CULTURE

 (CULTURE) AND   (BELIEF)

KEJAWEN

PASCA SARJANA UNIVERSITAS AHMAD DAHLAN

BY : DESKA MIYAT

Definition of (Culture)

Definition of culture

            Culture comes from Sanskrit, which is buddhayah which is plural form Buddhism (mind) that is connected the human mind. In English, culture comes from colere language, which means doing or processing. It can also mean soil or farming. In Indonesia, culture is translated into “kultur”.

Culture means the way of life which is developed and had by specific community and inherited a generation to other generation. Culture is formed by difficult elements involving religious, politics, custom, language, tools, clothes, building, and art. Culture cannot be separated with human life; so many people consider that culture is inherited genetically. When someone communicates with person who has different culture and concurrences the differences, he proves that culture is learned. Culture is comprehensive style. Culture is complex, abstract and wide. Many culture aspects influence communicative behavior. Sociocultural is disseminated and human social activities.

Based on the explanation, culture provides coherent framework to organize a person activity and predict other behavior. Culture is closely related with the society, Melville J. Herskovits and Bronislaw everything has had been by the society is determined by culture itself. Technical term for this statement is Cultural-Determinism.

Herskovits states that culture is inherited from a generation to the other generations and called super organic. Andreas Eppink states that culture loads social, norm, knowledge, religious structures, intellectual and artistic.

In according to Edward Burnett Tylor, culture is complexity which involves belief, knowledge, artt, moral, law, and custom. Culture and belief have closely related. Beliefs become culture as identical ethnics. One of the beliefs which are followed by Indonesian culture is kejawen.

What is kejawen?

Kejawen comes from “java” which means everything connects with custom and Javanese belief. Technical term of “kejawen” is generally because the instructions use Javanese language. Generally context, kejawen is philosophy which has current learned especially behavior. Kejawen is developed by kapitayan. So that’s way, it is unfair if kejawen is always connected all religious which are followed by the Javanese persons

Kejawen contains art, culture, tradition, ritual, attitude and philosophy of Javanese persons. Kejawen has spiritual Javanese ethnics. The main spiritualism is pasa (fasting) and tapa ( imprisoned). Kejawen followers do not consider their belief as monotheistic religious, such as moslem, christen. Kejawen does not rivet on loyall attitude. It emphasizes on ‘BALANCING”. Kejawen is like Confucianism. Kejawen followers never spread their belief, but they teach their followers regularly

Javanese symbols such as Kris, wayang, magic formula using current flowers have symbolic meaning. These symbols have kewingitan (magic wisdom), so many persons of Javanese connect kejawen with shaman although there is no correlation between kejawen and shaman.

  Kejawen beliefs are various. They adopt religious of new comer, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christian. Sinkretism is considered as unstrengthen because the Javanese consider that enrich views to periodic change.

Kejawen is a belief which is followed in Java Island by Javanese and the other ethnics who live in java. Kejawen is philosophy where the nesting of the kejawen since there is Javanese person who lives in Java Island. We can look at the belief being universal contiguous with other beliefs. The holy books and the ancient scripts are not emphasized their belief as a religion although attitude. Kejawen cannot be lost with their belief because kejawen philosophy based on the religious which is followed by Javanese philosopher.

As early as. Javanese recognize god power so that it becomes core kejawen, that is directing Sangkan Paraning Dumadhi (where coming and getting back followers) and forming human who has same destination with their god: Manunggaling Kawula lan Gusthi . Based on the multitude of lessons, kejawen has missions, such as:

1. Mamayu Hayuning Pribadhi
2. Mamayu Hayuning Kaluwarga
3. Mamayu Hayuning Sasamas
4. Mamayu Hayuning Bhuwana

It is different from Abangan, kejawen obey their religious. They stay away from god forbidden and do their god instruction, but they keep on their identity as primitive, because kejawen belief invites the followers to obey their god instructions. So, we are not wondering that there are many beliefs of kejawen philosophy based on their belief, such as:

Moslem kejawen, Hindu kejawen, Buddha kejawen, kapitayan kejawen, they keep on their custom and culture which do not contend with their religious.

