so many storms and he also put his trust in the Providence. With these in mind, he acquired a sincere and comfortable conviction that the ship was safe and seaworthy. The ship sunk in mid-ocean and all aboard died.

Clifford says, “he had no right to believe on such evidence as was before him. He had acquired his belief not by honestly earning it in patient investigation, but by stifling his doubts. And although in the end he may have felt so sure about it that he could not think otherwise, yet inasmuch as he had knowingly and willingly worked himself into that frame of mind, he must be held responsible.”

The ship owner is always wrong, even though the story will be altered to that it journeyed safely and all were happy. Why? Because according to Clifford, “the question of right and wrong has to do with the origin of his belief, not the matter of it; not what it was, but how he got it; not whether it turned out to be true or false, but whether he had a right to believe on such evidence as was before him … not whether it turned out to be true or false, but whether [he] entertained it in wrong grounds … it is not the belief which is judged to be wrong, but the action following upon it.”

The origin or the genesis of how beliefs are formed is first and foremost seen where the blame resides and not really on the consequences that it produces. Clifford is suggesting that the man has an epistemic obligation when he said, that “the existence of a belief not founded on fair inquiry unfits a man for the performance of this necessary duty.” However, in the latter part of his essay, he said that not performing our epistemic obligations well will have moral impact not only to the individual but also to the society, that is, it is a sin to mankind. He said, “no one man’s belief is in any case a private matter which concerns himself alone. Our lives are guided by that general conception of the course of things which has been created by society for social purposes.” He believes that a former generation shapes the next generation. Whatever is taught to the following generation will be implanted to them. If ever an evil thing is being passed on to the later generation, then an evil thing will be lived on by the subsequent generation. He said this for the reason that if, however, false beliefs which results to wrong actions have been done many times and being accepted widely and made permanent, for instance stealing money, then society will not only lose its property but it will turn into “a den of thieves; for then it must cease to be a society.”

Belief, according to Clifford, “is that sacred faculty which prompts decisions of the will, and knits into harmonious working all compacted energies of our being, is ours not for ourselves, but for the humanity.” A self-deceptive or credulous person, that is, a person who believes on something without fair investigation, believes in insufficient evidence and easily persuaded, is defiant to the duty of mankind, and sinful to self and to the humanity.

He then sums up his inquiry: It is wrong always, everywhere, and anyone, to believe upon insufficient evidence.

As I was reading William Kingdon Clifford’s Ethics of Believe it did bothered me. It is because I am thinking that he is convincing me to believe only to what has sufficient evidence. He seems to be telling me not to believe only by faith. His arguments are for me plausible.
It is because I understood Clifford’s concept into my own context. I gave biased on him very early. I find him as an opponent against my faith. It is funny. I jumped into the conclusion that he is attacking my religious belief. One thing is that, if we could not find any evidence to prove the existence of God, I should not believe in the God I believed in. However, I would like to tell Clifford in this area of inquiry that if we can't find proof or evidence on the existence of God with the things around us, he is then not yet the god I believe in.

Going back to St Thomas, who was later called the “Doubting Thomas”, I cannot say that he is bad or wrong to state those words. (Please see above). It doesn’t mean that he really did not believe in what the other disciples told him. What he was after were the evidences that prove that Jesus was really alive. His time dictated him that it is really impossible for a dead man to come to life again. I could not blame or I would not blame St Thomas for being skeptical. He was just performing his epistemic obligation. I am actually proud of St Thomas (compared to many Catholics who have negative impression of him) on his interest of investigating and knowing the truth. St. Thomas wanted the disciples’ statements to be justified and reasonable. Here, I am now a friend of Clifford.

Being evidentialist is not really bad. It actually leads us to our search for truth. It is true that we could not live forever. However, we are not to spend our whole lives to be skeptical. Though Clifford did not clarify and is not clear on what sufficient evidence mean, I am assuming or presupposing that sufficient evidence might be being logically reasonable. It does not mean then that logical reasoning is not a sufficient evidence for us to believe certain truths reasonably. Principles like the non-contradiction. We could not deny the fact that non-being could not be “evidentialize”, because our reasoning will tell us that it is nothing. How could we create something which comes from nothing? Humans or anyone other than humans who have the capacity to reason and to think can create only something from something. In other words, they can only recreate, not to create. There is only one being who can create something from nothing, and that is God, to whom I believe in.

If Clifford’s principle is to be applied in acquiring knowledge, theory of knowledge in general, then it is really acceptable as a model. Being skeptical, in a sense of the suspension of judgment and giving a fair investigation and to believe in the sufficient evidence are really helpful in acquiring true knowledge. Truth and search for truth are Clifford’s concern.
Nevertheless, Clifford’s principle has a limit. It is true that we could not live forever, as I stated above. There are times that we have to decide at the moment, instantly. There are times that we need not to spend more time to discern more in order to have certain true decisions. Most of the time we are faced with events or conditions that need urgent and important decisions. So it would be impractical to apply Clifford’s doctrine of moral evidentialism.

At least I have 160 pesos

2011-08-04T21:01:00.004+08:00

Remixed songs! Boom Parana Mama Boom!! Tiktaks! Bing! Cling! Click! Tsak! These were the sounds of the remixed music. Oh yes! These were the sounds caused by rain, Coca-cola, Sprite, Royal, Pepsi, Mountain Dew and C2 plastic bottles, cans of Purefoods, Argentina, Century Tuna and bottles of Ginebra, Tanduay, Emperador and aluminum, zinc, iron and newspapers, magazines and paper boxes etc. These are the singers and dancers.
These were the things around the junkshop, known as “Pastor Pantaleon Junkshop”, of my Tito. These were what greeted me upon arriving yesterday and in the morning. But of course, it was with coffee with milk, fried rice and egg, the breakfast served by my cousin.

