Sa Bahay ng Pilosopo (In the House of the Sage)

Galing sa ikadalawampu't limang kabanata ng Noli Me Tangere

Filipino version (as translated by  Pascual H. Poblete with a few editing by me):

"Sapagkat hindi ko iniuukol ang aking sinusulat sa mga taong nabubuhay ngayon; 

sumusulat ako at nang mabasa ng mga taong ipanganganak pa sa mga panahong sasapit. 

Kung mababasa ng mga tao ngayon ang aking mga sinusulat 

ay kanilang susunuguin ang aking mga aklat, 

na siyang pinagkagugulan ko ng pagal ng buong aking buhay; 

datapuwa't hindi gayon ang gagawin ng mga taong ipanganganak pang makababasa ng aking mga sinusulat ngayon; 

sapagkat ang mga taong ipanganganak pang iyo'y pawang magiging mga pantas at mauunawa nila ang aking mga adhika at kanilang wiwikain: 

HINDI NATULOG NA LAHAT SA GABI NG AMING MGA NUNO! 

Ililigtas ng talinghaga o ng mga kakaibang mga letrang ito ang aking gawa, sa kamangmangan ng mga tao, 

na gaya naman ng pagkaligtas sa maraming mga katotohanan ng talinghaga 

o ng mga kakaibang mga pagsamba 

at ng di sirain ng mapangwasak na mga kamay ng mga sakerdote."

English version (from  Oocities org):

"Because I'm not writing for this generation, but for other ages. 

If this generation could read, it would burn my books, the labor of my whole life. 

But the generation that deciphers these characters will be an intelligent generation, 

it will understand and say, 

'NOT ALL WERE ASLEEP IN THE NIGHT OF OUR ANCESTORS!' 

The mystery of these curious characters will save my work from the ignorance of men, 

just as the mystery of strange rites has saved many truths from the destructive priestly classes."

These words of Pilosopo Tasyo always remind me of the courageous individuals who chose to risk their lives in defiance of evil, inequality and injustice. They manifest a people who chose to ask for more than what a mediocre society gives them. They stood up for their rights! They stood up fighting for the cause of freedom and their principles. Indeed, in the event of oppression, war and tyranny, not everyone was asleep, not everyone gave in to an unjust system. Not everyone gave in to suffering. And Rizal was one of them. Writing the Noli Me Tangere and other Spaniard-criticizing books and articles in exchange for his life was practically stupid, but he chose to hope for a revolution of minds and hearts from the future generation. And he knew that it would be worth it. Finally, in the persona of Elias (also in Noli Me Tangere), Rizal expressed how he finds joy in understanding that even if he might not see the sun shine on his Motherland, he knows that a new day is dawning for the future generation and for all those who sacrificed their lives to give birth to that land of the rising sun.