Local wisdom which is suspected

            Kejawen history works out ebbtide. It is because collisions with theology and foreign culture (Holland, Arab, china, India, japan, and AS), the hardest collision is foreign theology because new belief with create impression that Javanese is contemptible, ashamed, low prestige, moreover local belief is called infidel and must be left by the followers although by their parents, and must be changed by new belief which is considered lodly. New belief recruits followers with promise coming to the heaven. This is an effective way because it is doing systematically and it is got backing foreign politic power.

            Besides that, new comer always constructs bad image to local wisdoms giving social pathology, social abuse, kejawen violation. This considerers that Islam is bad appearing terrorism, religious minister corruption, and etc.

            Foreign power discredits Javanese persons using manipulated and make a deal past. Proves that local wisdom is omitted; so many ancient proves which contain attitude. Javanese vocabularies are colonized; Javanese technical terms which had wisdom meaning misused their meaning based on their need. Technical terms, such as, kejawen, klenik, mistis, tahyul are degraded meaning to be gugon tuhon, budak setan,

Klenik : klenik is understanding to an event which is connected with consequence law connecting with metaphysics. It comes from God. Every religious has klenik.

Mistis : mystic is a space or mystic zone which is understood by the persons to know their god. In Islamic zone, we called it tasawuf.

Tahyul :tahyul believes the mystical thing that is connected with mystic being. Javanese persons believe that there is a magical power as God blessing. Believing to the magical thing is Islamic religious.

Tradisi : in Javanese tradition, someone can pray using symbols or icons. Icons and symbols use ubo rampe as perfection of praying. Icons and symbols mean Javanese persons feel closer to the God if their praying is not said only.  (NATO: not action talk only), but they use tumpeng, sesaji, as symbol of kemanunggalan tekad bulat  javanese persons pray involving four elements, they are heart, mind, utterance, and action. Traditional ceremonies mean caring to their environment, not only for their society environment, but also magic human in order to be harmonica and balance  in praying to the God. Every pray and thankfulness must be action. But, intention and meaning in ritual tradition are often considered as gugon tuhon/ela-elu.

Kejawen :  kejawen contains moral and sensibleness that involve human structure and praying to the highest, but after 15 century Majapahit is collapsed by his son. New comers consider that kejawen is central of infidel and unmoral, so it has to be lost. Unfortunately, Javanese persons lost their Javanese culture to do cultural assassination

Special days for kejawen

Mataram sultan is considered as a philosopher who makes Islamic kejawen foundation that influence the important events, especially to finding out the special day, such as birth, wedding, and death. Javanese person’s will get both. First, they will get name for birth, wedding and death with adding bin/binti comes from their parents’ name. The important events based on the Javanese calendar which has primbon as the rules for finding out the important days, such as:

1. Suran (New Year for 1 sura).
2. Sepasaran (birth ceremony) and Aqiqah for moslem.
3. Mantennan (every events in wedding).
4. Mangkat (death ceremony) – praying (Kanduri, Wirid, Ngaji) 7 days, 40 days, 100 days, 1000 days, 3000 days.
5. Megeng Pasa - 28 and 29 Ruwah month (Arwah month) sends praying for the persons who had been mangkat early, Munjung (sending food for old persons)
6. Megeng Sawal - 29 and 30 Pasa month sends praying for the persons who had been mangkat early, Munjung (sending food for old persons) for the persons who do not have an opportunity do the same thing in megeng pasa.
7. Riadi Kupat (Hari Raya Kupat) - 3, 4 and 5 in Sawal (for the parents who has been passed away their children).

Because kejawen is very religious, religious holyday is important Islamic kejawen days, such as:

1. Hari Raya Idul Fitri
2. Hari Raya Idul Adha.
3. Hari Raya Jum'at.
4. Muludan (Maulid Kanjeng Nabi Muhammad, S.A.W.)
5. Sekaten (Syahadatain)

Kejawen followers like fasting very much because they consider that the same as like their ancestor and imprisoned. Such as,:

1. Pasa Weton – fasting based on the Javanese calendar in the birth day.
2. Pasa Sekeman – fasting every Monday and Thursday.
3. Pasa Wulan –  fasting every 13, 14, and 15 in a month based on the Javanese calendar.
4. Pasa Dawud – fasting once two days.
5. Pasa Ruwah – fasting in Ruwah month (Arwah month).
6. Pasa Sawal – fasting six days in Sawal month except 1 Sawal.
7. Pasa Apit Kayu - fasting 10 first days based on the 12 ^th  month based on the Javanese calendar.
8. Pasa Sura – fasting in 9 and 10 Sura month.

