~manila, you're not that ugly

If you ever wanted to learn Buddhism, this would be the way to do it!

(Image from the FSG site)

Break free. Breathe
Detour. Detox.
Retreat. Renew.

We invite you to three months of a simple way of life in the Chan (Zen) tradition learning the religion, language, culture, arts, diet, and philosophy of Humanistic Buddhism.

Discover and experience not just a new perspective in life but also, more importantly, about yourself, in a meditative lifestyle guided by the Buddha’s ancient teachings adapted into the modern world of converging cultures.

THE PROGRAM

Officially called the FGS Philippines Humanistic Academy of Life and Arts, this temple stay and studies program is open to those who want to learn our way of life, to take a break from the world they are used to, or to cultivate spiritually, whatever religious background they are from.

The program will offer three months of:

~ Classes introducing Chinese Chan Buddhism, its philosophy and practice
~ Monastic life experience, routine, discipline and etiquette
~ Vegetarian and silent meals using two bowls and chopsticks
~ Nightly walking and sitting meditation
~ Other forms of meditation like tai chi, calligraphy and tea ceremonies
~ Buddhist rituals like chanting every morning, full moon and new moon
~ Basic Mandarin reading, speaking and writing
~ Special workshops on arts, crafts and music
~ Communal or team work in cleaning and events

Accepted scholars for the second batch will live full-time in Yuan Thong Temple situated in the small but bustling city of Bacolod, Philippines from September 15 to December 15, 2010. The food and lodging are all sponsored by Fo Guang Shan Philippines, but costs of transportation and personal necessities need to be shouldered by the accepted scholar.

I met Dave (who posted about the upcoming course) and Artyom, who are part of the first batch of the FGS Philippines Humanistic Academy of Life (started May this year), at the one-day Zen meditation at the Mabuhay Temple.  They’re graduating tomorrow, July 31 (yay!). They stayed for two months in Bacolod and completed their last month here in Manila.  Artyom is pursuing further studies in the FGS university in Taiwan.

More details at the couchsurfing event thread and the FGS Philippines multiply site, including answers to frequently asked questions like “What if I am not a Buddhist?” or “Do I have to shave my head?”.   Dave says a typical day in the monastery would be:

…waking up to the sound of a woodblock at 6:00 AM, and proceeding to the main shrine for morning chanting. Breakfast follows, then a formal class (Mandarin and/or Buddhism) with a monastic, then lunch. All meals are silent. After lunch, there is time for walking meditation and rest. An afternoon class is next, then personal time to shower, wash clothes, and clean rooms. Temple work will be scheduled assignments to help in the kitchen, keep the garden or temple grounds, or other tasks. Dinner will be called at 6:00 PM. After which, an evening class follows and meditation. Everyone will be called to bed at 10PM. There will be days of the week with different schedules, depending on the occasion. Some days will have special workshops on artwork, music, cooking, gardening, or events. Every Monday is a rest day (no classes but it will be time for cleaning own rooms, personal study, writing, etc.).

You can also look at everyday life in the temple through pictures of the first batch of three-month monks in Bacolod here.

I had a lovely, lovely day at the Mabuhay Temple in Malate last Sunday, where I got to try meditation for the first time.

I’ve always been interested to pursue meditation as a complement to the search for clarity, and I’ve been particularly curious about Zen.

When I saw an  invitation to an introductory course to meditation, I took it as a sign that it was time (and that I was ready) and registered for the course:

(more…)

Was so happy to read The Burden of Stuff: Why Less Could Make You Happier from the Huffington Post.

This is exactly what I’m (quietly) advocating–a purging of our consumerist lifestyles, which, in essence, is what it means to go green!  Not just changing our kitchen, bathroom, or library, but more so our own mindset.  To be able to go green for the long haul (i.e. be consistent in it enough for it to become a part of who we are), step one is to live simply.   It is a gentle, quiet call for basic living, which does not necessarily mean a frugal lifestyle, but living with only what’s enough.  It’s catching ourselves whenever we say “I want…” and really asking the whys behind that want…

Going-green has gotten on the “uso” bandwagon for a while now, which is good for the awareness it creates, but not for its message.  The internet is literally swamped with go-green blogs now, our local bookstores have a new section just for the green lifestyle, and “green” products are just everywhere, with more popping up everyday and adding to the clutter!!

Author Kirsten Dirksen shares:

Our stuff has weight (something George Clooney’s character understood in Up In the Air with his How Heavy Is Your Backpack speech), whether because it simply blocks our view of the more important things in our lives, or because like some parasite, it begins to suck up our time and attention. Almost everything we have in our lives affects us in some way: the extra clothes in our closets just get in the way of what we really want to wear; the extra furniture takes up space; it’s extra stuff to dust, to rearrange, to store, to lose things in.

