The Central Thesis Of This Book Maintains That The Need To Preserve Pluralism In Indonesia, And The High Price Paid By Its People Anytime Pluralism Had Been Trampled Upon In The Past, Are The Two Essential Aspects Of Their Historical Experience. This Thesis Is Particularly Relevant For The People Of Indonesia Today As They Are Grappling With The Problems Of National Unity And Transition To A Modem Pluralistic Democracy. Two Parts Of This Book Articulate This Thesis. Part I Explains The Origin Of The Hindu-Buddhist Dualism During The Srivijaya And Sailendra Periods In The Viii- Ix Centuries Ad. The Process Of Javanization Then Extended This Dualism By Incorporating Into The New Synthesis The Indigenous Ancestral And The Rsi Cults During The Majapahit Period, Particularly Under King Wuruki'Ls Rule From 1350 To 1389. This New Pluralism Was Further Extended By Absorbing Elements Of The Kalang/Palang Culture And The Bhima Cult, Culminating In The Grand Synthesis Of The Core Values Of The Hindu-Javanese Culture As Expressed By The Iconography Of Candi Sukuh Erected In 1437. Two Factors Are Identified As Contributing To The Decline And Then Demise Of Majapahit In 1527. First, Attempts By China To Build Its Own System Of Dependencies In Southeast Asia By Detaching From Majapahit Its Overseas Territories, And Then Its Intervention In The Dynastic Rivalries In Java During The Paregreg Civil War From 1400 To 1406. Second, The Penetration Of Islam From The Coastal Areas Of Majapahit Into Its Heartland, And The Gradual Establishment Of Its Hegemony Over The Core Values Of The Hindu-Javanese Civilization. Part Ii Of The Book Explores The Interaction Of Islam With The Deeply Rooted Substratum Of The Hindu-Javanese Values, And Then The Absorption Of Islam Into A New Synthesis And A Higher Form Of Pluralism Forged During The Long Process Of The Islamization Of Java And The Javanization Of Islam. This New Pluralism Was Further Enriched By Incorporating Various Strands Of Christianity During The Colonial Period. In Its Fmal Form This Pluralism Provided The Social Cohesion And The National Ethos And Consciousness Which Propelled Indonesia Towards Its Statehood And Independence In 1945, Leading To The Establish- Ment Of A Secular State To Accommodate The Imperatives Of This Higher Pluralism Under The State Doctrine Of The Pancasila. The Book Then Surveys The Post-Independence Period To Show How This Pluralism Fared Under The Successive Regimes Of Sukamo, Suharto, Habibie, Abdurrahman Wahid, And How It Fares Under Megawati Sukamoputri Today. The Survey Con- Cludes On A Sobering Note That Most Of The Problems Experi- Enced By These Regimes Had Their Roots In The Violation Of The Pluralistic Nature Of The Indonesian Society. In This Context There Is Little Doubt That The Continued Attempts Of Some Islamic Groups, Mostly Incited From Abroad, To Wage A Jihad For The Replacement Of The Existing Secular State By An Islamic One, Would Plunge The Country Into A Civil War Of The Paregreg Type. These Attempts Might Not Succeed Given The Rnilitaryns Staunch Commitment To The Pancasila And The Secular State. However The Cost Of Thwarting Them Would Be Very High.

This research based on the Jasadipoeran Sêrat Déwaruci, the Ki Nartosabdan Déwaruci play, and the dhalangs' interpretation of the Déwaruci play they performed. Using three divisions of the horizontal tripartite of the Déwaruci play, and of the vertical tripartite of the wayang kulit cosmology, together with the Javanese concepts of lair, batin, and rasa, the examination of Bhīma's quest reveals three stages of the Javanese spiritual growth, which can be systematically summarized as the purification of the corporeal feelings, the purification of the emotional feelings, and the purification of the intuitive feelings which culminates in the union with God, the so-called manunggaling kawula-Gustia.

