ANIMISM IN MODERN ERA

Animism is a belief that a soul or spirit existed in every object, even if it was inanimate. In a future state this soul or spirit would exist as part of an immaterial soul. The spirit, therefore, was thought to be universal. This belief developed among primitive, prehistoric people led to changes that really affected their global life. In its practical order, the followers of this belief consider certain places sacred, which they believed were the resident place of the forefather soul who had certain great power. These people practice certain rites at certain times to worship the soul or to ask help from these souls of their descendants.
Trading activities done by Indonesian traders and some traders from other regions out of Indonesia brought new religions which would develop in Indonesian societies in the future. Those religions are Hinduism, which arrived in Indonesia around the second century, Buddhism in fourth century, Islam in fourteenth century, and Christian in sixteenth century. In history, animism has faded in the face of these new religions. –However-, there are Indonesian people who still hold on this belief. In West Borneo, approximately 7.5 million Dayak people still believe in animism.
In the regions that have been touched by modern technology and modern thinking -conscious or not- animism is still upheld by some in the society. One of the realizations of this belief is meditation, which is done in certain places to interact with forefather soul. Followers ask their forefather’s help to facilitate their certain businesses and other matters of importance like trade, carrier, even love.
In Sukabumi, this kind of activity can be found in one place named Gua Kuta Maneh. This cave is located in Kuta Maneh, Cikujang Village, which is located in the Sukabumi Regency, West Java. People know this place as the place where the soul of Prabu Siliwagi resides, one of the kings of Pajajaran Kingdom who had very powerful magic power. It is because of this association with great power that the military symbol of West Java cavalry is a tiger. Siliwangi means tiger.



PRABU SILIWANGI GO INTO THE EARTH
This folk story is about the escape of Prabu Siliwangi because of Islamization done by Kiansantang, one of Prabu Siliwangi sons.
Long time ago in Sunda land, stood a huge Hindu kingdom named Pajajaran Kingdom. Its capital was in Pakuan, a region in West Java today we know as Bogor. The first king who ruled this kingdom of Pajajaran was Sri Baduga Maharaja, who was known by the West Java people as Prabu Siliwangi.
Prabu Siliwangi had sons, one of them was Kiansantang. Kiansantang was born to Dewi Kumala wangi, one of Prabu Siliwangi’s wives who lived in Garut. Kiansantang was a very strong youth. There was no one who could beat his power. One day, an old man appeared suddenly in front of Kiansantang and told him that there was someone whose power was equal with him. This man was Sayyidina Ali, Prophet Muhammad’s son in law from Mecca. Kiansantang went to Mecca with the intention to fight with Sayyidina Ali. Kiansantang could not beat Sayyidina Ali because his power was so far under Sayyidina Ali’s. So, Kiansantang became interested in what Sayyidina Ali believed, Islam.
Kiansantang was just interested in Islam firstly, but when he visited Mecca for the second time, he declared firmly that he believed in Islam. With knowledge about Islam he got from Sayyidina Ali, Kiansantang went back to Pajajaran and intended to convince his father, Prabu Siliwangi, to believe in Islam too.
At the same time when Kiansantang came back from Mecca, Prabu Siliwangi was in Pamijahan, one region in Tasikmalaya, West Java. Kiansantang went to Garut first to meet his mother before went to Pamijahan. People believe that Kiansantang met Prabu Siliwangi by him self, with no guardian accompanying him. Prabu Siliwangi also met Kiansantang without a guardian. It was just two of them.
Finally Kiansantang met his father in Pamijahan. Kiansantang told his father his purpose was to convince him to believe in Islam clearly. Prabu Siliwangi was really shocked by what Kiansantang said. Because of his prestige and his shame, Prabu Siliwangi rejected Kiansantang’s invitation. It was because he felt if he follows Kiansantang, it would mean he was conquered by his own son. In other words, he would lose.
Prabu Siliwangi was obstinate with his principal, while Kiansantang was obstinate too with his intention. Finally, a historical event occurred. Prabu Siliwangi escaped from his son’s exhortation. The chase started from Pamijahan then moved to the west part of West Java. Prabu Siliwangi rested in some places in his escape, so did Kiansantang. Both of them were really tired.
Finally, Prabu Siliwangi arrived in one place in Sukabumi. He was flat exhausted because of Kiansantang’s chase. In that place Prabu Siliwangi swore, “I will go into the earth in this place. Someday in the future, if my grand grandsons ask for help in my name, I will help them”. After finishing his oath, Prabu Siliwangi went into the earth; its track now is known as Gua Kuta Maneh. Kuta itself means King of Pajajaran, while Maneh means here. So, Kuta Maneh means here is King of Pajajaran’s track.
Kiansantang lost the track of his father because the end of that cave –as people believe- has many branches. They are Curug Supit in Cianjur, Rawa Kalong in Pelabuhan Ratu, Gunung Bentang in Nyalindung, Pamijahanin in Tasikmalaya, Gunung Jati in Cirebon, Cikaduen in Banten, Luar Batang in Jakarta, Ujungkulon in Banten, Pulau Bata in Karawang, even in Mecca.


