Workshop strives to build a sense of community

Workshop strives to build a sense of community

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Megamendung, Bogor

"What is acting?"

Stage director/actor Sosiawan Leak threw out the question to
open an acting class for some 100 young Buddhists here recently.

One by one an answer was thrown back, from a hesitating
"mmm... pretending to be someone else?" to a lengthy analysis
which started with "it's an arts, an expression, a movement...."

Moving on to another class, dancer Takako Leen from Eksotika
Karmawibhangga Indonesia (EKI) dance company instructed the young
people to do some mopping movements, but with joy and
wholeheartedly.

Meanwhile, in the singing class, a teenage boy with bleached
blond hair was asked to come to the front by singing mentor Fajar
to hum the musical note scale. Despite his expression of a total
pro, it rendition was excruciatingly off key.

Held inside the complex of Sadaparibhuta Vihara, the classes
were part of the annual youth retreat for members of Pandita
Sabha Buddha Dharma Indonesia, a foundation boasting some 130,000
members of the Nichiren Syosyu sect spread across 14 provinces.

Titled Mimpi -- an acronym for Menggapai Inspirasi Merdeka
Putra/i Indonesia, or reaching the independent inspirations of
Indonesian youth -- the week-long retreat was aimed at educating
young people to be brave and aim as high as possible in their
dreams.

Mimpi has a basic theme each year, such as a school or non-
governmental organization (NGO), where young people get to
formulate an ideal school or establish an NGO.

This year's theme was the "golden kid", referring to those who
will make it on the merit of their own skills and hard work,
instead of with their parents facilitating their way.

According to abbot Rusdy Rukmarata, the theme was tied to
materialism and the instant gratification culture of today.

"Parents want their children to be smart, highly educated and
have multiple skills. It's not necessary for the children's good,
because ultimately that's all about getting as much money as
possible," said Rusdy, who is also EKI's founder and
choreographer.

He said the children might be successful and wealthy later on,
but the joy of living would be missing from their lives.

The search for TV singing idols is the perfect example of the
phenomena, he said, where people are willing to take any measures
possible in the pursuit of fame and wealth -- even if it means
embarrassing themselves in front of a national television
audience.

Taking from all the idol search hype, this year's Mimpi picked
performing arts to support its theme.

"The challenge is to show them that doing arts is not just
about money. Even if it is, it comes through hard work. But most
importantly, we want to stimulate the pleasure of doing it, the
joy of imagination, dreaming ... that money isn't everything," he
said.

The skills taught are for performing arts and related
disciplines. Aside from the aforementioned three classes, young
people could pick comedy, acrobatics, wushu martial art,
pantomime, special effects and property. In addition, there are
workshops on make-up, showmanship, artist management and
emceeing.

Teachers and speakers included singing guru Bertha, promoter
Adrie Subono, poet Sitok Srengenge and musician Erwin Gutawa.

Some 400 Buddhist young people, from junior high school
students to university high school graduates, participated in the
event, where at the end they must perform in front of audience
and the best performance will be given award.

Aside from participants from the provinces, there were
foreigners as well, with sect members from Malaysia and
Singapore.

Malaysian Wong Ray Vin, 17, has participated five years in a
row.

"We have a similar activity in Malaysia, but it's more simple
and shorter, only in three days. Here, it's something different.
It's more fun," said Wong, who flew from Selangor along with 18
fellow Buddhists.

There is more to it than just hanging out with his peers and
having fun, Wong said.

"The list of activities are impressive, and the rules are
good. We get to discipline ourselves, and we learn some skills,
you know, like singing," he said, on the sidelines of singing
class.

Held since the 1970s, the retreat now has a large group of
alumni, including Tan Kok Siong, who headed the committee of this
year's event.

Tan recalled the benefits of the retreat in helping him to be
braver and more open minded.

"The activity also does not stop with the event, as we monitor
the participants afterward so that they can contribute something
in their respective provinces. It apparently works, because for
last year's theme of NGOs, they really implemented it in their
provinces."

He sensed, however, that participants were becoming more
individualistic and less enthusiastic in engaging in group
activities each year.

"They're actually more daring. But it seems that they lack
social skills, even the participants from Jakarta. It's like they
want to know other people, and they want others to pay attention
to them, but they don't know how to do it and often are too
proud. So, it's a bit conflicting," Tan said.

The social awkwardness perhaps resulted from overprotective
families, especially in Jakarta, which may be the result of the
high crime rate and drug abuse, he said.

Rusdy said a lack of social activities that engage large
groups of people were also to blame.

"Technology gets more sophisticated so that you can do
everything by yourself, like watching movies. That's why we chose
performing arts, because it's communal arts," Rusdy said.

Through the arts, he added, hopefully there would develop a
sense of togetherness without neglecting respect for each
individual, "because the arts teaches us to respect differences".