Respect for nature serves Baduy in good stead

Respect for nature serves Baduy in good stead

JAKARTA (JP): The Baduy tribespeople in the isolated highlands
of Lebak regency, West Java, have not felt the pinch of the
crippling economic crisis thanks to their love of Mother Nature.

The Baduy, who strictly limit contact with the outside world,
fiercely uphold their philosophy of pikukuh, which guides them in
their relations with fellow tribespeople, outsiders and nature.

People from outside their clan are welcomed only if they
comply with the rules and do not impose their will on them.

Kasinah, a 76-year-old member of the Outer Baduy, said he
never suffered rice shortages, boasting his stock was sufficient
for three years.

"Our customary rules do not allow us to sell rice, but we can
buy if we need to," said the smiling man, who traveled to Jakarta
by bus instead of walking like most of the Baduy who do not mind
the three-day trek on foot.

He said he harvested rice only once a year and kept most of it
in the rice barn.

"In each harvest, rice is more than we actually need and we
can save it for the next year," said Kasinah, who still prefers
to use stairs instead of elevators when moving up and down in
Jakarta buildings.

Pikukuh deems it taboo to change the course of water for
whatever purposes, including irrigation. It also prohibits people
from altering the form of earth by digging, clearing land to
build or farm. Entering forbidden forests, felling trees or
gathering materials from sacred trees are disallowed.

The Baduy people are not allowed to use modern farming
equipment, change or suppress the growth of plants, breed and
keep four-legged animals as pets, catch fish by poisoning them,
bathe with soap or brush their teeth with toothpaste.

Judistira K. Garna, professor of anthropology at Padjadjaran
University in Bandung, said the Baduy's success in cultivating
rice was due to their skill in upland farming which does not rely
on the irrigation system.

Rice is the Baduy people's main food crop and is considered to
be a manifestation of the goddess Nyi Pohaci Sangyang Asri.

"Trading in rice is forbidden but not other crops, such as
corn, cucumber or eggplant," said Judistira. He lived with the
Baduy people for more than 10 years to conduct research for his
dissertation on the tribe.

Judistira addressed a seminar on Baduy's culture held
Thursday as a part of the Baduy's cultural exhibition at the
Japan Foundation.

He explained that under the Baduy agricultural system, a piece
of land would be cleared and cultivated, and then left fallow for
four to seven years before it could be farmed again. Fertilizer
is not used for fear of poisoning the Earth.

Pikukuh also prohibits the cutting of forests which cover the
upstream of rivers, the top and slopes of mountains and around
tributaries.

Urang Baduy, or the Baduy people, also known as the Kanekes
people, live near the slopes of Mount Kendeng in southern Banten.

Judistira said there were currently about 5,649 Baduy people,
part of the Sundanese ethnic group. They reside in an area of
5,100 hectares. Most Sundanese are Moslem but the Baduy believe
in Sunda Wiwitan, a blend of ancient Hinduism and shamanism.

The Baduy are divided into three groups: the Inner Baduy
(Urang Tangtu), Outer Baduy (Urang Panamping) and the Pajaroan
Baduy (Urang Pajaroan).

The Inner Baduy live in three villages: Cikartawana, Cibeo and
Cikeusik. Each has a special social function and own clan chiefs
(Puun).

Cikartawana villagers are responsible for security and are
known for their handicrafts. Cibeo villagers are in charge of
organizing social and cultural ceremonies, while Cikeusik
residents are actively involved in religious and traditional
activities.

For instance, the Muja ritual at Sasaka Domas, the sacred
place for the Baduy people, can only be led by the Cikeusik's
clan chief.

According to pikukuh, the Baduy tradition cannot tolerate
change and the rigid rule is especially enforced in tanah
larangan (prohibited land), where the three Tangtu villages are
located.

"To a certain extent, changes are permitted in the Pajaroan
villages, thus housing designs of the Pajaroan villages have been
adjusted to meet the needs and tastes of the dwellers, who have
come into contact with other villages and outsiders. Other than
this, changes are strictly prohibited," Judistira said.

He said the recent exposure of the Baduy to the outside world
had broadened their horizons.

"Believing that the world outside needs their help, the Baduy
have not rejected visitors so long as the newcomers do not
interfere in their way of life as prescribed in pikukuh."

Any Baduy members who have violated pikukuh principles have to
be purified through a ritual called nyapu, he said.

"The severity of punishment depends on the social status of
the perpetrator -- the higher his status, the harsher the
punishment will be," Judistira said.

For instance, offenders from the prohibited land, or Tangtu
villages, will be banished to Dangka villages, the land of
sinners, or Pajaroan villages. While offenders from kampong
Dangka and Pajaroan are allowed to remain in their villages but
subject to forced labor.

"Life to the Baduy centers around pikukuh. One is born to be a
hermit, fulfill his duty, behave according to his status, live a
humble life and burden no one," Judistira said.