The
"SEVEN PILLARS of Light"
.
|
1. DESIDERATA
.
[This
has been considered a world classic since the decade of the 1960s. It has
produced a song, a whole lot of posters and flyers, and translations into
various languages. It has been memorized by many people despite its
length, and its authorship is alternately indicated as "anonymous" or "controversial."]
. |
Go
placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be
in silence.
As
far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak
your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others, even the dull and
ignorant, they too have their story.
Avoid
loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If
you compare yourself with others you may become vain and bitter, for always
there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy
your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep
interested in your own career, however humble it is a real possession in
the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise
caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery.
But
let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for
high ideals, and everywhere, life is full of heroism.
Be
yourself. Especially, do not feign affection,
Neither
be cynical about love, for in the face of all anxiety and disenchantment,
it is perennial as the grass.
Take
kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of
youth.
Nurture
a strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But
do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many
fears are born of failure and loneliness.
Beyond
wholesome discipline be gentle with yourself.
You
are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars you have
a right to be here.
And
whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as
it should.
Therefore
be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your
labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with
your soul.
With
all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be
careful.
Strive
to be happy.
|
|
2. THE
'CELESTINE INSIGHTS'
..
[These
"Insights" were taken from The Celestine
Prophecy: A Pocket Guide to the Nine Insights
by James Redfield (New York: Warner Books, 1996), and from "Remembering
the Future" and "Holding the Vision", The
Tenth Insight: Holding the Vision by the
same author (New York: Warner Books, 1996)] |
.
The
First Insight --
A
Critical Mass:
..
..............."A
new spiritual awakening is occurring in human culture, an awakening brought
about by a critical mass of individuals who experience their lives as a
spiritual unfolding, a journey in which we are led forward by mysterious
coincidences."
The
Second Insight -- The Longer Now:
..
..............."Our
new spiritual awakening represents the creation of a more complete worldview,
which replaces a five-hundred -year-old preoccupation with secular survival
and comfort. While this preoccupation with technological advancement
was an important step, our awakening to life's coincidences is opening
us up to the real purpose of human life on this planet and the real nature
of our universe."
The
Third Insight -- A Matter of Energy:
..
..............."We
now experience that we live not in a material universe, but in a universe
of dynamic energy. Everything extant is a field of sacred energy
that we can sense and intuit. Moreover, we humans can project our
energy by focusing our attention in the desired attention (where attention
goes, energy flows) , influencing other energy systems and increasing
the pace of coincidences in our lives."
The
Fourth Insight -- The Struggle for Power:
..
..............."Too
often humans cut themselves off from the greater source of our energy systems
and so feel weak and insecure. To gain energy, we tend to manipulate
or force others to give us attention and thus energy. When we successfully
dominate others in this way, we feel more powerful, but they are left weakened
and often fight back. Competition for scarce human energy is the
cause of all conflict between people."
The
Fifth Insight -- The Message of the Mystics:
..
..............."Insecurity
and violence end when we experience a connection with divine energy within,
a connection described by mystics of all traditions. A sense of lightness
-- buoyancy -- and the constant sensation of love are measures of this
connection. If these measures are present, the connection is real.
If not, it is only pretended."
The
Sixth Insight -- Clearing the Past:
..
..............."The
more we stay connected, the more we are actually aware of those times when
we lose connection, usually when we are under stress. In these times,
we see our own particular way of stealing energy from others. Once our
manipulations are brought to personal awareness, our connection becomes
constant and we can discover our own growth path in life and our spiritual
mission -- the personal way we can contribute to the world."
The
Seventh Insight -- Engaging the Flow:
..
..............."Knowing
our personal mission further enhances the flow of mysterious coincidences
as we are guided towards our destinies. First we have a question;
then dreams , daydreams and intuitions lead us toward the answers, which
usually are synchronistically provided by the wisdom of another human being."
The
Eighth Insight -- The Interpersonal Ethic:
..
..............."We
can increase the frequency of the guiding coincidences by uplifting every
person that comes into our lives. Care must be taken not to lose our inner
connection in romantic relationships. Uplifting others is especially
effective in groups where each member can feel the energy of all the others.
With children it is extremely important for their early security and growth.
By seeing the beauty in every face, we lift others into their wisest self
and increase the chances of hearing a synchronistic message."
The
Ninth Insight -- The Emerging Culture:
..
