Bism al-Abi wa al-Ibni wa ar-Rûh al-Quddusi, al-Ilahu al-Wâhid,
Amin
In the Name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, God Almighty, Amen
A dialogue between Bilung’s
"EXOTERICISM" AND
Kyai Semar’s
"ESOTERICISM"*)
by Bambang Noorsena
Indonesian
to English translation by :
Glenn
Tapidingan
Martin H.
Simamora
1.Introductory Note
In Javanese mythology, there are two types of comprehension
of spirituality, the first is exoteric (common or popular comprehensible
language) which simplistic, and the second is esoteric (inner consciousness
language), which refers to the essence beyond all things. At outset reputedly,
Sang Hyang Tunggal created egg of life. Extracting from the egg, yolk became
"Sang Hyang Shiva" (the essence of all things), albumen or white egg to-be Semar (the essence of all things that
can be comprehended esoterically), and shell came to be Togog (symbolizing the
failure to seize the essence because mistakenly signify the truth exoterically
or in "language of the flesh",or wadag, simplistic thinking). Next, a
figure in shadow play, Togog who is supported by Bilung, epitomizes the
outwardly religious apprehension or thoroughly wadag/simplistic as already
mentioned earlier, and Semar followed with Gareng, Petruk, and Bagong who symbolized spirituality that always longings for
the quintessence, loving for the
significance, and understanding the substance.
Therefore, when Jesus says: "Your father Abraham
rejoiced to see My day; and he saw, and was glad". This is the
"esoterical language" to say "spiritual language" which
must be apprehended inwardly. But the Jewish people hooked it up with outward
apprehension of the language or Jesus’ speech, miscarriage the substance the
truth, and asked: "Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen
Abraham?" (John 8:56-57, KJVA). Jewish people only saw Jesus to apprehend
him in his existence form as a human, and failed to recognize His pre-existence
as “the Word of God” (Greek: Logos; Hebrew: Davar; Aramaic: Memra; Arab:
Kalimatullah) that "by/ through Him all things exist"(1Cor. 8:6; John
1:3; Psa. 33:6;2Pet. 3:5).
Jesus’ question: “Why do ye not understand my language?
Because ye cannot hear MY Word” (John 8:43, KJVA), occurs to Christians
themselves who can’t comprehend the principles of their own faith, namely the
Godhead and the Deity of the Messiah, and the nature of the Triune God that
clearly taught in the Sacred Scripture, transmitted by disciples of the
apostles, disciples of the disciples of the apostles to the ecumenical church
councils that formulate them more
clearer for us.
