"You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, the only way, it does not exist." -- Friedrich Nietzhe
There was once a rich man who entrusted his property to three of his servants. The first one he gave 5 talents, the second one 3 talents, and the third one, 1 talent. The first one with 5 talents went trading and was able to make 5 talents more. The second one also traded and was able to make 3 talents more. The third one dug a hole in the ground and buried his one talent so it wouldn't be lost. When the master came home, he asked the three servants what they did with the talents he gave them. He was elated with the first 2 servants who were able to double the talents given to them but was greatly disappointed with the third one for not making good use of the 1 talent given to him. The third servant was vanished and even what he had was taken away from him. The first two were rewarded and told that they who have more will be given more.
Zen on the other hand is explained in a different way - " He who do not know cannot tell but he who knows do not tell." Its a paragon that describes a man's understanding that there is no conclusive way of defining the realities in life. Its like describing the taste of sugar to a 4 year old child. No amount of words can explain to him exactly how it feels. He must experience it. Given the kind of experience, it then becomes his burden to be able to explain it to the next child, and so forth. In our very own life, we too will have the desire to explain how we were able to go about some of its most interesting facets. However, we will forever be burdened with explaining to them how to do things better so as not for them to commit the same mistakes we've made.
The parable of the talents ... where does Zen come into the picture ? Its about experiencing how screwed up you went about wasting some good opportunities and have everything you've worked for taken away from you. You wanted to explain to everyone you know, especially those with whom you have close ties, but unable to do so. Most of them doesn't even want to listen, and those who do listen cannot understand how one so blessed with talents could fuck up things so bad, when a lot of good things are within arms reach for the taking. Life to some have become like travelling on the highway with a conked out sedan while every else are riding Benz and Limos and kept honking their horns since they are impending their path. Their faith in God will keep them from falling apart, get the courage and the strength to move on, and pick up the pace and try to continue the voyage. Zen, then allows you to navigate your way on your own "feeling" way, taking time to park at some places where you can admire and smell the flowers, smell the clean air, and dream a little, armed with the knowledge that all of us are bound for the same place, but able to touch more life as we go by.
Truly, those who made more from the talents given to them deserved more, but as long as life breaths inside you, you still have a chance. It is never wrong to be rich and famous, and powerful, as long as you earned them the righteous way - its how you about your wealth that make right things wrong. So as is being poor a more blessed path to salvation - its also about how you became poor and stayed poor through all your life. Maybe we can console our self with the saying that "money is not the key to happiness" but it is also true that with more many, you can afford to buy more keys. Religion can teach a man to become spiritual, but being religious is a lot different from being spiritual. Zen leads us to different path of enlightenment. Religion and Zen may never cross path but both agrees that life is good, and every man must do good for it is the payment or lease we have to pay for the space we occupy in this world.
Jesus said "Love one another as I have loved you". The Golden Rule states that we should not do unto others what we do not want to be done unto us. Every day, when the sun shines, we have an opportunity to do good, even when nobody notices, do good anyway, for Someone is always watching. Zen just adds color to these things, we "feel" the feeling of doing these things.
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Friday, March 31, 2017
Monday, March 20, 2017
XXXVI. PHILOSOPHY ... GO WEST OR EAST ?
If you wanted success, fame and glory, go for western philosophy. Western philosophers fill the bookstores with thousands of titles sharing their supposedly secrets on how they were able to hack it. Be it success in life, business, leadership, or enterprise, or maybe a career in politics, mass media, or education, there are a large array of books that provide the tools to achieve them. On the contrary, oriental philosophy deals mainly with the multiple facets of the human soul, and emphasize more on one's search for serenity and enlightenment. Unlike western philosophy that readily opens up to debates and discussions, oriental philosophy centers more on the search, that it is best summed up in the lore that - "he who knows not cannot tell, but he who knows cannot tell." Like the taste of sugar, it can be explained in a lot of ways using words but it is only by experiencing it that could truly make one know its true taste.
Socrates, hailed in most history books, as "The Father of Philosophy" aimed to study the human things - the good life, justice, beauty, and virtue. He did not wrote anything but his able student Plato wrote most of the dialogues and poured in his own brand of philosophy about the immortality of the soul,the benefits of being just, that evil is ignorance, and the theory of forms. Aristotle, Plato's most outstanding student went farther as a systematic philosopher and scientist writing books on physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, aesthetics, poetry, theater, music, rhetoric, politics, and logic. From then on , 300 B.C. until today, philosophers have filled in their own brand of philosophy, and it will never end ...
Ism - a suffix appended to different brand of philosophy. Marxism, Fascism, Existentialism, Feudalism, Maoism, the list goes on, and as long as people keeps on discovering new ideas the pursuit for knowledge will go on. Philosophy is defined as the study of the fundamental knowledge, reality, existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline. Sometimes, there is a mix-up between philosophy and religion but the two takes different paths that cannot cross. Religion is a particular system of faith and worship, but some preacher philosophies their beliefs.
For most people who seek gold, fame and glory, they go for western brand of philosophy. They like to believe that nothing is impossible if you just put your heart into it. There are no limit to what we can achieve if we are willing to work hard for it. People find success and always they are willing to share their so called secrets on how they were able to do it. But as many of these acclaimed success stories are, some despite the fame and money that goes with it wallowed in confusion on what to do with their "real" life. Some, are even driven to drinking, drugs and addiction. And at times, the realization that having fun is different from being happy comes in too late in their lives and they find it too late to go back.
