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On Women and the Praxis of Interreligious Dialogue Through the Arts1 International Journal of Interreligious and Intercultural Studies (IJIIS) ISSN: 2654-2706, Volume 2, Number 1, April 2019 ON WOMEN AND THE PRAXIS OF INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE THROUGH THE ARTS1 Diane Butler Kajian Budaya Doctoral Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Udayana, Bali, Indonesia and International Foundation for Dharma Nature Time <[email protected]> Abstract This paper seeks to bring to the foreground the praxis of interreligious and intercultural dialogue through the arts in the field of Interreligious Studies. In particular, it looks at the unfolding of collaborative artistic offerings made by women from diverse cultures and faiths of Indonesia from 2000 to 2015 at the local level during cultural events held in Bali to the international level of the Parliament of the World’s Religions and the United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week. By doing so, it hopes to show how the arts can embody the centuries-old principle of bhinneka tunggal ika (unity in diversity) today to support interreligious and intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for world peace. Keywords: interreligious dialogue, praxis, women, the arts, Bali, Indonesia, world peace Introduction my dissertation (Butler, 2011) about Thinking about what to contribute religiosity in art and my experiences to the theme of Bali Hinduism, as a dance-movement artist, teacher tradition, and interreligious studies and cultural program director who has for this international seminar has been resided in the villages of Bedulu and an opportunity to further reflect on Tejakula in Bali for seventeen years 1. This is a slightly revised version of the paper presented for the International Seminar on Bali Hinduism, Tradition, and Interreligious Studies convened by Universitas Hindu Indonesia, Denpasar, Bali, 10 March 2018. Aspects of this paper are dealt with in my dissertation “Religiosity in Art Inspired by Samuan Tiga and Tejakula Bali: Unity in Diversity” (2011). Original quotations from Bagus, Granoka, Sudiarta, Suryodarmo, and Syahrir in Indonesian were translated to English by this author. 11 On Women and the Praxis of Interreligious Dialogue through the Arts and engaged in creative dialogue with at the United Nations in 2000 – the field traditional and contemporary artists of Interreligious Studies has gained from and in the Americas, Europe and currency as an academic discipline Asia for thirty years. One of the main (see, for example, Banawiratma and insights has been that the language of Bagir, 2010 and Leirvik, 2014). Yet, as art fosters a common field for people Dunbar (1998) noted, few scholars have of varied cultures even when their written about the place of interreligious art forms and spoken mother tongues dialogue. differ (see Butler, 2014) and also how I had hoped to have a conversation this is related to the genius loci or spirit with two colleagues who have been of a place. An equally important involved in the field of interreligious insight is that the seminal deliberation dialogue on an international scale for interreligious creative conciliation for many years and also in several among the Bali Aga and nine Hindu cultural events in Indonesia and abroad and Buddhist faith groups circa CE 989 since 2000 inspired by the creative to 1011 at Samuan Tiga in the village interreligious spirit of Samuan Tiga. of Bedulu (see Patera et al., 1999) and Though the time was too brief to do so, intercultural egalitarian innovations Professor Emerita of Religious Studies since the seventeenth century dialogue at St. Francis College in New York; of indigenous and migrant mountain member of the Board of Trustees of the and maritime cultures in the village of Council for a Parliament of the World’s Tejakula in North Bali (see Yayasan Religions, and Vice President of the Tejakukus, 1998) – constitute a model Committee of Religious NGOs at the for furthering the Indonesian ethos of United Nations, Kusumita Pedersen bhinneka tunggal ika (unity in diversity) (pers. comm., 2018), suggested that I in the world today. look back at the history of events held in the theme of sharing in the arts and This seminar also feels timely religiosity and focus on collaboration, given that since the first World Day partnership and convergence of visions. of Prayer for Peace on 27 October UN Representative of the United 1986 in Assisi attended by over 160 Religions Initiative (URI) and former leaders of the world’s religions; the Chair of the Committee of Religious modern Parliament of the World’s NGOs at the UN, Monica Willard (pers. Religions first held in Chicago in 1993; comm., 2018), pointed out that this The Contribution by Religions to the seminar at Universitas Hindu Indonesia Culture of Peace meeting convened by coincides with the sixty-second session UNESCO in Barcelona in 1994, and of the Commission on the Status of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders