"THE TRUE DECALOGUE"

By APOLINARIO MABINI

First. Thou shalt love God and thy honor above all things: God as the fountain of all truth, of all justice and of all
activity; and thy honor, the only power which will oblige thee to be faithful, just and industrious.

Second. Thou shalt worship God in the form which thy conscience may deem most righteous and worthy: for in thy
conscience, which condemns thy evil deeds and praises thy good ones, speaks thy God.

Third. Thou shalt cultivate the special gifts which God has granted thee, working and studying according to thy
ability, never leaving the path of righteousness and justice, in order to attain thy own perfection, by means whereof
thou shalt contribute to the progress of humanity; thus; thou shalt fulfill the mission to which God has appointed
thee in this life and by so doing, thou shalt be honored, and being honored, thou shalt glorify thy God.

Fourth. Thou shalt love thy country after God and thy honor and more than thyself: for she is the only Paradise
which God has given thee in this life, the only patrimony of thy race, the only inheritance of thy ancestors and the
only hope of thy posterity; because of her, thou hast life, love and interests, happiness, honor and God.

Fifth. Thou shalt strive for the happiness of thy country before thy own, making of her the kingdom of reason, of
justice and of labor: for if she be happy, thou, together with thy family, shalt likewise be happy.

Sixth. Thou shalt strive for the independence of thy country: for only thou canst have any real interest in her
advancement and exaltation, because her independence constitutes thy own liberty; her advancement, thy
perfection; and her exaltation, thy own glory and immortality.

Seventh. Thou shalt not recognize in thy country the authority of any person who has not been elected by thee and
thy countrymen; for authority emanates from God, and as God speaks in the conscience of every man, the person
designated and proclaimed by the conscience of a whole people is the only one who can use true authority.

Eighth. Thou shalt strive for a Republic and never for a monarchy in thy country: for the latter exalts one or several
families and founds a dynasty; the former makes a people noble and worthy through reason, great through liberty,
and prosperous and brilliant through labor.

Ninth. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: for God has imposed upon him, as well as upon thee, the obligation
to help thee and not to do unto thee what he would not have thee do unto him; but if thy neighbor, failing in this
sacred duty, attempt against thy life, thy liberty and thy interests, then thou shalt destroy and annihilate him for the
supreme law of self-preservation prevails.

Tenth. Thou shalt consider thy countryman more than thy neighbor; thou shalt see him thy friend, thy brother or at
least thy comrade, with whom thou art bound by one fate, by the same joys and sorrows and by common
aspirations and interests.

Therefore, as long as national frontiers subsist, raised and maintained by the selfishness of race and of family, with
thy countryman alone shalt thou unite in a perfect solidarity of purpose and interest, in order to have force, not only
to resist the common enemy but also to attain all the aims of human life.
POPULAR NA BERSYON NG MGA ARAL NG 'KARTILYA'
(Nilikha ng Kamalaysayan noong Hulyo 1992 para sa Katipunan, Sandaan!; salin sa English ng yumaong Paula Carolina Santos-
Malay)

1. “Ang buhay na hindi ginugugol sa isang malaki at banal na kadahilanan ay kahoy na walang lilim, kundi (man)
damong makamandag." (A life that is not dedicated to a noble cause is like a tree without a shade or a poisonous
weed.)

2. "Ang gawang magaling na nagbubuhat sa paghahambog o pagpipita sa sarili (paghahangad na makasarili), at

hindi talagang nasang gumawa ng kagalingan, ay di kabaitan." (A deed lacks nobility if it is motivated by self-
interest and not be a sincere desire to help.)

3. "Ang tunay na kabanalan ay ang pagkakawang-gawa, ang pag-ibig sa kapwa at ang isukat ang bawat kilos,
gawa't pangungusap sa talagang katuwiran." (True piety consists of being charitable, loving one's fellowmen, and
being judicious in behavior, speech and deed.)

4. "Maitim man o maputi ang kulay ng balat, lahat ng tao'y magkakapantay; mangyayaring ang isa'y hihigitan sa
dunong, sa yaman, sa ganda; ngunit di mahihigitan sa pagkatao." (All [persons] are equal, regardless of the color
of their skin. While one could have more schooling, wealth or beauty than another, all that does not make one
more human than anybody else.)

5. "Ang may mataas na kalooban, inuuna ang (dangal o) puri kaysa pagpipita sa sarili; ang may hamak na
kalooban, inuuna ang pagpipita sa sarili sa puri." (A person with a noble character values honor above self-
interest, while a person with a base character values self-interest above honor.)

6. "Sa taong may hiya, salita'y panunumpa." (To a [person] of honor, his/her word is a pledge.)

7. "Huwag mong sayangin ang panahon; ang yamang nawala'y mangyayaring magbalik; ngunit panahong nagdaan
na'y di na muli pang magdadaan." (Don't waste time; lost wealth can be retrireved, but time lost is lost forever.)

