Looking Back 6: Prehistoric Philippines

Last year as a commemoration of Philippine Independence I enjoyed the Looking Back 1 by Ambeth Ocampo. After finishing today I find this 6th book of the series equally enjoyable and insightful as a closer look into the Philippine history.

So what are the nuggets I learned from this book?

• "History" as an academic term refers to the "written" records and documents, as compared to the term "Prehistory" that refers mostly to the artifacts, and relics predating the advent of the printed words (and symbols/ numbers).

• The idea of a land-centered "territory" usually bounded by water is purely Hispanic and American. Our ancestor's idea of "territory" does not exclude bodies of water (i.e. rivers, lakes) but rather include them and even put them as an integral and central part of the territory because they serve as the main medium of travel. In contrast to "roads," our ancestors highly used "rivers" to transport from one "barangay" to another. Of course, they don't use carriages nor animals in those days yet, but boats.

• The Merlion symbol of Manila's official coat-of-arms predates the Lion symbol branding of Singapore by centuries.

• The Boxer Codex does not just showcase the detailed tattoo art of the Visayan Pintados but also the recurring local superstitions in the period of the Spanish Philippines.

• Our earliest written record discovered so far is not a song nor a poem, but a receipt for payment of debt. It's the Laguna Copperplate Inscription of 900 A.D.

• There are lots of Filipino artifacts scattered in museums around the world but we are thankful at least, they were able to protect them. The Philippine National Museum--the home of local artifacts and documents were destroyed from the Battle of Manila in 1945.

Manunggul Jar

source

Agusan Gold

source

Genre: Philippine History
Rating: 4 sturdy lantakas out of 5

the advocate said

"No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance."

Confucius

image source

Alternative Alamat

If you love stories about Philippine Mythology this one looks delicious. Published today by Rocket Kapre Books in digital format, this is an anthology of new and old, known and unknown, fiction and non-fiction work of writers, artists, and historians involved in the fascination and study of our country's diverse mythology.

cover art by Mervin Malonzo for Rocket Kapre Books

CONTENTS:

“Ana’s Little Pawnshop on Makiling St.” by Eliza Victoria 

“Harinuo’s Love Song” by Rochita Loenen-Ruiz 

“The Last Full Show” by Budjette Tan 

“The Alipin’s Tale” by Raymond G. Falgui 

“Keeper of My Sky” by Timothy James Dimacali 

“Conquering Makiling” by Mo Francisco 

“The Sorceress Queen” by Raissa Rivera Falgui 

“Beneath The Acacia” by Celestine Trinidad 

“Offerings to Aman Sinaya” by Andrei Tupaz 

“Balat, Buwan, Ngalan” by David Hontiveros 

“A Door Opens: The Beginning of the Fall of the Ispancialo-in-Hinirang” by Dean Alfar 

Appendix A: A Few Notable Philippine Deities 

Appendix B: Interview with Professor Herminia Meñez Coben 

Appendix C: Interview with Professor Fernando N. Zialcita 

Appendix D: On Researching Philippine Mythology 

Cover and interior artwork by Mervin Malonzo

Lone Wolf and Cub Vol. 1

Published by Dark Horse Comics

Titled in Japanese as Kozure Okami, Lone Wolf and Cub is a manga series written by Kazuo Koike and illustrated by Goseki Kojima originally published in 1970. Republished in the west by Dark Horse comics, Frank Miller and Lynn Varley paired for the cover art. The series that culminates in the 28th volume  became an influential read as it tells the story of a timeless and epic samurai adventure. This first volume The Assassin's Road gives us a glimpse of the classically themed father-and-son tandem carving a road of revenge in the Japanese Era of the Shogunate while serving as assassins for hire to earn a living.

This first volume is composed of 9 parts. The first part begins in the middle of the story until reaching the final part where it all began. You will see why the two chose to walk the most dangerous and treacherous path to clear the name of an executioner and avenge the demise of a clan. The era of the Tokugawa Shogunate was one of the momentous period in the history of Japanese Monarchy since it was during these times when majority of the order of samurai (Bushi) became renegades (Ronin) due to their lord's eventual demise (Daimyo). The Shogun controled the Daimyo lords with an iron fist, but not for long when some of them resisted. When an executioner failed to perform his duty to kill a Daimyo for the Shogun, he was ordered to sacrifice his life, or be killed. The samurai executioner chose to live, and swore to clear his name and avenge the extinction of his Ogami Clan. His name is Ogami Itto.

