Showing posts with label principle. Show all posts

Ang Moralidad at Mga Moralista

Sa Bansang Pilipinas

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Ang moralidad ay isang prinsipyo na may kinalaman sa pagiging tama o mali ng isang gawain batay sa itinakda ng batas o simbahan, kaya hindi ito dapat limitado sa gawaing may kinalaman lamang sa sex. Ang pagnanakaw, pagpatay dahil sa masamang dahilan, pagsisinungaling, panlalamang ng kapwa, paninira ng kapwa, at iba pang maling gawain ay maituturing na mga imoral. Ang  kabaligtaran naman ng mga nabanggit ay may kinalaman sa kabutihan at itinuturing na moral. Sa ganang ito, hindi lang ang mga taong may mahigit sa isang asawa kung siya ay Kristiyano, halimbawa, ang maituturing na imoral dahil sinusuway niya ang itinuturo ng simbahan, kundi pati na rin ang mga taong nanlalalamang ng kapwa at lalo na ang mga opisyal na nagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan na naging sanhi ng kahirapan ng maraming mamamayan. Ang huling nabanggit na imoralidad ay ang pinakamasidhi dahil hindi lang isa, dalawa, o tatlong tao ang napaglalangan at naapi, subalit milyon-milyon!

Walang namumukod-tanging tao na walang bahid ng imoralidad, lalo na sa panahon ngayon. Patunay dito ang nagpuputukang mga isyu tungkol sa imoralidad mismo ng mga namumuno sa mga simbahan, lalo na ang paglipana ng mga korap na opisyal sa mga pamahalaan ng anumang bansa.

May mga taong marami ang kerida o kabit at hindi nila itinuturing na “asawa” kundi “parausan” lamang ng kanilang kalibugan….YAN ANG IMORAL! At lalong imoral na gawain ang pag-abandona sa mga ito dahil hindi man lang nila binibigyan ng sustento, at hindi kinikilala ang bunga ng kanilang kalibugan.

Bakit binabatikos ng mga “moralista” ang isang taong may tatlong asawa, ganoong umamin naman sa ginawa niya at hindi naman tumatalikod sa responsibilidad, subalit ayaw naman nilang pamukhaan ang mga opisyal ng bayan na hayagang nagsisinungaling, nagpapabaya sa gawain, lalo na ang mga nagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan, at  may gana pang ipagmalaki ang yamang galing sa masama? Dahil ba kapartido nila?

Huwag nang magmaang-maangang banal ang mga taong nagdadalawang mukha o nagdodoble-kara dahil lang sa ambisyong may kinalaman sa pulitika. Alam naman nilang masama ang tinutumbok ng tinatahak nilang daan tuwid man ito o liku-liko.  Ang isang taong nagmamalinis ay hindi dapat pumasok sa larangan ng pulitika na animo ay isang maputik na kwadra ng mga hayop. Wala silang karapatang bumatikos sa mga kalaban na tingin nila ay may masamang ugali dahil ang mga kasama nila sa partido mismo, kung hindi man kasingsama ng binabatikos nila ay lalong higit pang masama.

Ang hirap sa mga nagmamaang-maangang taong pumasok sa pulitika na tutulong daw sa bayan ay tumitingin pa sa malayo upang makakita lang ng taong imoral daw, samantalang pinaliligiran na sila ng mga taong hindi lang simpleng imoral subalit sagad sa buto ang pagka-imoral! Nagkakabanggaan pa nga sila ng mga balikat dahil natataranta na kung ano ang gagawin dala ng nerbiyos at baka matalo!

Karma as Principle

…and how Filipinos perceive it

By Apolinario Villalobos

The followers of Hinduism believe that karma as a principle is about the positive or negative consequence for the action of a person on his soul in his next life. This principle has become so popular that even non-believers of Hinduism use it as part of their daily expression in warning wrongdoers for the consequence of their actions. Noticeably, however, the user dwells more on the karma’s negative result. It has beaten the Golden Rule which has a more universal character in this aspect. More often, one easily would say, “be careful or you might suffer the karma for what you did”, rather than “be careful or others might do to you what you did to them”. Among the Filipinos, the easy statement is “baka makarma ka”, which fuses the principle in the language, using it as a verb. In English it literally means, “you might suffer the karma”, in which the principle this time, is used as a noun.

Nevertheless, karma is a very significant enhancement of the Hindu religion which promotes kindness and non-violence. It has even become more popular than the religion itself, in which the said principle serves as the substance. Many people use the term without knowing that it is part of the Hindu religion. Still some Filipinos thought that it is a word found in their vocabulary.

While in Hinduism, the effect of the bad deed is expected in the next life of a person yet, for the Filipinos, it is expected to happen even while a person is still alive. That is why when a former president is found to be suffering from a seemingly incurable illness, the nation is almost one in uttering, "good for her!”.  The former president is under detention due to her plundering of people’s money, particularly, that of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes (PCSO). When another detained woman  accused for masterminding the plunder of “pork barrel” fund is found to be also suffering from an ailment, hence, the operation that she just underwent, the nation is again almost one in uttering, “good for her”.

Karma is supposed to have a good side, such that there is a so-called “good karma”. Unfortunately, among the Filipinos, its bad connotation is overwhelming, that even just its mere mention could send chills down the spine of one who hears it. A small group of cultists even uses the word in their incantation. I happen to come across this group right in front of the Quiapo Church. A free round of coffee to the seven members was enough to for them to give me their trust. Their short incantation goes this way: makarma ka…makarma ka…sana’y lagi kang madapa…iwasan ka ng pera…iwanan ka ng asawa (nobyo o nobya)…makarma ka…makarma ka…mga buto mo ay lumambot…sakit sa iyo habambuhay ay manuot! (translation: bad karma be yours…bad karma be yours…may you always fall…may money evade you…may your loved ones desert you…bad karma be yours…bad karma be yours…may your bones crumble…may disease be yours forever!)

I asked the cult’s leader if they have ever been invited by organizers of protest rallies to join them when they hold these near Malacaῆan Palace, or outside the gates of Congress and Senate. The leader replied in negative but expressed their willingness as echoed by the nods of the members. I failed to ask another question as one woman member suddenly went into a “trance”, so I just thanked the leader and approached another group.

Well, karma or no karma, our salvation is spelled by our wholehearted love of God and our fellowmen. Such love for fellowmen can be manifested by the sharing of our blessings without regard to their religious affiliation or perception of life. And, belief in God should be without any taint of doubt.