Inner Mind and Metaphysical Awareness

The reason behind the performance of an old ceremony is spawned by an interesting story.

Aunt Margie's brother had an accident last year when he was drunk and was rowdy. He broke a leg. He was hospitalized for a month in a private hospital but showed no progress after all the treatments, medicines and operations. The wound does not show any sign of improvement whatever the doctors do.

Grandma, was extremely saddened with uncle's condition that she suggested performing the ceremony for his son. His son however, does not want it performed because it was a very old practice that he does not believe in. He also believed that it is a devil's work and it's the devil that the performers of the ceremony is praising, not God or Jesus Christ.

Knowing this, Grandma told her injured son to go to the ancestral house to just rest there. She insisted that he rest there while he is sick so she can take care of him. But thinking of his old mother, he rejected the offer because he does not want to burden her old mother anymore. So as not to hurt the feelings of his mother, he agreed to stay with granny for 3 days and then he would go home afterwards.

The Ceremony

Unknown to uncle, Granny called the 'mumbaki' (ceremony priest) and his friends to perform the ceremony. They did it downstairs with uncle resting upstairs. As a practice when a "bogwah" is performed, animals have to be butchered and offered to the spirits. They butchered chickens and pigs. Unable to do anything, uncle just listened while the ceremony goes on. In his mind he hopes this is not just a waste of money.

As the ceremony goes on and several chickens and pigs were butchered, the fire in the hearth is kept. Towards the end of the ceremony, they began to boil water in a big pot for cooking the raw meat from the animals. The meat is cooked only with water and salt. When it is ready, it will be served and offered again to the spirits. The rest will be for the 'mumbaki' and his friends and the community.

Alas, as the water kept boiling, the pus on uncle's wound becomes dryer. It doesn't ooze much anymore. He could feel that the wound is getting dryer by the minute. He could not believe what is happening. When the ceremony was finally over, he was feeling a lot better already.

Well, that's their story. So this businessman from Bontoc wanted to do it too, in the same place and the same people who performed the ceremony. Will it work this time? We will know...