KAPITAYAN’S ACIANT RELIGION

Abstrak:

The belief of the ancient Javanese in the teachings of the Kapitayan who
worship Sang Hyang Taya, which means unimaginable, originates from the
ancestors of the Javanese people, namely Dahyang Semar and other mythological
figures. method of worship, here it is still unclear about the method of worship of
the capitayan people due to the lack of writing from historical sources and the
difficulty of filtering history well, which in the end can be grouped into two,
namely those who only worship Sanghyang Taya without any intermediaries and
those who only worship through objects or creatures. who are believed to have the
power as an intermediary because they believe all power is only in the superpower
of Sanghyang Taya

Kata kunci: kapitayan, sanghyang taya, ancient javanese religion

1. Introduction

Kapitayan from the Javanese language is one of the ancient religions of the
inhabitants of the island of Java, which is especially important for those who are
ethnically Javanese since the paleolithic, mesolithic, neolithic and megalithic
times. Kapitayan is a form of monotheism native to Java which has been
embraced and practiced by Javanese people from generation to generation since
ancient times. Local Javanese often also identify it as the ancient religion of Java,
the monotheistic religion of Java, the monotheistic religion of ancestors, the
original religion of Java, which is different from Kejawen which is another
Javanese religion with a non-monotheistic nature.

2. Discussion

Etymologically, the word Kapitayan is a designation that comes from the

Old Javanese language, which has the bottom word "Taya". And Aksara Kawi ya
which means unimaginable, invisible or absolute literally, thus it means that Taya
cannot be thought or imagined, or cannot be reached by the five earthly senses of
humans.

Kapitayan can be interpreted as a teaching that worships or worships Taya

or Si Hyang Taya which refers to an unimaginable and invisible entity, which is
sometimes also referred to as Suwung, Awang or Uwung.

The word Awang or Uwung refers to a real but unreachable existence, so

that it can be known and worshiped by humans, and Si Hyang Taya is interpreted
as an entity with divine and supernatural nature which is categorized as Tu or To.

A. History

Kapitayan is a religion adhered to by the inhabitants of the archipelago,

which according to ancient stories is an ancient religion held by the old black
inhabitants of the island of Java. In the belief of the Kapitayan adherents in Java,
the ancestor who was originally known as the advocate of Kapitayan is the
mythological figure Danghyang Semar, son of Sanghyang Wungkam descended
from Sanghyang Ismaya. According to the story, the country of origin of
Danghyang Semar is Swetadwipa, a continent that sank due to the great flood that
caused Danghyang Semar and his people to flee to the island of Java. Sanghyang
Semar has a brother named Sang Hantaga (Togog) who lives in another country
(outside Java), who also teaches Kapitayan but is slightly different from what
Danghyang Semar teaches. Another brother of Danghyang Semar, named Sang
Manikmaya, became the ruler of the supernatural realm where the ancestors lived,
called Ka-hyang-an.

Idol figures in Kapitayan teachings such as Danghyang Semar, Kyai

Petruk, Nala Gareng, and Bagong appear as clowns who have supernatural powers
that are able to defeat Hindu gods.

B. Deity

God in the capitalist religion is called Sang Hyang Taya. Taya means
"suwung" (empty). God Kapitan is abstract, can not be described. Sang Hyang
Taya is defined as "tan keno kinaya ngapa", cannot be seen, thought about, or
imagined, aka His existence cannot be helped. For this reason, in order to be
worshiped, Sanghyang Taya has a personal name and attribute called Tu or To,
which means "magical power" which is supernatural. Tu or To are singular in
Essence. One Person. Tu is commonly referred to by the name Sanghyang
Tunggal. He has two qualities, namely Good and Evil. Tu who is good is called
God called by the name Sanghyang Wenang. Tu who is evil is called by the name
of Sang Manikmaya. Thus, Sanghyang Wenang and Sanghyang Manikmaya are
essentially the only characteristics of Sanghyang Tunggal. Therefore, both
Sanghyang Tunggal, Sanghyang Wenang and Sanghyang Wenang are supernatural
and cannot be approached with the five senses and the mind. Only His nature is
known.

