Your Attention, Please!

In a largely globalised world shaped by a myriad of different and constantly changing opinions fed to us by mass media’s various manifestations, it still comes as a surprise to me how certain indubitably significant events and places could possibly be overlooked.  I went to the Indonesian provinces of North Sumatra and Aceh a little over two years ago and bore witness to the effects of both past and on-going conflict between civilians, armed militant groups and the government, and it baffled me how something as globally attention-worthy as that could possibly have escaped me for the last 23 years of my life.  The only time Aceh was ever in my face on a news item was after it was levelled by a devastating tsunami back in 2004, but that was it.  In part, I could probably be blamed for not digging into the world of global concerns enough, but, in my defence, not enough people and media are talking about it.  And while I didn’t have any qualms about learning of the stampede that happened in a temple in India or Iraq’s first free parliamentary elections since 1958, it just struck me painfully how a struggling place that could have used a little more attention from the world was only afforded it when the worst possible thing happened and yet again deprived of it when the world thought it was over.

I recently visited the southern terrestrial lump of the Philippines called Mindanao to visit the United Religions Initiative’s (URI) cooperation circles (CC) there and to witness a culmination activity for the International Peace Advocacy Month of September.  Mindanao is another place that has so much global attention-worthy on-goings yet is constantly overlooked unless another American or European disappears there.  I’m over giving analogies like “Aceh is to Indonesia as Mindanao is to the Philippines.”  The two may have certain parallels but one can only derive so much information by relying on them. Besides, they both lack attention on the international stage, anyway.

Now, admittedly, one can’t grasp what’s going on in an area unless they go there and listen to locals' stories and immerse in local life, but wouldn’t it at least be helpful if more people were to give the place a little more attention?  I admit that I, too, was largely ignorant about Mindanao.  I live in the Philippines and yet I know very little more than my foreign friends who only ever hear or read the word “Mindanao” on their governments’ list of places to avoid.  It’s sad but true.  And I think this lack of understanding is the reason why it’s so easy to make assumptions about the place.  There’s a saying that goes, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing” and it’s true.  This little knowledge is what causes presidents to declare all-out wars, armed independence fighters to be branded as terrorists, and certain people to be collectively perceived as inherently violent simply because they profess a particular faith that is different from that of the country’s majority.  It’s sad, really.

Holi Ki Hardik Shubhkamnaye

Om Namah Shivaya

The Things We Do for Peace

I was in Siem Reap, Cambodia for a week to attend the Annual Assembly of the Cooperation Circle leaders of the United Religions Initiative in South-East Asia and the Pacific Region (URI SEAPac).

If you don't know what URI is, visit our website at http://www.uri.org/.

I won't make a detailed write-up of what we did during the eight days we were there.  I don't intend to write a novel.  One thing I must say, though, is that the formal assembly wasn't perfect.  In fact, it was far from perfect.  Rest assured, however, it was a good learning experience for all of us.  What mattered was we were there and we got to share experiences and good practices in Peace building.  It was basically a gathering where we asked each other, "Hey, how are you?  What have you been doing for Peace this year?"  The awesome part was that we weren't only telling each other things; we were learning new useful ideas in the process.

Beyond sharing ideas and listening to inspiring stories, I must say the most important thing about the assembly was that we got to see good old friends and make awesome new ones.  The URI SEAPac has recently gone through major changes that have affected a lot of us.  People have parted from us and the goodbyes said were not necessarily happy.  For over a year, it has been an emotional roller coaster but, thankfully, we've been able to get through it without too many wounds.  The cuts and bruises in our hearts will heal in time.

Anyway, there were over 30 of us in the assembly, coming from five countries in the region (Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines) plus a guest from the URI Global Hub in the U.S.A.  We had different faith and spiritual backgrounds (Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Universalism, Quakerism, Brahma Kumaris, Baha'i Faith) and we came together to build peace through dialogue, understanding and loving acceptance.  We went there with a cup of blessings to offer and left with so many cups more and hearts filled with immeasurable joy and love.


So, in a nutshell, during the assembly...

We discussed stuff.

We prayed together.

