Eternity

So this time, a lot of our friends and siblings are asking me to create a mandala for them. I feel so honored but at the same time, I notice how my ego wades its way to my mind. I found myself worrying what if they won't like what I make for them. Again, the secret is to just be.

As I was making this mandala, I was so attached to making this one beautiful though I really don't know for whom this mandala is. I kept on reminding that no pressure about a certain result because every mandala is as beautiful as it is.

I tried circles in my work and dots outside the circle. I let my hand guide me through the colors but I ended up with blue and purple, red and white. When I finished this mandala, I could not understand my emotions. I kinda like it but for some reasons, I couldn't connect to its colors but I resolve to accept it despite its color combination.

As I posted the photo of my mandala on Facebook, I noticed how my friends expressed their appreciation on this work. It's quite popular among my friends. I concluded that one's perception really varies depending on what one wants to see. Apparently, my unlikely favorite became noticeable with other people.

By the time when I saw my youngest brother Jayme in our house, I knew that this mandala is for him. I am just glad. 

Go Through Rather Than Avoid

For the first time since I've started working on mandalas, I begin to question myself with one of the world's most unavoidable question, "Now what?"

My friends tell me that I have an Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), at first I would disagree and go through lengthy debates. Later on it was like, *sigh* "you're right." The photo of the mandala on top signified my resolve to just continue doing it, even when questions about its meaning bother me so much. Actually, I believe there are a lot of people like me who go about doing things and questioning its meaning while in the process of doing. And then, lose sight after. I'm not like the horse with its blinds. I can only focus for a little time. Only that, I'm aware of it; and the creation of mandalas pointed that out to me.

Now, I'm somehow aware of the points when I jump from one rope to another. It's not easy to see things through but I now begin to internalize the adage, 'go through rather than avoid.' The lesson I learned from this mandala is: if you're tired, rest and recover. But don't complain because you alone hold the pen in the creation of your mandala. Stop acting like you have no idea what is going on. You hold the pen so you decide.

Almost the same with life.

The dots and patterns in the mandala almost signify as the days in our lives. When you look at it, you might be tempted to think that all the points are the same. But actually, no two points are the same. Same with life, no two minutes are the same.

As I was coming up with this mandala, for some reasons, I had no interest in other colors and I used only the white pens except for the center part. I regretted using some greens on that area but later, it dawned on me that the creation signified part of my stubbornness, violating even my own personal agreement with myself to just use white.

Still, the outcome is heavenly. As my teacher Oruha says, "A mandala is beautiful as it is."

In Memory of a Friend

Last June 18, 2014, my friend Yoichi Amano passed away at age 71. He was suffering from cancer. His wife Inday is also a cancer survivor.

Sir Ichi, as many of us fondly call him, was a journalist and the first Adopted Son of Davao. He had been very active in forging the ties between sister cities Kagoshima and Davao. I met him during the peak of their advocacy in 2003 where I was able to travel to Japan as part of Mutya ng Dabaw duties.

After the meeting in Japan, Sir Ichi and I became acquaintances. When I became a journalist, we became good friends.

On random occasions, we would meet up for lunch.I'd eat a hearty lunch while he drank his beer and smoke. One time, I told him that he had to quit drinking beer because of his health concerns. His reply was, "If you take away the beer, I'd rather be dead." Often times, Sir Ichi would call me crazy for believing in my dreams and then he would tell me that he was the same in his younger days.

When he died, I felt so sad because I know I'm among the very few people who had the opportunity to befriend someone way older than me. It was a friendship of shared passion and ideals in life. I recognized that we had different struggles in this journey but the bottom line were joy, pain, idealism, and faith.

Gone are the days where I would listen to a wisdom borne out of experience and to a scolding that comes from a person who knows that I can be so much more than I had settled for.

On the day of his interment, I created this mandala. I wished for this mandala to signify the life that he had. The peculiar thing is that, while I was working on this, thoughts his eldest daughter Kazami would suddenly pop inside my mind. When it was finished, I understood that this is meant for Kazami on her birthday which she celebrated last June.

As of this writing, I'm still not able to hand this gift to its rightful owner. I know, however, that I'll be giving this to her anytime soon.

Farewell, Sir Ichi. Thank you for the lessons you shared, for believing in the possibilities of my dreams, and for gifting me a friendship I shall cherish in this whole lifetime and beyond.

The Mandala Encounter

I learned about mandalas when I met Japanese Mandala Artist Oruha last December 2013 when she came over to Davao City, Philippines to hold an exhibit for the survivors of Typhoon Pablo. During one of our meetings, Oruha took time to teach me how to create a mandala. It was a brief encounter. They say that a mandala is a symbolism of the Universe; I couldn't understand it back then but it taught me a new way to handle doodles. 

Now, each time I make a mandala, I learn something new. 

The first mandala that I made I gave to my friend from Hawaii Bruce Conching, during that time, he was also in Davao for an Ike Pono seminar. Over a few months, creating mandala taught me many things. One time, I was meditating on a mandala that Oruha gave me, I was focusing on the center point when suddenly, my mandala started moving - like an optical illusion. Colors started flying and dancing! I had to rub my eyes! Even after I rubbed my eyes, the colors continued dancing!

I couldn't get over the experience so I sent a message to Oruha about my experience. And she said, "Yes. Your mandala will tell you more." Since then, I felt the urge to create mandalas every time I get a chance to doodle.

This blog is all about my mandalas and the things that transpired during their creation. 

The photo above is the one I made for myself. I created that as present to myself on an ordinary day. 

 To avoid being attached to my creations, the mandalas are now with my friends, acquaintances, or clients. When I hand it to them, I infuse it with prayer for prosperity, good health, and good fortune. Perhaps, it's the best gift I could give to someone.

More mandalas in this blog! Thanks for taking time to read!