Sayings of Rizal
Media
Part of Panorama
- Title
- Sayings of Rizal
- Language
- English
- Source
-
Panorama Volume XIX (No. 12) December 1967
- Year
- 1967
- Subject
- Aphorisms & apothegms
- Rizal, Jose P., 1861-1896
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- ■ We celebrate Rizal Day, the 30th of December this year, with these thoughts expressed by him at various times and occasions. SAYINGS OF RIZAL Individual Liberty There is no sufficient gun powder in the world that can justify the attacks against the liberty of the individual, against the sanctity of the home, against the laws, against peace and honor. — Jose Rizal in La Solidaridad. Rizal on the Educator Yes, I believe that the time is approaching when I can return to the Philippines. Then, when I am already there, you (Blumentritt) will come with your whole fa mily and you will live with me. I have a large library. I shall order a little house built on a hill. Then I shall devote myself to the sciences, I shall read and write his tory, I shall establish a school and if you can stand the climate, then you will be its director. I am sure that all the young men, the cream of the youth of the country, will come to us. Blumen tritt and Rizal will remain in the memory of the Fili pino people, like Goethe and Schiller, like Horace and Virgil, like the two Hum boldt, in their respective countries. All these ideas came to my mind because the parliament has approved with pleasure the plan of granting Philippine represen tation. When we shall have obtained this great progress, then we shall rest and de vote our strength to the edu cation of the people, which is my supreme aspiration. — Jose Rizal to Blumentritt, 1890. Rizal Answered a Jesuit Fr. Sanchez, my professor of rhetoric, dared to defend me in public and praise my book (Noli me tangere), but secretly he told me that I would have done better writ ing an ideal book in which I could describe an ideal picture of ideal priests and 2 Panorama in this way show the con trast. I replied that I did not write for thinking readers but for the public that did not think; that there were so many books where ideal priests were described and they were utilized by bad priests to conceal their wolfish bodies with the skin of sheep. I told him that 1 wanted to awaken my countrymen from their pro found lethargy and one who wished to awaken did not use soft and gentle sounds but detonations, blows, etc. “Are you not afraid of the consequences of your auda city?” asked Fr. Sanchez. (He treats me familiarly.) If you go on your mission, are you not afraid of the consequences of its fulfill ment?” “Oh, that is entire ly different!” he replied. — “Not at all,” I replied, “your mission is to baptize the hea then, but mine is to make men worthy.” — Jose Rizal to Blumentritt, February, 1890. Rizal on Jesuitry Concerning Father Faura, I believe that he did not have evil intentions when he assured Dr. Pardo de Tavera that I had to die. In my way of thinking it was Je suitical astuteness. The Je suits have to show in public feelings that they may not perhaps feel. Towards me Father Faura behaved in a different way. But the pub lic ought to believe that he does not agree with me — absolutely not, not in any way. — Jose Rizal to Blu mentritt, January, 1890. The Meaning of Mindanao I can tell you little about the word Mindanao that I would prefer to write Mindanaw. The people here now call the whole island Mindanaw. It is true that Pigafetta mentioned Butuan, Chipit, etcetera, but not Min danaw, if my memory does not fail me; I do not have here my notes. However, danaw in Bisaya as in Ma lay means lake (dao pan). I do not know what is lake in Moro Magindanaw. How ever, inasmuch as there is a great lake Lanaw, that in my opinion means lake — for in danaw, ranaw, lanaw, there are only natural pho netical changes — I can al Decembeb 1967 3 low myself a bold conjec ture which I admit can be another lucus a con lucendo (light that does not shine). Ma gin dan aw can mean great, lake; magi would be a con traction of malaki (large), for in these regions that I in the middle of a word is usually omitted, saying kabaw, Tagilog, suat, instead of Kalabaw, Talagilog, sulat, etc. It is customary in all countries to name whole re gions after the most interest ing feature in it. What is surprising then that a whole island should be called af ter the greatest lake found in it? — Jose Rizal to Blu mentritt in Epistolario Rizalino Luna and His Spoliarium In the' history of nations there are names that by themselves signify an achievement, that recall pas sion and greatness, names that, like magic formulae, evoke pleasant and smiling thoughts, names that become a pact, a symbol of peace, a bond of love between the nations. The names of Lu na and Hidalgo belong to these; their glories illumine the two extremes of the globe — the East and the West, Spain and the Philippines... In Spoliarium, through the canvass that is not mute, can be heard the tumult of the multitude, the shouting of the slaves, the metallic creaking of the armor of the corpses, the sobs of the be reaved, the murmurs of pra yer, with such vigor and realism as one hears the din of thunder in the midst of the crash of the cataracts, or the impressive and dread ful tremor of the earth quake... The Spoliarium that thrills, seizes, and agi tates violently, drying the tear that looms in the eyes is the condemnation of the barbarism and despotism of a great people towards a small one that thirsts for light and liberty. The first copy made of it was ordered by a Russian! — Jose Rizal Keeping a Diary Yesterday, one year ago I left my home to come to this country. How many illusions one entertained and how many deceptions! Yes terday, all day and night, I kept recalling all that had 4 Panorama happened to me since then. I took my diary and read it, which reminded me of faded impressions. Though sick, I’ll continue my diary be cause I see that it is most useful and above all it con soles the soul when nothing more remains of its former treasures. — By Jose Rizal Cockfighting in the Philippines In the Philippines, for the observance of Sunday after noons, one generally .goes to the cockpit, as to the bull fight in Spain. Cockfighting, a passion introduced into the country and exploited a cen tury ago, is one of the peo ple’s vices, more transcen dental than opium among the Chinese. The poor man goes to the cockpit to risk what he has, desirous of earning money without work ing for it. The rich man goes there to amuse himself, using the money that remains to him from his feasts and thanks-giving Masses (misa de gracia) but the money he uses is his own. The game cock is trained with great care, with greater care perhaps than a son, the fa ther’s successor in the cock pit. — Jose Rizal in Noli me tangere. December 1967 5
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