Salutation #88

Free inquiry is a civic virtue,

it is a strength of ours to be able to think as a nation!

So we must each cultivate good habits of the mind -

the ability to think about our thinking.

My brother and sister Filipino -

are we not a free nation upon this world?

(Question Everything)

In a democracy, question everything.

Democracy is not an answer, it is a path.

We are a work of human liberty

reaching out to the only other Freedom

reaching out to us - across the void -

the perfection of God,

the unity of the LORD;

our one God and true King!

We are one ascent to the Truth -

a Country made whole by the justice of our peace;

a peace made one by our common desire to be happy.

So have a thirst, O soul of my people,

have a thirst for every true thing under heaven.

Never stop longing - not just for good things -

but for great things - truly great things!

- selah -

We exist in a world so full of longing.

There is longing in our world

because there is an emptiness in the self.

There is a constant seeking for answers.

We can never really know anything unless we ask

and those who have come to know something

- have come to their own knowledge -

not by a perfect understanding of the answers

but by an imperfect understanding

of the questions one ought to know about.

For there are questions we must ask,

there are questions we must learn to ask,

and there are questions we must never ask.

- selah -

In a democracy, question everything.

(That is, validate them in yourselves.)

Democracy is not an answer, it is a path.

---<--@

Think about it -

"And I tell you,

ask and you will receive;

seek and you will find;

knock and the door

will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks, receives;

and the one who seeks, finds;

and to the one who knocks,

the door will be opened."

(Luke 11: 9-10)

Now, if you know the Kama Sutra

more than the Kalama Sutra -

its time to start thinking!

Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing,

nor upon tradition,

nor upon rumor,

nor upon what is in a scripture,

nor upon surmise,

nor upon an axiom,

nor upon specious reasoning,

nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over,

nor upon another's seeming ability,

nor upon the consideration, "The monk is our teacher."

Kalamas, when you yourselves know:

"These things are good; these things are not blamable; these things are praised by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to benefit and happiness," enter on and abide in them.

- The Buddha, Kalama Sutra

Salutation #87

Judgment is the faculty of our soul - that -

deals with separating truth from untruth;

Light from Darkness.

(Decide)

To remove or to acquit?

Let me tell you this - decide.

Let us decide - and -

let us defend our decision together.

No nation is ruled by random chance.

There will be consequences

for every decision

we take* as a Country - good or bad.

(*Individual citizens make decisions,

our Congress takes them - in the context of this trial,

this means our incumbent citizen-servants

in the Senate, our Senator-Judges.

This is very important to understand.)

But if our immutable will - is -

to be true to the purpose

our God has established us, a nation

- imperfect though we may be -

all these imperfect choices

the LORD shall deign to bless.

And these shall ultimately lead our nation

- from generation to generation -

unto the Dawn!

For it is not we

who leads unto the Dawn, my people,

it is the LORD!

Personally speaking,
as your fellow citizen equally engaged
in this one Republic undertaking of Country,

I am ultimately inclined
to support our President Noy

for it is my conviction - that -
I must always defer to the Office

upon whose necessary authority

- every one of our presidents -

stands before we, the people.

- selah -

(I have other reasons

to support President Noy

- but they are wholly personal -

and so I shall exclude them

here in our consideration.)

But - good or bad - ultimately,

it is your choices we must defend, O my people,

so make these choices well and - decide.

---<--@

Think about it -

(Refer to our 2nd Monthly Exercise)

Whatever happens here, we can not exclude a Filipino from being a Filipino.

We still have to take care of each other.

We are expected to only choose our friends, this is the only correct choice.

So we must - with all peoples and with all nations, abide in peace and good will. Our enemies make themselves.

For our values are the values of peace.

NOTE: A representative democracy does not exclude the participation of the people so make an informed decision and let your representatives know - write them, text them, twitter them, or pm them in facebook - express your opinions through the right channels. Above all, we must stand together as one nation.

On the first day of trial, at the closing - Senator Enrile was right to caution us about who we are - we are a nation, not a mob. (20120116)

- selah -

I will cherish and understand our Republic endeavor - it is the foundation of our democratic processes in the political, social and juridical institutions and representative traditions that maintain the good order of our public peace that shelter and preserve the life of our civil society.

And I shall maintain a constant vigilance over our democracy, participating in the labors that enrich and advance the peace of our Republic, seeking every means available, to pursue the the common good of our people and realize the eternal vision of our nation established in our Constitution.

(excerpted from Citizenship with Fidelity)

(20120123) The uncertainty being braved through by our peers in the senate chamber - our senator-judges, the prosecution, as well as the defense - about this whole impeachment trial is proof of its own significance.

For we are making a path here where there was none.

It is a path that if it is crafted properly and tread justly, with the utmost care about all those concerned (the nation not excepted), shall serve as a comfort and a guide for those generations who yet to stand at the helm of our great and noble Republic undertaking.

Yes, it is important!

Let us pray it concludes decisively.

---<--@

The National Minimum