Sunda Wiwitan (from Sundanese: ) is a folk religion followed by some of the

Sundanese people The Sundanese (; ) are an Austronesian people, Austronesian ethnic group native to Java in Indonesia, primarily West Java. They number approximately 42 million and form Ethnic groups in Indonesia, Indonesia's second most populous ethnic group. T ...

(including Baduy & Bantenese) in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. The followers of this belief system can be found in some villages in western Java, such as Kanekes, Lebak,

Banten Banten (, , Pegon alphabet, Pegon: بنتن) is the westernmost Provinces of Indonesia, province on the island of Java, Indonesia. Its capital city is Serang and its largest city is Tangerang. The province borders West Java and the Special Capi ...

; Ciptagelar of Kasepuhan Banten Kidul, Cisolok, Sukabumi; Kampung Naga; and Cigugur, Kuningan Regency. In Carita Parahyangan this faith is called ''Jatisunda''. Its practitioners assert that Sunda Wiwitan has been part of their way of life since ancient times, before the arrival of

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

and

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

. The sacred book of Sunda Wiwitan is called Sanghyang Siksa Kandang Karesian. It is a didactic text of religious and moral guidance, rules, and lessons. The text is identified as Kropak 630 by the National Library of Indonesia. According to the ''kokolot'' (elder) of Cikeusik village, the people of Kanekes are not adherents to

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

faiths; they follow an animistic system of belief that venerates and worships the spirits of ancestors. However, over the course of time, Sunda Wiwitan has been influenced by and incorporated Hindu and, to some extent, Islamic elements.

Ontology and belief system

The highest spiritual power in Sunda Wiwitan is ''Sang

Hyang ''Hyang'' (Kawi language, Kawi, Sundanese language, Sundanese, Javanese language, Javanese, and Balinese language, Balinese) is a representation of the King of the gods, supreme being, in ancient Mythology of Indonesia, Java and Bali mythology. T ...

Kersa'' ("The Powerful") or ''Nu Ngersakeun'' ("He Who has the Will"). This supreme being is also referred to by several names or divine titles, such as ''Batara Tunggal'' ("The One"), ''Batara Jagat'' ("Ruler of Universe"), and ''Batara Seda Niskala'' ("The Unseen"). Sang Hyang Kersa resides in the highest and most sacred realm called ''Buana Nyungcung'' (). The Hindu gods (

Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

Indra Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes Indra is the m ...

, Yama, and so on) are considered subordinates of Sang Hyang Kersa. According to Sunda Wiwitan

ontology Ontology is the philosophical study of existence, being. It is traditionally understood as the subdiscipline of metaphysics focused on the most general features of reality. As one of the most fundamental concepts, being encompasses all of realit ...

, the

universe The universe is all of space and time and their contents. It comprises all of existence, any fundamental interaction, physical process and physical constant, and therefore all forms of matter and energy, and the structures they form, from s ...

consists of three realms: #Buana Nyungcung ("The Pointy Realm" or "Peak Realm"): the uppermost realm; the abode of the supreme highest Sang Hyang Kersa. #Buana Panca Tengah ("The Middle World"):

earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

, the realm of human beings and animals, with five cardinal directions: east, west, north, south, and center/zenith. #Buana Larang ("The Forbidden World"):

hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...

, the realm of

demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in Media (communication), media including f ...

s and lowly spirits, the lowermost realm. Between ''Buana Nyungcung'' (the peak realm) and ''Buana Panca Tengah'' (earth), there are 18 layers of realms, arranged in decreasing order of sacredness from top to bottom. The uppermost of these heavenly realms is called ''Bumi Suci Alam Padang,'' or according to Kropak 630 (Sanghyang siksakanda ng karesian), ''Alam Kahyangan'' or ''Mandala

''. This second-highest realm is the abode of Nyi Pohaci Sanghyang Asri and Sunan Ambu. Sang Hyang Kersa created seven bataras in Sasaka Pusaka Buana (The Sacred Place on Earth). The oldest of these bataras is called Batara Cikal and is considered to be the ancestor of the Kanekes people. Other bataras ruled various locations in Sunda lands.

Value system

The value system of Sunda Wiwitan is based on written and unwritten (internalized) norms. The written norms are rules and taboos that govern the way of life of adherents, while the unwritten norms are internal and individual understandings of the faith. Sunda Wiwitan's basic and principle concepts are based on two things: ''Cara Ciri Manusia'' and ''Cara Ciri Bangsa. These two principles are mentioned by Sunda Wiwitan elders, yet are not explicitly mentioned in the ''Siksa ''Kanda-ng Karesian,'' the sacred text of Sunda Wiwitan. ''Cara Ciri Manusia'' comprises the basic elements of human life. It consists of five fundamentals: * ''Welas asih'': love and compassion * ''Undak usuk'': social and family order * ''Tata krama'': behavior order and rules of conduct, such as politeness and courteousness * ''Budi bahasa dan budaya'': language and culture * ''Wiwaha yudha naradha'': "yudha," meaning war or battle. This principle refers to the essential human characteristic of always being wary or suspicious of foreign or unknown influences. This reflects an inherent conservatism and resistance to change in traditional village life. It implies that influences incompatible with tradition must be rejected. The second concept of ''Cara Ciri Bangsa'' states that people have universals or similarities in basic human traits, yet express diversity from one individual or community to another. These elements are the source of variety among human beings: * ''Rupa'': looks * ''Adat'': customs and rules * ''Bahasa'': language * ''Aksara'': letters * ''Budaya'': culture The philosophy and value system emphasizes the internal or spiritual elements of human life, indicating that humans need spiritual guidance and wisdom in their lives. Originally Sunda Wiwitan did not incorporate many taboos or prohibitions. The core rules of conduct consist of just two elements: * "Do not do something not to the taste of others" (something that others dislike), and do no harm to others * "Do not do something to harm yourself" However, to honor sacred places (''Kabuyutan'', ''Sasaka Pusaka Buana'' or ''Sasaka Domas'') and follow certain traditions in rice farming, Sunda Wiwitan elaborated on many restrictions and taboos. The most numerous taboos (called ''Buyut'' by Kanekes people) are applied to those living within the most sacred place on earth—the people of Baduy Dalam that inhabit ''Sasaka Pusaka Buana'' (Sacred Place on Earth).

Traditions and ceremonies

In Sunda Wiwitan tradition, prayer and ritual is performed through songs and chant of pantun Sunda and kidung dances. These ritual practices can be observed during the rice harvest ceremony and the annual new year festival called Seren Taun. These customary ceremonies are still performed annually by the more traditional Sundanese communities in Kanekes, Lebak,

; Ciptagelar Kasepuhan Banten Kidul, Cisolok, Sukabumi; Kampung Naga; and Cigugur, Kuningan. Although modern Sundanese people may practice Christianity or adhere to other faiths, influences and value systems, certain elements of traditional customs, beliefs, and culture of Sunda Wiwitan still survive into contemporary times. In terms of influence on their social values and cultural mores.Rama Jati

Ontology and belief system

Value system

Traditions and ceremonies

See also

References

Further reading