Rafael Antonio M.

Bautista Understanding the Self

1MBIO-7 Submitted to: Mr. Renz Argao
 Life is probably one of, if not, the most vague artifact in the world. Not because it is hard
to obtain, just like other artifacts, but because it is so easy to grasp yet so difficult to flourish. Life
is beyond anyone’s general apprehension, an elusive facet that even our deepest knowledge cannot
dissect. I happen to believe everything happens for a reason, somehow, someway, the universe
conspires and makes anything in this world possible. In order for us to live a meaningful, there
must be a great understanding of not only ourselves, but every aspect associated to oneself. In
order to accomplish that, one must have faith, Faith in what, you may ask? Faith in the supreme
being, the uncaused cause, the Almighty one, the Father Himself. Faith in its purest form is the the
most powerful entity in this world, for it can transpire a meaningless life into something that is
larger than life. The different dimensions of my faith is very plain yet it evokes the deepest
understanding of my mind towards my body and soul, which ultimately, the steering wheel that
dictates where I am bound to go in the remaining years of my existence.
The symbolisms I used in this particular mandala is a mere representation of the different
dimensions of my faith. I don’t intend on illustrating vague and intricate designs, for I aim to show
what I believe in the purest and most profound way possible. The real aesthetic is not on the design
itself, but rather in the meaning embedded in each symbol.
The ying and yang symbol, who apparently grasps each symbol represents myself, for I am
a man who is striving to achieve complete balance. That is my life system, and I don’t intend on
altering it. And with balance comes the most integral part of human experience; love. Love is I
believe the best thing every one of us possess. It is the nucleus of every relationship, including our
relationship with God, that we have, and one way or another, it it goes back to it no matter what.
It is a common denominator that we all have, we all know how to love and we crave to be loved,
even if we deny it or not. It is not merely an emotion, but rather a way of life, at least in my
perspective.
I am a man who largely patterns his principles with the teachings of Yahweh, my Lord. I
may be an open-minded person in different contexts of life, but my openness has its limits,
especially when it crosses the principles I live by, the principles that make up a large fraction of
who I am and what I stand for. I won’t let anything get in the way of what I deem proper in every
sense of the word. And lastly, the representation of my worship faith is the peace sign for I believe
peace is the essence of our existence. It is the mere opportunity for us to relate to others, including
God, in its most pristine way possible. It is the ability to express what we worship and how we
intend to live incorporate that on a day to day basis, These three things are the cornerstone of what
I imagine the ideal world would be; Imbued with love, theo-centric and peaceful in every facet.
Understanding these dimensions will enable us to appreciate better the trials and
tribulations that the Alpha and the Omega hands out to each and every single one of us, enabling
us to properly comprehend every bit of detail that happens in our lives, and being able to make a
deep sense out of it. This, then, is the goal associated with knowing ourselves, ultimately, we look
from deep within us so that we can look outside of who we are with great clarity, patience and
compassion.