We ate.

We shared ideas.

We danced a Khmer dance in a circle.

We line danced.

We shared experiences.
That's me talking.

We sang a John Lennon song.
Imagine

We played games.

We had serious circle forums.

We sang in a chorus.

We shared ideas over food and tea.

We shared smiles and made new good friends.

We went shopping at Siem Reap's old market.

We went shopping at the night markets.

We went to pubs and didn't drink but had fun anyway.

We rode tuktuks.

We visited Angkor Wat.

We visited the Bayon Temple in Angkor Thom.

We visited the Preah Khan temple ruins.

We visited a Theravada Buddhist monastery.

We visited a Jesuit-run Roman Catholic Church.

We visited a Sunni Mosque.

We strengthened old bonds and forged new ones that will indubitably last forever!

Photo credits:
     - Brother Rem
     - Brother Samphors
     - Me

Beannachtaí Oíche Shamhna

Eid al-Adha Mubarak

Self-Introduction Write-Up for the T.S.P.B.S.G.

I wrote this introduction article for the national lecturers' study group of the Theosophical Society in the Philippines.

There are no pieces of sensitive information contained in it, so I figured it'd do no harm to post it here.

_______________________________

Namaste!

I'm Ludwig Bon Mirgiño Quirog, a 22-year-old Boholano. I've been an official member of the T.S. since 2008, but I've been attending meetings since as early as 7-years-old. My parents, Boni and Liza, are both Theosophists themselves so I was introduced to Theosophical ideas and literature early.

As a child, I grew up picking up all sorts of information from my environment and learning from them instead of following a funnel with a single view. I was taught that everything, including chairs and pillows, had life. I was also trained never to hate anything or anyone for any reason.

I had a fascination for comparative religion when I was little. I studied Eastern spiritualities with my parents and I even went through a phase where I declared myself a Buddhist with a dream of becoming a monk one day—which caused me to be ridiculed by everyone who didn’t understand.

In 2007, with the inspiration of my father and the world’s need for peace, I started to get involved with the interfaith dialog efforts of the United Religions Initiative. I fell in love with the organization because its cause is centered on ending religiously-motivated violence and promoting peace among the world’s different religions and spiritual traditions through dialog in grassroots communities—similar to the Theosophical principle of Universal Brotherhood. For the U.R.I., I co-founded a Cooperation Circle called Trust, Understanding, and Learning Among Youth—T.U.L.A.Y. C.C., for short. Its aim is to build trust and understanding by learning from each other. Moreover, it is primarily a circle that promotes environmental awareness, so its activities mostly have to do with Earth care endeavors such as coastal clean-ups, tree planting, awareness seminars, and nature appreciation trips.

In 2010, I turned my post as coordinator of T.U.L.A.Y. C.C. over to a co-founder of mine and I became the primary coordinator of Bohol Goodwill Volunteers Inc., the organization that my father had founded in 1996, which is also a cooperation circle of the U.R.I. Its advocacy is mainly social issue awareness and personal outlook transformation. We promote peace through spreading information on acceptance of human differences in race and gender orientation, and proliferation of a positive attitude towards gender equality among many things.

Last November, I was elected president of the Bohol Theosophical Lodge. I accepted it as a big challenge and with great honor. Yes, it entails a lot of responsibilities, but it is absolutely not a burden. As much as I will be able to help lots of people, I will also be helping myself in the process. And joining the B.S.G. is an awesome way to kick start things.

LifestyleBohol * Your Bol-anon Christmas is Mine, Too

My cousin Jepoy and my aunt Joyce
with my mum, Liza, in the background

Most of us in Bohol celebrate Christmas... But HOW?

Enjoy reading!

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Christmas is a time of genuine love—of perpetual hope—of giving—of honoring our family and friends.  That list could go on forever.  This season is a time to celebrate all good things in life and to make efforts to put a smile on the face of every human being on Earth.  But, while we all know that, different people have different names for Christmas and different ways of celebrating the calendar year’s coldest months.

