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Homage to silence, time and the circle of life

Homage to silence, time and the circle of life
By Pocholo Concepcion Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 02:43:00 06/29/2008

MANILA, Philippines - Quotable quotes from videos, interpretative dance sequences, song numbers and a very engaging address by a 63-year-old yogi spelled success for the educational-entertainment event, "Circle of Life," Thursday night at Onstage, Greenbelt 1 in Makati.
The absence of an emcee throughout the hour-long program was deliberate, according to Antonio Salac Santos' concept of creating an atmosphere "based on the experience of meditation," meant to allow the audience to "go with the flow" and appreciate the benefits of "keeping quiet." Upside-down world Indeed, everyone kept still, eyes focused on the video screen that ran a series of text graphics about the perception of time—mostly, how many people tend to waste it. Of the numerous quotes, the one from Mother Teresa encapsulated everything: "I think the world has turned upside down. We have lost time for ourselves."

A group from Douglas Nierras' Powerdance highlighted this terrible reality by celebrating joyful moments as expressed through precise, orderly movements, capturing a sense of fulfillment in such simple situations as having fun with friends. The pained look of one dancer as the rest deserted him underscored the statement that things go haywire when people refuse to share their time with others.

Another dance sequence, rendered to the tune of "Bituing Marikit," was an homage to precious moments offered by the contemplative hours of the night.

Singer Erik Santos provided the wonderful possibilities that pop music could achieve, in relation to the themes of spirituality and valuing time. If, in the past, Alamid's "Your Love" sounded corny for its naivete, this time it seemed like a devotional offering to a Higher Being: "Your love is like the river/That flows down to my veins/I feel the chill inside..."
"At first, I felt a little scared of the silence," Erik described his part in the "unique" experience. "I wasn't used to it."

In his second number, "Next in Line" (originally by After Image), Erik was right on track, adding drama to the yearning sentiments of idealism: "What is life to offer me, when I grow old?"
That is one question which the night's lone speaker, BK Vedanti, beautifully answered— with doses of off-the-cuff humor. (The show was presented by Brahma Kumaris, an international NGO affiliated with the United Nations.) Vedanti, regional director of "Serve Africa" in 42 countries, who travels around the world on a weekly basis, again stressed the need to value time. Time defines our existence, she said. We should appreciate the "circle of life," that endless, God-given cycle of nature that everyone should find time to reflect on.

Wanting to simplify her discourse to sustain attention, Vedanti challenged her audience to attain the fullness of life by: 1)smiling more often and 2) cutting down on sleep, talk and food.
The part about smiling is relatively easy. But to eat, talk and sleep less? And yet, hearing it from her, it made a lot of sense. "She talked to me," Erik recounted "and said my daily 8 hours of sleep was too much! But she gave me such a warm feeling." Indeed, at the end of the event, the lady in white robes radiated peace and happiness as she sat still, very slowly moving her gentle gaze around, giving her audience the feeling that the past hour was truly time well spent.

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Circle of Life




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You Are INVITED!


Special Guest: BK Vedanti

Fondly called by His Excellency President Daniel Arap Moi of Kenya "Mama Vedanti”, BK Vedanti will visit the Philippines for the first time from June 20-29, 2008. She is the Regional Director for Africa of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. (Read more...)

Next in Line: Erik Santos

Fifteen years ago, when he was in high school, Erik Santos heard the After Image song, "Next in Line."

The melody and meaningful lyrics appealed to him so much, he vowed to himself, "Someday, I will sing that song... as a recording artist, before a large crowd, like in a concert." (Read more...)



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Spiritual intelligence is the wisdom to understand oneself

WHAT I’VE LEARNED
Spiritual intelligence is the wisdom to understand oneself

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 07:36am (Mla time) 05/26/2008

MANILA, Philippines—The whole focus of our education system has been toward intellectual ability or the IQ, which in a way gives us the foundation in rational, creative and semantic thinking. We have put intellectual ability on top of the pile, and it’s not that it’s not important, but it’s only one aspect of learning.

Kids spend years going through educational institutions so they have amazing academic ability but they have very little ability to understand other people and almost none to understand themselves. (Read more...)