THE POWER OF PRABU SILIWANGI
It is not known exactly when people began visiting this cave. According to Mr. Unung, the third generation caretaker of Gua Kuta Maneh, the first caretaker was known around 1970s. From day to day the number of people who visit this cave to ask Prabu Siliwangi’s soul for help is increasing. There are many people who have already proven the effect of the meditation rites in this cave. The existence of this cave has become more known from verbal information.
Relating this condition to the Islamization tried by Kiansantang is one proof of Prabu Siliwangi’s convention of his power. Who would have guessed that in the future, the grand grandsons of Prabu Siliwangi would still believe in his power even they are already believe in Islam. Prabu Siliwangi’s oath plays the important role in this belief, because if Prabu Siliwangi did not swear like that, his grand grandsons will never do these kinds of rites.
For people around Kuta Maneh it self, there is nothing special about that cave. They do not make it special because for them, this cave is just like the common cave. People who meditate in that cave come from places so far as Sukabumi, like Jakarta, Cirebon, some places in East Java and Center Java, even from Malaysia and Singapore.
Because of this carelessness, the meditation process in Gua Kuta Maneh doesn’t get special position in society there. Islamic figures there also do not care about this meditation. They are not complaining nor supporting. Considering the location of this cave which is close to the people quarter, it proves that people who care about the existence of this cave are they who believe in the Pajajaran doctrine. This doctrine ensures its followers that the great power of Prabu Siliwangi can be gotten by meditating in this cave.
In conclusion, let us go back to the introduction about animism. We have seen that animism, which we know was a part of primitive human beings, still survives in this modern era although it is not in the exact form. It has not become the main belief, but it has transformed to the alternative ways when certain needs have already insist the related people to ask some help from the great power they believe.

Characters in A Streetcar Named Desire

A Streetcar Named Desire is a great story. The way the play writer delivers the story is attracting. I can understand the story easily because the language and dialogue he used is simple. The issue he brought in this story, desire and loneliness, is also attract my attention because I love to discuss that kind of topic.
According to my reading there are four main characters in this play. They are Stella, Blanche, Stanley, and Mitch. None of these characters is perfect because they have their own weak point of themselves. But before talk further about the characters, there is a statement that has relation somehow to them. It is a statement by the play writer of A Streetcar Named Desire: “Desire is rooted in a longing for companionship, a release from the loneliness that haunts every individual.”
I can find the meaning of this statement in the four characters that are mentioned above. All of them have their own desire to fulfill. They look for it from person (or people) near to them. They are afraid of their loneliness, so they try so hard to find the proper companion for them.
Stella, the first main character of the play deal with the desire of respecting her sister, Blanche, and in the same time wants to please her husband, Stanley. It is a hard thing for her because in fact Stanley doesn’t like the presence of Blanche in their house. She has a dilemma of facing this situation. Even though in the end she follows Stanley’s will, she still feels sorry for Blanche.
Stanley, the second main character has the problem of companionship with Blanche. He feels that way because Blanche bothers the please relationship between him and Stella. He feels that his honor as a husband and as a man is bothered by Blanche’s attitude. He wants to enjoy his companionship with Stella without another Blanche with all of her problems and lies.
Blanche has a problem with loneliness. She wants many people around him to listen to her, give compliment to her, and love her. She did manipulation of her experience in order to make people especially men adore her. But at the last, Mitch, the man who likes her feels disappointed when he knows the fact about Blanche’s lies. It hurts him a lot so he doesn’t want to meet her again.
Mitch has a desire to release his loneliness by looking for the companion, a woman. In the first time he was happy with the presence of Blanche. But then when he knows about her lies, he feels hurt. It is because a relationship can not be build by the lies. Finally he chooses to be alone again than to be companied by that such woman.

