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June 2009 
javanese mystics
Posted on Jun 27th, 2008
by 
Domi333
Domi333
The javanese mystics(kebatinan) famously quoted:
"God is within you. God is everywhere. But do not think you are God."
kebatinan is the name for the various groups of javanese mystical groups, in my opinion it's about javanese animism combined with elements of hinduism - i.e. the javanese call the soul jiwa(from sanskrit jiva-soul), the main focus of kebatinan is the development of the jiwa, meditating and fasting in sacred places and also perfection...
that famous quote which i have used is also its key identifier, it symbolises the understanding of kebatinan - a sacred essence of all things including yourself but also an understanding that one's sacred essence is not the creative essence but a part of that...
a famous example is subud: subud focuses on spiritual development through an excercise called latihan...the aim for this exercise is for the spontaneous outpouring arousal from the soul...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subud
"God is within you. God is everywhere. But do not think you are God."
kebatinan is the name for the various groups of javanese mystical groups, in my opinion it's about javanese animism combined with elements of hinduism - i.e. the javanese call the soul jiwa(from sanskrit jiva-soul), the main focus of kebatinan is the development of the jiwa, meditating and fasting in sacred places and also perfection...
that famous quote which i have used is also its key identifier, it symbolises the understanding of kebatinan - a sacred essence of all things including yourself but also an understanding that one's sacred essence is not the creative essence but a part of that...
a famous example is subud: subud focuses on spiritual development through an excercise called latihan...the aim for this exercise is for the spontaneous outpouring arousal from the soul...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subud
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Hi Dom!
Have you been studying this recently?
I'm completely unfamiliar with javanese mystics.
Yes I have…not intensely though, but I’ve learnt a bit…
Javanese mysticism is quite diverse actually, some with a more sufi overtone others being more slightly shaiva hindu(but just like in India they’ve intermingled,becoming not exactly islam or hinduism)
here’s another site: http://www.xs4all.nl/~wichm/javmys1.html(http://www.xs4all.nl/~wichm/wirid.html- for a good introduction to jav. texts)
http://sumarah.tripod.com/sh5.htm
http://www.joglosemar.co.id/kejawen/understand.html
Is there a particular reason you became interested in this subject?
Or is it just general curiosity?
Its fascinating to consider the intermingling of Islamic and HIndu traditions. As a Westerner, those two religions seem extremely different to me. I suppose there is a lot of conflict right now in the countries where these religions are intermingling.
I guess Indonesia represents this whole Other to Australian society, I'm also interested in how animism(and other trad. spiritualities) survived all over the world.
I think India has been good and bad at times for Hindu and Islamic integration, but Sufi mysticism and Hindu mysticism can run together at times…