The power of Sang Hyang Taya which then represents in various places,
such as on stones, monuments, trees, and in many other places. Therefore, they
make offerings on that place, not because they worship stones, trees, monuments,
or anything else, but they do it as their devotion to Sang Hyang Taya whose power
is represented in all those places. The capitayan religion does not recognize gods
as in Hinduism.

C. Teaching

This capitalist religion, is an ancient religion studied in archaeological

studies, whose archaeological remains and relics in Western terminology are
known as dolmens, menhirs, sarcophagi, and others which indicate the existence
of ancient religions around the place. And by Dutch historians, this religion is
incorrectly referred to as animism and dynamism, because it worships trees, rocks,
and spirits. According to Ma Huan's point of view, the practice of worshiping such
objects is called an unbeliever. This Kapitayan is more like monotheism than
animism dynamism as most researchers think. The mention as animism-dynamism
itself arises because, in physical appearance, the rituals performed by its adherents
appear to be worship of objects. In simple terms, the worship of objects is
understood as worship of the power of the object itself (animism-dynamism).
Actually, at first the Kapitayan teachings did not worship the object as absolute
power, but rather worshiped Sang Hyang, the highest power. Objects contained in
religious rituals, such as trees, stones, and springs are just a few manifestations of
the supreme power of Sang Hyang.

Because the Sanghyang Tunggal with these two qualities is supernatural,

then to worship Him requires means that can be approached by the five senses and
the human mind. That is why, in the Kapitayan teachings, there is a belief which
states that the supernatural power of the Sole Person Sanghyang Taya called Tu or
To is 'hidden' in everything that has the name Tu or To. The followers of
Kapitayan teachings believe in the existence of supernatural powers in wa-tu, tu-
gu, tu-tuk, tunda, bone, tu-nggul, tu-ak, tu-k, tu-ban, tu-mbak, stump. , tu-lup, tu-
ngkub, tu collision, un-tu, door-tu, tu-tud, to-peng, to-san, to-pong, to-parem, to-
wok, to-ya. The remains of these worship facilities are known in archeology as
Menhir, Dolmen, Punden Berundak, Nekara, Sarcophagus, and others. In
performing devotional service to worship Sanghyang Taya through these means,
people provide offerings in the form of tumpeng, tu-mbal, tu-mbu, tu-kung, tu-d
to Sanghyang Taya through something that is believed to have supernatural
powers.

A servant who worships Sanghyang Taya who is considered pious will be

blessed with supernatural powers that are positive (tu-ah) and negative (tu-lah).
Those who have been gifted with the gods and the plagues are considered entitled
to become community leaders. They are called ra-tu or dha-tu. Those who have
been gifted with afflictions and plagues, their life movements will be marked by
PI, which is the hidden power of Sanghyang Taya's divine secret. That's why, ra-tu
or dha-tu, call themselves with the personal pronoun: PI-nakahulun. If speaking it
is called PI-dato. If heard called PI-harsa. If teaching knowledge is called PI-
wulang. If giving advice is called PI-speech. If it gives a hint called PI-accused. If
punishing called PI-funds. If it gives firmness it is called PIandel. When providing
offerings to ancestral spirits, it is called PItapuja, usually in the form of PI-nda
(flour cake), PI-nang, PI-tik, PIndodakakriya (rice and water), PI-sang. If it
radiates power is called PI-dexa. If they die, it is called PI-tara. A queen or dha-tu,
is the embodiment of Sanghyang Taya's supernatural powers. A queen is the image
of the Single Sanghyang Personal.

With the prerequisites as described above, the position of queen and dha-tu
is not absolute inheritance. Because a queen who is required to have a
fundamental obligation to have fortunes and plagues cannot be passed down
automatically to her offspring. A queen must strive to demonstrate the superiority
of thu-ah and t-tu-lah, by first becoming the ruler of a small area called a wizard.
The ruler of the wizard is given the title Raka. A raka who is able to subdue the
power of other raka, then he will occupy the position of queen. Thus, the queen is
a human being whose abilities have really been tested, both in the ability to lead
and manage strategies as well as the abilities of the gods and the plagues she has.

These Kapitayan religious values were later adopted by the Walisongo in

spreading Islam to the regions. Because the concept of monotheism in Kapitayan
is basically the same as the concept of monotheism in Islam: the term “Tan keno
kinaya ngapa” in Kapitayan (“cannot be seen, cannot be thought of, cannot be
imagined, He is beyond everything”), has the same meaning as "laisa kamitslihi
syai'un" in Islam ("There is no one like Him"; Qur'an Surah Ash-Syura chapter 42
verse 11).