8. "Ipagtanggol mo ang inaapi; kabakahin (labanan) ang umaapi." (Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor)

9. "Ang taong matalino'y ang may pag-iingat sa bawat sasabihin; matutong ipaglihim ang dapat ipaglihim." (The
wise man is careful in all he has to say and is discreet about things that need to be kept secret.)

10. "Sa daang matinik ng buhay, lalaki ang siyang patnugot ng asawa at mga anak; kung ang umaakay ay tungo sa
sama, ang pagtutunguhan ng inaakay ay kasamaan din." (Ang simula nito'y obserbasyon sa ugnayan ng babae at
lalaki sa panahon ng Katipunan; para sa kasalukuyan, ang katumbas nito ay ang sumusunod: "Sa daang matinik ng
buhay, ang mga magulang ang patnugot ng mag-anak; kung ang umaakay ay tungo sa samâ, ang pagtutunguhan ng
inaakay ay kasamaan din.") (In the thorny path of life, the man leads the way and his wife and children follow. If
the leader goes the way of perdition, so do the followers.)

11. "Ang babae ay huwag mong tingnang isang bagay na libangan lamang, kundi isang katuwang at karamay (ng
lalaki) sa mga kahirapan nitong buhay; gamitin mo nang buong pagpipitagan ang kanyang (pisikal na) kahinaan,
at alalahanin ang inang pinagbuhatan at nag-iwi sa iyong kasanggulan.” (Never regard a woman as an object for
you to trifle with; rather you should consider her as a partner and helpmate. Give proper considerations to a
woman's frailty and never forget that your own mother, who brought you forth and nurtured you from infancy, is
herself such a person.)

12. "Ang di mo ibig gawin (ng iba) sa asawa mo, anak at kapatid, ay huwag mong gagawin sa asawa, anak at
kapatid ng iba." (Don't do to the wife, children and brothers and sisters of others what you do not want done to
your wife, children and brothers and sisters.)

13. "Ang kamahalan ng tao'y wala sa pagkahari, wala sa tangos ng ilong at puti ng mukha, wala sa pagkaparing
kahalili ng Diyos, wala sa mataas na kalagayan sa balat ng lupa: wagas at tunay na mahal na tao, kahit laking-
gubat at walang nababatid kundi ang sariling wika, yaong may magandang asal, may isang pangungusap, may
dangal at puri, yaong di nagpapaapi't di nakikiapi; yaong marunong magdamdam at marunong lumingap sa bayang
tinubuan." (A (person's) worth is not measured by his/her station in life, neither by the height of his nose nor the
fairness of skin, and certainly not by whether he is a priest claiming to be God's deputy. Even if he is a
tribesman/tribeswoman from the hills and speaks only his/her own tongue, a (person) is honorable if he/she
possesses a good character, is true to his/her word, has fine perceptions and is loyal to his/her native land.)

14. "Paglaganap ng mga aral na ito, at maningning na sisikat ang araw ng mahal na kalayaan dito sa kaaba-abang
Sangkapuluan at sabugan ng matamis niyang liwanag ang nangagkaisang magkakalahi't magkakapatid, ng ligayang
walang katapusan, ang mga ginugol na buhay, pagod, at mga tiniis na kahirapa'y labis nang matutumbasan."
(When these teachings shall have been propagated and the glorious sun of freedom begins to shine on these poor
islands to enlighten a united race and people, then all the loves lost, all the struggle and sacrifices shall not
have been in vain.)

Ang Decalogo ni Apolinario Mabini

«Ibigin mo si Bathalà at ang iyóng̃ kapurihán nang higít sa lahát ng̃ bagay.»

«Sambahín mo si Bathalà, nang ukol sa lalong̃ minamatuwíd at minamarangal ng̃ iyong̃ budhî.»

«Palusugín mo ang mg̃a piling̃ kayamanan na ipinagkaloób sa iyó ni Bathalà.»

«Ibigin mo ang iyóng̃ bayan ng̃ sunód kay Bathalà, sa iyóng̃ kapurihán, at higit sa iyóng̃ sarili.»

«Pagpumilitan mo ang ikagiginhawa ng̃ iyóng̃ bayan bago ang kaginhawahan mong̃ sarili.»

«Pagpilitan mo ang pagsasarilí ng̃ iyóng̃ bayan.»

«Huwag mong̃ kilalanin sa iyóng̃ bayan ang kapangyarihan nino mang tao na dî mo pilì at ng̃ iyóng̃ mg̃a
kababayan.»

«Pagpilitan mo na ang iyóng̃ bayan ay magíng̃ isáng̃ República at huwág mong̃ tulutan kailán mang magíng̃
Monarquia.»

«Ibigin mo ang kapwà nang gaya ng̃ pagibig mo sa sarili.»

«Laging̃ titignán mo ang kababayan ng̃ higit ng̃ kauntî sa iyóng̃ kápuwá.