Besides that, kejawen has fasting which is usually describing kezuhudan (truly), such as :

1. Pasa Mutih – fasting without eating rice, salt, and the followers must drink water.
2. Pasa Patigeni – fasting without eating, drinking, and sleeping in the dark place
3. Pasa Ngebleng – fasting without drinking and eating, going out of the bed room, going out of the room for specific need and sleeping for few minutes.
4. Pasa Ngalong – fasting without eating and drinking, but sleeping few minutes and go everywhere.
5. Pasa Ngrowot – fasting without eating rice, only eating fruits and vegetables.
6.  

Holy book and main text

Kejawen has no holy book, but they have code language which is imply the daily life and believe kejawen beliefs without changing because there is no tight rule. Kejawen rules are implied to make the main actors; they are attitude to make hanjawani persons. There are written the text which contain the explanations:

• Kakawin (ancient literature) – literature books which contains implicit advances in a journey which writes in 5 holy books, using Javanese symbols and Sanskrit   Javanese and ancient javanese language.
• Babad (history-history) – holy books which tell Nusantara history more than 15 holy books, writing in ancient Javanese script, ancient Javanese language, and Javanese script, and Javanese language.
• Serat (new literature) – holy books which contains metrum anyar (new) advices which are written in 28 holy books , using Javanese script, Javanese language, and pegon language.
• Suluk (spiritual way) – holy books to take up natural way to make hanjawani who can be believable by everyone. It is written more than 35 holy books, written using Javanese script, Javanese languages and pegon
• Kidungan (prays) -   mantras and praying which read using special rhythms, like the other prays for God. written for about 7 holy books and using Javanese script, and javanese languages
• Primbon (prognosis) – holy books to read universal predicting events, written in
• Piwulang Kautaman (main lesson) – holy books which contain Pituduh (commands) and Wewaler (forbidden)to make hanjawani, written in  Javanese scripts and Javanese language.

The texts write whole Javanese activities , such as, birth, death ,ancient food, asmaragama (kamasutra), and thousands of holy books implied in the other written texts, commonly writing advice, philosophy, and  kaweruh (knowledge)

Ideologies of kejawen

There are thousands of kejawen ideology with the difference emphasizing. One of these is syncretic. The others are reactive to the current religious, but ideology which has many followers is more emphasized on the balancing and not forbidden the members to practice the other ideology.

Some ideologies which have many followers:

• Padepokan Cakrakembang
• Sumarah
• Budi Dharma
• Maneges

Ideology which is reactive is Sabdopalon . sabdopalon thinks that all Javanese persons must come back to the earlier religious, Buddha, considering original belief based on the sabdapalon, or Syekh Siti Jenar ideology who considerers that is false based on the wali sanga.

Two big threats in kejawen ideology 

Kejawen ideology has two big threats which based on the wary (eling lan waspada) because they can destroy human norm, they are hawanepsu dan pamrih, the persons have to control their desire or nutupi babahan hawa sanga. In java perspective, desires are rough feelings because they can fail controlling human, handcuff, and blind for the world. Desire will make weak the human because it can be source of wasteful the soul power. Desire is more dangerous because it will close the mind, so the human who follow their desire do not follow their desires. The human cannot develop the soft; they threat their environment, make conflict, and disturb the nationality.

DAFTAR PUSTAKA

Ariyono, S. 2012. Kepercayaan. Dapat diunduh di: http://satyaariyono.wordpress.com/2012/06/24/kepercayaan/

Armayanti, N. 2012. Kepercayaan. Dapat diunduh di: http://Repository.Usu.Ac.Id/Bitstream/.../4/Chapter%20ii.Pdf/

http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kejawen/ diakses pada tanggal 21 Oktober 2014

http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budaya/ diakses pada tanggal 21 Oktober 2014

http://sabdalangit.wordpress.com/atur-sabdo-pambagyo/kejawen-ajaran-luhur-yang-dicurigai-dikambinghitamkan/ diakses pada tanggal 21 Oktober 2014

Irdianto, Y. 2013. Pengertian Kebudayaan,Unsur-Unsur Kebudayaan,Wujud Kebudayaan Dan Perubahan Kebudayaan. Dapat diunduh di: http://yanuirdianto.wordpress.com/2013/03/10/96/