Babakan Madang monastery offers peace and tranquility<\/p>\n
Text by Yudha Kartohadiprodjo, photos Mulkan Salmona<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Two hundred years ago, Chinese migrants moved to
\nthe area seeking refuge when they were targeted in a killing
\nspree by Dutch colonialists in Batavia (now Jakarta).<\/p>\n
Now, every month, on the full-moon night, processions of cars
\nturn off the Jagorawi toll road at exit number 23. Even though
\nthe exit is shared by the Sentul auto race track and weekend get-
\naway sites, the motorcades are heading for somewhere else.<\/p>\n
They are heading for a more subtle and serene destination: the
\nBabakan Madang monastery in Citeureup, West Java. The devotees
\nare mostly Chinese-Indonesians.<\/p>\n
Unlike most places of worship that are located within the
\ncommunity of their followers, this Buddhist monastery stands
\nalong in the middle of a four-hectare vacant lot. Twelve
\npesantren (Moslem boarding schools) also stand in the same
\nvillage.<\/p>\n
Within and beyond its red gate, the 200-year-old monastery
\nportrays a harmonious relationship between religious believers
\nand syncretists.<\/p>\n
The monastery started as a small temple built by a local
\nlandlord. Its main purpose was to sustain the agricultural
\ncommunity in the area.<\/p>\n
Two wooden panels in the compound state that the monastery was
\nbuilt in the early 1700s, when the Dutch colonial administration
\ndesignated the area as a rice-producing zone.<\/p>\n
In his Historical Sites of Jakarta, historian A. Heuken says
\nthat from the late 17th century to the early 18th century, the
\nDutch had difficulty in finding workers to build their colony in
\nBatavia. Due to its enmity against Pangeran (prince) Jayakarta,
\nlocals refused to cooperate with the colonialists and the Dutch
\nimported workers from mainland China.<\/p>\n
The policy backfired after the Dutch were overwhelmed by the
\nlarge number of jobless Chinese who streamed into Batavia.<\/p>\n
\"At the same time, a great many Chinese had run away from the
\nManchu government on the mainland,\" said Myra Sidarta, a well-
\nknown sinologist and lecturer at University of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
After the 1740 bloodshed, which resulted in the deaths of more
\nthan 5,000 Chinese in Batavia, the Chinese were not allowed to
\nreside within its walls. While some settled in the area known
\ntoday as Chinatown Glodok, others chose to become farmers outside
\nBatavia. The Citereup area was one of the destinations.<\/p>\n
Within the monastery complex, in the furthest corner of the
\ntemple, stands two chambers with lower walls. The chambers,
\ncalled petilasan kramat, a Javanese term meaning sacred sites,
\nare dedicated to local mythological figures. Some of the figures
\nare deified historical figures, while others are supernatural.<\/p>\n
The presence of these figures are marked by epigraphs and
\nsmall monuments lining the rooms. Names such as Mbah Ratu
\nPenganten (Godmother of Brides), Nyai Putri (Princess Nyai) and
\nMbah Dato' (Wise man) are inscribed on the stone.<\/p>\n
\"Many of the monastery's visitors go straight to these rooms,\"
\nsaid Cecep Adhisaputra, a member of the caretaker board of the
\nmonastery.<\/p>\n
Many Buddhist monasteries around Jakarta also have petilasan
\nkramat similar to those of Babakan Madang. Mbah Djugo, one of the
\ndeities found in Babakan Madang, can be found in five other
\nChinese temples around Jakarta. Due to the assimilation process,
\nmany of the monastery people could not trace the origin of the
\ndeified man.<\/p>\n
Yet, the name was mentioned in Les Chinois De Jakarta, temples
\net vie collective (The Chinese of Jakarta, Temples and
\nCommunities), a book published in 1970 by Claudine Salmon and
\nDenys Lombard. Mbah Djugo was actually a former military officer
\nfrom mainland China in the early 19th century who fled to Java
\nand finally retired to Kawi Mountain, East Java.<\/p>\n
Although deifying a prominent figure exists not only in the
\nJavanese culture, the inscribed name indicates that the Chinese
\nculture had assimilated with the Javanese culture. This also
\nsuggests how the Chinese and indigenous cultures interacted in
\nthe 18th century.<\/p>\n
\"Coming to Indonesia on their own, many young Chinese men in
\nthe early days tended to look for young local women as wives. The
\ninteraction between the two cultures started in the courtyard of
\nplaces of worship, where ceremonies took place.\" said Myra. She
\nnoted that the results of this interaction are apparent from the
\nslang in local dialects.<\/p>\n
However, the sinophobic attitude of Soeharto's New Order
\nregime had led to repression on Chinese culture in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
A caretaker at another monastery, Tang Tjoan, said, \"Even
\nthough the custom of setting off fireworks came from a Chinese
\ntradition, monasteries are forbidden from following this
\npractice. So what many of us did was follow our Moslem brethren
\nand light the fireworks during the Ramadhan month.\"<\/p>\n
Kana, the Babakan Madang village chief, said that he would do
\nanything to maintain harmony in his area.<\/p>\n
\"When the monastery's officials said that they wanted to
\ndistribute sembako (basic commodities) some time ago, I insisted
\nthat they should do it in the village meeting hall to avoid any
\nunwanted incident.\" said Kana.<\/p>\n
Although ethnic hatred is smoldering in Jakarta and other
\ncities, this village rarely sees any racial or religious tension.
\nHe said he did not expect a change in attitude as long as the
\nvisitors followed the local customs.<\/p>\n
\"When you are a guest, you have to follow the local
\ntradition.\" Kana said.<\/p>",
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