..............."As
we all evolve toward the best completion of our spiritual missions, the
technological means of survival will be fully automated as humans focus
instead on synchronistic growth. Such growth will move humans into
ever-higher energy states, ultimately transforming our bodies into spiritual
form and uniting this dimensions of existence with the afterlife dimension,
ending the cycle of birth and death.
The
Tenth Insight -- Holding the Vision:
..
..............."As
the tide of remembrance (of our individual and collective birth intentions)
continued to sweep the planet, all humans began to understand that our
destiny was to discuss and compare the perspectives of our relative religions
and, while honoring the best of their individual doctrines at the personal
level, ultimately to see that each religion supplemented the others
and to integrate them into a synthesized global spirituality." …
..
..............."The
key aspect of this Vision is not a mere experience of it, although that's
hard enough. It's how we project this Vision of the future, how we
hold it for the rest of humanity." … "The Tenth Insight --
learning to have faith in our intentions, remembering our birth intention,
holding the World Vision -- all of it is about understanding the essence
of real prayer." … ..
.
.............."Why
does every religious tradition assume a form of prayer? If God is
the one, all-knowing, all powerful God, then why would we have to beseech
his help or impel him to do something? Why wouldn't he just set up
commandments and covenants and judge us accordingly, taking direct action
when he wanted to, not (as we want him to)? Why would we have to
ask for his special intervention? The answer is that when we
pray in the correct fashion, we are not asking God to do something. God
is inspiring us to act in his place to enact his will on Earth. We
are the emissaries of the divine on this planet. True prayer is the
method, the visualization, that God expects us to use in discerning his
will and implementing it in the physical dimension. His kingdom come,
his will be done, on Earth, as it it in heaven." …
..
..............."In
this sense, every thought, every expectation -- all of what we visualize
happening in the future -- is a prayer and tends to create that very future.
But no thought or desire or fear is as strong as a vision that is in alignment
with the divine."
|
3. THE 'TEN
COMMITMENTS'
[This
is taken from Conversations with God
by
Neale Donald Walsch.] |
YOU
SHALL KNOW that you have taken the path of God, and you shall know that
you have found God, for there will be signs, these changes in you.
..
...............I.
You shall love God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul. And
there shall be no other God set before me. No longer will you worship
human love, or success, money or power, nor any symbol thereof. You
will set aside these things as a child sets aside toys. Not because
they are unworthy, but because you have outgrown them.
..
...............And,
you shall know you have taken the path of God because:
..
...............II.
You shall not use the name of God in vain. Nor will you call upon
me to do frivolous things. You will understand the power of words,
and of thoughts, and you would not think of invoking the name of God in
an unGodly manner. You shall not use My name in vain because you
cannot. For my name--the Great "I am"--is never used in vain (that
is without result), nor can it ever be. And when you have found God,
you shall know this.
..
...............And,
I shall give you these other signs as well:
..
...............III.
You shall remember to keep a day for me, and you shall call it holy.
This, so that you do not long stay in your illusion, and cause yourself
to remember who and what you are. And then shall you soon call every
day the Sabbath, and every moment holy.
..
...............IV.
You shall honor your mother and your father.--and you will know that you
are the Son of God when you honor your Father/Mother God in all that you
say or do or think. And even as you so honor the Mother/Father God,
and your father and mother on Earth (for they have given you life), so,
too, will you honor everyone.
..
...............V.
You know you have found God when you observe that you will not murder (that
is, willfully kill, without cause). For while you will understand
that you cannot end another's life in any event (all life is immortal),
you will not choose to terminate any particular incarnation, or change
any life energy from one form to another, without the most sacred justification.
Your new reverence for life will cause you to honor all life forms--including
plants, trees and animals--and to impact them only when it is for the highest
good.
..
...............And
these other signs will I send you also, that you may know are on the path:
..
...............VI.
You shall not defile the purity of love with dishonesty or deceit, for
this is adulterous. I promise you, when you have found God, you shall not
commit this adultery.
..
...............VII.
You will not take a thing that is not your own, nor cheat, not connive,
nor harm another to have anything, for this would be to steal.
..
...............Nor
shall you…
..
...............VIII.
Say a thing that is not true, and thus bear false witness.
..
...............Nor
shall you...
..
...............IX.
Covet your neighbor's spouse, for why would you want your neighbor's spouse
when you know all others are your spouse?
..
...............X.