Let’s keep our minds fixed on our beloved province’s traditions.  It isn’t a secret that Bohol is predominantly Roman Catholic, so most of us who were raised “the Catholic way” are familiar with the yearly routine of the nine dawns of Simbang Gabi, culminating with the Misa de Gallo that begins on the final hour of Christmas Eve and crosses over to 12 midnight of Christmas Day.  For the fortunate, a lavish Noche Buena feast follows, where Lolos and Lolas sneakily carve the fattiest parts of the inasal and run to their bedrooms to indulge in the high-cholesterol goodness even though they know it’s bad for them.  Our mamas, papas, aunties, and uncles, on the other hand, laugh ‘till 4:00AM with three or so bottles of French wine and whisky on the table.  We—20-somethings and teenagers—lock ourselves in the biggest room of the house to munch on desserts and drink beer, leaving the househelp wondering where that big platter of mango float went, while the kids watch cartoons and play until they pass out.

For people with vegan or vegetarian food choices, a rainbow of fruits is a more common sight.  Fruit-based desserts on children's hands could be seen in place of ice cream sundaes and dairy.

Good times, yes?  With that said, however, it must be noted that not every family in the province celebrates it like that, it’s either they’re incapable or they just do things differently.  I’ll lay out a sequence of “not everyone is…” statements.  Let’s begin with this:


Not every family is fortunate

Not everyone could afford such a feast.  The less-fortunate Catholics and Christians make do with whatever they could serve.  The “inasal na baboy,” in poorer homes, is more often than not omitted and replaced with simpler dishes.  For people in charity-built villages such as Habitat for Humanity and resettlement communities like the ones in Danao, Ubay, and Carmen, French wine is absent while tuba, bahalina, and local rum come pouring at seemingly limitless supplies.

The question here is:  are they less happy than their wealthy fellow Bol-anons?  I don’t think so.  Some in those communities even prove to be much, much happier than the rich ones.  Little money doesn’t equate to misery all the time.  Of course, at times it does, but for Christmas, some poor folks have a knack for making the most of it.  Bless them.


Not everyone is free

Thousands and thousands of star lanterns are hung around the province during Christmas time.  It helps brighten people’s spirits.  I don’t know if you feel the same way, but there’s just something about colorful lights that somehow repels misery and helps put smiles on our faces.  Some people make their own stars, some buy from department stores, while the more charitable few flock to the jails to buy from the prisoners.  You read me right.  If you don’t already know this, read and learn.

Each year, prisoners make Christmas lanterns as a self-sustaining project.  And while it’s true that the incarcerated ones are serving time for breaking the law, Christmas is a season when things like that aren’t supposed to be considered when doing good deeds.  Prison is a horrible place where toilet paper, shampoo, soap and toothbrushes are scarce.  When you buy lanterns from prisoners, you’re helping them buy these things so they could live humanely inside the place.  You’re helping them contemplate on their mistakes minus the foul smell of unwashed underarms and unbrushed teeth.


Not every family is Catholic or Christian

You might think I’m solely referring to Islam as a religion in the province that isn’t Christian, but you’re wrong there.  Let me give you a little history lesson.

Before the Spanish came to Christianize Bohol in 1565, Christmas time wasn’t called “Christmas time.”  The indigenous tradition called the celebration, “Pasko sa Tingtugnaw,” which, in essence, means “Feast of the Cold Days.”  In each community, during the day of the Winter Solstice (December 22 in 2011), a Tumanan (priest) would head the fire circles and prayers during the feasts.  In the capital, the Babaylan (high priestess of the land) headed the rites.  Mind you, such ceremonies stretched to variants of the celebration in indigenous spiritual traditions all over the archipelago.  It wasn’t just Bohol.  Cebu, before 1521, had a similar tradition as well.

In 2007, I met a Jewish woman who happened to be living in Bohol.  Not just that, she was herself a Boholana, so I believe it’s in order to give recognition to the Jewish community here.  Judaism’s counterpart for Christmas is called Hanukkah, or “Festival of Lights.”  It is an eight-day celebration commemorating the rededication to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.  This year, it began on the sunset of the 20th of December and will end on the sunset of the 28th of the same month.

