Truth and the Common Good
Life is not easy. It’s designed to be that way. How does one navigate the labyrinth of life? A few months ago, I was dealing with an issue so I asked my meditation teacher for advice. His words have since been a constant reverberation in my consciousness. “Rest on truth. Always be aligned with it. It will make you strong.” So every morning before I get out of bed I tune in to the energy of truth. After meditation, I commit to live life by it. I use the pillar of truth to keep me on track. I use it to discern when faced with difficult choices.
What is truth? It’s not just honesty. Energy-wise, to me, it feels like a shining pillar. When I first mentioned these values at a PRRC (Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission) flag ceremony I felt like I was landing a pillar of light in their midst. I asked them to take an oath to truth and service. Now these two values, written on the wall, greet you at the entrance of the headquarters.
As a result of this, the energy in the place feels so much lighter! I notice young faces committed to their work. There is a vibrancy to the place. The “oldies” that I was so tempted to let go of are displaying an earnestness to get the job done. This is so fulfilling. It helped that I now have a new executive director and a new deputy director whom I have hired based on their ability to live by and implement these values that I hold most dear.
In the Save Palawan Movement, the dictum we use is “Truth and the Common Good.” Since there are so many sides, it is a pillar that is totally useful in discerning what is right and wrong. First, “What is the truth?”; Second, “What situation will benefit the most number of people for the longest amount of time?” It also means looking at the agenda of institutions. If an entity puts up schools and clinics, gives scholarships, etc., but the agenda is selfish, then that’s not out of integrity because the intention is not to help. The intention is get inroads into accessing the resources of the community. It’s so out of sync with Truth and the Common Good.
It gets a bit sticky when there are two sides of a coin, when there are facts and figures flying in various directions. There are several ways of looking at a situation. It can get confusing. That’s where Common Good comes in. There is benevolence in Truth. Anything which impairs or puts at risk the well-being of communities for generations to come, or distorts the rhythm of the ecological system for the material gain of a few, or worse wreaks havoc on the culture of harmony and peace in village communities can never be true. It just can’t.
What’s the Common Good? It’s what’s best for the most number of people for the longest amount of time. It’s about well-being. Not just cash — but are the people well? Are they happy? Are they healthy?
My experience with community-based sustainable ecotourism rings true. I have five projects in Puerto Princesa. Ugong Rock is the most successful. In two years the system got them out of poverty. In four years the initial 30 families have now blossomed to 200! They earn P15,000 a month! They can send their kids to college. They take an oath at all their meetings to Integrity, to compassion, to working together, to caring for the environment and to a healthy lifestyle. I go there and feel their energies, feel the community , and the situation feels very much in sync with Truth and the Common Good. It’s correct.
Yesterday I was with a lady from Manicani, an island three-fourths of which has been mined. I had been there myself. There are huge pits where once there were fruit-bearing trees. When I went there it was raining and I saw acidic water flowing to the sea, which is a marine reserve. She tells me once they could drink the water on the island. Even the mining company officials could drink that water, but now they drink mineral water. What will the islanders drink? She tells me the mining companies continue to bring their trucks, continue to put up buildings. She is afraid and very much in pain. This situation is just not for the Common Good. It’s wrong. It’s the reason why my personal stand is that mining in island ecosystems — particularly small ones like Manicani — can never, ever be responsible. The very fact of mining there will kill the island.
I rest on truth when I need to make decisions. It has a holding energy. In times of crisis and chaos, it gives a tremendous amount of strength. I can go on unrelenting. Despite the difficulties, I feel fulfilled. I feel hope. It makes life much more simple. There are not many aspects to think of. Just: what is “true”? What is for the “common good”? Simple. When I am going against indifference, corruption and inefficiency, it feels like white fire. It facilitates change. It is courageous and brave. When I rest on truth, I feel joy. Resting on truth should not be intellectual. It is energetic. It is most beautiful when I can get into its stillness. Then it feels nurturing; then the world of imperfection takes on a different hue.
There is Truth and the Common Good in the social scheme of things. But unless there is a commitment to truth in one’s personal life, the social scheme will ring hollow.
How does one live life in truth? A prime necessity is the need for clarity. One needs to see things, and then one needs to be humble. A habit of reflection is necessary. A looking back at how one operated during the day. Spirituality is not just meditation during the morning; it is a second by second effort to be true. There is a need to be aware of the forces that run one’s life.
Last night, sitting in traffic, I was looking forward to eating a Pad Thai dish, the noodles of which came from Healthy Options — gluten-free, really healthy. When I got home and asked for it, I was told one of my household help had brought the dish down to their quarters and finished it. I was quite upset. A hot energy rose to the surface, ready to scold her — then in a flash I saw it: this bullying energy in me. It was visual. Having seen it I maneuvered to keep my calm, and saw that she just made a mistake.
That’s the process of truth. It’s important to see. There are forces that run your life. See when you are about to go off track. And if you do go off track (totally normal), just realign. It’s not complicated. This is why it is important to be with people who will give you honest feedback. You need to be humble enough to listen. No defensiveness. Just a totally sincere and genuine earnestness to live life in truth.
The effort to realign is necessary on the personal level. It is also necessary on the social level. One of my mentors in the ecological movement, was an esteemed contractor for the mining industry for many years. He traveled throughout the developing world. Then he quit because he painfully saw that he was part of the problem. He became aware that instead of helping the country get on its feet, he was actually adding to its detriment. He quit cold turkey, and joined an ecological movement. He used his creative engineering skills to create technology that could help the environment. This is the technology I am using to clean the esteros and eventually the Pasig River.
A month ago, I brought a visitor to this beautiful island. She was an investor in the mining company that wanted to mine three-fourths of the island. When she saw how beautiful the island was, she shifted gear and is instead helping me remove poverty from the island.
That’s Truth and the Common Good. One looks at what is the best for the greatest number of people and shifts gear. As opposed to stubbornly sticking to a certain mode due to habit, or tradition. A friend told me, “Gina, my father started this, so this is what I do.” That’s not good enough. It’s like going through life with blinders. At the end of the day its not enough to be good; it’s got to be what is best for the greater number of people for the longest duration of time. It’s understanding that to make life better what is important is not just cash, it’s clean air, clean water, it’s harmony and love in the community. Anything that destroys this is a disservice, no matter how much money is involved.
My mother just visited Bhutan. This is a very special place because the goal of the country is not the economy, it is happiness. I find this quite enlightened. At the end of the day what good is money if one is not happy? What brings happiness is harmony in the community, the environment in which one lives. It’s living life with values.
There is joy and peace that comes when one is doing the right thing. The road may be fraught with challenges and difficult decisions. There will be forces that test how far you will go but at the end of the day as long as one is true, one can literally feel Divine Forces helping, guiding to the right path.
This life is so beautiful — difficulties and all. We just need to find the rudder that will weather us through. We are not going to live forever. We might as well life well. So this Christmas season I wish you well. The greatest gift one can give is the gift of values. Truth and the Common Good. It’s the very best way to go.
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I can be reached at regina_lopez@abs-cbn.com.