Workers and all the staffs (my tito, tita and cousins) woke up early as they prepare themselves for another day of work. At 7:00 AM, they are already working and those will be the sounds you will hear all day. These people, especially the workers, work hard all day to have a meal be prepared for the day. The popular maxim or saying is, “Isang kayod, isang tuka” (One toil for one feed). Yes indeed, this the reality. This is the life of most Filipinos.

Last night, as I listened to the story of my brother, who happened to be a worker in the junkshop, I cannot help but to harden my heart and keep holding back the tears that would fall anytime. We were sitting in his little room. A room made of plywood. Drops of rain were falling in the roof. It’s good that it has electricity and electric fan. You can see other people in the other room with the hole in the wall! haha! My brother, Yosie, is the sixth of the twelve fruits out parents. He just finished grade three (3) in elementary. He is now twenty-three years old and has a son.

He said. “It is better to be here than in our house, in the farm, working hard and keep risking with the unpredicted weather. It’s been thrice that our farm was flooded. Too much money was wasted. Now, all the money that they are using there, either for the farm or everyday meals is all from debts of our mother who keeps searching every day. Very lucky if she has something to repair, like pants. Other than that, she cannot find another source of our living. If I’ll stay there eating everyday and nothing is coming in, it will just increase the debts of our mother. Instead of I, who will be eating the food, it is better to be eaten by our little sisters and brothers and my wife and son. It is better to be here sacrificing, working hard. At least I have 160PHP everyday. I am budgeting 300PHP per week for my meals. Sometimes I will ask my advance pay so that I can have more food and have merienda. If I will not eat more, I will be hungry and weak. I’ll be pitiful and cannot work. I could not hold, carry and bring those heavy irons (bakal). Food is very essential for this kind of work as well as in the construction though they have higher salaries than us. It is better to work there. Last time, I got an extra work with them and they give me 300PHP and I am very happy. I went home at once and bought 1 kilo of rice.”

Then he continued, “Even those who are just sitting can feel hungry, how much more for us who exert much force, all muscles are working. The work is also dangerous. A few hours ago my finger should have been cut-off, if not for my wedding ring. Look what happened to my ring, deformed isn’t it?” Indeed, a mark of wound was there and the fleshwas still in blood too. I think his bones were broken, but he strongly and pitifully said, “No! Look I can still move, though I can’t feel my finger, hehe.” And he continued, “This is the life here, the more work; the more you eat but the less you are paid.” He paused for a few seconds and said, “Another thing is that, whenever I go back home, Anay (our mother) or all of them think that I have enough money. They don’t know that the little money I have was just an advance pay of mine. I will be force to go back, to work and pay the debts. It is alright at least I can give them a little. Though they don’t know how hard my life here in Manila. They thought it’s easy to live here, but not.”

Those words are really depressing! However, thinking of its positive side, he, as my younger brother has developed his being a responsible man.

Education is a profession or a career. Education equals life. This is the life trend here in the Philippines. There is nothing or no one to be blamed. All is the product of all these causes: of being born in a poor family, living in this new era of the poor ones, being born in the Philippines with rich natural resources but poor and corrupt government, with little education, of wrong “diskarte” of life, of laziness, of the natural calamities, cause of the unfair capitalist, cause of the many selfish persons and the like. These are some of the causes that lead to a poor living.

Lady, You Got Me

2011-04-01T07:47:00.000+08:00

Lady, to have you, is my greatest desire. You are my greatest happiness. My life. Everytime I am with you, everything is in its proper place. Every time I am near you, I have no doubt that you are the one. I am very certain. Sitting beside or in front of you, I can see clearly the chain or link of our lives, just like wedding rings that bond us forever. Everytime our eyes looked at each other, it digs deep and it tells me that you are my soulmate, it envisions the future.

Everytime we are together, my purpose in life is reached. You are a must-goal in my life. You perfect my existence. Everytime we meet, the beauty of life shines within. It lightens up the darkness. Time brings us to an everlasting state of life. When I am with you, all doubts and confusions are gone. You are the answer.

I was so afraid to be with you. I was afraid because I might be changed. My way of living. My way of thinking. My plans in life. The vocation I may take. I was so afraid to throw them away. I was so afraid to let them be just plans and all of them will be dissolved. I was so afraid that the strongest force that will let me stay with you forever will flourish and be nourished. I was so afraid to be near you because I know I could not control that force. Instead of saying no, I will say yes, optimistically, that is, I could not lie. It is like the Lasso of Truth, a fictional weapon of superheroine Wonder Woman, that forces anyone it captures to obey and tell the truth. It naturally flows the truth within me. I could not help but to be honest with you. I could not deny the truth.

Oh yes, that force is always drawing and pulling me to you even if we are a thousand miles away. It necessitates me to come to you and I did. I have no regret of letting go of my plans and of letting go of my chosen vocation. This thing God could not take away, because He could not withdraw what He has given.

