BUDDHISM IN INDONESIA
Blind is this world; here only a few possess insight. Only a few, like
birds escaping from a net, go to the realms of bliss. ~ Dhammapada 174.
The beautifil Vihara Samaggi Jaya in Blitar, East Java. Photo by
Vihara Samaggi Jaya.
Although the island of Java in Indonesia is the home of the magnificent
Borobudur cetiya, Buddhism as a religion had been supplanted by Hinduism and then Islam
for several centuries. Chinese immigrants to the country in the early twentieth century
practised an amalgam of traditional beliefs and animism. Some educated Chinese were
members of the Theosophy Society, thus laying the groundwork for the reintroduction of
Buddhism. In 1934, the Sri Lankan dhammduta monk Ven. Narada visited Borobudur and planted
a sapling of the Bodhi Tree.
However, the revival of Buddhism and its practice as a distinct religion in the Indonesian
archipelago was largely initiated by one man named The Boan An. A local Chinese he studied
physics at Groningen in the Netherlands, but in 1953 he ordained as a novice in the
Mahayana tradition in a temple in Jakarta. His preceptor recommended that he further his
studies in Myanmar and thus in the same year, he entered the famous Sasana Yeiktha in
Yangon, to practise satipatthana meditation under Mahasi Sayadaw. In the following year he
was ordained as the bhikkhu Jinarakkhita, the first Indonesian bhikkhu in 500 years. In
1955 he returned to Java and energetically worked for the reestablishment of Buddhist
temples and monasteries. Largely as a result of his work, Buddhist organisations were
formed in many parts of the country.
The magnificient Panti Semedhi Balerojo, a meditation center in the
mountains in East Java. Photo by Vihara Samaggi Jaya.
The Buddha Jayanti celebrations in 1956 gave much attention to the
fledging missionary efforts of the Buddhists as it was celebrated in a grand scale at
Borobudur. In 1959, the two men became the first bhikkhus in the modern history of
Indonesia, to be ordained on Indonesian soil. They were named Jinaputta and Jinapiya. Phra
Sasana Sobhana of Wat Bovornnives of Bangkok visited Indonesia in 1970 during which he
ordained several local men who later formed the nucleus of Indonesia's indigenous bhikkhu
sangha. Till this day, as a result of the connection with Wat Bovornives, the Indonesian
sangha maintains very close ties with the Dhammayutika sect of Thailand. This decade saw
many visits from dhammaduta monks from overseas especially Thailand. Some of them remained
in Java and established temples such as the Wat Majhima Sasanavangsa adjoining the
historical Chedi Mendut. The meditation master, Ajahn Tate of Wat Hin Mark Peng of
N.E.Thailand also visited in 1976.
Bhikkhu ordination in East Java. Photo by Indonesian Buddhist Club
Nepal Indonesia Malaysia Vietnam Japan
In 1976, the Sangha Theravada Indonesia was constituted headed by Ven. Aggabalo.
Presently it is headed by Ven. Sri Pannavaro Mahathera. A young but highly charismatic
bhikkhu, he is largely responsible for the tremendous interest in Theravada in the last
decade. Through his sermons, which are televised on Indonesian airwaves, a large number of
Indonesia's 200 million population have become familiar with the Theravada form of
Buddhism. In 1998, he was awarded the title of Chao Khun by King Bhumibol of Thailand. One
of the tangible results of Theravada's recent popularity was the construction of the
magnificent Vihara Jakarta Dhammacakka Jaya in Indonesia's capital city donated by a local
industrialist Bapak Anton Haliman. Today, the Sangha Theravada Indonesia comprises more
than 30 bhikkhus ( of both Chinese and Malay ethnic origin ), residing in about 25 viharas
mostly on the island of Java. However, there are also viharas on the islands of Sumatra
and Bali. The bhikkhus travel widely throughout the Indonesian archipelago to teach. As a
result several viharas have also been built on the more remote and distant regions such as
the towns of Balikpapan and Banjarmasin on the island of Kalimantan and Manado in
Sulawesi.
Sources:
~ The World of Buddhism, 1984 Thames and Hudson Ltd. London
~Website, Indonesian Buddhist Homepage.
~ Past editions of Manggala, an Indonesian Buddhist magazine.
New Zealand Australia United Kingdom Netherlands USA
Source: DHAMMADUTA (
http://www.quantrum.com.my/duta/nepal.htm)