Java, the land of tolerance

Tolerance becomes the main weapon to unite the archipelago which consists of many ethnic groups with a variety of customs.

In the History of Java Museum, you can see evidence, how since ancient times, the ancestors of the Indonesian people have succeeded in laying the foundation of this tolerance to be the guardians of national unity.

Those who first introduced Indian culture in Indonesia were brahmans, monks and priests of various sects in India, following the maritime trade route.

Indian culture is happily accepted. As for the influence of religion, there is only one Indian religious sect whose not found in Java, Bali or elsewhere in the archipelago, namely Jainism.

Though they have a broad knowledge of what is presented by India, this does not mean that the Javanese apply their knowledge in the same way as the Indians, or even apply it all. The Javanese tradition also encompasses many teachings and worshiping ways that are entirely composed of Indian elements, but have slightly different breaths.

Buddhism arrived in the archipelago early enough and much information about this we get from Chinese sources. Includes information that in the 5th century there have been Buddhists in Java.

Around the 7th to 9th centuries, it can even be said that the areas of Sumatra and Java are "Metropolitan" for Buddhism, especially in the Srivijaya region.

On the island of Java, the most widely embraced form of Buddhism is a combination of Mahayana and Vajrayana. 

Borobudur Temple shows scenes contained in a number of texts in Sanskrit that breathes or is the basis of Mahayana understanding. They are Mahakarmawi-bhangga, Lalitawistara, Diwyawadana and Gandawyuha.

The tolerant attitude in religion has an impact on religious application in Java, known in the Majapahit era, known by a teaching called Siwa-Buddha, it can be seen in several manuscripts such as Kakawin Sutasoma and kakawin Arjunawijaya. This Shiva-Buddhism is a syncretism of Hinduism and Buddhism in Indonesia.

Seeing this fact, there is nothing wrong if we take the time to visit the History of Java museum in Bantul, Yogyakarta, so that later we can instill a sense of tolerance and respect for differences and try to unite in the name of humanity.

History Of Java Museum

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