BERNARDINO, VINCE DAVE A.

ADVANCED METAPHYSICS

METAPHYSICS AND ITS PURPOSE

Whenever I hear the word metaphysics, it brings me back to the good old memories I had
when I was still in my college days. Our professors, as well as the formators, in our seminary
would always say that Metaphysics is that branch of Philosophy which is specifically a “pain in
the a*s.” Yes, metaphysics has always been one of the hardest branches of philosophy to
understand for its terms and ideologies integrated in it are found to be hardly understandable. But
the beauty of it lies in accepting the fact that though it is hard to understand, it plays a vital role in
understanding how life works and how much we know about most things.
Metaphysics has always been translated as “beyond the physical.” We now have one reason
to believe that metaphysics is hard to understand because it deals with reality that is beyond what
we see. Not that we are talking about the “unseen” such as spirits or engkantos or other things that
we integrated with that word. Metaphysics is that where we go deeper into the things that we
normally see in the physical realm. Metaphysics opens up a way to understand the real meaning
of what is happening in this world for the very reason that we go deeper into the things that happen.
Whenever people ask me on how I would explain metaphysics I can hardly explain it to
them with the words that come out of my mouth. It would make it even more complicated when I
discuss to them what metaphysics is. I am always stuck with that notion of “beyond the physical.”
They would misinterpret it and would think that metaphysics is a philosophy that deals with them
ghosts. I really had a hard time at that time until it came to me that metaphysics can never really
be explained in plain words. Then one day they asked me again; I found words that come out of
my mouth carelessly until I saw the reaction on their faces. It was priceless. Did I explain it? No.
I composed a poem in my mind and recited it.
This world is a world of seen things
But mostly grey with a little twist of yellow
Some we take for granted, some we try to understand
We look for a sunflower in this world full of gray sand.
Metaphysics is like poetry. We always find poetry as one of the things that we live for. We
can never really understand what it means when we take it literally. We go deeper into what it
means until we finally realize what it really means. The poem means that things happen in this
world and some people would just go with the flow, and others would try to understand why things
happen. We look for satisfaction in a world of “taken for granted’s.” That is the role of metaphysics
in our lives. To bring about that sense in us to go deeper into the things we see and try to understand
why such things happen.
BERNARDINO, VINCE DAVE A.
ADVANCED METAPHYSICS

ON THE MEANING OF BEING

Of all the years that I have been studying philosophy there was specifically no day where
I didn’t hear the word being. It makes me think that the central idea that comprises all of the studies
is the question of being. What does “being” really mean? We have always been asked of that most
of the time and our answers is inevitably “to exist.” But is there a possibility that we can also use
other terms other than “to exist.”
“Being” is a verb which literally means “to be.” We are often stuck with that notion of
being as existence. But we often forget the term “essence”. That which is really giving meaning to
what we often see. We make statements such as “that is the essence of a chair,” “that is the essence
of the food.” I’d like to focus my reflection on this part on the reality of us as human beings existing
in this world and dealing other existing beings.
For us human beings, we are so occupied with the thought of work, schooling, how we are
seen in the eyes of other people. That is what is going on through my mind. At most point we are
always on this path of work and worry as to how people would look to us that we have finally
missed the point of how it is to Be. Yes, we integrate being to existing. And that is what we have
always been: existing.
The beauty of poetry has always touched my life and makes me understand things the way
they truly are. When I run out of words, I take refuge in poetry and just let the words escape my
hand and write it down on a blank paper ‘til I can see the beauty of it. Being is also like poetry. It
doesn’t just exist and worries as to how the readers react. It touches the heart; it lives.
Preoccupied with a lot of things and worries
We tend to forget what we truly are and what we truly mean
We take a path that lead to selfishness
We work We study
We play We act
We worry about how people look at us up until we are deceased
We must learn how to live, not just exist
Being should not just be associated with the word existing. Being should be seen not just
as a mere existence but it should also be seen as living. Yes, things literally do not breathe or
whatever that humans do but they don’t just exist, they also live. They live in our hearts and minds
as long as we have seen how important they are and how things play a role. Live, don’t just exist.
BERNARDINO, VINCE DAVE A.
ADVANCED METAPHYSICS

THE GREAT PRINCIPLE

This world is a mixed reality. It is apparently that we are make certain distinctions so as
that we may not be hard up in trying to understand and see how certain things and people act. We
are different from one another and we have that culture of regionalism, racism and such but it is
also inevitable that amidst this reality of discrimination, most people would have that propensity
for order. We can also see that comparing things also happens in this world. We compare things
and we have basis for what is beautiful and ugly, pleasant and unpleasant. This is one proof that
there must be that underlying principle that makes up the things that happen in this world.
This is the Oriental way of thinking about the Dao. They believe that in all the things that
happen in this world is constituted in this great dao. Differences occur but there is one thing under
us that makes us all the same and I believe that it where we came from. We came from a single
principle until we have been classified into groups and certain culture. Come to think of it, it is
apparent that amidst all the cultures and differences we have as persons we belong to the same
humanity.
This is the real meaning of the One and The Many. One Principle underlying Many
Principles. We can see this in the simplest things that happen in this world. We can see that there
are different religions, but we also find it that we are also under one common religion; the worship
of a God. We can also see that there are many forms of government but amidst these differences
we believe that there is one common government. The perfect one.
We can also this in the field of the epoch of philosophy. Ancient philosophers have believed
that amidst the many differences that happen here in this world they try to find the answer on
looking for that substance that would constitute the universe. Thales believed it was water;
Anximander believed it was air and many more looking for that substance. In the Medieval ages
they also try to find that which explains up to the realities of the world amidst the many differences
that occur. They found out that it was God.
The Problem of the One and the Many lies on this belief of the Great Principle. It is that
which underlies all things and bind them together as one in the midst of cultural differences,
ideological differences, and all the things that needed explanation. There is One Principle that
sums up everything that happens in this world. One Perfect Principle underlying Many Principles.