This morning, I woke up early with a strong inner call to do a devotion to Diwatang Makidepat. As I sat in silence, I felt I was being taught about clear conscience—a concept that seems simple yet profoundly shapes how we live a righteous life.
What is Conscience?
Conscience is our inner compass that helps us discern right from wrong. It is not just a mental process but a spiritual faculty that aligns our thoughts, emotions, and actions with truth and harmony. In Filipino indigenous spirituality, conscience resonates with the Diwa—the spirit that seeks balance and peace.
A clear conscience is essential for living righteously because:
- It prevents inner conflict and nurtures peace.
- It guides ethical choices rooted in compassion.
- It connects us to spiritual integrity, allowing us to act in harmony with the divine order.
Does Diwatang Makidepat Care About Our Conscience?
Makidepat is the Diwata of peace, harmony, and social order. Peace cannot exist without moral clarity. When our conscience is clouded by fear, hatred, or prejudice, harmony breaks down. Thus, Makidepat’s essence naturally supports the cultivation of a clear conscience—because peace begins within.
Receiving and Giving: A Lesson from Makidepat
I remember Makidepat teaching about receiving and giving. My intention in teaching Hilot and indigenous Filipino spirituality was never about fame. It was simply to preserve and promote these traditions in my local community. Yet, through platforms like WordPress, my work reached people internationally. Students came to me—not by my design, but as answers to prayer. I believe they were sent by the ancestors and the Diwata.
Because of this, I do not see any student as a threat or someone who will harm me by learning and sharing what I teach. Knowledge is sacred, and sharing it sustains life. To think otherwise would violate the trust I place in divine guidance.
The Test of Conscience
Recently, someone dear to me warned me about another person, saying her spirit guide revealed that this person is “evil.” She urged me to stop working with her. Yet, she never met this person nor agreed to speak with her. I offered to arrange a conversation, but she refused.
Here is where conscience speaks:
If I adopt her feelings and hate someone I do not know—someone I believe was sent by the Diwata—I would betray my own principles of compassion and trust. I would violate my prayer and my faith in divine guidance.
So I choose to follow my conscience. I choose to see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil—and add to that: think no evil and feel no evil. For righteousness is not only in words and deeds but also in thoughts and emotions.
Symbolism of the Featured Image
The featured image of Diwatang Makidepat is rich in meaning:
- Three Hands: These symbolize the threefold harmony of conscience—thought, word, and deed.
- One hand holds a branch of leaves, representing peace and compassion.
- Another hand holds the scales, signifying justice, fairness, and balance.
- The third hand rests near the heart, symbolizing inner integrity and trust in divine guidance.
Together, these hands remind us that righteousness requires:
- Thinking no evil (purity of mind),
- Speaking no evil (truthful words),
- Doing no evil (just actions), while also feeling no evil (compassionate heart).
- Dove at the Center: The dove represents purity of conscience and inner peace, echoing Makidepat’s role as a guardian of harmony.
- Golden Aura and Earth Tones: These colors symbolize wisdom, grounding, and divine light, showing that conscience is both a spiritual and practical guide.
Prayer to Diwatang Makidepat
Diwatang Makidepat, Keeper of Peace and Harmony, Guide my heart to remain pure and my mind to stay clear. Teach me to trust the path you lay before me, To welcome those you send as answers to prayer. Guard my conscience from fear and prejudice, That I may think no evil, feel no evil, speak no evil, and do no evil. Fill me with compassion that flows without condition and let my life reflect the balance of giving and receiving. In your presence, may peace dwell within and around me. So be it.
Templong Anituhan 
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