The book contains essays on current issues in arts and humanities in which peoples and cultures compete as well as collaborate in globalizing the world while maintaining their uniqueness as viewed from cross- and interdisciplinary perspectives. The book covers areas such as literature, cultural studies, archaeology, philosophy, history, language studies, information and literacy studies, and area studies. Asia and the Pacifi c are the particular regions that the conference focuses on as they have become new centers of knowledge production in arts and humanities and, in the future, seem to be able to grow signifi cantly as a major contributor of culture, science and arts to the globalized world. The book will help shed light on what arts and humanities scholars in Asia and the Pacifi c have done in terms of research and knowledge development, as well as the new frontiers of research that have been explored and opening up, which can connect the two regions with the rest of the globe.

This title is available online in its entirety in Open Access. This publication provides a new understanding of the religious function of the East Javanese temples. The study of the cap-figures and their symbolism yields an outstanding contribution to the uniqueness of Majapahit culture.

Bibliography Index The Tantra Is A Body Of Theories, Techniques And Rituals Developed In India In Antiquity, Which Has Two Fundamental Aspects. The First Aspect Of The Tantra Is The Theory Of Creation, Which Posits That The Universe Has No Beginning And No End, And That All Its Manifestations Are Merely The Projections Of Divine Energy Of Its Creator. The Second Aspect Of The Tantra Is The Belief That The Performance Of Tantrik Techniques And Rituals Facilitates Access To This Divine Energy, Enabling Their Practitioners To Empower Themselves, As Well As Empower Others Associated With Them In The Guru-Disciple Relationship. Thus The Knowledge And Proper Application Of Tantrik Techniques And Rituals Is Believed To Harness The Creator'S Cosmic Energies To The Promotion Of The Mundane As Well As Spiritual Goals Of Their Practitioners. Between The Vii And The Xii Centuries A.D. These Theories, Rituals And Practices Spread To Other Parts Of Asia. In These Parts Their Interaction With Indigenous Traditions Of Shamanism And Other Magical Cults Resulted In Potent Hybrids. These Not Only Served The Personal Needs Of Their Practi- Tioners, But Were Used By The Kings To Summon The Cosmic Forces To Legitimize Their Right And Power To Rule The Ancient Monarchies. Elaborate And Artistically Beautiful Icons Were Developed In Sculpture, Painting, Bronze And Bas-Relief To Portray The Basic Concept Of Tantrik Theories And Various Deities Of The Hindu And Buddhist Pantheons. This Book First Explores The Origin Of The Tantra In India, Its Development And Emergence Of Various Schools Of Hindu And Buddhist Tantrism Over The Centuries. Then It Explores Their Spread From Tantrik Universities In Bihar And Other Centres Of Tantrik Scholarship And Rituals Practised In West Bengal, Orissa And South India At That Time To Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia, China, Japan And Indonesia. The Coloured Plates Illustrate The Iconographic Presentation Of The Basic Theories And Concepts Of The Tantra, As Well As Various Deities Associated With The Pantheons Of Hindu And Buddhist Tantrism Drawn From Different Parts Of The World.

At a time when a woman--Angela Merkel--is arguably the most powerful leader in Europe and another--Hilary Clinton--continues to be at the center of the US political stage, it seems that women have broken through the glass ceiling and begun to populate the highest offices of the political world. Women of Power is a testament to that accomplishment, offering the most comprehensive overview of female presidents and prime ministers to date. Looking at over fifty countries and over seventy women leaders since 1960, Torild Skard--herself an experienced politician--examines how and why these women rose to the top and what their leadership has meant for women's empowerment throughout the latter half of the twentieth century. Skard examines the achievements and life stories of the world's female leaders up to the current era. She offers nuanced portraits that draw on a number of materials, including many interviews that she conducted herself. All of the women discussed are organized by both chronology and geography, and Skard includes a number of helpful chapters that provide an overview and assessment of how different women leaders have come to power in different regions. Overall the book provides a fascinating account of women's empowerment as it has manifested itself at the very top of the political hierarchy.