Marry me. Say "YES!" (^_^)

Assumptions: relationship is broken and afraid to forgive

2011-03-14T11:26:00.000+08:00

There are people who made too many assumptions. Assumptions that ruined a relationship. Since they assumed, they will allege the people involve. Oh yes, a questionable and doubtful assertions. Miguel Ruiz is worth noting here, when he said , “Making assumptions in our relationship is really asking for problems. Often we make the assumption that our partners know what we think and that we don’t have to say what we want. We assume they are going to do what we want, because they know us as so well. If they don’t do what we assume they should do, we feel hurt and say, ‘You should have known.’”

If that happens, both will be blaming each other. Even if one will accept his fault (though it was not his fault), the other will just be saying nonsense. The sad thing here is that, she is mad at her partner himself, and not to the act. True, she is mad to the person not of his doing (often people have this kind of attitude). It is because she sees her partner as evil as the fault is. Essentially, a person is good. Why? Because His creator is the Supreme Good. How come a person from Supreme Good be evil? Who wants to contradict this? Very logical isn’t it? The result of hating the person and not of his doing is not to forgive him. She is afraid to forgive, afraid to forgive herself because her assumptions are the cause of a breakup, a termination of their relationship.

These are some of the many effects of making assumptions: relationship is broken and being so afraid to forgive.

To die is to have life

2011-03-14T11:24:00.000+08:00

Death is the separation of form and matter. Death, in a broader sense, that is all living and non-living things, is the turning point of a substance to become another substance. It will have another identity of itself. The former will be gone, and another will become. The it will become other it.

Death, in strict sense, is only for the living beings. Plants and animals when they die their form will vanish but the matter in which the form of the animals and plants are visible, will remain but will accept another form proper to it. To wit, imagine a glass of orange juice, if you will put water on in till it overflows and until the color and taste of orange juice will be wiped out, the glass of orange juice is no more but a glass of water is.

Today is Ash Wednesday. God is calling us to repentance. We should die in order to become another flesh and fresh again. We should die in order that God can enter into our life. We should deny ourselves and let God be in control. Let us open ourselves and prepare ourselves to accept God again in our life.

There are things I want to tell you

2011-03-14T11:21:00.008+08:00

Things that you might want to hear from me. Things that will make you smile. Things like, seeing you in the future, I want to be with you every second of my life, I want to eat every meal with you, I want to come with you anywhere, I want to hold your hand tighter everyday, I want to hug you harder to make you feel what is inside me, I want to watch movies you like to watch and listen to music you like to hear, I want to join you to read and write, I want to buy the books you are reading, I want to buy you more books you like, I want you near me, I want to walk with you, I want to drink with you, I want to listen to your stories, (I want to fart and burp too when you do then we laugh out loud Wahahah!!!), I want to cook for you, I want to sip on your glass, I want us to eat in one plate, I want to sit, lie and sleep beside you.

Things like, I like your black hair, your eyes, you stare, your cute nose. I like your rough palm, your uncut fingernails, (your tiny but plenty mustache and beard that makes me giggle), I like the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you smile, the way you explain things, they way you make me understand … and a lot more.

I want to tell you I like you: I love you.
I want to tell you I want you: I need you.

Why is it

2011-03-14T11:21:00.007+08:00

though you are far, you’re so near.
though you are silent, you’re saying a lot of things.
though you are small, you’re bigger than me.
though you are hesitant, I am very certain.
though you are tired or bored, I am energetic.
though you are unwilling, I am generous.
though you are wrong, I see it right.
though you are not asking something from me, I am giving.
though you are not informing, I understand.
though you are not looking, you’re staring.
though you are not talking, I am opening.
though you are not smiling, I smile a lot.
though you are not listening, I continue talking.
though you are not dancing, I dance for you.
for just a touch I am healed.
for just a smile I am happy.
for just a look I am satisfied.
for just a hug I am filled.
for just a kiss I am complete.
for just a walk I am overjoyed.

For these so many whys, one thing I am certain enough: Iloveyou.

Why are you so afraid to love...

2011-03-14T08:11:00.005+08:00

Why are you so afraid to love...
because you are afraid to be left behind?
because you cannot afford to feel the feeling of being hurt?
because you cannot let go of the past?
because you do not want that history will repeat itself?
because it is hard for you to detach once attached?
because you cannot afford to loose and to lose somebody?
because you cannot forgive yourself once you failed again?
because you do not want others to be hurt because of you?
because your past is always reminding you of the tragic moments, it keeps coming and chasing you?
because you have not recover yet from you past relationship?
because you do not want to love more that will turn into a waste?
because you are reserving your love to the one you are waiting to love you?
because you do not want to love somebody more than you love yourself, it will make a big mark if he leaves you?
because you do not want that that somebody you love will be taken by another?
because you do not want to feel jealous and irritated again?
because you do not want to cry over and over again?
because you do not want to die for the sake of the other?
because you cannot understand why? Because you are always using your reasoning and not your heart? (The heart has a reason that reason cannot understand.)
because you can only love for a certain period?
because they cannot love you the way you do?
because you do not want to tell again, "I love you but I do not trust you."? So weird!
because you do not want to say again, "You know what? You really broke my heart."?
because you cannot leave the way you are living right now, cause you cannot do it anymore if you are in a relationship?
Whatever your reason may be, you have the reason.

Everything happens for a reason

2011-03-04T14:15:00.012+08:00

I just want to share some thoughts regarding the Random Thought Number 125 of chimeangel01.