Covet your neighbor's goods, for why would you want your neighbor's goods
when you know that all goods can be yours, and all your goods belong to
the world?
..
...............You
will know that you have found the path to God when you see these signs.
For I promise that no one who truly seeks God shall any longer do these
things. It would be impossible to continue such behaviors.
..
...............These
are your freedoms, not restrictions. These are my commitments, not my commandments,
for God does not order about what God has created -- God merely tells God's
children: this is how you will know that you are coming home.
|
|
4. 'OUR DIVINE PARENT'
('OUR FATHER,' slightly modified)
.
[This
was composed by Ding Reyes, SanibLakas Foundation founding president, and
prayed in unison by the SanibLakas board of trustees in its meeting of
January 1998.
The
precise replacement of the word "evil" in the original text of the prayer
reflects how deeply and seriously SanibLakas takes its advocacy of synergism.
] |
Our
Divine Parent,
Holy
be Your Name, Your kingdom come,
Your
will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give
us today our bread for today,
And
forgive us our offenses
As
we forgive those who hurt and offend us,
Do
not bring us to the test
But
deliver us from
all
alienation and separation from You
and from one another.
Amen.
|
5. PRAYER OF
ST. FRANCIS
[This
prayer, a classic that has even been turned into a song, is attributed
to St. Francis of Assisi.] |
Lord,
make me a channel of your peace
Where
there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where
there is injury, pardon,
Where
there is despair, hope,
Where
there is darkness light,
Where
there is sadness, joy.
..
O
Divine Master,
Grant
that I may not so much seek
To
be consoled as to console,
To
be understood as to understand,
To
be loved, as to love,
For
it is in giving that we receive,
It
is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And
it is in dying that we are born
To
eternal life.
Amen.
|
|
6. THE KATIPUNAN'S
'KARTILYA'
[Having
recognized Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan mainly for their bravery
and their love for country, most Filipinos would perhaps be predisposed
to guess that most of the points in that KKK Kartilya (mini-scripture)
by Emilio Jacinto would pertain to anger and bravery. Of the Kartilya’s
14 lessons, how many, if any, are about matters aside from anger, fighting
and bravery? Let’s check out what really is the proportion, by reading
the following points from the Kartilya, as translated from the original
Tagalog by the late Paula Carolina Malay. Words in parentheses come from
the Kamalaysayan campaign network for sense of history, which propagated
the Kartrilya widely from 1992-97, with this challenge: "Try to see whether
there would be any points you would deem deserving to be adopted as your
own guides in life" All the points were universally acclaimed to
be so, especially during Kartilya-centered solemn ceremonies called "Pagtitipon
ng mga Anak ng Bayan."] |
..
...............“A
life that is not dedicated to a noble cause is like a tree without a shade
or a poisonous weed.
..
...............“A
deed lacks nobility if it is motivated by self-interest and not be a sincere
desire to help.
..
...............“True
piety consists of being charitable, loving one’s fellowmen, and being judicious
in behavior, speech and deed.
..
...............“All
(persons) are equal, regardless of the color of their skin. While one could
have more schooling, wealth or beauty than another, all that does not make
one more human than anybody else.
..
...............“A
person with an noble character values honor above self-interest, while
a person with a base character values self-interest above honor.
..
...............“To
a (person) of honor, his/her word is a pledge.
..
...............“Don’t
waste time; lost wealth can be retrieved, but time lost is lost forever.
..
...............“Defend
the oppressed and fight the oppressor.
..
...............“The
wise man is careful in all he has to say and is discreet about things that
need to be kept secret.
..
...............“In
the thorny path of life, the man leads the way and his wife and children
follow. If the leader goes the way of perdition, so do the followers. (The
first part is an observation of the relationship of husband and wife during
the time of the Katipunan; for the present, the equivalent is to say that
the parents lead the way and the children follow, then proceed to the main
point about responsible leadership.)
..
...............“Never
regard a woman as an object for you to trifle with; rather you should consider
her as a partner and helpmate. Give proper considerations to a woman’s
(physical) frailty and never forget that your own mother, who brought you
forth and nurtured you from infancy, is herself such a person.
..
...............“Don’t
do to the wife, children and brothers and sisters of others what you do
not want done to your wife, children and brothers and sisters.
“A
(person’s) worth is not measured by his/her station in life, neither by
the height of his nose nor the fairness of skin, and certainly not by whether
he is a priest claiming to be God’s deputy. Even if he is a tribesman/tribeswoman
from the hills and speaks only his/her own tongue, a (person) is honor-able
if he/she possesses a good character, is true to his/her word, has fine
perceptions and is loyal to his/her native land.