I for one have read a lot of books on how to be successful in life but I never got to put them in practice. I have tried doing some of them at work but it ruined my days, dragged me to level with people that I am not comfortable to work with, and hated my self at the days end. I have a career wherein my signature could make a lot of difference to some people I work and deal with. I too have to blend with them, stay at par with them, and pretend not to see some things that are happening under my watch. But that is not me, so I decided to leave, and shifted to a career that better suited me. I have turned my life around, and though I was earning less than my contemporaries, I have relieved myself with the stress and tension that goes with my old job.
For my friends and some close relatives, it was a fatal mistake. I loss a good paying job, bungled my career, burned bridges, and cut my self off from people who could pull me up. But in a way, I became more at ease with my self. It welded me with my family for I got to spend more time with them. Days become less worrisome, and time passes me by unmindful of the other uncertainties that use to complicate our life. I got to do what I love to do, with people I love to be with, earn to make a living, and enlighten myself about a lot of things.
Socrates, hailed in most history books, as "The Father of Philosophy" aimed to study the human things - the good life, justice, beauty, and virtue. He did not wrote anything but his able student Plato wrote most of the dialogues and poured in his own brand of philosophy about the immortality of the soul,the benefits of being just, that evil is ignorance, and the theory of forms. Aristotle, Plato's most outstanding student went farther as a systematic philosopher and scientist writing books on physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, aesthetics, poetry, theater, music, rhetoric, politics, and logic. From then on , 300 B.C. until today, philosophers have filled in their own brand of philosophy, and it will never end ...
Ism - a suffix appended to different brand of philosophy. Marxism, Fascism, Existentialism, Feudalism, Maoism, the list goes on, and as long as people keeps on discovering new ideas the pursuit for knowledge will go on. Philosophy is defined as the study of the fundamental knowledge, reality, existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline. Sometimes, there is a mix-up between philosophy and religion but the two takes different paths that cannot cross. Religion is a particular system of faith and worship, but some preacher philosophies their beliefs.
For most people who seek gold, fame and glory, they go for western brand of philosophy. They like to believe that nothing is impossible if you just put your heart into it. There are no limit to what we can achieve if we are willing to work hard for it. People find success and always they are willing to share their so called secrets on how they were able to do it. But as many of these acclaimed success stories are, some despite the fame and money that goes with it wallowed in confusion on what to do with their "real" life. Some, are even driven to drinking, drugs and addiction. And at times, the realization that having fun is different from being happy comes in too late in their lives and they find it too late to go back.
I for one have read a lot of books on how to be successful in life but I never got to put them in practice. I have tried doing some of them at work but it ruined my days, dragged me to level with people that I am not comfortable to work with, and hated my self at the days end. I have a career wherein my signature could make a lot of difference to some people I work and deal with. I too have to blend with them, stay at par with them, and pretend not to see some things that are happening under my watch. But that is not me, so I decided to leave, and shifted to a career that better suited me. I have turned my life around, and though I was earning less than my contemporaries, I have relieved myself with the stress and tension that goes with my old job.
For my friends and some close relatives, it was a fatal mistake. I loss a good paying job, bungled my career, burned bridges, and cut my self off from people who could pull me up. But in a way, I became more at ease with my self. It welded me with my family for I got to spend more time with them. Days become less worrisome, and time passes me by unmindful of the other uncertainties that use to complicate our life. I got to do what I love to do, with people I love to be with, earn to make a living, and enlighten myself about a lot of things.
Saturday, March 18, 2017
XXXV. IF IT DOESN'T KILL YOU, IT MAKES YOU STRONG !
I don't know where my friend got this quote but it was his favorite punchline. He was one of the best friend I've ever had. Never looking for a favor but always looking for some way to help. A former seminarian who gave up priesthood for love of a woman, he was one of the best computer specialist in the firm where I worked. He's one guy who really worked more than what he was being paid for, working on tasks assigned to him even after office hours and weekends without overtime pay. He's the shy type who allows other people to present his ideas as it was their own, but he didn't mind them getting the promoted ahead of him. He loved what he was doing, he earned more than what he needed money-wise, and he get to learn new things.
He prided himself of having to handle only the major decisions at home. The minor decisions like - what appliances to buy, where to enroll their kids, what to do with their earnings, or how to discipline the kids, - his wife took care of those things. Only the major ones, like in case of a nuclear war, where to hide, or if ever end of the world nears, which congregation to join, - will be left for him to decide. He seldom wash his car for he considered it his anti-carnapping device, and if his wife wanted a clean car, its another minor decision for her to decide to wash or keep it that way.
He thinks that the best way to teach the kids Mathematics was to give them different allowances, and chemistry by allowing them to make their own juice drinks and "baon" for school. The less rules he makes at home, the less rules to break, they were good parents so they will sire good kids. He doesn't bring home work, so home life is home life. At home, he is a father to his kids and a husband to his wife. A computer expert as he was, every home situation that requires attention can be programmed and debugged until the right outcome is derived.
When I resigned, I left everything behind including my friends. I seldom honor invitations, or return phone calls, until they got tired of trying to reach out. I knew I was at fault, but its the way I am, and I can't help being me most of the time. I have lost my taste for drinks, and found more comfort of being alone with my thoughts and my family. I have had a good run when I was with them at work, and I guess I was a good friend to them too. But there's something inside me that wanted to be left alone, detached from everyone except for my wife and kids, and my store where I am the kind of person I have always pretended to be.