I quote it in full:

When you’ve met someone who is more broken than you, what would you feel? I wouldn’t know what to say. I wouldn’t know how to react. I wouldn’t know how would I feel. It feels like seeing yourself from a different person but worse. Seeing someone more alone and broken hearted can be heart breaking and lonely for someone’s part. It seems that what he’s gone through made him more weak until now. He’s always using his heart and never his brain which is such a waste for someone smart, talented and artistic. I got mad because once again he’s doing what he’s done so many times. Hurting himself and I don’t know how he copes with heartbroken when in fact he can stand up on his own. If I was in front of him I will smack his face so that he would wake up and then I will hug him.

First thing I am sure is I am grateful I am not alone. I thought I am in such great pain until I realized that she feels pain harder than mine. She is carrying a heavier burden than me. This pain I have is just a nut compared to hers. My pain is so little I should be ashamed why until now I could not overcome it. Thank you because even if you are in pain you let me realized this.

In front of her I am very compassionate. I feel sorry about her pain. I am very sympathetic. I want her to share with me some of her pain to at least lessen her burden. I want to take her sadness so that it's not her but me who will feel it. However, in reality, pain cannot be quantified. It cannot be shared. It can only be felt the same way as what she feels. I cannot take some of it. In this way, I cannot help but to just be with her hoping that at least my presence might help. At least my presence would let her realize that I am always here to help. Anytime she will ask for something, a glass of water may be, I am here to give it to her at once. I will let her understand and realize that it is natural to experience great pain, especially, like the cause of her sadness, her boyfriend left her. Why? Because he already have Someone in his heart. She was replaced with Someone with greater importance. He himself cannot do anything but to let go and follow that Someone.

The hardest thing here is that I am the reason why she is feeling this way. Though I have the reasons and she herself said she understood, I cannot deny the fact that I had hurt her. It is awkward to tell her she should go out and meet more friends and find someone she really deserves and reminding her that when I was not yet with her, she lived as normal as she could. It is also awkward to tell her that I believe in her and that she can easily overcome this. I want to tell her "In time you will realize that "Everything happens for a reason". In such circumstances, you are not in control. HE is the one. Trust Him. He knows what He is doing. He gave you this experience because He believes in you. He will not give something you cannot do."

I'm telling her I love her but I am leaving her. I love her but I have to go. I love her, but I love the Other more. I love you, that is why I am setting you free.

In the end, knowing that he will leave her, she still can say "I love you. I will treasure everything we have had. I learned a lot from you. You are no-other-guy. You have a big part in my heart. I will carry you here always and let you live here. I will still wait, if ever you changed your mind I am always here ready to accept you, because you are so dear to me and I really truly love you."

Keeping In Love

2011-03-02T08:07:00.019+08:00

When you are in love, nothing is impossible. Everything is possible.

When you are in love, you can see all the positive sides even to the negative things. You can think optimistically at all times. You can think of more possibilities.

When you are in love, you do not count. You do not complain. You do not expect something in return. You do not make conditions. There are no if's.

When you are in love, you do not hesitate. You do not think twice. You are very certain. You understand fully.

When you are in love, you smile a lot. Everything is so amazing. You are happy. You are free.

When you are in love, you will not do things that will hurt the other. You will do whatever she likes. You want the other happy.

When you are in love, you think of her always. You see her face in every corner. You will hear her voice and her laughs even when she is not present and you will laugh too. (^_^) Sounds crazy isn't it? Yes it will make you crazy. Flashbacks keep coming back. Those wonderful moments. Those sweet, thoughtful, funny, unexpected and blooper moments and also those unpleasant jokes. Those books and bookshelves at the bookstores where we spent together and talked about them. There are times that you will remember her adoring body scent. Her perfume. You miss her soft and tight hugs, her mild and strong kisses and her considerate and gentle smiles.

When you are in love, you will change. You stop smoking. You drink moderately. You do not tell lies. You are very open and honest to each other. You do not hide anything. You tell all your secrets. You want to tell to each other everything about you, good and bad experiences. You want each other to know where you are, what you do, what you think etc. You trust each other. The whole of you, you want the other know.

When you are in love, you accept the other as who and what she is. You are very compassionate. You do not care of the other's past. You want to heal her, instead. You think of good things for her. You want each other to be safe always. You want to caress, to guard, to guide and to protect her. You want each other to always be at your side and both of you will journey together.

When you are in love, you want to stay and live with the other, forever. Time does not matter. Distance is no matter. Space no matter. Love is all that matters.

When you are in love, all you have to do is to love and love more. You do not want to stop. You keep it.

Nothing is coming out. Does it?

2011-02-28T08:48:00.007+08:00

I have this feeling of writing something. However, I do not know what it is. I want to write but nothing is coming out of my mind. Wanting to write something that would interest my readers. Wanting to write something that would make them follow my blog even more. Wanting to write something that they want to hear. Something that can make them laugh. A simple smile would be great. Just like that girl, I miss her smile so much. A simple smile that really comforts me and tells a lot.

Yes, that smile, I want to see again. A smile which says, I am happy being with you. A smile which says, when I am with you I feel secure and unafraid of anything, I can conquer the world. A smile which says, you have a big part here within me, you are even contain it day by day: heart. A smile which says, I really do: love. A smile which says, you mean so much to me. A smile which says, I learned a lot from you. A smile which says, you changed my life. A smile which says, you saved me. A smile which says, you inspired me. A smile which says, I long for you everyday. A smile which says, I love you. This I say to you, I love you too.

Woooh! I thought nothing came out of my mind. It is really comforting when you cannot think of anything but her smile. Her smile shows that life is so wonderful and amazing. I am so grateful to you.