Walisongo also uses the term "Salat" (worshipping Sang Hyang Taya in
Kapitayan) in introducing the term "Salat" in Islam. In terms of places of worship
or prayer, Walisongo also uses the term Sanggar di Kapitayan, which is a four-
square building with an empty hole in the wall as a symbol of Sang Hyang Taya in
Kapitayan, not a statue like in Hinduism. The term place to pray or worship in
Kapitayan is also used by Walisongo with the name "Langgar" representing the
term mosque in Islam.

There is also a ritual of not eating from morning to night in Kapitayan,

which is called Upawasa (Fasting or Poso). Incidentally, the ritual of fasting in
Hinduism is also called Upawasa or Upavasa. Instead of using the term fasting or
Siyam in Islam, Walisongo uses the term Puasa or Upawasa from Kapitayan to
describe the ritual. The term Poso Dino Pitu in Kapitayan which means fasting on
the second and fifth days which is the same as fasting for seven days, is very
similar to the form of fasting Monday and Thursday in Islam. The Kapitayan
"Tumpengan" tradition is also preserved by the Walisongo in an Islamic
perspective known as "Sedekah". This is the meaning of the term that was
mentioned by Gus Dur (the fourth president of Indonesia) as "indigenizing Islam"

D. Pray practice

In order to perform worship services to Sanghyang Tunggal, Kapitayan

adherents provide offerings in the form of tu-mpeng, tu-mpi (cake made of flour),
tumbu (a square basket made of woven bamboo for flower holders), tu-ak (wine),
tukung ( a kind of chicken) to be offered to Sanghyang Single whose magical
power is hidden in everything that is believed to have supernatural powers such as
tu-ngkub, tu-nda, wa-tu, tu-gu, tu-tuk, tu-k, tu -tire, th-crash, tu-tuk. The followers
of Kapitayan who have the intention of doing tu-ju (divination) or other urgent
needs, will worship the single Sanghyang with a special offering called tu-mbal.

In contrast to the worship of the Sanghyang Tunggal which is carried out

by ordinary people by offering offerings in sacred places, to worship Sanghyang
Taya directly, the practice commonly carried out by the Kapitayan clergy, takes
place in a place called the studio, which is a rectangular building with an
overlapping roof. tutuk (alcove hole) on the wall as a symbol of the emptiness of
Sanghyang Taya.

In praying to Sanghyang Taya in the studio, the Kapitayan clergy follow

certain rules: first, the worshiping clergyman performs tu-lajeg (standing straight)
facing the tutu-k (alcove hole) with both hands raised up to present Sanghyang
Taya inside tutu-d (heart). After feeling Sanghyang Taya residing in the heart, both
hands were lowered and clasped to the chest right to the heart. This position is
called selfclip (holding the self-I personally). This tu-lajeg process is carried out
in a relatively long time. After the tu-lajeg is finished, the prayer is continued with
the Tu-ngkul position (bent looking down) which is also carried out for a
relatively long time. Then proceed again with the tu-lumpak position (kneeling
with both heels occupied). Finally, the To-ndhem position is performed (prostrate
like a baby in its mother's stomach). While doing tu-lajeg, tu-ngkul, tu-lumpak,
and To-ndhem for more than an hour, the Kapitayan spiritualists with all their
feelings tried to maintain the continuity of the existence of Sanghyang Taya (The
Void) which had been buried in the tutu-d (heart).

3. Conclusion

In the discussion above it can be concluded that Judging from the religious
style and the style of its followers, Javanese religion, be it capitayan, kejawen, and
kejawen Islam (priyayi and abangan), has an ambiguous understanding of the
Absolute Reality (God), which is more inclined to believe in an immanent God
than a transcendent one. , except for the santri variant, whose orientation is more
emphasized on the transcendent God.

The prospect of Javanese religion throughout its history has experienced

dynamic progressive changes from time to time. Old traditions that are meant to
be original will disappear by themselves along with the process of change through
the creation of new traditions. Rituals that are usually sacred have also been
understood as mere routines, ritual routines that have a crisis of meaning.
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