opening Women (see UN Women, 2018) at the 12 Diane Butler UN Headquarters in New York from 12 through the arts. One such event in to 23 March 2018 and recommended Bedulu, Bali, inspired by the local including the place and value of women genius of the Samuan Tiga temple – within traditions especially as the theme since the international festival Sacred for the CSW62 is the empowerment of Rhythm to pass from the second to rural women and girls. the third millennium – was Sharing So, this paper seeks to bring to the Art & Religiosity/Pasamuan Seni & foreground the praxis of interreligious Ketuhanan (2001–2004) and then in and intercultural dialogue through the the theme of 1,000 Years Wisdom arts in the field of Interreligious Studies. of Samuan Tiga (2011). While other In particular, it looks at the unfolding publications sited in the reference of collaborative artistic offerings made section can be consulted for a fuller by women from diverse cultures and picture of the many artistic offerings faiths of Indonesia from 2000 to 2015 made by hundreds of artists, educators at the local level during cultural events and interreligious leaders from villages held in Bali to the international level of and cities of Indonesia and several the Parliament of the World’s Religions regions of the world; here I would like and the United Nations World Interfaith to feature just a few made by women. Harmony Week. By doing so, it hopes Actually, during the third Sharing to show how the arts can embody the Art & Religiosity event at the Mandala centuries-old principle of bhinneka Wisata Samuan Tiga, it was the late tunggal ika (unity in diversity) today to theorist and initiator of the first Kajian support interreligious and intercultural Budaya program in Indonesia, I Gusti dialogue, understanding and cooperation Ngurah Bagus, who offered a discussion for world peace. on The Prayer of Women for the Beauty and Peace of the World. Bagus (2003) Sharing Art & Religiosity: simply said, ‘In Bali, it is already the prayer of women for the beauty and peace of the world ordinary for women to create for God; creating the art banten offerings … Numerous thematic Srawung Seni/ Now there is a new trend of playing Sharing Art events in cultural and gamelan. But originally they wove the heritage sites in Indonesia and other banten offerings for creating the beauty countries since 1986, which originated of humanity’. He then recited from from the efforts of the non-formal the book Sastra Yantra (Granoka and arts educational institution Padepokan Bagus, 1989) which is a compilation Lemah Putih based in Solo, Central of devotional calligraphy by the mid- Java; have contributed to the growth of twentieth century East Balinese poetess intercultural and interreligious dialogue Anak Agung Istri Biang Agung (1922– 13 On Women and the Praxis of Interreligious Dialogue through the Arts 1979). Her geguritan poetry composed prayer. Bagus (2003) also articulated of classical Balinese script inscribed in that, ‘every nationality, every ethnic aesthetic drawings, such as upon the has their own ways or related arts and petals of lotus flowers or the feathers literature. … Religiosity in art is the of a peacock, were visual yantra for realization of an aesthetic art expression meditation and also a form of sung that is created for the great authority sadhana yoga ‘for her soul to be freed Yang Maha Kuasa – the Great Creator’. and to meet with true beauty, God’. The year before, during the second Sharing Art & Religiosity event at the Mandala Wisata Samuan Tiga, Solonese movement artist Suprapto Suryodarmo offered a collaborative piece titled Kidung Kalayoni (The Song of Woman Time). In the synopsis, Suryodarmo (2002) wrote that ‘at the dawn of the third millennium in these times of Figure 1. I Gusti Ngurah Bagus reading mounting discord and destructive wars geguritan poetry by Anak Agung Istri Biang in many nations, the superiority-based Agung from the book Sastra Yantra for 3rd Pasamuan Seni & Ketuhanan/Sharing Art & conflict laden tendency of male time Religiosity at the Mandala Wisata Samuan Tiga needs to be balanced with female time. in Bedulu, Bali. 26 March 2003. Photos by the author © Yayasan Dharma Samuan Tiga and [So,] I worked with the sense of nature Dharma Nature Time. like the Hindu-Buddhist idea of the Changed by the fragrant flower turning of the wheel of the cosmos, known as padma sari mandaragiri. Then joined it with the surrounded by bees Islamic idea kun fayakun meaning spread with aromatic essence of Inna pollen made by a fragrant flower ‘it is to be’ (also not to be) and truly awakening love. Lillahi wa-Inna Ilahii Roji’un like Given an invisible strength God created human beings from clay in creating sacred poetry and at death our body returns to dust. midday and evening contemplated imagined within thought These I combined with the idea that if fulfilled becomes a base the door to heaven is in the sole of the adhering to the foot-dust feet of the Mother.
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