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BK VEDANTI’S FIRST VISIT TO THE PHILIPPINES

BK Vedanti with the First Lady of Uganda, Janet Museveni


Fondly called by His Excellency President Daniel Arap Moi of Kenya "Mama Vedanti”, BK Vedanti will visit the Philippines for the first time from June 20-29, 2008. She is the Regional Director for Africa of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. She was born in India and graduated from the Gujarat University with a BA degree in Philosophy and Psychology. Having lived in Africa since 1974, she has dedicated her life in the intense task of moral and spiritual upliftment of humankind. She has rendered selfless and tireless service with humility and love. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others,” she says. As the living example of this spiritual principle, she initiated the Serve Africa Project in 2004, a grand scale spiritual outreach project that has served 40 African countries, bringing spiritual empowerment and personal transformation to countless individuals by providing practical solutions to the physical and emotional challenges of our present time.

BK Vedanti, a woman of great warmth, has touched people from all walks of life with her deep and beautiful reflections. “Our life is a gift from God. God is continuously sending us personal messages. He touches our intellect and we have to catch those signals. These signals are like blessings that move us forward.”

Since she set foot in Africa, BK Vedanti has inspired the African people to learn meditation as a way of life. Apart from her spiritual service through the Serve Africa Project, she has travelled to USA, UK, Europe, Australia, Far East and the Middle East, sharing her deep spiritual experiences. “Each one of us should sit in silence and touch the light of the Supreme. Success in every task is then guaranteed to navigate through the uncertainty and insecurity of this world. Thus, it is very important that we make time for this inner journey.”

Catch her powerful presence on June 26, 6:30 pm at Onstage Greenbelt 1, Makati City in “The Circle of Life”, an educational entertainment with Erik Santos and Douglas Nierras Powerdance as special guests. Admission is free. Please call 8907960 or 9264273.

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Next in line, a serious Erik

Next in line, a serious Erik

By Antonio Salac Santos
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Posted date: June 16, 2008


MANILA, Philippines—Fifteen years ago, when he was in high school, Erik Santos heard the After Image song, "Next in Line."

The melody and meaningful lyrics appealed to him so much, he vowed to himself, "Someday, I will sing that song... as a recording artist, before a large crowd, like in a concert."

The song is now one of the celebrated tracks in Erik's album, "Your Love" (Sony BMG), which turned platinum recently. The 25-year-old ranks it as one of his favorite inspirational tunes, alongside R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly."

"Next in Line" makes Erik imagine kids growing up to be successful doctors, lawyers, professors, scientists, engineers, entertainment stars, athletes — working to make the world a better place.

The song, he says, assures him that the way to move forward is to inspire others to learn. And for him, to learn is to educate one's self beyond academics. "That's the point of the Chinese proverb about teaching others to fish instead of just giving them fish," explains Erik. "In the same way, I encourage members of my family to stand on their own feet, to manage their lives independently..."

His voice trails off now, his eyes get that faraway look. Then slowly he speaks again, savoring every word: "One's got to work for something hard enough to be able to call it a success. It's not all about wealth or fame, either. More important is how happy and content you are."

Erik says there are questions he asks himself frequently: "Am I at peace? Am I satisfied? Do I like where I'm at?"

He pauses when asked if he's happy. "Things could be better," he admits. "I'd like to free myself from worry, strengthen my faith and trust— firstly in myself, and then in God. I'd like to stay healthy for my family, too."

Healing period

He continues: "I'd also like to be able to communicate with people better, make them appreciate the reason I'm not into any single 'meaningful' relationship at this time: I'm focused on self-development. I think that somewhere in my 30s is the best time to get serious, to think about raising a family of my own."

Erik also explains that he's still going through a healing period, absorbing the important lessons from his much-publicized relationship—and breakup— with Rufa Mae Quinto.

He admits that it was extremely difficult to move under the glare of the public eye. He recalls that when he realized he had started that phase of his life on the wrong foot, he noticed the self-inflicted restrictions. "I don't need that kind of relationship right now," Erik says. "There are definitely more important aspects in my life that have to be addressed. I've got other priorities on my current list ... many other things that are next in line."

(Erik performs in a public program, "The Circle of Life," featuring life coach BK Vedanti, at On Stage, Greenbelt 1, 6 p.m. June 26. Call 890-7960.)

Read more...

You Are INVITED!


Special Guest: BK Vedanti

Fondly called by His Excellency President Daniel Arap Moi of Kenya "Mama Vedanti”, BK Vedanti will visit the Philippines for the first time from June 20-29, 2008. She is the Regional Director for Africa of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. (Read more...)

Next in Line: Erik Santos

Fifteen years ago, when he was in high school, Erik Santos heard the After Image song, "Next in Line."

The melody and meaningful lyrics appealed to him so much, he vowed to himself, "Someday, I will sing that song... as a recording artist, before a large crowd, like in a concert." (Read more...)



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