Spirituality through the art of 'macapat'

Spirituality through the art of 'macapat'

By Muhamad Achadi

YOGYAKARTA (JP): To the Javanese, traditional songs, or
tembang, are not simply a means of comfort. If they are
accompanied by rhythmical gamelan music and bodily movement in
dances, these traditional songs may become magic spells of sorts
to bring an individual to a mystical level.

Further, traditional Javanese songs known as macapat
(literally, a six-line Javanese verse form) or macapatan, or
reciting a macapat may serve as a spiritual medium through which
ordinary people send their prayers to God. In its social
dimension, macapat encourages ordinary people to maintain clear
thinking in their lives. In other words, the spirit of macapat is
linked with spiritual and historical reform.

It is this spirit that has later been seized by Javanese
cultural activists to straighten out the Javanese socio-political
order which, during the New Order regime, had undergone
degeneration.

Javanese cultural activists in Central Java, Yogyakarta and
East Java have since early 1990 begun to undertake the reform of
Javanese culture by introducing macapat to the public. This art,
as part of Javanese literature, is known to the Javanese
community from generation to generation. It is even taught at
elementary schools.

Toward 1992, a number of macapat communities were set up and
started to seriously study the macapat used in traditional
Javanese songs in several areas in East Java, like Tretes, Malang
and Kediri. Macapat communities have also been set up in villages
in Central Java, Yogyakarta and East Java.

To popularize Macapat in secondary schools, several macapat
communities have performed macapat in a number of hotels in
Surabaya, Surakarta and Semarang. In 1995, macapat began to be
performed in Yogyakarta, namely in Sahid Hotel, where the
performance was also highlighted by dancing as a medium of
expression. Since then macapat has been performed in various
places: in the evening before a Kliwon Tuesday - Kliwon is the
fifth day in a five-day week in Javanese calendar - or a Kliwon
Friday at Natour Garuda Hotel and on every full moon night at the
yard of Boko Temple.

"At first we thought that macapat could be performed only in
villages. The management of a number of hotels, however, have
also shown their enthusiasm about macapat and have made it a
regular arts and performance package," said Ki Yoyok Hadiwinoto,
coordinator of Darma Sri Winahya Macapat Troupe here.

Those taking part in a macapat performance here are generally
people above 40 years of age from around the palace and also from
village. Taking their family members, they will enjoy macapat or
perform it themselves in the lobby of Garuda Natour Hotel or at
Borobudur Plaza.

"The singing of macapat brings peace of mind to me. Although I
don't understand kejawen (things related to the Javanese culture
and beliefs), I can feel the spiritual element of a macapat
performance," said Ki Sumantri, 77, a resident of Pakem, Sleman,
who regularly joins a macapat event along with his wife.

In simple terms, macapat is the act of singing using the
standards prevailing in a Javanese tembang like Pangkur, Sinom,
Maskumambang, Dandang Gula, Pucung and so forth. A macapat
program usually begins at 10 p.m. and will last until early dawn
or even later if the material for discussion is very interesting.

The participants sit in a circle in a relaxed manner. One of
them will get a turn to do macapat. Then there is a break to
discuss the meaning of certain phrases or words, or what a part
having been sung means.

Exactly at midnight the participants will perform meditation.
Then there is tumpengan, a ceremonial meal, in which traditional
Javanese gamelan musing is played. Macapat is often held every
selapanan, a Javanese period covering five times seven days.

A macapatan usually begins with an introduction, to be
followed by the reading of macapat mantra, a focus on macapat, an
interpretation of macapat, Javanese traditional gamelan music as
interlude (usually tembang gojekan and campur sari) and to be
concluded by bawa rasa, i.e. an internal discussion.

"To make the content of macapat easy to digest to laymen,
after the tembang we will translate difficult words originating
in the Kawi or Old Javanese language to Indonesian. Then we will
proceed with a discussion on the meaning, intention and
background of the creation of this tembang. It is interesting to
know that Macapat verses are still relevant to the present
condition," said KRT Suryanto, a Javanese culture activist and
expert often requested to interpret the macapat songs.

The text usually sung in a macapat program are, among others,
Babad Dipanegara and an edifying work such as Serat Wedatama. The
verses in these works are still considered to be of high value.
They are even thought to be very beautiful and noble in addition
to having its philosophical profundity. These texts are therefore
often considered as classic works.

According to KRT Suryanto, these tembang were created hundreds
of years ago by famous literati in Java. Pakubuwono V (1824) was
one from the then Surakarta royal house, or kasunanan. He created
the famous Serat Centini, Wedatama and Mulang Reh.

The verses in Serat Centini dwells on the ups and downs of
human life: ethics, love and sex, architecture as well as
economic and political matters.

The late 18th century saw the birth of a great writer in
Javanese literature, Ranggawarsita. In one of his 78 works, Serat
Kalatida he predicted a number of political events leading to the
arrival of jaman edan, a mad period, in this century. Politicians
have often quoted his prediction.

"Many people think Ranggawarsita is a fortune teller or a
political shaman. If we read his works, however, political
matters make up only part of what Ranggawarsita was interested
in. Obviously, he was interested in many other aspects of human
life," said KRT Suryanto.

In fact, Ranggawarsita's works deal with social, cultural,
educational, historical and anthropological matters. His works
were inspired by the entry of foreign capital in politics, such
as the industrialization of sugar mills and railway stations in
Java. Therefore, he criticized the pattern of the then Dutch-
Indies industrialization, which, in his opinion, caused losses to
the indigenous people.

According to KRT Suryango, Ranggawarsita also published
Bromartani (1860) and Retno Dumilah (1870) newspapers along with
Western scientist CF Winter Jr. and Western cultural observer Hin
Loppen Labberton, a member of the United States Association of
Theosophy.

Javanese literature, including macapat, is a source of
information about the behavior, values and aspirations unique to
the Javanese society. "We have the obligation to dig up Javanese
spirituality and seize the spirit of past glory to develop this
country now and in future. The noble teaching of Kejawen must
never again be used to legitimize power. Instead, this teaching,
which is imbued with historical and spiritual wisdom, must be
made a good lesson with which we build a just society," KRT
Suryanto said.