I was born and raised in an Igorot culture and tradition where inter-relations with the spirits play a great influence with our daily activities. Spirits, as understood in my culture, is a generic term which may refer to the souls of dead people or those that may have existed as spirits without having undergone human existence. “Anito” refers to the former and “Timmengaw” is an example of the latter. Igorots do not equate spirits or anito with God. We, Igorots, call God “Kabunyan” the creator of everything seen and unseen existing on earth and in heaven.
I have been taught to respect nature as it houses the spirits. I was told that spirits lived in lush vegetations, springs, rivers, mountains, hills and even big tress and rocks. I was taught to ask for permission from the indwelling spirits of the place before I plunge into the deep part of the river for a refreshing bath, or when I want to take a thirst-quenching drink from a spring. I was even warned not to be too noisy when I am about to pass a big tree, a big rock or an overgrown part of a forest because they usually are the abodes of the spirits who do not want to get disturbed.
There have been a lot of stories about human encounters with these so called spirits. I, for one, haven’t had any luck of meeting or experiencing these nature dwellers, though my personal encounter with a particular spirit did not come through these places. I remember when I was a kid I wanted so much to have a personal encounter with these spirits that I intentionally wander in the mountain at night. Well, I am not quite sure why not one showed itself to me or caused any noticeable extraordinary occurrence to reveal their presence. I, however, experienced peace, tranquility and order though I can sense that the forest is full of living creatures moving about all around me.
Our ancestors had a great respect for Mother Nature. It is for this reason that they can accurately read the signs of time. They can foretell when the rain will fall, or when typhoons come, or whether the summer season takes longer than usual. Their accurate predictions were made by just observing the events taking place with nature without the aid of any scientific instruments that we heavily rely upon today. Our ancestors can make accurate predictions because they are one with nature, they are part of nature, they are nature.
Modern way of life has taught us that we are separate from nature. We are of the illusion that we are master of nature. This mindset has caused irreparable damage to the environment that resulted in great loss of human lives. Recent occurrences proved that man can never be above nature. Man can never control Mother Nature. Man can, however, influence Mother nature in the sense that whatever good things man does to the environment will produce good results for his benefit, in the same manner that damaging acts done to Mother Nature eventually result to man’s damnation. We humans depend on Mother Nature to survive but Mother Nature doesn’t need us human to continue living. Mother Nature has already lived billions of light years ago before we humans came to be as we are today.
Our relationship with the spirits of our ancestors is deep-seated and inseparable from our cultural identity that we can communicate with them through our particular rituals. The spirits, in turn, can commune with us through dreams and signs. In every indigenous culture and traditions I have read and had personal encounter with, I found it fascinating that we shared similar practice of great respect and reverence to our ancestors and nature. This holds true to indigenous communities all around the globe. The Old Testament from the bible tells us much of the same about the Hebrews of old. For this reason, I am of the opinion that our ancestors were nearer to the truth than we are at the present modern world.
In our culture, it has also been the practice of the spirits to ask that chickens or pigs be butchered and offered to them in supplication for good health or good luck. For this reason a lot of Igorots consider it a great financial burden to continue practicing their tradition and gladly welcomed Christianity as a financial respite. And so they discard practicing their Igorot tradition all together. Though I may not concur with their faith and change of belief, I, for one, defer in my opinion about my culture and tradition as an Igorot and my religion as Christian Catholic.
I pray to the Saints for help and so do I with my ancestors. People with deep Christian traditions offer gifts of fruits, vegetable or any kind of produce to the Saints as we do to our ancestors also. As a matter of facts I find no conflict with my Igorot tradition and my Christian faith. I offer gifts to the spirits and my ancestors as a favor for their help financially and for good health or any other favors as I do to the Saints as well. I pray to God (Kabunyan), and to God alone, for His forgiveness for the wrong things I did to my fellowmen and good things I should have done but I didn’t. I offer thanks to my ancestors for their help in making my existence better financially and for the good health I enjoy, while I thank God for the same but especially for His gift of life and salvation, and I pray that He will receive my soul in His kingdom when I die.
In short, gifts and prayers to the spirits and my ancestors were intended as thanksgiving for favors received or as supplication for good health, financial abundance and other great favors. Prayers or sacrifice for the forgiveness of my sins and salvation of my soul is specifically offered to God alone through the practice of my Christian religion. Remember Abraham, Isaac and Jacob of the Old Testament who all offered God lambs as sacrifices and are considered as Great human beings? Why can’t the same be said of our ancestors who did offer to God pigs, chickens and fruits of their harvests? I believe the same can be said to them as well.
Then Jesus Christ came as a Whole, Holy and final sacrifice for the salvation of human kind and we continually participate in this Holy sacrifice as it happens in the Holy Eucharist. This is the reason we no longer offer sacrifices of pigs, chickens and produce to God but we continue to offer these gifts, on one hand, as a physical expression of our love and gratitude to God for His blessings and, on the other hand, as a sustenance for the priest or pastor of our church. For these reasons I am at peace practicing my Igorot tradition vis-à-vis my Christian religion.
This written statement about my concurrent practice of Igorot tradition and Christian faith is not meant to justify those who do the same or condemn those who don’t. I am married to a wonderful woman who was born from the large city of Manila and was raised in a deep Christian tradition. She, too, must have recognized the truth and beauty in my tradition as she has no objection of me practicing them. We are blessed with four children all of whom were born outside Mountain Province where I came from. Three of our children, in fact, were born overseas. In as much as I love my Igorot culture and tradition, I am not about to force it to them. On my part, I just practice my culture and traditions as it is. And if my children find it good for them to practice the same, then I believe that God is in them as their guide to do so.
Matago tago tako am in.
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