Age is fast catching up with me, and travel wears me down. The last 20 years is but a routine, tending our bookstore 14 hours a day, 365 days a year. A life with no holidays, and that includes Christmas and New year, just movies and books to while my life away. On call for my kids at home any time, any day, with my wife to fill in my store hours, while I do some cooking and other personal things. That's one thing my kids will surely miss when I'm gone - my cooking and my stories - and maybe the things I wrote to remember me by.
I have no grand dream or anything, just lived a life I loved so much, loved my wife, loved my kids, treasured my friends and relatives, and thankful for all the things I learned that I got to share with everyone who were willing to listen. No regrets, no wishes unfulfilled, for how can I not be appreciative of a life that I enjoyed so much. It may not show in the things I have earned, but how can I ever describe the smiles I see each time I get to satisfy a book-lover who found in our store the book they have long been searching for. We readers speak a different language, be it romance, mystery or suspense, or any genre whatsoever, we're digging for gold.
He prided himself of having to handle only the major decisions at home. The minor decisions like - what appliances to buy, where to enroll their kids, what to do with their earnings, or how to discipline the kids, - his wife took care of those things. Only the major ones, like in case of a nuclear war, where to hide, or if ever end of the world nears, which congregation to join, - will be left for him to decide. He seldom wash his car for he considered it his anti-carnapping device, and if his wife wanted a clean car, its another minor decision for her to decide to wash or keep it that way.
He thinks that the best way to teach the kids Mathematics was to give them different allowances, and chemistry by allowing them to make their own juice drinks and "baon" for school. The less rules he makes at home, the less rules to break, they were good parents so they will sire good kids. He doesn't bring home work, so home life is home life. At home, he is a father to his kids and a husband to his wife. A computer expert as he was, every home situation that requires attention can be programmed and debugged until the right outcome is derived.
When I resigned, I left everything behind including my friends. I seldom honor invitations, or return phone calls, until they got tired of trying to reach out. I knew I was at fault, but its the way I am, and I can't help being me most of the time. I have lost my taste for drinks, and found more comfort of being alone with my thoughts and my family. I have had a good run when I was with them at work, and I guess I was a good friend to them too. But there's something inside me that wanted to be left alone, detached from everyone except for my wife and kids, and my store where I am the kind of person I have always pretended to be.
Age is fast catching up with me, and travel wears me down. The last 20 years is but a routine, tending our bookstore 14 hours a day, 365 days a year. A life with no holidays, and that includes Christmas and New year, just movies and books to while my life away. On call for my kids at home any time, any day, with my wife to fill in my store hours, while I do some cooking and other personal things. That's one thing my kids will surely miss when I'm gone - my cooking and my stories - and maybe the things I wrote to remember me by.
I have no grand dream or anything, just lived a life I loved so much, loved my wife, loved my kids, treasured my friends and relatives, and thankful for all the things I learned that I got to share with everyone who were willing to listen. No regrets, no wishes unfulfilled, for how can I not be appreciative of a life that I enjoyed so much. It may not show in the things I have earned, but how can I ever describe the smiles I see each time I get to satisfy a book-lover who found in our store the book they have long been searching for. We readers speak a different language, be it romance, mystery or suspense, or any genre whatsoever, we're digging for gold.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
XXXIV. NO SUCH THING AS FAILURE... AS LONG AS YOU KEEP ON TRYING
"You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call failure is not the falling down, but staying down."- quoted by Mary Pickford."
Considered as the "Queen of the movies, the most popular Canadian-American actress of the silent movie era (1910-1920), never wavered and won herself the second Academy Award for Best Actress for her first sound movie. She did not regain her popularity afterwards, mainly due to her age, but became one of the most influential figure in Hollywood partnering with Charlie Chaplin to produce their own films.
Its not easy to be looked down upon by people close to you, especially your own family. All of them have found financial security while I remained in the dumps. We did screw up some 20 years ago losing everything we've worked for, but since then we've never stopped trying. Though I appreciate every help I received, with 5 kids in tow, and not much profit earned from our business, we still have to make some sort of a headway. I could have opted for a different kind of business, one that rakes in more money, but that would mean abandoning a dream. The book business we started was more than just a livelihood for us, its the only thing I know that leave a mark, some kind of a legacy for my kids to remember me by, and something that had made my life useful for those who shared the same passion, wanting to open doors to find that "something" within them that too could provide them some answers they've been searching for.
Its kind'a hard to explain, that I am right in a place where I have always wanted to be. Maybe there are something we could "fix" in our life, like for example our lack of financial security. There are a lot of things money could buy, and sometimes its hard to keep happiness within one's home without food on the table. In a few more months, two more kids are about to graduate leaving only my youngest with 3 more years in college. Good paying jobs awaits my 2 kids so a great part of our financial needs will be met. But that's as far as I go - they have a life of their own, we've done our part, - then we can move on to "fix" the mess we made.
Maybe we were a bit late, unable to catch up for now but we are heading the same direction. Our vehicle were just a bit slow and we took some detours while on our way, but at least I can tell them that the travel have been worthwhile. It just so happen that I was driving, lost my way several times, but the drive have been interesting and I just like to leave a trail so others won't lose their way. Sorry for being a poor driver. All I can say is that even when I encountered a lot of bumps and flat tires, I never lost hope and I kept on going. And if ever I am not able to reach the right destination, I am sure my kids will take over.
