REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, by. Shelbi Asrianti/shelbiasrianti.blogspot.com*
It's nearly midnight, Sunardi's still awake. He feels no drowsiness at all.
He's sitting along with another hundred people, listening for the all-night wayang (shadow puppets) performance. That show held by the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas) Republic of Indonesia, which commemorates its 50th anniversary, (29/5-30/5).
"Ooong, bumi gonjang-ganjing, langit kelap-kelap katon....," said dalang, or the puppeteer. He hummed suluk, the typical rhymes of wayang.
The night was so bright, clear sky without clouds. Friendly weather make the event unconstrained.
Since eight o'clock at night, Sunardi has arrived at the show location, in Central Jakarta. That 57-year-old-man from Madiun came after heard the news at the radio that told the wayang performances are open for the public.
It reported that dalang Ki Anom H Suroto and Ki Bayu Aji Prasetyo, brought the "Bima Suci" play. As a wayang-lover, Sunardi immediately get through to watch that traditional show.
"Since I was child, I love wayang very much. Moreover, dalang Ki Anom is my favorite puppeteer," he said. Sunardi recounts, he first watched wayang performances by dalang Ki Anom in 1970, when he was in fifth grade at elementary school.
On the top of that, Sunardi records the sound of that night performance. While recording using mobile phone, he eats the custom snacks: boiled peanuts, boiled bananas, corn, and cassava.
The "Bima Suci" play is also often called the "Dewa Ruci". The tale is about the Bima's journey to reach the authenticity of life. Sunardi said, he adores that story because there are many reeds and life lessons contained in it.
"I collect some books about Bima Suci story at home. Many moral lessons I learn from it," the father of two children said.
The main character, Bima, is the second child of the Pandawa Lima brothers. The Kunti's son was known fierce and very strong, with big appearance, but good-hearted.
The chronicle tells the adventures of Bima for carrying out the mandate from his teacher, Durna. Bima must dive into the ocean to find the Parwita water, which is a symbol of self authenticity.
At first, Bima's mission was resisted by his family. His mother, Kunti, and the other Pandawa brothers don't want any harms do Bima. They assume, Durna's command is nonsense.
However, Bima be hell-bent. He struggles and strives to get rid of all hazards and barriers. Bima fights with Hanuman, beats the giants, and counters the dragon.
Finally, he could dive into the ocean. But then he meets Dewa Ruci, the god of all gods. Bima was ordered to enter the Dewa Ruci's small body, so he could realize that the authenticity actually exist inside human being.
Dewa Ruci shows the four primary colors of human: red, yellow, black, and white. Those colors liken the elements of the world and the true nature of human.
To achieve authenticity, every human should control the mundane appetence. (symbolized by red, yellow, and black). But human should accentuate the white one.
That pure color is a symbol of peace of mind. Anyone who could do it, will taste the perfect life, "the unity of creature with The Creator".
Various documents said, "Bima Suci" saga is actually the trails of Sunan Kalijaga. One of the Walisongo (propagator of Islam in Java in the 14th century) incarnating his spiritual experience in wayang, or shadow puppets performance.
Governor of National Resilience Institute RI, Professor Budi Susilo Soepandji, underlining the importance of self-control, which is implied in the "Bima Suci" narration. Budi cited, when Bima only rely on the brain, head, and mind; he could not achieve authenticity. However, after successfully controlling appetence and reduce his ego, Bima can find the real truth.
"Hopefully this advice and lessons can be interpreted through the shadow puppets, as the folk performances," said the leader of a non-ministerial government institutions that provide education and assessment of strategic national security and stabilization of the national values.
The golden age celebration of Lemhannas RI enlivened by a lot of Indonesian valuable works of art. Not only shadow puppets festival, there are also Javanese gamelan show by Sekar Widya Makara community and Kembang Tanjung dance performance by Nartana Buddhaya group.
*Wartawan Republika
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