Our class has an ongoing discussion on what batch name to carry. I believe either Babaylan, Katalonan or Ma-aram will be apt. To have a batch name in our native tongue is a way of saluting our ancestors.
Here is how www.babaylan.net explains the meaning of babaylan:
What is "babaylan"?
Philippine indigenous communities recognize a woman (or man) as a Babaylan, someone who has the ability to mediate with the spirit world, has her own spirit guides, and is given gifts of healing, foretelling, and insight. She may also have knowledge of healing therapies such as hilot, arbularyo. She is a ritualist, a chanter, diviner. She has the gift of traveling to the spirit world or non-ordinary states of reality in order to mediate with the spirits. Babaylans are called by other names in the other languages of Philippine indigenous communities: Mombaki, Dawac, Balyan or Balian, Katalonan, Ma-Aram, Mangngallag, Mumbaki, Mambunong.
In contemporary contexts, whether in urban Philippines or in Filipino diasporic communities, the Babaylan name is used by those who are inspired by the spirit in which the primary Babaylans carried out their work: the spirit of revolution against colonization, their belief in Sacred Wholeness, their love of mother country, the desire to serve their communities in achieving justice and peace.
If we were to take a non-Filipino word to describe the various healers/spiritual practitioners, a "shaman" would be the closest. Some of our members, in their writings for a Western/Westernized audience, sometimes interchange shaman, "shaman-priest," or "priestess" but our members also strive to use the local term when referring to a specific person, region, or ethnolinguistic group. Otherwise, it IS indeed a challenge to use English terms to describe or explain our Philippine traditions.
If our class choose a batch name in our own tongue, we are a step closer to realizing our Filipino identity. However hard we try, we cannot deny our ancestry. We will always be darker and shorter than our Caucasian counterpart. We may act Westernized but we still hold core Filipino values dearly.
It cannot be denied that despite the advancement of science, we are returning back to the basics. We want our vegetables and livestock to be purely organic even if we have to pay a high price for it. We take food supplements made from kamalunggay or amplaya. We seek hilots for minor aches in our body. This is our culture and we should not be ashamed of it after all the Indians has made their Ayurvedic medicine and yoga almost a brand name. The many Chinese herbs has proven health benefits.
Desiring to use a foreign word as a batch name is fine but the previous batches has already done it. We are unique. With 77 strong and rich doctors, we must make a stamp in the history of RTRMF. We shall show them that our culture has molded us to be dynamic and progressive doctors. That even if we practice on foreign soils, our batch has produced the best Filipino doctors.
When Thad posted a link to a medical blog, I noticed the eye of Horus on the cover of the author's book. This intrigued me. I know the name of the sign but have long forgotten the meaning behind the symbol. I sought the help of Mr. Google (goodbye Mr. Webster!), lo and behold this is the perfect symbol I was looking for.
Here is a summarized explanation of this symbol:
EYE OF HORUS
- Horus, represented as the falcon-headed god, was an important god in Egyptian legend.
- The symbol representing his eye, Eye of Horus, was a powerful symbol used to protect from evil.
- Pronounced "udjat" by the Egyptians, the Eye of Horus represents a human eye with the cheek markings of a falcon
- an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection, royal power and good health
- symbol was frequently used in jewellery made of gold, silver, lapis, wood, porcelain, and carnelian, to ensure the safety and health of the bearer and provide wisdom and prosperity.
- Eye of Horus was believed to have healing and protective power, and it was used as a protective amulet
- The 'Rx' symbol which is used by pharmacies and in medicine has its origins in the Eye of Horus.
- The Eye of Horus fraction system was based on the Eye of Horus symbol. This system was used to record prescriptions, land and grain.
- The eye is represented as a figure with 6 parts. These 6 parts correspond to the six senses - Touch, Taste, Hearing, Thought, Sight, Smell. These are the 6 parts of the *eye*. The eye is the receptor of *input*. It has these six doors, to receive data.
- The construction of the eye follows very precise laws. The senses are ordered according to their importance. And according to how much energy must be *eaten* by the *eye* for an individual to receive a particular sensation. All of the sensory data input is *food*.
- The EYE OF HORUS represented a fractional quantification system to measure parts of a whole.
- The entire eye measured 1 heqat. And each of the parts of the eye measured fractions of the heqat.
The corresponding sense data are :
- 1/64 heqat Touch - represents planting a stick into the ground. Like planting a stalk that will take root. The Earth represents touch. Planting itself represents physical contact and touching.
- 1/32 heqat Taste - represents the sprouting of the wheat or grain from the planted stalk. It is the food we put into our mouth. And so represents taste. Taste is also = Touch + Shape. That is to say, the different tastes we experience come from touching different shapes. So, touch is more a fundamental sense that taste.
- 1/16 heqat Hearing - represents the EAR. The figure points towards the ear on the face. Also, it has the shape of a horn or musical instrument. When we Hear a sound or combination of sounds we find this to be pleasing or unplesant. The sound has a taste for us, causing a preference. Sound requires Touch + Taste and so is a combination of the lower senses.
- 1/8 heqat Thought - represents thought. We often use our eyebrows to express our thoughts. And this facial feature is closest to that part of the forehead we associate with thinking. We raise our eyebrows to express surprise, for example. Thought = Touch + Taste + Hearing. If you think :) about it. Thinking is a kind of surpressed sound. The language we think in is like the *touch* of muscle prior to giving voice. And of course, we have a *taste* for different types of thoughts.
- 1/4 heqat Sight - the pupil of the EYE. And so no more needs to be said. It represents seeing, or the sensation of light.
- 1/2 heqat Smell - points to the nose. It even looks like a nose. It represents the sensation of smell.
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| The Right Eye of Horus represents concrete factual information controlled by the left brain. It deals with words, letters, and numbers and those things which are describable in terms of sentences or complete thoughts. It approaches the universe in terms of male oriented ideation. |
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The Left Eye of Horus represents abstract aesthetic information controlled by the right brain. It deals with esoteric thoughts and feelings and is responsible for intuition. It approaches the universe in terms of female oriented ideation. We use the Left Eye, female oriented, right side of our brain for feeling and intuition. |
Now that everything has been clearly explained, I say, this is the beginning step to the Science of Success.
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