"Bekam" mission: completed

Bekam, (huruf e dibaca kayak bilang seperti, bukan pas manggil nama David Beckham), makanan jenis apaan tuh? mungkin ada yang nanya gitu pas pertama kali denger kata ini. Ini bukan sejenis makanan, ataupun makhluq asing zaman purba yang tersesat di Planet Mars, sodara-sodara. Tapi... bekam itu adalah satu metode yang dulu digunakan Rasulullah sebagai bentuk penjagaan terhadap kekuatan jasmani alias kesehatan tubuh. Lebih tepatnya adalah mengeluarkan darah kotor yang ada dalam tubuh kita.

Nah, bekam ini bermanfaat banget buat bikin tubuh bugar, karena unsur-unsur "bibit" penyakit udah dibawa keluar dari tubuh kita. Badan jadi seger, enteng deh pokoknya (bukan karena berat badan yang tiba-tiba berkurang lho).

Kenapa nih tiba-tiba saya nulis artikel kayak gini? Karena baru aja saya selese dibekam, sodara-sodara. Ini kali kedua saya dibekam, enak banget rasanya. Meskipun sekarang saya jadi punya tiga cap bulat di jidat (yang mirip orang abis kena KDRT, haha). Tapi cap ini nggak permanen kok, paling lama juga satu minggu udah ilang. Sedikit kenang-kenangan lah. Dibandingin sama manfaat bekam yang dirasain sama badan, tiga cap kayak gitu doang mah belum ada apa-apanya.

Ayo sodara-sodara, cobain deh. Insyaallah menyenangkan kok. Kalo mau tau lebih jauh, coba tanya aja sama temen-temen yang tau soal bekam ini, atau sama abang G****e yang tau banyak tentang banyak hal.

Selamat mencoba ^_^

do not call me nduk, please

okay. it is another story about me. if there is somebody who treat me like a child, i will be weak in front of them. their care will reduce my power to be independent. so do not call me nduk, please...

March 25th, 2011

alright, i'm totally mad!!!

this is a strangest situation post-class ever. before joining the class i was busy with three tasks i wasn't finish yet, in fact i have to collect it before 9 am. and, oh my, how the complex class it wa this morning. i was tired because of the nonstop exercises, but i enjoyed when i wrote the story about a character name Nudiwa Dioza. still close to Riana Reynaldi Putri, but she is a married lady in age 22. Hmm, i want to write about her and her husband Bobo as soon as possible, but there are still many things to do. and the most important thing is I NEED TO TAKE A REST. but there was still a problem when my friends of SP2MP 2010 received an invitation message in the name of me. i don't know yet who is the ocnum. Oh my, i'm pretty sick think about this all.

catatan kecil (1)

ba'da isya, gerimis, kecepatan motor 40 km/jam. ada rasa-rasa yang menghentak hati, sehingga senyum tak henti terlukis sepanjang perjalanan singkat itu. meskipun ada beban di pikiran yang sedikit mengusik, tak ayal ia mampu dikalahkan kekuatan sebuah senyum, dan bahagianya berbagi dengan saudara.

dingin menggerayangi sampai gigi sejenak bergemeretak. tapi ajaib, begitu menjejakkan kaki di tempat yang kutuju, kehangatan langsung merayap. bersumber dari detak jantung yang tidak menentu, perlahan bagian tubuh yang lain mulai terasa hangat. padahal saat itu, aku masih berdiri di bawah tetes gerimis.

tidak ada peristiwa istimewa di malam itu. hanya mengunjungi seorang teman untuk menjalin silaturahmi. tapi sungguh luar biasa efek yang ditimbulkan dari keyakinan terhadap rencana-Nya. setipis nafas yang terhembus, tak akan pernah ada kesalahan destinasi dari suratan yang sudah tertulis. bukan lagi tentang seberapa besar dan kuat niat yang kita ukir, bukan juga tentang ikhtiar yang kita lakukan sampai di ujung kesanggupan, tapi tentang tawakkal menyeluruh pada-Nya.

dan sekali lagi, kita mungkin merasa tahu apa yang kita inginkan, tapi Allah pasti lebih tahu apa yang kita butuhkan.

shooting

a strange day. for the first time i stood in front of camera and acted like the real artist. huft, the result was not so bad, yet it is not "real me". i'm not the camera person. i am the person behind the scene.

hwever, this shooting is a must for me and i have to do it. thanks for Dana and Dewo, my partner in this group. i'm sure we did a good job.