Preserving Prophet Adam's legacy in West Java

Preserving Prophet Adam's legacy in West Java

KANEKES, West Java (JP): We just want to preserve Prophet
Adams legacy, Sadim said flatly.

Although the 25-year old Sadim was trying to smile, the
effort did not seem to change his expression.

Sadim is serious. He is not just referring to the Outer
Baduys tradition of wearing headbands and plain white shirts, or
why they dont smoke or use modern goods like radios, televisions,
clocks or tables and chairs. Sadim is also referring to the way
the Baduy cultivate their fields.

For the 20,000 people living in Kenekes village, farming is
not only a matter of earning a living. To them farming is a way
to protect Prophet Adams legacy. Cultivating their 5,000 hectares
of hilly land is part of the daily ritual. The Baduy, for
example, continued to go to their farms throughout the recent dry
season although it was impossible for them to plant any crops. If
there is no work to do, they usually gather in their huts to
chat.

The Baduy do not base their farming system on the cycle of
the seasons. They begin or end their farming activities based on
supernatural guidelines from their Puun (spiritual leaders). They
will plant rice seedlings in the middle of the dry season sensing
that the seeds will grow if their spiritual leaders say so.

Magic

Before every farming step they hold a ceremony. The Puun will
read magic formulas, called Ubaran, to make their rice grow well.
The Baduy also ban the use of fertilizers or pesticides, astutely
believing that the chemicals may ruin the earth.

They dont plant any newly developed varieties of rice. The
Baduy have 40 varieties of long leaf paddy which are planted once
a year. The long leaf rice is easily tied up in bundles for the
Sunda Wiwitan religious ceremony.

Sunda Wiwitan is the belief observed by people in West Java
before the invasion of Islam. It is a combination of ancient
Hinduism and shamanism, according to Ukke Ruk-mini Kosasih, an
anthropologist from the University of Indonesia who has been
studying the Baduy since 1990.

The religion relates not only to their farming system, but
also distinguishes them from Urang Are (outsiders).

Territory

Clear-cut borders are very important to the Baduy because
they dont wish to meddle in the affairs of people outside their
territory. That is why they are often called an isolated tribe
even though they live so close to Jakarta. The Indonesian
Ministry for Social Affairs has officially named them indigenous
people, even though there is no certain criteria for this.

The Baduy of course have their own reasons for isolating
themselves. According to Baduy mythology, Prophet Adam and
Prophet Muhammad (unlike in Islam, the Baduy believe that the
prophets were brothers, living in the same period of time) agreed
that Muhammad and his descendants would be responsible for the
affairs of the world. Adam and his people, namely the Baduy,
would be responsible for maintaining contact with Mandita (the
super natural world). This agreement was aimed at balancing the
universe.

The Baduy never question anything that happens outside their
region. They also dont care about who leads the world outside the
Kenekes village. In the Dutch colonial era, the Baduy were
faintly familiar with the names Queen Alminah and Queen Liana
(Wilhelmia and Juliana).

But we never felt that they colonized us. The Dutch and
Japanese never entered Kene-kes. According to our belief, we
wouldnt allow them on our land because they are not circumcised,
said 72 year-old Nasinah who lives in the outer village of
Gajeboh.

Ambivalence

Because they dont care about what happens in the rest of the
world, let alone the country, certain politicians have used the
Baduys ambivalence to win seats for their political party. In
Kenekes, Golkar has won 100 percent of the votes in every
election held there.

What can we do? They say their choice is up to the
government which is responsible for world affairs, asserted
Jumar, deputy head of Leuwi Damar subdistrict from his office in
Ciboleger.

Such things never bother the Baduy. They concentrate on
preserving Prophet Adams legacy.

Their belief in Prophet Adam stems from Banten, which was
one of the centers of Islam in West Java.

There is a theory that the Baduy are descendants of
Pajajaran soldiers who ran away from the soldiers of Syekh
Maulana Hasanuddin, the king of Banten. Hasanuddins soldiers were
spreading Islamic teachings to the region in 12th century. The
Pajajaran soldiers were overcome by their pursuers near the
Cisimeut river (from Hasanuddins words Samet dieu bae, meaning
stop here). However, King Pucuk Umun who led the Pajajaran
soldiers refused to convert to Islam.

King

King Hasanuddin did not force him, but based on the Islamic
tradition, the losers were obliged to pay offerings to King
Hasanuddin. This practice is still observed. Every year the Baduy
pay seba (offerings) to Bapak Gede the Lebak Regent. There is no
authenticated evidence or written work to support this tale.

There is another story that the Baduy originated form
Kenekes who refused to assimilate or mix with outsiders.

Effort

They use Islamic names such as Adam and Muhammad. They also
use the Islamic calendar which is based on the rotation of the
moon. The use of the Islamic names and calendar is not a matter
of religious syncretism, but is just an effort by the Baduy to
avoid conflict with the mostly Moslem Bantens.

Conflict, however, seems unavoidable. The problems be-tween
the Baduy people and Urang Are are not merely religious, but can
be sparked by more concrete issues like economics.

For example, in mid September a problem came up. The Baduy
were accused of destroying a water reservoir on their land.
Previously, their leader had protested the building of the modern
dam to the Kenekes village head. The dam used by people in
Ciboleger is believed to be a violation of Baduy law.

Jumar, the deputy head of the subdistrict, shook his head.
Why do they protest now, but not when the dam was constructed six
months ago? asked the 51 year-old Jumar.

The problem is a direct result of the prolonged dry season.
The water reservoir, which was previously a simple pond, had
become a luxury only enjoyed by outsiders. Destroying it was a
way for the Baduy to share their misery during the dry season.
The argument that the reservoir broke their laws may have been a
way to hide their jealousy. Such conflicts occur more and more
often.

New traditional laws are introduced as an official way for
the Baduy leaders to protect their interests from being effected
by the development going on in the surrounding areas.

The spiritual and other Baduy leaders are aware that all
sides including the government and the tourist industry have an
interest in continuing Baduy traditional practices. This will
help keep the Prophet Adams legacy intact.