Thank You

2011-02-17T08:06:00.008+08:00

Saying thank you is the first thing I've learned from my parents. This statement is being said, when someone has given you something. A simple way of saying you are grateful to the gift.

I realized that it is not only on things, or something that can be seen by our senses, by which you received them and by which you can say "thank you" in return. There are many ways other people can give their gifts to you. Sometimes, it was already given without realizing it. You felt guilty of the late realization. The sad thing is you haven't and can't tell them thank you because they are away or gone already. You can't reciprocate the gift they have given.

But it is never too late. You can still show it in many ways that you are grateful to them. You can pray for their soul, their safety, their health, their frustrations and failures etc. You can also do to others what they have done to you. You can fast. Do good things in return to their gifts, to His gifts and graces. Live a good life.

Another thing is to be grateful everyday. Be grateful to the people you meet and have met. Thankful even to the people you usually meet, in the house, office etc. A little and more sensitivity to their presence is a worth. A sense of awareness is the best tool not to forget to be grateful.

Thank you. (^_^)

Tell me, what if you are that person?

2011-02-16T20:08:00.003+08:00

I only have ten minutes to express my feelings in this new post.

One question that pops in my head. Why do people write? I was doing this (writing) as one of my hobbies or let me say a way to express and show what I feel at the moment. A way to express what is on my mind at that time.

Going back to the question above, Why do people write? I mean them, not me. Some expresses there fear or anger to somebody. Some write because they could not tell personally to the person what they want to say. They are not able to say if they hate,or love, ect. Writing becomes a means for them to communicate. In writing they can express more clearly. They are free to tell anything without any shame, simply because the person is not present. That the person is not in front of them, so they can freely express all the feelings they are supposed to say to the person.

What then if that person reads the writings of the author. And without doubt, the subject of the author is him, what do you think would he feel?

If I am that person, I might be happy if the author's thoughts are positive about me? And I might be hurt and sad if the author's comments are somewhat sarcastic, negative ect.

What about you? What would you feel?

Oppss!!! Time is over... need to work again ...

A woman philosopher

2011-02-15T16:11:00.065+08:00

It is great having a girl friend philosopher. I met her in tagged.com. I am amazed, knowing her as a philo student. I asked her number and we met. I know some female philosophers, but knowing a Filipina who studied philosophy, she is first one I knew. We might have different philosophies in life but we have the same way of thinking. I never had a girl classmate in philosophy in college.

Worthy and I am comfortable talking to such a philo student. We can talk about weird things. Only us who can appreciate each other's "weirdness". Only us who can understand the way things are being thought. A logical reasoning. Thinking of fallacious conclusion. I am not telling that non-philo students do not think logically. It's just that we have same world, in which and why we can understand each other. To make it clear, an engineer can talk to his co-engineer, regarding their own terminologies, so to us. I am not telling too that non-philo students cannot understand a philo student's thought. Off course they can. Philosophy is just using common sense. I am little bit proud here, but that is the truth.

Little or almost none have the inclination to study philosophy now a days. It is like Latin, a dead language. However, philo subjects are being taught to all colleges and universities. Logic and ethics for instance.

At 18 BC, there we sat and drank. I am always asking her if she is okay. since I can see in her face that she is hiding something and she seems doubting me. It was our first meeting, it is natural. Another thing, why I am asking her, if she's okay, is that I don't want her to be bored. So to break the silence, I instantly asked her if she loves watching movies. "Yes", she said. It was the start of opening herself to me. She shares me some tricks she learned from movies. She wanted me to watch the movie, "Village of the Damned". I was so fascinated with that trick she told me. She calls it, "brick wall". She practice that trick in her own style. She said, she can erase some of her memories about people she met. I am quite suspicious with the trick. It is because it is natural that somenone could not remember all happenings, experiences, things and peoples in his mind. As for me I can remember if there is someone or something which will make me remember. But to her, she can purposely erase some of her memories. At first, it doesn't make sense to me, but I am mystify with the trick. I thought of that as selective amnesia.

I asked myself, why. Why does she have to do the trick? This question was answered when that night passed. Days past and I have learned alot about her. I ask her to teach me the trick. I have searched in the net about the "Village of the Damned". I found out that the trick was made to block the external forces not to enter into the subject's mind. It is like a firewall in the PC to block viruses. For her, she uses the "brick wall" in order of erase memories recorded in her memory. When that memory is rejected it cannot enter again, is block. The trick is also a way of making the mind blank. I do not know yet the whole process but this is the idea. I might be posting it here when she taught me. There are many positive ways a person can be helped with this trick.

She is the first one I met that uses that kind of trick. I thank her for letting me feel the aura and the world of philosophy, again. The world of the mind, of ideas, of knowldge, of wisdom. What amaze me the most is that she wasn't able to brick wall me. Why? Because a person does not only have a mind, but also has a heart.

She is an amazing girl.

Prayer: the act knowing one's self

2011-02-09T19:59:00.083+08:00

Prayer is the act of addressing supplication to a divine being, especially to the true God. It is an offering of adoration, worship, confession and thanksgiving to the Supreme Being. It is commonly of asking a favor, an earnest request or entreaty.

Man in prayer, as he is in front of Someone who is greater than him, that is GOD, will come to know his faults, mistakes and sins. He will acknowledge his sinfulness. He will come to know how his life has become so miserable. He will know how he voluntarily disobeys the commandments of God. In this way, he will humble himself to the Lord. The good thing here is that he will realize that he is a simple created being. He is one of the creatures of God.

