Sunda Wiwitan

Sunda Wiwitan is a folk religion and ancient beliefs adhered to by the Sundanese (including Baduy peoples and Bantenese) in Indonesia. The followers of this belief system can be found in some villages in western Java. Its practitioners assert that Sunda Wiwitan has been part of their way of life since ancient times, before the arrival of Hinduism and Islam. The sacred book of Sunda Wiwitan is called Sanghyang Siksa Kandang Karesian, it is a didactic text of religious and moral guidance, rules and lessons. Originally, the Sundanese followed an animistic system of belief that venerates and worships the spirits of ancestors. Over the course of time, Sunda Wiwitan has been influenced by and incorporated Hindu, and to some extent, Islamic elements. The highest spiritual power in Sunda Wiwitan is Sang Hyang Kersa (The Powerful) or Nu Ngersakeun (He Who has the Will). This supreme being is also referred to by several other names or divine titles, such as Batara Tunggal (The One), Batara Jagat (Ruler of Universe), and Batara Seda Niskala (The Unseen). Sang Hyang Kersa resides in the highest and most sacred of the three realms of the universe. The Hindu gods (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Indra, Yama, etc.) are considered subordinates of Sang Hyang Kersa. The uppermost realm of the universe is Buana Nyungcung (The Pointy Realm or Peak Realm), the abode of the supreme god. The middle realm is Buana Panca Tengah (The Middle World) which is the earth, the realm of human beings and animal which possesses five cardinal directions: east, west, north, south, and center/zenith. The lowermost realm is Buana Larang (The Forbidden World) which is hell, the realm of demons and lowly spirits. Between Buana Nyungcung (the peak realm) and Buana Panca Tengah (earth), there are 18 layers of realms, arranged in decreasing order of sacredness from top to bottom. The value system of Sunda Wiwitan is based on written and unwritten (internalized) norms. The written norms are rules and taboos that govern the way of life of adherents, while the unwritten norms are internal and individual understandings of the faith. Sunda Wiwitan's basic and principle concepts are based on two things: Cara Ciri Manusia and Cara Ciri Bangsa. Cara Ciri Manusia comprises the basic elements of human life. It consists of five fundamentals: Welas asih (love and compassion), Undak usuk (social and family order), Tata krama (rules of behavior and conduct), Budi bahasa dan budaya (language and culture), and Wiwaha yudha naradha. "Yudha" means war or battle. This last principle refers to the essential human characteristic of always being wary or suspicious of foreign or unknown influences. This reflects an inherent conservatism and resistance to change in traditional village life. It implies that influences incompatible with tradition must be rejected. The second concept, Cara Ciri Bangsa, states that people have universals or similarities in basic human traits, yet express diversity from one individual or community to another. Five elements are the source of variety among human beings: Rupa (appearance), Adat (customs and rules), Bahasa (language), Aksara (letters), and Budaya (culture). The core rules of proper conduct consist of just two elements: "Do not do something not to the taste of others" and "Do not do something to harm yourself." Prayer and ritual is performed through songs, the chanting of pantun Sunda, and the performance of kidung dances. These ritual practices are observed during the rice harvest ceremony and the annual new year festival called Seren Taun.