The only good thing about being misunderstood is you get to understand yourself better. You know they meant well but somehow you have to distance yourself from them. Its hard to explain that we're just different ... We too like to go to where they are but have to travel via different route. We too like to communicate, but we are unsure of what to say and where to start. And we have to understand that sometimes some fruits fall far from the tree and end up some place else, but it doesn't mean that it would taste differently.
Time heals all wounds, seeds begin to sprout, become trees and then bear their own fruits. They may take roots in different grounds and different places, but they all can be traced from the same origin.
Considered as the "Queen of the movies, the most popular Canadian-American actress of the silent movie era (1910-1920), never wavered and won herself the second Academy Award for Best Actress for her first sound movie. She did not regain her popularity afterwards, mainly due to her age, but became one of the most influential figure in Hollywood partnering with Charlie Chaplin to produce their own films.
Its not easy to be looked down upon by people close to you, especially your own family. All of them have found financial security while I remained in the dumps. We did screw up some 20 years ago losing everything we've worked for, but since then we've never stopped trying. Though I appreciate every help I received, with 5 kids in tow, and not much profit earned from our business, we still have to make some sort of a headway. I could have opted for a different kind of business, one that rakes in more money, but that would mean abandoning a dream. The book business we started was more than just a livelihood for us, its the only thing I know that leave a mark, some kind of a legacy for my kids to remember me by, and something that had made my life useful for those who shared the same passion, wanting to open doors to find that "something" within them that too could provide them some answers they've been searching for.
Its kind'a hard to explain, that I am right in a place where I have always wanted to be. Maybe there are something we could "fix" in our life, like for example our lack of financial security. There are a lot of things money could buy, and sometimes its hard to keep happiness within one's home without food on the table. In a few more months, two more kids are about to graduate leaving only my youngest with 3 more years in college. Good paying jobs awaits my 2 kids so a great part of our financial needs will be met. But that's as far as I go - they have a life of their own, we've done our part, - then we can move on to "fix" the mess we made.
Maybe we were a bit late, unable to catch up for now but we are heading the same direction. Our vehicle were just a bit slow and we took some detours while on our way, but at least I can tell them that the travel have been worthwhile. It just so happen that I was driving, lost my way several times, but the drive have been interesting and I just like to leave a trail so others won't lose their way. Sorry for being a poor driver. All I can say is that even when I encountered a lot of bumps and flat tires, I never lost hope and I kept on going. And if ever I am not able to reach the right destination, I am sure my kids will take over.
The only good thing about being misunderstood is you get to understand yourself better. You know they meant well but somehow you have to distance yourself from them. Its hard to explain that we're just different ... We too like to go to where they are but have to travel via different route. We too like to communicate, but we are unsure of what to say and where to start. And we have to understand that sometimes some fruits fall far from the tree and end up some place else, but it doesn't mean that it would taste differently.
Time heals all wounds, seeds begin to sprout, become trees and then bear their own fruits. They may take roots in different grounds and different places, but they all can be traced from the same origin.
Monday, March 13, 2017
XXXIII. ADVICE FROM A FAILURE -- 2
A man fell down on a hole, unable to get out. A doctor passed by, saw his bruises and threw down a prescription so he can dress his wounds once he's out of the hole. Then later a priest passed by, said a prayer, blessed the guy and went his way. Then a friend saw him, jump inside the hole and said, " I couldn't pull you up but I can show you the way out. "
Leo McGary advised Sam Seaborne in a scene in the award winning series, "The West Wing."
In the episode, Sam got involved unknowingly with a prostitute, and was unsure on how to face the consequences since it could blow up into a scandal of sort. Leo McGary, the Presidential Chief of Staff, told him of his own personal crisis, being an alcoholic, and how he dealt with the problem without tarnishing the image of the presidency. An error is not a mistake if you are able to correct it so you have to deal with your problems head on and be prepared for whatever consequences it brings.
I too have failed in the career I took. It was easy getting a diploma, finding work thereafter. I was able to sweet talk my way into a cadetship program for new engineering graduates, over hundreds of applicants. Getting the nod of trainors and supervisors never posed a problem since I was able to present other people's ideas as if they were my own. I made a lot of good friends so they usually cover for my lapses in the field. However, while my contemporaries were focused on earning experiences and honing their supervisory skills, my heart was not into it. As they stayed focused on the details of works in the field, I was more interested in watching girls go by. While they were working on their Master degrees, my nights were spent wining and whoring around.
Things took a turn when I got promoted to head section of our department. Assigned to a another project, I don't have my friends to cover my ass. Its easy to hide your incompetence with your bosses, but you could never fool your skilled subordinates. Once you fail to give them the kind of guidance they need in the field, you could not earn their respect and its difficult to get things done. As Peter's Principle applies - " I should not have been promoted beyond my level of competence." I tried getting myself transferred to Design and Detail Engineering Department where I excel, so I quit work when my request was turned down.
That was almost 30 years ago, and though I failed in getting my stripes in the field of engineering, I found myself in a job that suited me to a tee. There's nothing like doing what you love doing, time passes unnoticed, and you get your kick when you find other people learning from you mistakes. You get to spend quality time with your family, provide your kids with the kind of education they wanted, and get to talk with people who share the same passion.
I may not have traveled far as my friends have, build a fine house for my family, or get them to taste the fine foods other people enjoy, but I am sure that when the time comes that I have to leave them all behind, I will be remembered not just for being a father and a husband to them, for also for the stories I have shared with them. Time shared with them were always full of laughter, pep talks, and some bits of wisdom which I know will be of use to them when they too would build a family of their own.
