YOGYAKARTA – He is not young anymore, 71 years old. As expert on culture, Prof. Dr. Damardjati Supadjar remains active in writing books. This time he launched a book Sumurupa Byar-e: Menyingkap Rahasia Awal-Akhir Lahir Batin (Shines the Light: Unlocking Secrets of Beginning and End of Body and Soul). A 101-page book, published by the Center for Pancasila Studies UGM, it is a collection of Darmardjati’s writings from a variety of seminars, discussions and lectures.
This book includes many thoughts of this UGM pensioner, a professor of Philosophy Faculty about divinity and religious issues, philosophy and ideology of Pancasila as well as other current issues such as education and culture. "It is part of Damardjati’s thinking about life and observation about the condition of the nation today. He wrote his ideas on spiritual revolution, a revolution without a riot that is bloody," said Heri Santoso, SS, M. Hum, the book editor who moderated the discussion at the book launching at the office of the Center on Thursday (31/3).
In the language of Damardjati, said Heri, a spiritual revolution will be successful if carried out by young people who are compared to Ontoseno and Wisanggeni as in the story of shadow puppet (wayang). "Both of them are children of Werkudoro from Pendowo family who fight against crimes committed by Kurowo family," he said.
In the book discussion, Damardjati explained the Javanese worldview about life. Every human being must go through the process of mijil (being born), then experiencing asmorodono (falling in love) with their spouse, Sinom Perdopo and Maskumambang Asmoro. Furthermore, the process improves to dhandhanggulo. "In this process, we can tell the sweetness and sugar apart. Through Durma, Pangkur, Gambuh before people die or Megat-ruh that means ‘dead’ before death," said Damardjati explaining the philosophy.
He explained, during life, each person must be useful and fill his/her life with a variety of good things. Since early age, they need to know and love their relatives rather than knowing that they are relatives after that person has died.
The Sumurupa Byar-e is one reference to give an idea about the thinking of Prof. Supadjar in seeing human life from essence to knowledge, making it interesting to discuss. In the concept of beginning and end, body and soul, Prof. Padjar presented in the perspective of philosophy of organism/philosophy of process that views the universe as being ‘structured’ (Body-soul) and ‘proceeds "(beginning-end). The unique language style which is sometimes difficult to understand by common people compels us to read the book repeatedly to understand the content. Not only that, words with are followed by a variety of signs do not stay there for nothing, but carry much meanings.