She did a video interview of Brad and Andy, a couple from Texas who literally uprooted themselves from the city and chose a leaner, cleaner lifestyle with just the bare essentials: a good bed, good table, good sofa, and some modern comforts like a good kitchen and the internet:

The good news is going-green is by no means an “absolute no” to material things! Brad adds:

I don’t want to own nice things, but I want to use nice things. For example I like the idea of going and renting, although Anda makes fun of me on this, a Porsche and driving up US Highway 1 from San Francisco to Portland. I think that would be great, but I don’t want to own a Porsche.

And for this “luxury”, Kirsten says there are new amazing communities that actually have communal ownership of  “shareable” things like cars, bikes or tools.  She also shares a link to Inconspicuous Consumption, which lists references on shared libraries of useful things.  Have you heard of movements like this in the Philippines?

In any case, this is it, friends–the lamppost along the tunnel!  To go green is to travel light and purge the excesses from our lives.  It’s to sign up for “voluntary simplicity“, which is hard and frustrating, but as with all purges, promising and refreshing. 

My thoughts on October  1, 2009:

Typhoon Ondoy brought with it so much loss, fear, anger.  Galit lahat, finger-pointing has begun, and will only get worse.  My brother told me he doesn’t want to watch the news anymore, he just gets depressed.

Ordinary citizens are rallying behind something though, something that’s mobilizing them and getting them on the streets.  Everywhere people are helping–rescuing, donating, packing, cleaning, coordinating, passing on critical information.  In one weekend, we have begun talking again, and talking about things that matter–the people around us, our people, us.

First saw this during Cory’s wake–Pinoys came out to honor a great woman, a hero to the Filipino nation.  Strangers rubbing elbows in the rain, waiting in line for long hours to pay tribute and say goodbye.  It seemed that Filipino apathy was finally taking a turn for the better, but I think real motives of people were still hazy then.  It wasn’t clear why we really took to the streets.  Usiseros aside, how many of those who came with good intentions knew what those intentions were, really? Na kinilatis, pinag-isipan, binuo? Why mourn Cory? Who was she to them? What about her and her life did they connect with, that was relevant to them? Some friends who went said they wanted to be part of history… what does that mean?

I’d like to think we went to the streets to mourn Cory because despite our pronunciations that our country is hopeless, that Filipinos don’t care anymore, the truth is we do care.  We want to care. We were out there looking for hope, and Cory gave us that.

In the aftermath of Ondoy, what happened?

They say that when you take a step towards God, he comes running to you.  Maybe the Cory magic was our first step, collectively as a people, towards hope (and love). And here it is now in our midst, in abundance. Hope came running to us.

Let’s dwell on hope.  The Philippines will need more than material healing from this tragedy, and there will be a time for demanding accountability, but let it be anchored on hope.

We’ve already started talking to each other again as Filipinos.  We’re looking each other in the eye, regardless of family, school, occupation, religion, socio-economic class.  Let’s keep talking to each other.   I hope this blog can help safeguard and continue this dialogue for healing–one that is fueled by hope and at the same time channels it.

- Excerpt from Ondoy Heroes

They do say all things pass–the best and the worst–and the storm that was Ondoy has passed. I pray that its lessons (and demands) have not been lost on us though….and that the dialogue for healing among ourselves lives on…Or better yet, that it has been translated into living hope, that is fueled by consistent action.

What have you done since September 26, 2009, or what have you done differently since then?

For me, the hoping (and seeking) continues in manilarat, where I still insist on finding beauty in the city (and country!) that we love to hate, and in finding the people who can help make it all happen…go go go tourism development!  The green brigade lives on too, which is above all, a shift inside…

Various friends have helped campaign for their candidates for the recent elections; some actually ran (and won, yay!) for government.  Others keep on fighting the good fight in NGO’s like Gawad Kalinga, and still others wave the Philippine banner in their own smaller circles of friends and families…

Wherever we are, we carry our best intentions for this country with us, so whatever it is you’re doing, whether you’re primed for the bida role or part of the supporting cast, fight on! You are not alone.

Para sa bayan!

We have a new president!

Today I made a decision to clean out distractions, and my biggest one has always been the internet.. will try to quit cold turkey, then slowly let it in again, as the need arises.. Top of head am thinking maybe a month, but I don’t know. Anything can happen

This is an experiment I’m doing for myself, so I can weed out what matters less, and work on what matters more.

Hugs always. Wherever you are and whatever is lighting up your eyes now, I wish you smiles in your heart everyday!

A friend sent a link to this public campaign using reverse psychology. Also looked at the inspiration for it, a political ad for Argentinean presidential candidate Lopez Murphy in 2006:

Lopez Murphy lost the elections, but doesn’t diminish the creative value of this ad.