Leo McGary advised Sam Seaborne in a scene in the award winning series, "The West Wing."
In the episode, Sam got involved unknowingly with a prostitute, and was unsure on how to face the consequences since it could blow up into a scandal of sort. Leo McGary, the Presidential Chief of Staff, told him of his own personal crisis, being an alcoholic, and how he dealt with the problem without tarnishing the image of the presidency. An error is not a mistake if you are able to correct it so you have to deal with your problems head on and be prepared for whatever consequences it brings.
I too have failed in the career I took. It was easy getting a diploma, finding work thereafter. I was able to sweet talk my way into a cadetship program for new engineering graduates, over hundreds of applicants. Getting the nod of trainors and supervisors never posed a problem since I was able to present other people's ideas as if they were my own. I made a lot of good friends so they usually cover for my lapses in the field. However, while my contemporaries were focused on earning experiences and honing their supervisory skills, my heart was not into it. As they stayed focused on the details of works in the field, I was more interested in watching girls go by. While they were working on their Master degrees, my nights were spent wining and whoring around.
Things took a turn when I got promoted to head section of our department. Assigned to a another project, I don't have my friends to cover my ass. Its easy to hide your incompetence with your bosses, but you could never fool your skilled subordinates. Once you fail to give them the kind of guidance they need in the field, you could not earn their respect and its difficult to get things done. As Peter's Principle applies - " I should not have been promoted beyond my level of competence." I tried getting myself transferred to Design and Detail Engineering Department where I excel, so I quit work when my request was turned down.
That was almost 30 years ago, and though I failed in getting my stripes in the field of engineering, I found myself in a job that suited me to a tee. There's nothing like doing what you love doing, time passes unnoticed, and you get your kick when you find other people learning from you mistakes. You get to spend quality time with your family, provide your kids with the kind of education they wanted, and get to talk with people who share the same passion.
I may not have traveled far as my friends have, build a fine house for my family, or get them to taste the fine foods other people enjoy, but I am sure that when the time comes that I have to leave them all behind, I will be remembered not just for being a father and a husband to them, for also for the stories I have shared with them. Time shared with them were always full of laughter, pep talks, and some bits of wisdom which I know will be of use to them when they too would build a family of their own.
Sunday, March 12, 2017
XXXII. ALL FOR A WHISTLE ... BABIES FOR SALE !
We happen to ply our trade in a place where we get to co-exist with people who earn their keeps from the streets. To them, living in the street is a choice, protected and coddled by persons of authority and allowed to earn their keeps acting as "barkers" for passenger jeepneys, taxi cabs, colorum SUV's and motorcycle "habal-habal". Some have taken "parking territories" where you have no choice but to hand out some bills so your vehicle won't get "accidental" bumps and scratches. Children goes to begging and petty thievery, while women gets pregnant the moment they step into puberty. Asked why so young, they say they have to find a partner for protection. And you'll be surprised what they do with their babies, usually they get them "adopted" for monetary consideration.
One woman, a known drug user, and only in her late 30's or early 40's, had sired 17 babies and got at least 15 of them "adopted". I am not sure how many partners she's had but the amazing part of it is that she doesn't even seem to mind, and even spoke of how easy it is for her to deliver babies, just like taking a dump. So as to not to be bothered by so much paperworks, someone arranges the adoption for them, taking care of delivery, the birth certificate, and other facilities for the so-called adoption. To give the babies a chance for a better life, they say, something that they could not hope for to give them while living in the streets.
I sell books for a living in a market place where there are plenty of these so-called street dwellers. The better ones are those who scavenge for recyclable materials they could sell for food. Others even go over the garbage can for some food left-overs, and hope for compassion from passers-by. They usually have no home to go home to and just exist to survive until their time comes. The worse ones pester people, so they would hand over what they are eating to them.
Then there are the "professional" beggars. They earn more than ordinary wage earners, and eat better too. I happen to know some old beggars, since they change their coins to paper bills from stores adjacent to us, and usually the amount exceed a thousand for a day's routine. There as they exchange their earnings to paper bills, their dependents hobbled over them to partake their shares. The worse ones hire babies as props since they won't use their own to beg in street corners. Most people don't take notice, but the babies with them are always asleep or looked ill. They give them drugs so they sleep all the time, so as not to be a bother while they wait for coins to drop in their begging bowls.
Then there are the "solvent gangs", mostly runaways. They usually survive by petty thievery and stealing from drunks at night. Some of them have handlers for protection, engaging them in pick pocketing and snatching activities. Since most of them are minors, they've been in and out of jail, but could not be imprisoned since the law protects them for being minors. They are the "real" problem that our government does little to solve. They are a pitiful site but if you are plying your trade in a place where they abound, you could not give in to them for they will hover and pester you everyday. You have to make them realize that you are someone they could not mess with so they would leave you alone.
And the worse of therm all are the thugs and street bullies. Most of them are have handlers that are cohorts of persons of authority, running errands and acting as "barkers" in illegal terminals. They collect from jeepney drivers so they won't get shooed away while they collect passengers from intersections. Some sampaguita vendors sell them the flower necklace which they hang inside their windshield as a sign that they had paid their dues so that traffic enforcers in other stops would look the other way as they violate road ordinances. They also collect from illegal vendors and act as parking attendants so the vehicles won't be cited for violations. They also arrange trips for passengers of "colorum" vehicles and motorcycles, and you can't get a taxi without them hovering over you for tips. All this things happen under the noses of Barangay enforcers and cops on the beat.
