"Not causing pain to others (ahimsa); truthfulness (satyam); Renunciation of the fruits of your actions (tyaga)..." (The Living Gita)
So this must be the etymology of the word Tiyaga in Filipino. It has of course, taken on a relatively different meaning. Tiyaga, to us, is perseverance, a constant, patient, enduring pursuance mostly related to work. This is seen as a positive virtue. We persevere in our work because this is the better, if not only, option. Perhaps there is no other alternative in sight and if we keep at it, we will get the result - a better quality of life by whatever standards we've defined.
Pag may tiyaga, may nilaga* (When there is patient perseverance, the stew will boil and cook - quite literally. It means we will have something to eat). This is a well known Filipino proverb. To a lot of people striving to make ends meet, it is held on to like a mantra, a hopeful guarantee.
In relationships, Tiyaga has a somewhat negative use. It is taken to mean tolerance and sacrifice. We may not necessarily want to remain in a relationship but we do, for various seemingly valiant reasons that make the trade-off worth the effort. Pinagtiyatiyagaan.
In both ways, persevarance seems to be anchored on the result. It bears fruit and that is the assurance. It gives hope to millions that something will come out of the daily woes of work and life in general. This is not necessarily "bad" but there is certainly room to transcend. It is difficult for most because hope, prayer and hard work are all they have. And it is dangerous because with hope, prayer and our hard working hands comes expectations of results. Somehow it is easy to disproportionately rely on our work such that the hope comes mostly from ourselves.
Tyaga has more spirituality rooted in it. Based on another Gita commentary, "Tyaga...is completely mental, a state of both thought and attitude. It is perfect dispassion toward the results of any action–not from disinterest or indifference, but because all actions engaged in are “to be done” in and of themselves. Even if no result comes, it does not matter. It is the simple doing that matters." (http://www.atmajyoti.org/hi_gita_commentary_81.asp)
As it turns out, both tyaga and tiyaga start off with action and commitment. It is the degree of attachment or non-attachment to the outcome that makes the difference between the mundane and the divine (aside from the small "I"). To labor and ask not for reward.**
And then of course, the actions are offered up in Love.
It is that shift in perspective that tells us we can keep choosing the divine.
* nilaga - a stew with plenty of water and condiment: sinigang · v. to cook by slow boiling: maglaga, ilaga (Tagalog online dictionary)
**From the Prayer for Generosity
So this must be the etymology of the word Tiyaga in Filipino. It has of course, taken on a relatively different meaning. Tiyaga, to us, is perseverance, a constant, patient, enduring pursuance mostly related to work. This is seen as a positive virtue. We persevere in our work because this is the better, if not only, option. Perhaps there is no other alternative in sight and if we keep at it, we will get the result - a better quality of life by whatever standards we've defined.
Pag may tiyaga, may nilaga* (When there is patient perseverance, the stew will boil and cook - quite literally. It means we will have something to eat). This is a well known Filipino proverb. To a lot of people striving to make ends meet, it is held on to like a mantra, a hopeful guarantee.
In relationships, Tiyaga has a somewhat negative use. It is taken to mean tolerance and sacrifice. We may not necessarily want to remain in a relationship but we do, for various seemingly valiant reasons that make the trade-off worth the effort. Pinagtiyatiyagaan.
In both ways, persevarance seems to be anchored on the result. It bears fruit and that is the assurance. It gives hope to millions that something will come out of the daily woes of work and life in general. This is not necessarily "bad" but there is certainly room to transcend. It is difficult for most because hope, prayer and hard work are all they have. And it is dangerous because with hope, prayer and our hard working hands comes expectations of results. Somehow it is easy to disproportionately rely on our work such that the hope comes mostly from ourselves.
Tyaga has more spirituality rooted in it. Based on another Gita commentary, "Tyaga...is completely mental, a state of both thought and attitude. It is perfect dispassion toward the results of any action–not from disinterest or indifference, but because all actions engaged in are “to be done” in and of themselves. Even if no result comes, it does not matter. It is the simple doing that matters." (http://www.atmajyoti.org/hi_gita_commentary_81.asp)
As it turns out, both tyaga and tiyaga start off with action and commitment. It is the degree of attachment or non-attachment to the outcome that makes the difference between the mundane and the divine (aside from the small "I"). To labor and ask not for reward.**
And then of course, the actions are offered up in Love.
It is that shift in perspective that tells us we can keep choosing the divine.
* nilaga - a stew with plenty of water and condiment: sinigang · v. to cook by slow boiling: maglaga, ilaga (Tagalog online dictionary)
**From the Prayer for Generosity
