Continuity and Change in Understanding Hinduism-Buddhism History in Indonesia by Roma Ulinnuha

History of Religions in Indonesia pt. 2. 1900 to the Present—Prof. Bernard Adeney-Risakotta & Dr. Sri Margana
Roma Ulinnuha-ICRS 2009, Readings: Fredrik Barth, Balinese Worlds & Robert, W Hefner, Hindu Javanese: Tengger tradition and Islam ;
Week #7: Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism Revivals: the Meaning of Religion :

Continuity and Change in Understanding Hinduism-Buddhism History in Indonesia

On the development of Hindu in Bali, Fredrik Barth states that the complexity of Bali society is obviously seen from the particular instance of Islam and Hindu comparison. He took a particularity of Buleleng to show for instance, the complex cultural expressions in the framework of institutions widely shared in Bali-Hindu rituals. In the tradition of knowledge, he sees that in Hindu the outstanding feature is the ostensible presence, to contrast to Islam, God does not manifest in any particular signs (p.208). I think Balinese entity related in the past to what happened in the change and continuity of Javanese historical acts. When Majapahit Kingdom was in its reign, the influence of Javanese belief, culture and politics could be assumed interfered with the Balinese. Of course this needs a meticulous investigation in terms of how the interaction between the two actually occurred. Likewise, the history of Islamic Kingdom—Demak and Mataram, I believe, could contribute to the colorful culture of the Balinese entity and its surroundings. Many have established their convenient stance in Bali Island rather than in Java where the prohibition of creating the living things spread out.
Robert R. Hefner has also mentioned that Hindu realm is mingled with the Javanese tradition. This underlines, I think four significant features of Hindu and also Buddha entities in Indonesia. First, the nusantara color manifests in the attribution of the religion from cultural perpective. The evidence is the miscellaneous tradition occurred in the practice of religion. The second is the peaceful stance of the tradition, although there are differences and particularities in religious views. The Hindu, Buddha, and other religious entities might inter-relate each other without any major obstacles in contrast to the history of religion in India, for instance. The third aspect denotes the character of the people in social-psychological framework. The hospitality and the openness type of traits could probably depict the relatively peaceful encounter as listed in the previous feature. The last element is the massive mobility of the people from the demographic aspect. The inhabitant of Java, including Tengger, and Bali could get easily in a migration from one place into another—brought with them the identity, character and culture as well as a form of religious representative in a reachable process and outcome. I would like to reiterate that in Indonesia realm particularly in Java or Bali—people, culture, tradition, and religion are not an inseparable entity. History teaches us the change and continuity occurred in the realm of culture and religion. The religion bears the inherent teaching and practices as a continuity but changes do occur in line with people circumstances, needs, mobility and setting of place and time.