Makes me think, though, about how effective (or maybe even moral) this whole hope business is.. We were raised to dream, to think BIG, to aspire to be more than who we are now. Especially having grown up in the Philippines, we see and smell with our own eyes and noses EVERYDAY why there’s a real need for change.

Wrote to a friend recently:

a line that struck me in “wicked”, something like: it’s immoral to raise children believing in hope.

i saw a documentary once, called the “secret of life”.. meant to rebuff the whole self-help, anything-is-possible mindset, because it sets us up for frustration.. that maybe the more sensical approach to dreaming a better world and being happy is to do realistic goal-setting based on existing constraints (i.e. time, resources available, actual support, etc)…instead of thinking of the ideal (abstract) then figuring out the steps towards it, maybe the more effective way is to work from the bottom–lay down the steps that are actually doable, then the change or big dream will come…

Six years out of college, I’ve learned that I should’ve listened to my dad and “kept it real” a long time ago. When I was a fresh graduate, I was so excited–ravenous even–to find that perfect job that would get me on my way to changing the world… My dad, with more than 60 years of being a dreamer, told me lovingly to forget my white elephant and be happy with whatever’s already in front of me. To start somewhere and take things from there. Such simple, packed advice. But, well , I was 21 and I didn’t hear any of it. The world was too full of possibilities.

More sound advice from my favorite chapter (pp. 97-108) in Robert Greene’s 33 Strategies of War:

Chapter 8: Pick your battles carefully– The Perfect Economy Strategy

“Abundance makes me poor.” – Ovid (43 B.C.)
Even if you are wealthy, act poor (referenced to Picasso)

…A cat instinctively practises an economy of motion and gesture, never wasting effort. People who live in poverty, similarly, are acutely aware of their limits…

The problem faced by those who live in societies of abundance is that we lose a sense of limit…we imagine endless energy to draw on, thinking we can get what we want simply by trying harder. We start to see everything as limitless–the goodwill of friends, the possibility of wealth and fame…

Abundance me us rich in dreams…but it makes us poor in reality. It makes us soft and decadent, bored of what we have and in need of constant shocks to remind us that we are alive. In life you must be a warrior, and war requires realism.
…

What made Hannibal a brilliant strategist: he would always think first of the givens…

The next time you launch a campaign, try an experiment: do not think about either your solid goals or your wishful dreams, and do not plan out your strategy on paper. Instead think deeply about what you have–the tools and materials you will be working with. Ground yourself not in dreams and plans but in reality: think of your own skills, any political advantage you might have, the morale of your troops, how creatively you cn use the means at your disposal. Then, out of that process, let your plans and goals blossom. Not only will your strategies be more realistic, they will be more inventive and forceful. Dreaming first of what you want and then trying to find the means to reach it is a recipe for exhaustion, waste, and defeat.

…

Perfect economy means finding a golden mean, a level at which your blows count but do not wear you out… Find your level–a perfect balance between what you are capable of and the task at hand.

Got quite a number of replies to this piece on Christmas vs. Xmas that I sent out to friends.. While many said that they’re also hesitant to use “Xmas”, there was that argument that X is actually in reference to + (the cross or crucifix), which is a universal symbol of Christ.

Should’ve done my research before I sent that out, but well did a bit of it just now (wikipedia, I love you)– detailed read on it here.

Shortcut explanation below:

Xmas

This abbreviation for Christmas is of Greek origin. The word for Christ in Greek is Xristos. During the 16th century, Europeans began using the first initial of Christ’s name, “X” in place of the word Christ in Christmas as a shorthand form of the word. Although the early Christians understood that X stood for Christ’s name, later Christians who did not understand the Greek language mistook “Xmas” as a sign of disrespect.

http://wilstar.com/xmas/xmassymb.htm

Well even if I now know the history of the word, I’m still hesitant to use Xmas…another writer put it this way: “It makes it a bit better but, at the same time, people aren’t writing it for that reason. They are writing it for quickness”

Mom and I were just talking about how Christmas in Manila just drains us– the word commercialized is such an understatement now: all the gifts to send out, and all the gifts in the house to sort out (mostly junk! even all the food is junk, admit it) — so exasperating! even if intentions are good, the expectation to give and receive gladly (not to mention the wallet drain) is just overwhelming.. makes running off to an island with no phones and traffic soooooo inviting! What a treat, to be able to escape Christmas in the city! A good friend was just fantasizing that: disappearing from the world at that most socially hectic/important week of the year..would it be the best way to end (or start) the year?

