Spirituality of Coronavirus

AFP/OLI SCARFF

Leo (C), aged 6, and Espen, aged 3, are assisted by their mother Moira as they navigate online learning resources provided by their infant school in the village of Marsden, near Huddersfield, northern England on March 23, 2020 on the first school day since the nationwide closure of almost all schools except for the children of \'key workers\', amidst the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. - Families across the UK were coming to grips with homeschooling and online resources after the government closed schools to almost all children as a measure to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.

A man walks alone on the brink of a gloomy crisis while hoping that The Guru shines a light on his path. “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” The Guru then answers, “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”

Such was King George VI’s advice for the people of Great Britain amid the long darkness of the 1930s global economic depression. Crisis occurs when normality is disrupted and generic formulas provide no way out. At such moments, awareness and submission are important. There is always another way not completely known to us, another path in life that we may have forgotten. There is humility to submit to the source of all lights.

The coronavirus outbreak has disrupted life’s routines. It is nature’s way to remind mankind that all of us are connected to something larger and higher. Under the threat of the coronavirus, everyone can get infected, all nations are exposed and all powers are vulnerable. The coronavirus overpowers all religions with all their truth-claims, all races indiscriminately, all official titles without any special right and all superiority without any veto right.

KOMPAS/COKORDA YUDISTIRA

The ritual implementation of the Tawur Agung Kesanga ceremony in Denpasar City, Bali, on Tuesday (24/3/2020), at I Gusti Ngurah Made Agung Field, Denpasar City. The worship activities and ritual offerings to harmonize the universe before Nyepi were held amid calls for crowd restrictions and distance restrictions between people in an effort to prevent the spread of diseases caused by the new corona virus (Covid-19) in Bali.

The coronavirus has pushed us to return to the neglected path of spirituality, by shining a light on the recesses of our heart and the essence of our faith. The Indonesian language has an apt term for this sense of faith, namely “percaya” (belief). It is derived from the word “bercahaya” (shining). It brings forward a meaning that the heart of a man of faith must shine; that a corrupted heart will not be able to reflect the divine light and can never self-reflect.

In the cosmology of Batak Toba people and Bugis-Makassar’s “I La Galigo”, the triadic relationship is aimed to create harmony relations between “the World Above” (God), “the Middle World” (mankind) and “the World Below” (nature).

To cleanse a corrupted heart, we need a path of spirituality. This is derived from the Latin word spiritus, meaning “aglow” (igniting the light of the heart) or “breath” (that refreshes the soul). In the archipelago’s cosmology, the light of the soul is ignited through connectivity that radiates in three directions (triadic). In the cosmology of Batak Toba people and Bugis-Makassar’s “I La Galigo”, the triadic relationship is aimed to create harmony relations between “the World Above” (God), “the Middle World” (mankind) and “the World Below” (nature).

In the Sundanese cosmology of Tritangtu (three certainties), this triadic relationship is developed into the framework of Aji Luhung (honing divine majesty), Aji Komara (honing humanity’s aura) and Aji Wiwaha (honing the care for the universe). In Hindu cosmology, the triadic relationship is referred to as Tri Hita Karana (three causes of happiness), namely the harmonious relations of “mankind and God”, “mankind and nature” and “between humans”.

In the cosmology of Confucianism, the triadic relationship comprises Thian (the Transcendent One), ti (the universe) and ren (humanity). In the cosmology of Islam, the triadic relationship is aimed at strengthening the love bond “between mankind and God” (hablun min-Allah), “between humans” (hablun min al-annas), and “between mankind and the universe” (hablun min al-ardhi wa al-samaawaati/hablun min al-alam).

In true Indonesian terminology, the Golden Rule is exemplified in the spirit of gotong royong. To borrow the words of Soekarno, this is the spirit of “working hard together, break a sweat together, persistence in helping one another.

In Pancasila, the triadic relationship is developed with the spirit of cultured divinity, which exudes a broad and tolerant relationship with God (first principle); Just and Civilized Humanity that enlightens the dignified and compassionate relationship between humans (second principle); and Unified Indonesia that radiates the spirit of cohesiveness amid differences, which develops the spirit of love in the relationship with the living environment (the homeland) and the life of the nation (third principle).

The central axis that serves as the unification point of the three relations is manunggaling kawula-gusti (the unification of the microcosm and the macrocosm); which emits the light of compassion. Under this compassionate light, human interactions are guided by “the golden rule”. In a negative sentence, the rules cite: “Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.” In a positive sentence: “Love others as you love yourself”.

In true Indonesian terminology, the Golden Rule is exemplified in the spirit of gotong royong. To borrow the words of Soekarno, this is the spirit of “working hard together, break a sweat together, persistence in helping one another. Everyone works for the greater good and the sweat of all brings happiness to all”. In Sundanese wisdom, the spirit of gotong royong is reflected in the idiom “silih asah, silih asih, siling asuh” (reminding one another, loving one another, caring for one another). In Malay wisdom, it is reflected in the proverb “asam di gunung, garam di laut, bersatu di belanga” (tamarind from the mountain, salt from the seas, united in a cooking pot). In the wisdom of Maluku people and Papuans, this is reflected is the spirit of basudara (brotherhood) – no matter what differences we may have, we are still one family as long as we breathe the same air.

In Javanese wisdom, this is reflected in the proverb hamemayu hayuning bawana (beautifying the world’s beauties, instead of destroying them). In Hindu teaching, this is reflected in the spirit of tat twan asi (I am you, you are me). In Buddhist teaching, this is reflected in the prayer “may all creatures be happy”. In Christian teaching, this is reflected in the spirit of compassion. In Islamic teaching, this is reflected in the spirit of rahmatan lilalamin (compassion for the universe).

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Yudi Latif

Thus, the coronavirus outbreak has reminded us all to be always aware and watchful. Mankind is the inheritor of the same universe and hails from the same spring of spirituality. The joy of living together will be experienced if we can enlightened the lights of faith and knowledge as the light of our soul, by building harmonious relationship with The Creator, other humans and the universe. All these relationships can be enlivened whenever the light of compassion shines on the core of our soul.

Yudi Latif, the Expert of National Alliance.