They understand only one language - that is force. You have to stand your ground, not allow them to push you around, so they will think that you have some connections and to mess around with. The worst kind in a place like this are not the tough guys but the "big shots" and their lieutenants who can pay people to do the violence for them. That's the only way you could keep them away for acts of kindness doesn't work for them. One favor for them will lead to another, and each one of them will try to get the same kind of favor from you. Acts of kindness are viewed as acts of weakness. All of them wanted to be feared. But the truth is, they know that they are the "expendables", they just take what they can take but only from those who don't fight back.
Most of them were already given relocation homes which they either rent out or sold to other relocatees. Most of them have tasted jail time, their badge of toughness, and were into drug and other illegal trades. Before they don't bother to hide their drug use, even hanging around the market place while high on drug. You can very well see from the cellphones and gadgets they have that money is really not so much of a problem to them. They have no respect for guards since their protectors also wore badge, the real ones. The market place to them is their territory, so you have to mark your own turf so they won't stray beyond your lines.
Things, however have improved the past few months under the new administration. It took two deaths of their former "kosas" ( term they use for jail mates) who had gone "big time", to put them in tow. They still do their usual routines minus the selling of drugs and stolen items. They were rounded up and told to stay away from drugs and illegal trades, and four hard cases were locked up until now. Six months of Duterte, and there were no news of snatching and hold-ups in our area. Sadly. after the suspension of "tokhang", 2 cases of hold-ups, one leading to death, happened in our area, so the thugs were probably testing the waters.
One thing that news reporters miss out when write something about things, they only skim the surface and rely on hear says. They interview the wrong guys, mostly people who are in the same circle and won't tell everything for fear that they may be regarded as "rats". Government authorities who deal with the problem sounds good on TV and are a master of disguising their true intentions that they generate compassion for these kind of people. These kind of "street dwellers" are not as poor as they appear to be, for I've seen 3 generations of them, right in our store fronts. Barangay officials of the past have tried giving them jobs but they simply don't want to do hardworks. They were given the 4 P's, and other loans which they only gamble away or spend on their vices. Sadly, I see no solution for them to change their ways.
They are pawns of illegal trades. As long as there are sidewalk vendors, illegal terminals, colorum vehicles, and the streets are treated by government authorities as "theirs" to rent out, these problem will never end. Politicians approach the issue with an open mouth but only to get votes but hardly make a dent in ironing out solutions. TV news, print media find them good items to be read about, but only to sell their ads and newspapers, and only sugar coats the real issues. The church ? I don't see them doing anything about the problem.
All for a whistle, I came to like this phrase, - a little effort, a little wind, could make people hear the sound. Maybe this piece could make some people hear, make them see a bit of it. I don't expect easy solutions but we could at least educate ourselves, and not try to add to the problem. As Confucius use to say - " If you want to solve the problems of the world, go back to your home and start with your family. "
One woman, a known drug user, and only in her late 30's or early 40's, had sired 17 babies and got at least 15 of them "adopted". I am not sure how many partners she's had but the amazing part of it is that she doesn't even seem to mind, and even spoke of how easy it is for her to deliver babies, just like taking a dump. So as to not to be bothered by so much paperworks, someone arranges the adoption for them, taking care of delivery, the birth certificate, and other facilities for the so-called adoption. To give the babies a chance for a better life, they say, something that they could not hope for to give them while living in the streets.
I sell books for a living in a market place where there are plenty of these so-called street dwellers. The better ones are those who scavenge for recyclable materials they could sell for food. Others even go over the garbage can for some food left-overs, and hope for compassion from passers-by. They usually have no home to go home to and just exist to survive until their time comes. The worse ones pester people, so they would hand over what they are eating to them.
Then there are the "professional" beggars. They earn more than ordinary wage earners, and eat better too. I happen to know some old beggars, since they change their coins to paper bills from stores adjacent to us, and usually the amount exceed a thousand for a day's routine. There as they exchange their earnings to paper bills, their dependents hobbled over them to partake their shares. The worse ones hire babies as props since they won't use their own to beg in street corners. Most people don't take notice, but the babies with them are always asleep or looked ill. They give them drugs so they sleep all the time, so as not to be a bother while they wait for coins to drop in their begging bowls.
Then there are the "solvent gangs", mostly runaways. They usually survive by petty thievery and stealing from drunks at night. Some of them have handlers for protection, engaging them in pick pocketing and snatching activities. Since most of them are minors, they've been in and out of jail, but could not be imprisoned since the law protects them for being minors. They are the "real" problem that our government does little to solve. They are a pitiful site but if you are plying your trade in a place where they abound, you could not give in to them for they will hover and pester you everyday. You have to make them realize that you are someone they could not mess with so they would leave you alone.
And the worse of therm all are the thugs and street bullies. Most of them are have handlers that are cohorts of persons of authority, running errands and acting as "barkers" in illegal terminals. They collect from jeepney drivers so they won't get shooed away while they collect passengers from intersections. Some sampaguita vendors sell them the flower necklace which they hang inside their windshield as a sign that they had paid their dues so that traffic enforcers in other stops would look the other way as they violate road ordinances. They also collect from illegal vendors and act as parking attendants so the vehicles won't be cited for violations. They also arrange trips for passengers of "colorum" vehicles and motorcycles, and you can't get a taxi without them hovering over you for tips. All this things happen under the noses of Barangay enforcers and cops on the beat.