Man at prayer does not only see himself as something small in front of God. A sinner in front of God. Instead, in prayer, God will manifest Himself to man in order to remind man is one created in His image and likeness. As an image and likeness of God, man has the responsibility to preserve that identity. Man is not only an animal, but a rational animal. Man is greater than every single created things. God will rescue man from his being lost. God will renew the heart of man from hard solid rock into a fresh flesh. God will remind the person that through the help of His sanctifying grace, he can become a saint. God will let the person remember how precious he is. Everyone of us is an apple of His eye.

Prayer is an act of knowing one's self in a way. Man will be reminded by God as someone created by Him in His image and likeness. In prayer, there is an intimate conversation between God and man. Let us pray always. Let us always come and talk to Him. He is always calling and waiting for you.

In prayer you will know who you are. You will know your purpose and your mission.

Good penance

2011-01-28T11:45:00.004+08:00

Christ in the person of the Priest said, after I confessed my sins, "Thank you. Thank you because you responded (pinaunlakan) to the call of God. You responded to His call of reconciliation."

This is my very first time to hear a Priest after my confession. I almost cried that moment and said, "You, oh God is really good and loving. Thank you."

And the penance? It was also my first time not hearing a Priest telling me my penance, directly. I say so because for all the Priest I attended for confession they gave me my penance, as a sign of my reconciliation and amending of sins. Usually Priests would let me be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys and Glory be. The Priest just told me, "Do good. Do good to the people you hurt. Do good to the persons you made wrong. If you could not see them anymore, do good to the people you know and you do not know, that is, people around you. Share the love you have received (today). If you are tempted try to avoid them. If the temptations are not leaving you and still presenting the act it wants you to do and when you are almost giving your consent; do not depend on your own strength. Ask for God's strength. Ask Him to come and help you."

The Praying Hands

2011-01-20T10:54:00.002+08:00

Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. Eighteen! In order merely to keep food on their table for this mob, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood.

Despite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of Albrecht Durer the Elder's children had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, but they knew full well that their father would never be financially able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the Academy.

After many long discussions at night on their crowded bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he attended the academy. Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by laboring in the mines.

They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church. Albrecht Durer won the toss and went off to Nuremberg.

Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation. Albrecht's etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works.

When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant homecoming. After a long and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honored position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfill his ambition. His closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you."

All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated, over and over, "No ...no ...no ...no."

Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his right cheek, he said softly, "No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look ... look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother ... for me it is too late."

More than 450 years have passed. By now, Albrecht Durer's hundreds of masterful portraits, pen and silver-point sketches, watercolors, charcoals, woodcuts, and copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world, but the odds are great that you, like most people, are familiar with only one of Albrecht Durer's works. More than merely being familiar with it, you very well may have a reproduction hanging in your home or office.

One day, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother's abused hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing simply "Hands," but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute of love "The Praying Hands."

The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, take a second look. Let it be your reminder, if you still need one, that no one - no one - - ever makes it alone!

-Source Unknown

Many says that this story is fictional. In whatever case, the factuality should not be questioned. The message instead should be appreciated.

A man with a withered hand

2011-01-19T23:34:00.001+08:00

Matthew 3:1-6

"... It is lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it? ... Stretch out your hand ..."

For Jews the sabbath is a holy day for the Lord. There is no reason to argue with that. However, for them there are dos and don'ts during sabbath. Don'ts are plentier than dos, such as, you can only walk as far as for a kilometer.

Jesus taught us to good even in the sabath, that is the day of ethe Lord. You might ask me, why Jesus is going against the Law? But I might ask you, who does the Law? God's Law is greater than natural and man's law. Jesus is God, whatever He taught us to do is a law greater than the created law of man. It is therefore be followed. You might again ask me, but the it is stated in the third commandment that, "Remember to keep holy, the Lord's day." It came from God through Moses. Let me answer that in this way, in a house who can amend the law of the house? It is the father isn't it? Why? Because he is the who made the law, in his family. He has the authority to amend his house rules. What I am trying to tell you is that, one can only amend or even change a law, only if he is the one who made it. Or somebody who is greater than him can change the law. I am not saying that Jesus is amending the the "Ten Commandments". I would like to quote these passages from St Luke 10: 25-28, "There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" He said in reply, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." He replied to him, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live." The ten commandments is summarized in this way, Jesus did not change the law. He just simplify to make it very clear and simple. As you know, the Bible or Holy Scriptures is actually the love story of God and man.

The greatest among of Law is to love God and can only be and should be manifest with the love we have to our neighbor. Jesus taught us to love, to love all the time. He DID NOT say, "You can only love from Monday to Saturday and on Sunday you cannot. So if anyone who needs help on Sunday do not help eventhough it is a matter of life a death."

Do good and love everytime.

