CAUSE AND EFFECT Hermes Trismegistus is known by the Greeks as the three times great. The same person is the one the Romans called Mercury with his winged shoes and hat. He is considered as the father of Science. He propounded the seven Mighty Principles of Life which are considered the keystones of knowledge and are the rule of life. For our purpose on this topic I shall discuss only the Principle of Cause and Effect which states: “Every cause has its effect and every effect its cause”. This law proves that all things happen according to laws and coincidences are result of unrecognized cause. Everything that we can comprehend are effects of different causes. Each effect has its own cause which in turn was just an effect of something that caused it previously. Things that we see and feel are not necessarily satisfactory but it could eventually be the cause we very much want to attain the effect that will actually satisfy us. For instance, we may not be happy with the unfinished projects we see around us the resulting mess effect out of unguarded causes. We find it difficult to solve problem effects as we find it even more difficult to trace back the root cause could merely be an effect in a series that happen way, way back. Goldman and Silva illustrated this principle of cause and effect through a short anecdote: One day a leaf fall in a California forest. It landed on the forest floor, and a fat green caterpillar that was inching along had to make a sharp turn to avoid it. The caterpillar came to a log and crawled up the side. Just as it reached the top of the log a man came by and sat down, squishing the caterpillar. The man jumped up and felt the goo on the seat of his pants. On returning home he changed clothes ad took the pants to the local cleaners. While there he met a young woman and began a conversation, which continued at nearby coffee shop. They began to date, fell in love, married and had a child. Their son being very clever, did well in school, became an attorney, and went into politics, rising in his party. And so, because a leaf fall in the forest one day, Richard Nixon became the 37th President of the United States. (end of the anecdote). But not all unguarded series of cause and effect lead to a happy ending like that of Richard Nixon’s story. A strong willed leader could sometimes guard and guide causes in order to gain good effects or results. For instance a small sari-sari store allowed in one corner of a clean street serves as a cause that gives effect to many similar stores which in turn serve as causes that give effect to bundles of garbage thrown around until the effects become causes to finally turn a clean thoroughfare into a virtual market place. Intelligent recognition of the effects could easily lead to the proper recognition of the causes that could actually be guarded and guided accordingly. The Newly organized Alfonso Council of Tourism shall sponsor a Grand Sanghiyang Festival this Coming December, 2012. I am hoping that they will be able t to find or create causes that could give effects worthy of presenting to incoming tourists and local visitors.