But Ogami Itto cannot leave his son alone, given that his wife was already killed with his clan. The young Daigoro must choose to be with his mother's side, or be with his father taking the road to "hell." Daigoro chooses to be with his father. How Ogami Itto allow his son to choose between a sword and a ball is a very memorable scene of the whole book.

page 186, bottom panel

I give the story 4 stars and the illustration 3.5 stars to earn the overall (rounded off) rating of 4 stars out of five. This whole series is actually an inspiration of various forms of visual storytelling since a film adaptation was already made (and remade) in Japan years ago including the Hollywood film Road To Perdition starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, and Daniel Craig. It was arguably Tom Hank's darkest role to date.

page 66

One of the early Japanese film adaptations

Hollywood version starring Tom Hanks & Paul Newman

Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4 packs of wolves out of 5

Supernatural

First, let me share you a piece of personal history.

During my younger years my family looked to the radio as one of the primary source of home entertainment next to the black-n-white TV. I grew up in the late 80's (up to mid-90's) watching Knight Rider, Macgyver and Air Wolf, reading my older sister's monthly issues of National Geographic Magazine (she earned her subscription via my father's work) and the locally-published comics like Funny Komiks and Ninja Comix, and last but not the least---listen to the radio. We've had a daily dose of music via FM but my family bonded well by listening to late Kuya Ernie Baron's Knowledge Power via the AM station DZMM. Aside from that, my father and I loved to listen to radio coverage of PBA games (local basketball games can only be viewed via cable tv in the Visayas area, and we could not afford it being below the middle class) and DZRH's Gabi ng Lagim horror fest series, aired weeknights at 8:00 pm. In the province, our childhood fantasies and nightmares were heavily influenced by fantastic tales of the supernatural as told by our grand folks and the popular media (I came from the oldest province in the country, a ride away from Capiz and stories of aswangs, duwendes, and manananggals are staple stories in the dining table). And when it came to the unexplained stories (real or imagined) nothing beats the feeling of supernatural experience by listening to Jaime Licauco's Inner Mind on Radio segment via DZMM.

This early fascination with Jaime Licauco and his field of the supernatural proved useful when I encountered his book "From Profound to the Profane" originally published in 2009. Even if I don't believe in everything he writes and preaches (like the idea of Reincarnation and past lives), he remains the most sensible and entertaining expert when it comes to the realm of the unseen and the unexplained.

And this caution is probably the best that I can give to the uninitiated reader attempting to read his books. No doubt his articles are very entertaining streamlined with the popular media as his topics ranges from the controversial Gnostic Gospels of Mary Magdalene and Judas Iscariot; the past lives of Jesus Christ; Spirit Guides and physical encounters with other spirits like succubus and incubus; Residual energy of a dead person and the spiritual signature left in an ukay-ukay shirt (a cautionary topic for lovers of ukay-ukay goods); the stuff common Sci Fi readers love like telekinesis, bilocation, teleportation and its irrevocable connection with Quantum Mechanics; Aliens among us; Karma and old/rehashed ideas of the popular book The Secret; Carl Jung's Synchronicity Theory (this topic is my favorite!); every woman's source of romantic fantasy---Soulmates; and every man's source of sexual fantasy---the exact location of the Graffenberg Spot (G-Spot). If you don't find any of these topics entertaining then you belonged in a different planet.

But then again, I saw these topics mainly as source of entertainment and looking to open my mind and challenge my beliefs are just secondary. The former reason is how i would like to recommend this book. It entertains.



Genre: Supernatural, Parapsychology, Alternative Science 
Rating: 3.5 Spirit Guides out of 5

Educate your heart

Photo courtesy of Gang Badoy & rockedphilippines.org

Cups of Tea @ Jeannie's Inn

First of all, I appreciate the fact that a friend shared me a "copy" of this book. I am also thankful that she allowed me to highlight passages and write my personal notes on the pages as much as I like doing it to any book (it was actually, her idea).

Reading a copy of this booklet gave me a feeling that perhaps I also own it, not in a proprietary way but in a spiritual way. Because sometimes, a book or an idea come to our lives at the right place and at the right time to remind ourselves on what really matters in this superficial and transitory world, and spiritual happiness will never be real if you don't share it.

This book by Jeannie Javelosa reviews and reiterates the timeless wisdom of Eastern Mysticism and Philosophy as applied to the current age of romantic and spiritual relationships. Even if I do not completely agree with all the beliefs on the mystical side, the author wrote not in a preachy tone but in a friendly and simplistic manner that made me value the book more. Reading it reaffirmed and fortified my principles as an individual, as a friend, and as a member of an evolving universe hungry for life, love, and ultimately, redemption.


my favorite lines:


"For those who battle the hardest to keep Life despite all odds, they face the experience of Love's supreme sacrifice...where the couple moves through the soul darkness of experiencing  the deepest loneliness and grief of learning to let go."


"Nothing happens in our relationships that we do not bring about by our own free will."