A mild answer calms wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger

2011-01-18T11:10:00.000+08:00

Proverbs
Chapter 15

1: A mild answer calms wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2: The tongue of the wise pours out knowledge, but the mouth of fools spurts forth folly.
3: The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4: A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse one crushes the spirit.
5: The fool spurns his father's admonition, but prudent is he who heeds reproof.
6: In the house of the just there are ample resources, but the earnings of the wicked are in turmoil.
7: The lips of the wise disseminate knowledge, but the heart of fools is perverted.
8: The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
9: The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but he loves the man who pursues virtue.
10: Severe punishment is in store for the man who goes astray; he who hates reproof will die.
11: The nether world and the abyss lie open before the LORD; how much more the hearts of men!
12: The senseless man loves not to be reproved; to wise men he will not go.
13: A glad heart lights up the face, but by mental anguish the spirit is broken.
14: The mind of the intelligent man seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on folly.
15: Every day is miserable for the depressed, but a lighthearted man has a continual feast.
16: Better a little with fear of the LORD than a great fortune with anxiety.
17: Better a dish of herbs where love is than a fatted ox and hatred with it.
18: An ill-tempered man stirs up strife, but a patient man allays discord.
19: The way of the sluggard is hemmed in as with thorns, but the path of the diligent is a highway.
20: A wise son makes his father glad, but a fool of a man despises his mother.
21: Folly is joy to the senseless man, but the man of understanding goes the straight way.
22: Plans fail when there is no counsel, but they succeed when counselors are many.
23: There is joy for a man in his utterance; a word in season, how good it is!
24: The path of life leads the prudent man upward, that he may avoid the nether world below.
25: The LORD overturns the house of the proud, but he preserves intact the widow's landmark.
26: The wicked man's schemes are an abomination to the LORD, but the pure speak what is pleasing to him.
27: He who is greedy of gain brings ruin on his own house, but he who hates bribes will live.
28: The just man weighs well his utterance, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil.
29: The LORD is far from the wicked, but the prayer of the just he hears.
30: A cheerful glance brings joy to the heart; good news invigorates the bones.
31: He who listens to salutary reproof will abide among the wise.
32: He who rejects admonition despises his own soul, but he who heeds reproof gains understanding.
33: The fear of the LORD is training for wisdom, and humility goes before honors.

Star of Truth

2011-01-17T08:20:00.000+08:00

I – Intro:

A story by Buddha:

A young widower, who loved his five-year-old son very much, was away on business when the bandits came, burned down the whole village, & took his son away. When the widower returned, he saw the ruins & panicked. He took the charred corpse of an infant to be his own child, & he began to pull his hair, beat his chest, & cried uncontrollably. Then he cremated the charred corpse & put the ashes in a beautiful velvet bag. Working, eating, sleeping, he always carried the bag of ashes w/ him. Then one day, the real son escaped from the bandits & found his way home. He arrived at his father’s new cottage at midnight, & knocked at the door. The Father asked: “Who’s there?” And the child answered: “It’s me Papa. Open the door, it’s your son.” In his agitated state of mind, the father thought that some mischievous boy was making fun of him, he shouted at the child to go away. The boy knocked again & again, but the father refused to let him in. Some time passed, & finally the boy left. The Father & son never saw one another.

After telling this story, Buddha said: “Sometimes, somewhere, you take something to be the truth. If you cling to it too much, & when the real truth comes & knocks at your door, you will not open it.” Thus, you will never know the truth.

II – Message:

Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord. As we know Epiphany is a Greek word which means – to manifest. Manifest what? Manifest the truth. That is why in this feast, God breaks through & God reveals the truth to the gentile world represented by the three wise men. Because as St. Paul tells in our 2nd Read. (Ep. 3:2-3, 5-6): “they are now our co-heirs & partners – our fellow travelers to salvation.” The truth in this Magi story is represented by the star that they followed.

We call it the STAR OF TRUTH.

The star in Matthew’s story of the Magi is the symbol of Christ & His Church. And we can say in our day & age:”If we ever lose that star, then we are lost. Without that star, the world is lost. Without that star, there is no truth, no hope.” What the star is for the Magi, we must be for our world today. St. Paul says in his letter to the Philippians (Phil. 2:15): “You will shine like the stars in the sky.” For today, Christ is to be found not in Bethlehem, but in the hearts & souls of every believer.

Brothers & sisters, always remember, everytime we forgive someone, a light shines in the darkness of our world. Everytime we open the door of our hearts to the lonely or the homeless, a light shines in the darkness of our world. Everytime we reach out a hand to feed the hungry, a light shines in the darkness of our world. Everytime we do things as a community or in the spirit of the B.E.C., a light shines in the darkness of our world (at hindi pakanya-kanya & still clinging to the velvet bag of ashes like the man in our story). Everytime we obey the Lord & his Church, a light shines in the darkness of our world.

Brothers & sisters. You & I must be the stars now shinning in darkness of our world, as (Prophet Isaiah would say it in our 1st Read., Is.60:1-6), but all of these should point to one direction only - to Christ’s truth.

III – Conclusion:

This is what the Solemnity of the Epiphany is all about. It is not just a story about a star that lit up the darkness of the ancient world. It is also a story about you & me becoming STARS OF TRUTH in the darkness of our world today & leading other Magi to Christ. Are you ready to accept this noble mission that God is giving you now? I hope you will answer “YES” like Mary, as we pause for a moment of reflection.

Excerpt from:
Epiphany Homily by Msgr. Boy Villaruz - Diocese of Paranaque
http://www.dop.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53:epiphany-homily-by-msgr-boy-villaruz&catid=35:homilies&Itemid=72

Find comfort in pain

2011-01-14T12:03:00.002+08:00

Many people haven't been able to recover from their brokenness. It will even be a part of their system which will just be popping out of their lives, (like they will just simply shout, cry, ect). These will be the results when they remember the incident that really affected their life. One might be an accident or trauma or any circumtances in their life that left them behind or experiences that stained their lives. These such things are always coming back to their minds that will cause them uneasiness, discomfort and irritation. Some might have phobia.

