Budaya (Culture)

Budaya is the plural form of the word Budi. Budi is synonymous to akal budi or kebudayaan. This original Indonesian word is very philosophical, since it has been explained, interpreted, re-interpreted, and made a philosophical discourse in Indonesian philosophers' circle up to this time. Indonesian philosophy world is not considered as complete without mentioning this discourse. Its derivatives, such as Budayawan, Budiman, and Budi daya, are now also discussed among Indonesian philosophers, especially those who are called philosophers of Kebudayaan.

Philosophers of the various schools of philosophy define the word Budi (plural, Budaya) with different definitions, suited to their school interests. The oldest definition of the word is found in the 18th century Ancient Javanese manuscript Serat Centhini. According to the text, Budi is suprahuman, spiritual entity which mediates between God's being and human's being. It is a purely spiritual substance originated from God. Here is the excerpt:

Cultures of Indonesia

The culture of Indonesia has been shaped by long interaction between original indigenous customs and multiple foreign influences. Indonesia is centrally-located along ancient trading routes between the Far East and the Middle East, resulting in many cultural practices being strongly influenced by a multitude of religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam and Christianity, all strong in the major trading cities. The result is a complex cultural mixture very different from the original indigenous cultures.

Examples of cultural fusion include the fusion of Islam with Hindu in Javanese Abangan belief, the fusion of Hinduism, Buddhism and animism in Bodha, and the fusion of Hinduism and animism in Kaharingan; others could be cited.

Yadna Kasada Ceremony on Mount Bromo

From 23^rd to 24^th July 2013, the magnificent Mount Bromo in East Java will be highlighted with a fascinating cultural attraction as the indigenous Tenggerese conduct the ritual ceremony of Yadnya Kasada.

The Yadnya Kasada (or popularly called Kesodo) is a festival held every 14^th day of the Kasada Month in the traditional Hindu lunar calendar. This ceremony is to honor Sang Hyang Widhi, God Almighty, and is based on the ancient legend of Roro Anteng and Joko Seger. 

Legend has it that after many years of marriage, the couple of Roro Anteng and Joko Seger remained childless, and therefore meditated atop Mount Bromo, beseeching the mountain gods for assistance. The gods granted them 24 children, with the condition that the 25th child must be thrown into the volcano as human sacrifice. The gods’ request was observed, and so the tradition of offering sacrifices into the volcano to appease the deities continues until today, although, of course,  instead of humans, they are chickens, goats and vegetables that are thrown into the crater for sacrifice.

Yadnya Kasada  is observed by the Tenggerese, who are descendants of the princes of the  powerful 13^th  century Majapahit kingdom in East Java,  who took refuge in the highlands of Mt. Bromo at the fall of the Majapahit empire.  Although the majority of Javanese have converted to Islam, this unique community still clings to their ancient beliefs from the old days of Majapahit until today. Like the Hindu Balinese, the Tenggerese worship Ida Sang Hyang Widi Wasa, the Almighty God, along with the Trimurti gods, of Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu, with added elements of Animism and Mahayana Buddhism.

International Borneo Sumpit Festival

For the 3rd time running, the exotic city of Singkawang in West Kalimantan will come alive with the swooshing sounds of Sumpit-the traditional Dayak blowpipe weapon, as the 3rd  Internatinal Borneo Sumpit Tournament (IBoST) gets underway from 5th to 7th July 2013.

 

After being held in Pontianak last year, this year the tournament returns to Singkawang where the tournament was first held in 2011. As in previous years, the tournament will be joined by participants from all over the island of Borneo including from neighbouring Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia, and also from other parts of Indonesia such as from Yogyakarta.