"This great karmic plan of God, with its inherent wisdom, knows that the coupling of people stems from the need of each one to learn the best lessons each can derive from the other. When these lessons have been learned, then it's time to move on."


"Each one comes into your life for a purpose and nothing was ever a mistake."


"People are in our lives for a reason, some for a season, others for a lifetime... Let us therefore not take them for granted."


"Love can lift you beyond yourself. It can also make you dive deep inside."


Rating: 4 cups of tea
Genre: Philosophy, Spirituality, Relationships

An Undefeated Code

ZEN
The idea of Zen is popular---we all have preconceived notions around it. But the real practice of Zen is sublime in the sense that only a few people practice it in a proper and formal way, consciously and diligently. Zen is a philosophy of will power and is based on a spirit of self-reliance. Additionally, profound honesty is also required. It transcends religion (but not hostile against the existing religions) and committed only to the religion of the self - to master thy own self, a personal strategy. Zen practitioners are not selfish, they are basically selfless as they place themselves in the same responsive relationship with Nature and the universe.

If you consider reading as philosophy, you will definitely like this one written by a great bushi (who later became a Ronin) sometime in 1643 A.D. Reaching the age of sixty and learning from his battles against other swordsmen and students of the sword fighting schools (he never lost a fight in his lifetime), Shinmen Musashi No Kami Fujiwara No Genshi or commonly known as Miyamoto Musashi wrote a series of discourses for his student (Terao Magonojo) on the mastery of self by practicing the path of Heiho under the guidance and philosophy of Zen. This series of writings collected in one book-- the Book of Five Rings focused on the practice of Heiho is divided into five major chapters, or books (rings).

From the translators of the book, there is the passive way and the active way of practicing Zen. The active way is what The Book of Five Rings (Go Rin No Sho) is all about.

Utagawa Koniyushi - "Miyamoto Musashi slaying a giant Nue"

HEIHO
Before diving into the Five Rings, we need to understand first The Path (or the Way).

Musashi devoted himself to the path towards enlightenment since his youth, and had his first match at the age of thirteen. Winning battles after battles against fellow swordsmen, he finally abled to formulate a disciplined strategy in winning fights and eventually master his own destiny. He called this path Heiho.  
  
There are 9 basic commandments of Heiho:   

1. Do not harbor sinister designs.

2. Diligently pursue the Path of Two-Swords-as-One.

3. Cultivate a wide range of interests in the arts.

4. Be knowledgeable in a variety of occupations.

5. Be discreet regarding one's commercial dealings.

6. Nurture the ability to perceive the truth in all matters.

7. Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye.

8. Do not be negligent, even in trifling matters.

9. Do not engage in useless activity.

The code of Heiho is more than just a written list on a book. It teaches us to study more, and practice harder. And getting informed is the first step. This is Miyamoto Musashi's "undefeated" code. To study more and practice harder. He reiterates this obviously after every end of both the major and minor chapters of his book.



THE FIVE RINGS (BOOKS)

The Five Rings are composed of The Earth Book, The Water Book, The Fire Book, The Wind Book, and The Book of Emptiness (Void).

The Earth Book (Chi No Maki) centers on the path of Heiho, about fighting with a goal and no hesitations. It's about widening your peripheral vision and putting your mind above all things and be objective at all times.

The Water Book (Mizu No Maki) tackles on the basics of the sword fight, the importance of initiating the stance and studying the reactive response of the opponent, as he introduces the term "rhythm" vital for the fight itself and elaborates further on the proper initial stances.

The Fire Book (Hi No Maki) explains the strategies in the middle of the fight, the importance of "offensive" stance over the "defensive" stance and looking for right timing at the opponent's momentary weaknesses. More techniques and variations in combat are explained here.

The Wind Book (Kaze No Maki) tells about the weaknesses and strategies of other schools of sword fighting (those considered not of Heiho). Miyamoto explains how to counter the strategy of the other schools.

The Book of Emptiness (Ku No Maki) is understanding that the nature of reality is a process, a flow and implies that one has gone beyond the point of making destinctions, creating dualities. Nothing is absolute in this world; everything is always changing. Musashi teaches us that you have your own flow, your own process and suggests there is a higher order of experience than the one you are on now. That emptiness is actually fullness, the realm of all possibilities.


some memorable passages:

At present, in many of the martial arts, and especially archery, there is too much concern about appearance, and not much concern about substance. That kind of martial art is useless in critical moments...

The primary principal is to have the sun behind you. Take a stance with the sun behind you. If it's not possible due to the lay of the land, keep the sun to your right...

There is also the concept of "intoxication"... It involves getting the opponent bored, agitated, and giving him the feeling that you are inferior. This should be well thought out... 


Genre: Strategy, Oriental Philosophy
Rating: 4.5 maki out of 5