They understand only one language - that is force. You have to stand your ground, not allow them to push you around, so they will think that you have some connections and to mess around with. The worst kind in a place like this are not the tough guys but the "big shots" and their lieutenants who can pay people to do the violence for them. That's the only way you could keep them away for acts of kindness doesn't work for them. One favor for them will lead to another, and each one of them will try to get the same kind of favor from you. Acts of kindness are viewed as acts of weakness. All of them wanted to be feared. But the truth is, they know that they are the "expendables", they just take what they can take but only from those who don't fight back.
Most of them were already given relocation homes which they either rent out or sold to other relocatees. Most of them have tasted jail time, their badge of toughness, and were into drug and other illegal trades. Before they don't bother to hide their drug use, even hanging around the market place while high on drug. You can very well see from the cellphones and gadgets they have that money is really not so much of a problem to them. They have no respect for guards since their protectors also wore badge, the real ones. The market place to them is their territory, so you have to mark your own turf so they won't stray beyond your lines.
Things, however have improved the past few months under the new administration. It took two deaths of their former "kosas" ( term they use for jail mates) who had gone "big time", to put them in tow. They still do their usual routines minus the selling of drugs and stolen items. They were rounded up and told to stay away from drugs and illegal trades, and four hard cases were locked up until now. Six months of Duterte, and there were no news of snatching and hold-ups in our area. Sadly. after the suspension of "tokhang", 2 cases of hold-ups, one leading to death, happened in our area, so the thugs were probably testing the waters.
One thing that news reporters miss out when write something about things, they only skim the surface and rely on hear says. They interview the wrong guys, mostly people who are in the same circle and won't tell everything for fear that they may be regarded as "rats". Government authorities who deal with the problem sounds good on TV and are a master of disguising their true intentions that they generate compassion for these kind of people. These kind of "street dwellers" are not as poor as they appear to be, for I've seen 3 generations of them, right in our store fronts. Barangay officials of the past have tried giving them jobs but they simply don't want to do hardworks. They were given the 4 P's, and other loans which they only gamble away or spend on their vices. Sadly, I see no solution for them to change their ways.
They are pawns of illegal trades. As long as there are sidewalk vendors, illegal terminals, colorum vehicles, and the streets are treated by government authorities as "theirs" to rent out, these problem will never end. Politicians approach the issue with an open mouth but only to get votes but hardly make a dent in ironing out solutions. TV news, print media find them good items to be read about, but only to sell their ads and newspapers, and only sugar coats the real issues. The church ? I don't see them doing anything about the problem.
All for a whistle, I came to like this phrase, - a little effort, a little wind, could make people hear the sound. Maybe this piece could make some people hear, make them see a bit of it. I don't expect easy solutions but we could at least educate ourselves, and not try to add to the problem. As Confucius use to say - " If you want to solve the problems of the world, go back to your home and start with your family. "
Thursday, March 9, 2017
XXXI. WHAT'S WRONG WITH RELIGION ?
In the parable "The Prodigal Son", storytellers usually neglect the part where the father said to his obedient son - "Son you're always with me, and everything I have is yours." They always give emphasis to the part that the father welcomed his prodigal son with open arms, and even held a feast in his honor, with the most repeated part of the sermon - "We had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again ; he was lost and is found."
Similarly, "The Parable of the Lost Sheep", exclaims that there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous person who do not need to repent (Luke 15 : 3-7). Since the beginning, God had been the Good Shepherd who rescues His lost sheep. However, at times the listeners do not fully understand the other side of the message that God too love equally those who do not sin, who too should rejoice, without feeling envy for the attention given the lost sheep, and welcome him back to their fold.
It is like asking which leg of the table is more important. One leg break or lost, the table could no longer serve its purpose. Or similarly, a deck of cards cannot be used in a game of poker if one card is missing, so we have to find the lost one to make it a game. The joy of finding the lost card is morely expressed than having the other 51 cards on hand, but it never diminish the significance of the 51 cards. There was nothing wrong with the 2 parables, just in the telling of those who preach about them - for no one is favored more and each one will receive what is justly for him to receive.
Religion's main purpose is to give meaning to life. The search however, due to difference in race, cultural system of behavior and practices, or the so called "order of existence, have caused the affiliation of different people to different beliefs of the "divine", each group criticizing the other and heading to different paths of salvation. Human history is full of conflict between these contending religions, most of the time leading into bloody wars and confrontations. Instead of serving as an instrument to unite the world into one global race worshiping one "true God", it has continued to cause more divisions between races, countries and even families.
Some people even spend their whole life studying and forever debating about "life after death" neglecting how the present life should be lived. People could not even differentiate between being religious from being spiritual. Some are enslaved, following blindly, the faith they have embraced. Some question their faith, coming up with their own interpretation, and build their own following. And for some, the search for "truth" goes on until they find themselves in the "calling" they have waiting for. The sad truth is that there is so much money going around that there are some who enrich themselves preaching their own version of the "truth" and profiting from the religion they teach. And worse, as a political weapon, to wage war against their rival religions.