I remember reading a piece on celebrating a meaningful Christmas, written by Panjee Tapales:

Though commercialism tries to make us believe that Christmas is the happiest time of the year, what with all the carols and over-the-top decorations, something in us remains still and somber. Indeed, most of us feel, quite deeply, that Christmas is the darkest time of the year. The nights are longer and the atmosphere is cold and inward. So many people struggle with sadness, depression and loneliness during the holidays. I have read that this has to do with the need for all of us to enkindle the inner light of the Christ in our hearts. It is through trial and darkness that we consciously find the path to that Light again.

My Christmases have become simpler but much more meaningful. In my village, Christmas officially begins the day after Halloween and I have to tell the children that it isn’t Christmas yet. Through our Advent celebration, I manage to instill in them the spirit of restraint and waiting; the quiet process of an inner journey. I struggle against the tide every year, but I know that Christmas needs to be true again. For the children. For myself.

(Read the complete text here.)

Maybe, to begin with, this wouldve been a better forward in preparation for Sunday.

After a visit to Sabah last month, my brother remarked that the Catholic community there was noticeably friendlier, warmer, or simply put, more in essence of what a community should be. Told him it’s because Catholics are the minority in predominantly-Muslim Sabah, and as human nature goes, identity is more pronounced and sought after when it encounters a threat–be it domination, extinction, restriction.

Maybe a big reason for the weak Filipino Catholic identity is because being Catholic is the status quo here. It’s laid out on a silver platter for us, no struggle to access it, so we take it for granted. What would happen if churches weren’t everywhere in Manila, and if masses were held only once in every church every Sunday? If the crucifix and the priest were as elusive as the Marcos gold, would people then seek them out?

One of the few “peripheral mails” I welcome in my inbox is the Mission Calendar from O, The Oprah Magazine. Last month was an ode to the body:

Renew your body by shaking up routines, opening to new experiences.
When people get busy, they rely on habits–wearing the same clothes,
eating the same food, taking the same route to work–to save time and
thought.

Habits to compensate for lack of time..as a source of relief. Never thought of them that way.

As one whose eyes light up with novelty, I’ve always looked at habits as a burden. What’s more routine for me is to vary my routine.

But admittedly, I do miss the habit of school uniforms, packed lunches, and school buses, when real world concerns were taken care of by Mom and the trivial things that occupied our heads really were the most stupid, most useless (but most interesting) of concerns.

We all have theories on why Philippine society is the way it is. Was watching ANC this afternoon and caught Randy David saying that as a people, we expect too much from our country. True, and we know idealism only leads to frustration, but can we help but be romantics? Maybe that’s all we’ve got to go on–abstractions.

My dad always tells me that the basic solution to the many ills in the world lies in attitudinal change.

Remembered this upon reading a piece by Barth Suretsky, an American expat who moved here permanently in 1998. “Be Proud to be a Filipino” starts with a gentle disclaimer:

I would not consider living anywhere else in Asia, no matter how attractive certain aspects of other neighboring countries may be. To begin with, and this is most important, with all its faults, the Philippines is still a democracy, more so than any other nation in Southeast Asia.

He goes on to point out his take on why we’re not moving up the ladder of progress:

The basic problem seems to me, after many years of observation, to be a national inferiority complex, a disturbing lack of pride in being Filipino…the illogical respect given to foreigners simply because they are not Filipinos, the distrust and even disrespect shown to any homegrown merchandise, the neglect of anything Philippine, the rudeness of taxi drivers, the ill-manners shown by many Filipinos are all symptomatic of a lack of self-love, of respect for and love of the country in which they were born, and worst of all, a static mind-set in regard to finding ways to improve the situation.

A clear manifestation (and/or cause) of this lack of national pride is a poor sense of history:

…the appalling ignorance of the history of the archipelago since unified by Spain and named Filipinas. The remarkable stories concerning the Galleon de Manila, the courageous repulsion of Dutch and British invaders from the 16th through the 18th centuries, even the origins of the Independence movement of the late 19th century, are hardly known by the average Filipino in any meaningful way. And thanks to fifty years of American brainwashing, it is few and far between the number of Filipinos who really know – or even care – about the duplicity employed by the Americans and Spaniards to sell out and make meaningless the very independent state that Aguinaldo declared on June 12, 1898. A people without a sense of history is a people doomed to be unaware of their own identity. It is sad to say, but true, that the vast majority of Filipinos fall [in this] category. Without a sense of who you are how can you possibly take any pride in who you are?

A friend told me that in Paris, if you can’t engage in chatter about French politics, history and philosophy, you’re considered a social abomination. What’s the equivalent of conversation starters here? Our world of small talk is regrettably shallow: movies, TV shows, the weather. When we do get into politics, we hear a tirade of complaints and very little analyses and bottomline (i.e. action or change-oriented) thinking. Is this a symptom of low morale? sourgraping? Brings me back to a line from a Sting piece: “Arrogance is a highly underappreciated character trait.”