However, some have learned to face their problems and mastered overcoming their failings and feelings. How happy and peaceful their mind is! They are very blessed, mature enough to face such certain difficulties!

My dearest friend (special someone) had asked me, “How do you feel when you are hurt? Why some people, thought
they are hurt still not crying? Why me, I cannot control, but to cry? It seems I cannot breath if I don't. (I hope I have good translation (",), in Tagalog: ‘Tol, ikaw po ba pag kunyari nasasaktan ka, anu ba yung pakiramdam mo? Bakit yung iba kahit na nasasaktan sila kaya pa din nilang di umiyak? Ako, hindi ko kaya ang hindi umiyak. Para kasing hindi ako makahinga.’)”

Here is how I replied: " I feel like? Heavy... always thinking and thinking... I am experiencing (living) the experience of being lonely... I am just enjoying first the experience as it is (experiencing the feeling of the existence of pain). Just like, it will be a waste if I will avoid being lonely, so I am just letting myself to feel it, because when I am happy already, loneliness will be gone.. I do thank loneliness becuase of it I learned something. It seems that, loneliness became a friend. A friend as of feeling happiness. Loneliness turns to be like happiness. Loneliness will be a friend that gives positive effect. Like negative becomes positive; when a sinner becomes a holy man."

Loneliness and happiness are two extremes to which they comes along together. You cannot feel being happy if you have'nt felt being lonely. Loneliness is taken/thought the other way around. Extracting the positive effect of it, that is, in an optimistic way. Loneliness will become an abstract feeling which should not be avoided, but welcome it instead. Loneliness is seen as a bridge to happiness. But I would like to clear here that we should desire to be lonely. I am pointing here that loneliness should be viewed in special way, in which means to let us realize certain things that will help us grow as human, as person specifically.

This is finding comfort in pain.

A cry of assumptions

2011-01-13T09:17:00.004+08:00

Why do people cry?

Emotions such as pain, sorrow, depression etcetera are usually the causes why a person cry. Going into the cause of these causes, there are many things that will let those emotions be felt. Some of which are death of loved ones, separation from relationship and being hurt physically, mentally and emotionally. Many times, some people will feel pain in their hearts because of the words that are coming out from other people that points onto the specific person. Words that hit and strike a person's ego, that makes him feel insecure, cast away, rejected and down. But sometimes he just simply assume these inferiority complexes that hurt himself. Assumptions is one of the truths that hurts him, and that makes him cry. In The Four Agreements said, "Making assumptions in our relationship is really asking for problems. Often we make the assumption that our partners know what we think and that we don't have to say what we want. We assume they are going to do what we want, because they know us as so well. If they don't do what we assume they should do, we feel hurt and say, 'You should have known.'"

Why are you crying?

Understanding Freedom is Understanding One's Self

2010-12-20T18:14:00.002+08:00

People of all walks of life had asked about the meaning of freedom. Too many have had searched what the term's meaning is all about. Too many great thinkers have given too much time in answering the questions of freedom. They have written too many pages regarding this term "freedom". Often, the statement will start with, "Freedom is ..." That after the phrase "freedom is", hellipsis in this instance, is what the people want to fill in. What is after the phrase "Freedom is"?

When we say "freedom is", we already affirm that freedom exists because of the "is" which is. Yes, indeed freedom does exist. It resides in human existence. Man is the composite of body and soul. Body as his materiality and soul as his immateriality. Body is what we see and feel, something that our senses can be aware of. Soul is where our intellect and will resides. Man's intellect is the ability of human mind to think and comprehend, that is to understand. WILL is man's power to voluntarily, that is, in itself without the influence of his outer world, choose what to do or not to. His being free resides on the will that resides in the soul of man.

Naturally, man is totally free in and by himself/herself. So, how come that too many people is wasting their time in search of freedom? Even if they will spend their whole life searching around the globe, they cannot find freedom. It is because freedom, which they are searching for, could not be found outside this world, but within man's identity.

Now, man is living in the world, in the world of materiality. Food, shelter and clothing are the basic things man should have in order to live and survive. Man cannot separate himself from the world as he cannot separate himself from his body. Only death can. Yes, man should die first before he can separate himself from the world. He should realize that his body is just a thing in which his appearance is sensible. He should realize that his soul is the one keeping his body alive, keeping his senses act. Without the soul, the body will just simply be a matter, a corpse when the soul is separated from the body. However, without man's body, the soul could not be subsisting in him. One proof that man has a soul is that because of his body. That is why, man is composite of body and soul.

Man is an individual person. His being individual is what makes him a single existing being. One that has its own existence. Individuality is what makes him unique to other existing being. As a person, he has his own world to where his action is being acted upon/on. A person with his own intellect and will. He can think and decide for his own without the influence of other being. Here his freedom resides, that is, having his own intellect and will which drives him to act according to what he desires. He has his own ideologies, which he acquired from his childhood to when he reached his capacity to think individually independently.

This is what man is, he is free. He can do and think whatever he wants. So man as he now knows, is free and he will come to know who he is. Having those intellect and will, he realizes now that he is not stupid. He might not be very intelligent person but he has the potential of becoming that too at least. He will just have to polish it by practice. He shall increase his vocabulary by reading. And he can also widen his knowledge and be updated through listening to the radio and stories of other people and through watching tv and internet. With critique mind, he can guard himself to be influenced that easily.