For religions that don’t celebrate the season, what’s not to be happy about?  There are always month-long sales in malls and department stores.  Add that to the fact that most people usually become a bit more kind, joyous, and generous during the cold days.  What sensible person would want to maintain a frown with the happy air engulfing Bohol?  A family of Jehovah ’s Witnesses may choose to stay home and watch television, but when you enter their house, even if they consider it an ordinary day, you’ll find them a bit more joyful than usual.

Hindus celebrate it as Pancha Ganapati while Taoists call the day of the Winter solstice the Precious Purity Festival.  I even have Buddhist and Muslim friends who celebrate Christmas for the happy season that it is and because they resonate with the joy that most of their fellow human beings feel.  See?

Remove tradition from the equation and you’ll see that Christmas is still Christmas.  Notice how a lot of artists make everything shine during the season despite not professing any religion?  Of course, a good Christian would say that Christ is at the heart of Christmas.  I have no arguments to say in contrast.  I do maintain that a Divine being is indeed causing all this love and happiness to flow and I’m thankful for it.  So even if your only source of smiles during the holidays is looking for Santa Claus/Father Christmas, you’re still blessed.  We all are.  Such a concept doesn’t only scope material gifts.  Santa Claus’ gift giving, according to the original stories, encompasses the gift of joy, hope, love, and charity.  And speaking of the latter, not everyone has their loved ones around.  Kudos to those who have helped relieve the typhoon victims' predicaments and props to those who are moved enough to do the same.  You are the true Santas.

The essence of the season will live on as long as every sensible person agrees that it's a time for all things good!  Your Christmas is my Pasko sa Tingtugnaw, their Hanukkah, and everyone’s time to smile.

______________________________



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There Is No Such Thing As An Insignificant Life

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Who are you?

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How are you?

.

What are you?

.

Are you a Sunni Muslim?

Are you a mother?

Are you materially poor but happy and wealthy with friends?

Are you a Sikh?

Are you being abused?

Are you a Sufi Muslim?

Are you a blind albino?

Are you hungry?

Are you African?

Are you an American Soldier?

Are you a bee?

Are you one who fights for a living?

Are you a Buddhist monk?

Are you a Buddhist nun?

Are you a butterfly?

Are you a cactus in a hot desert?

Are you a cat?

Are you a Roman Catholic nun?

Are you a Chicken?

Are you a baby girl born in China?

Are you an old Chinese man?

Are you a snake?

Are you a crab?

Are you a happy white woman?

Are you a figure respected by the world?

Are you a dog?

Are you a dolphin?

Are you an Episcopal bishop?

Are you a woman struggling and doing what you can to earn a living?

Are you a small Filipino man?

Are you a Filipino student?

Are you being educated in a peaceful and loving way?

Are you a Freemason?

Are you a poisonous frog?

Are you gay?

Are you a ginger?

Are you a Greek Orthodox priest?

Are you an Indian military man?

Are you a small Irish man?

Are you a Jew?

Are you an orca?

Are you a krill?

Are you a lesbian?

Are you a louse?

Are you a symbol of beauty?

Are you a lizard?

Are you a man with good karma?

Are you someone who has done something to shake the world?

Are you a mosquito?

Are you someone whose heart is filled with love?

Are you a narwhal?

Are you a lone plant in a stretch of sand?

Are you a prawn?

Are you a powerful monarch?

Are you a rabbit?

Are you a raccoon?

Are you a rat, petted by some and hated by many? 

Are you a shark, feared and misunderstood?

Are you a shrub among many just like you?

Are you a child with an aim to protect those you love?

Are you Asian?

Are you a spider?

Are you a squirrel, considered a pest by so many?

Are you a tick?

Are you a beautiful old tree in a rainforest?

Are you a tree living in a desert?

Are you someone who has so much hate in your heart?

Are you a whale?

Are you a Witch?

Are you a Worm?

Are you dying?

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Whoever you are...
.

Whatever you are...
.

However you are doing...
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...YOU MATTER.

...YOU ARE IMPORTANT.

...YOU HAVE A ROLE IN THIS WORLD.