Things happen for a reason. Everyday, the sun rises from the east, bringing hope that someday
I guess I have made a good run, and right now i choose to be just in the crowd to watch other runners do their thing. Someone has to cheer, record what is happening, and make some analysis on how the race was run. Maybe someday someone will pick up from where I stopped ...I guess I know now where the good seats are. I may not be on the best seat to watch the race but I have a good view of it, and its time for me to pay back my Maker.
Similarly, "The Parable of the Lost Sheep", exclaims that there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous person who do not need to repent (Luke 15 : 3-7). Since the beginning, God had been the Good Shepherd who rescues His lost sheep. However, at times the listeners do not fully understand the other side of the message that God too love equally those who do not sin, who too should rejoice, without feeling envy for the attention given the lost sheep, and welcome him back to their fold.
It is like asking which leg of the table is more important. One leg break or lost, the table could no longer serve its purpose. Or similarly, a deck of cards cannot be used in a game of poker if one card is missing, so we have to find the lost one to make it a game. The joy of finding the lost card is morely expressed than having the other 51 cards on hand, but it never diminish the significance of the 51 cards. There was nothing wrong with the 2 parables, just in the telling of those who preach about them - for no one is favored more and each one will receive what is justly for him to receive.
Religion's main purpose is to give meaning to life. The search however, due to difference in race, cultural system of behavior and practices, or the so called "order of existence, have caused the affiliation of different people to different beliefs of the "divine", each group criticizing the other and heading to different paths of salvation. Human history is full of conflict between these contending religions, most of the time leading into bloody wars and confrontations. Instead of serving as an instrument to unite the world into one global race worshiping one "true God", it has continued to cause more divisions between races, countries and even families.
Some people even spend their whole life studying and forever debating about "life after death" neglecting how the present life should be lived. People could not even differentiate between being religious from being spiritual. Some are enslaved, following blindly, the faith they have embraced. Some question their faith, coming up with their own interpretation, and build their own following. And for some, the search for "truth" goes on until they find themselves in the "calling" they have waiting for. The sad truth is that there is so much money going around that there are some who enrich themselves preaching their own version of the "truth" and profiting from the religion they teach. And worse, as a political weapon, to wage war against their rival religions.
Things happen for a reason. Everyday, the sun rises from the east, bringing hope that someday
the "truth" about all these conflicting beliefs will unite men into one common faith. The debate about which religion is holding the "truth" is a never ending one and I do not wish to get into one - I just feel like sharing what I have learned. We hold nothing, for we came into this world naked and unknowing of anything, given a short span of life in a surrounding not of our own choosing with strange people including our parents and siblings not of our own picking. We just got into something that we have to figure out where were going and given all the choices available on how to get there. Other people exist for the very same reason, so are the animals and other living things that we'll get into contact with, as we go on with our lives. Everything that passes our way, leaves something for us to learn from. Clues are provided to us, some messages are to be figured out and some signs are to be deciphered, all we have to do is believe that Someone out there love us and we are here to enjoy all the blessings He provide us with. A great Father to all us Who wanted us to find our way of getting back to Him after all these adventures are through.
Our heart, even as a child tell us through its beating if we're doing something that poses danger or harm to us. It never lies, but it could harden if we keep on going against its warnings, until the time that we get used to the feeling of ignoring the signs it provides us. Our mind only functions to provide us with scenarios on how things will go if we push through with what we are thinking. Our mind gives us a road map but its our heart that controls the wheel, and go where we want to go. Yet no matter how wrong we are in the road we are travelling, we could make U-turns, shift gear or make stops. Its our call all the way but we have to contend with the "real truth" that someday, not of our calling, things will come to an end. We have to make a life of the time we're given, make it count, and try to leave something good for future generation to be of use for their own lives.
Life is a race. We can choose what kind of race it would be for us. It could be a sprint to some, wanting to be the fastest one to reach the finish line for gold and glory. We could train for a marathon, for life is a long race where the fittest rule. But I find it like a relay race, an Ironman challenge, that we hope to make a good headway, so when we pass on the baton to our next teammate, he will be a little bit ahead of the race. We may not go for the gold and the glory, but we have to run the race, and write our own record as we go take every step before we reach the finish line.
Our heart, even as a child tell us through its beating if we're doing something that poses danger or harm to us. It never lies, but it could harden if we keep on going against its warnings, until the time that we get used to the feeling of ignoring the signs it provides us. Our mind only functions to provide us with scenarios on how things will go if we push through with what we are thinking. Our mind gives us a road map but its our heart that controls the wheel, and go where we want to go. Yet no matter how wrong we are in the road we are travelling, we could make U-turns, shift gear or make stops. Its our call all the way but we have to contend with the "real truth" that someday, not of our calling, things will come to an end. We have to make a life of the time we're given, make it count, and try to leave something good for future generation to be of use for their own lives.
Life is a race. We can choose what kind of race it would be for us. It could be a sprint to some, wanting to be the fastest one to reach the finish line for gold and glory. We could train for a marathon, for life is a long race where the fittest rule. But I find it like a relay race, an Ironman challenge, that we hope to make a good headway, so when we pass on the baton to our next teammate, he will be a little bit ahead of the race. We may not go for the gold and the glory, but we have to run the race, and write our own record as we go take every step before we reach the finish line.
I guess I have made a good run, and right now i choose to be just in the crowd to watch other runners do their thing. Someone has to cheer, record what is happening, and make some analysis on how the race was run. Maybe someday someone will pick up from where I stopped ...I guess I know now where the good seats are. I may not be on the best seat to watch the race but I have a good view of it, and its time for me to pay back my Maker.
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