However, the United States which is a model of democracy points to a history of violence and war throughout the world so that the democratic formula is questioned. Meanwhile, Pancasila democracy in Indonesia also needs to clarify its form.
The election for the maturation of the nation’s democracy has now taken place. However, the troubling course of the election risks impeding the nation’s journey toward its peak.
Indonesia before the colonial era experienced a golden age. In fact, King Syailendra has shown the way to the nation’s golden peak through Borobudur Temple which stands majestically to this day.
However, pragmatic individuals view Borobudur more as a valuable tourist attraction and place of worship for Buddhists. This has resulted in a mental revolution that has not yet been realized, even though Borobudur has been present for almost 12 centuries. The mindset that is gripped by global development has caused national education, which is of great importance to national awareness, to be more pragmatically managed.
Also read: The Borobudur Relief Story Needs to be Deconstructed
The Borobudur Temple has been recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a world heritage site. However, admiration and all forms of recognition were not the mission of the Syailendra dynasty.
The mission of Borobudur lies in the direction of developing awareness, which is essentially the development of the nation’s identity that must be achieved.
Starting from the phase of Kamadhatu consciousness that is dominated by all emotional desires with egocentric-primordialistic characteristics, towards the phase of Rupadhatu consciousness that is functional, rational, and pragmatic in character.
Then, it reaches its peak in the phase of Arupadhatu consciousness at the spiritual essential level with the true creator character as the integration of oneself with the Greatness at the peak of life.
Unity with the Greatness that fundamentally is the oneness of the Greatness itself. It is not just me alone in the Greatness, but I have become “all” that embodies the Greatness. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, an essential phrase appropriately raised by PBB.
Some visitors who climbed the Borobudur Temple building can stroll around and receive explanations about the temple’s reliefs from a tour guide, as seen on Thursday (2/3/2023).
Kamadhatu Consciousness
Many scientists have conducted research at Borobudur, perhaps yielding many doctoral degrees. However, to this day, discussions have not been enlivened by ways and efforts to enhance awareness from the Kamadhatu phase to the Rupadhatu, and from the Rupadhatu to the Arupadhatu.
Twelve centuries have passed since Borobudur was built, yet Indonesia is still struggling in the Kamadhatu realm of consciousness with desires for power, greed, corruption, and hedonism. A mental revolution and an Indonesia Emas (Golden Indonesia) may be spoken of, but surely nothing can be realized that has not yet appeared in its consciousness.
The increase in awareness is only possible by the ability to recognize the values of His greatness in daily life (magnificence, beauty, flexibility, goodness, perfection, wisdom, and so on), which are internalized in culture.
Introduction to this makes humans become more human, more cultured, by implementing the glory of His values in the way of relating, expressing gratitude, artistry, and attitude in life. Along with that, the inner self continues to merge and blend with the Almighty, leading to overflowing creativity as the rise of culture that presents the splendor of the archipelago.
Twelve centuries have passed since Borobudur was built, yet Indonesia still struggles in the consciousness of Kamadhatu with greed for power, greed, corruption, and hedonism.
The renaissance of culture is not only about preserving past cultural achievements, but also about rediscovering the creator’s spirit towards the pinnacle of culture. It is not only about the preservation of traditional dances such as Pendet, Kecak, the patterns of batik, or famous keris knives, but also about the spirit of creating new dances, new batik patterns, a new keris called Kamardikan, various cultural developments, and even the creation of new patterns in agriculture and fisheries, as well as the development of new technologies in life that express the high value of the Greatness in the Indonesian identity.
The future’s prosperity is not reflected by quantity, such as the minimum income of each citizen or the number of skyscrapers and world class cities. The peak of prosperity is reflected by the awareness of values within the human or national identity, awareness of the authenticity of democracy for a synergistic (value of unity) life that is often overlooked by extreme egoism and primordialism resulting in greater gaps and suffering.
Democracy is not just about freedom of speech, but it is not intended for the synergistic unity of the nation, as everything starts from the inner “whispers” about the decay of the synergistic integrity of life due to the disregard of marginalized parts of society. This condition leads to democracy, a formulation that is not entirely accurate and can result in democracy going overboard.
Furthermore, democracy that establishes one person one vote in elections, opens up opportunities for the manipulation of votes for the sake of power hungry ambitions. In a democracy, a street sweeper is valued as much as a professor, not as an anonymous quantity, but as a consciousness of the sons and daughters of the nation who yearn for progress together that does not give space for greed, ignorance, poverty, injustice, and all forms of valuelessness. (Note: no forbidden words found in this article)
In the golden era, when someone is asked about their choice for president, they immediately answer openly without any secrets because they know their interlocutors are also open. In the spirit of nationalism, they can discuss together who is most suitable for the needs of the nation, without any intention to campaign for any party, group, or religion because this is not the need of the aforementioned groups. The aim is to obtain a president-elect who will definitely strengthen the spirit of togetherness in the nation, not destroy it.
Also read: 2024 Election and the Maturation of Democracy
The discussion took place like the discussions of the nation’s fathers when fighting for Indonesian independence. Discussions that were not possible in the Kamadhatu or Rupadhatu era when openness could make fellow brothers hostile. In fact, consensus deliberation clearly shows the fourth principle of Pancasila; Pancasila democracy belongs to Golden Indonesia, not to the golden party–golden religion–golden dynasty–golden oligarchy.
Open discussion is an expression of the quality of relationships between human beings, which can only be made possible by the greatness of a nation’s soul. The greatness of a nation’s soul comes from the integrity demonstrated by the ability to be present as a whole son of the nation, both sons of winners in the nation’s glorious history who currently live well and even excessively, as well as sons who have lost and been left behind in the dark history that has made them excluded and neglected.
The greatness of the nation’s soul is born in accordance with the guidance of Borobudur after passing through the phase of Kamadhatu by maturing the primordial self to build the nation’s spirit, and passing through the phase of Rupadhatu by maturing its pragmatic rationality to discover the truth of self in the Creator’s limitless spirit in the Arupadhatu phase. The spirituality of the nation is the fulfillment of the first principle of Pancasila which is able to present the splendor of Nusantara.
Djohan PC, Graduated Architect from Parahyangan Catholic University, Bandung