..
...............“When
these teachings shall have been propagated and the glorious sun of freedom
begins to shine on these poor islands to enlighten a united race and people,
then all the loves lost, all the struggle and sacrifices shall not have
been in vain.”
|
7. 'UNIVERSAL DECLARATION'
OF
HUMAN RIGHTS, 1948
[This
Document was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris, France
on December 10, 1948. It represents the new official collective consensus
of the world's nations in recognizing the dignity and proper treatment
of each individual human person anywhere anytime.] |
...............Whereas
recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights
of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice
and peace in the world, Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights
have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind,
and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of
speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as
the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas
it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last
resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights
should be protected by the rule of law,
Whereas
it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between
nations,
Whereas
the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their
faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human
person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to
promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation
with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance
of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas
a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest
importance for the full realization of this pledge,
Now,
therefore, The General Assembly, Proclaims this Universal Declaration of
Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all
nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping
this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education
to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures,
national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition
and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and
among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.
Article
I
..
...............All
human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed
with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit
of brotherhood.
Article
2
..
...............Everyone
is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration,
without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion,
political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth
or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis
of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country
or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust,
non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
.Article
3
..
...............Everyone
has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article
4
..
...............No
one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade
shall be prohibited in all their forms.
Article
5
..
...............No
one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
or punishment.
Article
6
..
...............Everyone
has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
Article
7
..
...............All
are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to
equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against
any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement
to such discrimination.
Article
8
..
...............Everyone
has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals
for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution
or by law.
Article
9
..
...............No
one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
Article
10
..
...............Everyone
is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent
and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations
and of any criminal charge against him.
Article
11
..
...............Everyone
charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until
proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all
the guarantees necessary for his defence. No one shall be held guilty of
any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute
a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when
it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that
was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.
Article
12
..
...............No
one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family,
home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation.
Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference
or attacks.
Article
13
..
...............Everyone
has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of
each State. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his
own, and to return to his country.
Article
14
..
...............Everyone
has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising
from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles
of the United Nations.
Article
15
..
...............Everyone
has the right to a nationality. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of
his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
Article
16
..
...............Men
and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality
or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled
to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the
intending spouses. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit
of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
Article
17
..
...............Everyone
has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
Article
18
..
...............Everyone
has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right
includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either
alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest
his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article
19
..
...............Everyone
has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes
freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and
impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Article
20
..
...............Everyone
has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. No one may
be compelled to belong to an association.
Article
21
..
...............Everyone
has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or
through freely chosen representatives. Everyone has the right to equal
access to public service in his country. The will of the people shall be
the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed
in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal
suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting
procedures.
Article
22
..
...............Everyone,
as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled
to realization, through national effort and international co-operation
and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of
the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity
and the free development of his personality.
Article
23
..
...............Everyone
has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable
conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. Everyone, without
any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. Everyone
who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for
himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented,
if necessary, by other means of social protection. Everyone has the right
to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
Article
24
..
...............Everyone
has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working
hours and periodic holidays with pay.
Article
25
..
...............Everyone
has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being
of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical
care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event
of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack
of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. Motherhood and childhood
are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born
in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
Article
26
..
...............Everyone
has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary
and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical
and professional education shall be made generally available and higher
education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. Education
shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and
to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations,
racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United
Nations for the maintenance of peace. Parents have a prior right to choose
the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
Article
27
..
...............Everyone
has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community,
to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests
resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which
he is the author.
Article
28
..
...............Everyone
is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and
freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.
Article
29 Everyone has duties to the community in which alone
the free and full development of his personality is possible. In the exercise
of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations
as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition
and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just
requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic
society. These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary
to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Article
30
..
...............Nothing
in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group
or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed
at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.
|
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"For 'Chosen Sites,' Ours and Yours"
these projects. Each of the "CHOSEN sites" would be clean and wholesome, healthful and with a generally serene atmosphere that evokes love and reverence for Life and spirituality and mutual respect for all humans. Such venues would serve as centers for like-minded people supporting any aspect of any of the projects, to gravitate, gather, be enriched and be further broadened and enlightened in consciousness.