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Confucianism is one of the worlds major philosophic and spiritual teachings, primarily practiced in Asian countries and China in particular. It is based on the various ideas of Confucius, comprising the moral and spiritual backbone of a number of nations. For its country of origin, China, Confucianism remains a source of many moral and behavioral principles, which shapes how people practice it and interact with it. Most of the countries where this movement is widely recognized have a considerable ethnic Chinese population. However, there are exceptions to this trend, which this work will attempt to focus on. Indonesia, the nation where Confucianism is being actively practiced by only an inconsiderably small fraction, has made the ideology part of its official religions. A country with 0.005% of the population being Confucians has established the practice into law in a way not many others do today (Setijadi). The relationship of Indonesian people to Confucianism is therefore unique and has a weighted history to it, encompassing the effects of global information exchange, Indonesian nationalism and European Colonialism.
The subject presents both a personal and intellectual curiosity; therefore, it will be discussed in more detail in an organized fashion. The main thesis is that Indonesia has developed a strictly unique view on Confucianism through a combination of foreign influence, nationalist ideas and modern understanding of the teaching among its practitioners. This paper will touch upon the historical origins of Confucianism in Indonesia, how it came to develop to its current state, the relationship between its practitioners, Chinese heritage, and the government. Additionally, I will also attempt to touch upon the incorporation of Confucian values into both the lives of Confucians and the rest of the Indonesian population.
The most notable fact about Indonesias Confucianism is that it originated from Europe and was translated into practice through a second-hand understanding of the ideology. For a large portion of its existence, Indonesia has been a Dutch colony, which introduced western thoughts into its development and majorly altered the way the nations thought was formed (Sutrisno). Scholars and enthusiasts argue that the knowledge about Confucianism was first transmitted from China, after which the ideas were altered through the Dutch lens and delivered to Indonesia through print media (Sutrisno). Both Christianity and modern understandings of Confucianism as a movement have come to shape how it is understood by its practitioners.
Partially, intra-Asian networks transferred information from other nations nearby, such as Singapore and China, which additionally helped Confucianisms popularity. However, direct access to Confucian ideas and their origin was blocked for the nation because the Dutch colonists introduced a strong anti-Chinese sentiment and used segregation policies to limit the spread of knowledge about the Chinese culture (Sutrisno). Genealogical groups descended from China, or Chinese Peranakans were strictly controlled and faced a language barrier when trying to access the original texts of the Confucian movement (Sutrisno). Later down in history, Independent Indonesia still sought to define itself as having a unique approach to Confucianism, one starkly different from the original practices and more in line with the countrys development (Chuarsa). This process was completed with the introduction of Christianity-influenced structures of worship.
A number of rituals and practices found in the usual Chinese Confucianism are not present in Indonesia, and many others take drastically different forms to their original counterpart. In particular, worship takes a centralized form, with a congregation of people and a central preacher being present to give their sermon (Chuarsa). The original Chinese way of practicing Confucianism is more strictly individualistic and does not require specific dates, times, or types of organization. Analects are considered to be the key piece of literature used in teaching and understanding Confucianism.
When discussing the practices of Indonesian Confucians in terms of their relationship with the Analects, a number of interesting connections emerge. The book, created as a way to promote human cultivation and moral values, places high importance on the subject of rituals. To quote directly from the book, Lead them through moral force (de) and keep order among them through rites (li), and they will have a sense of shame and will also correct themselves. (Theodore et al.). Chinese Peranakans have worked with the government to standardize and conceptualize the Indonesian Confucian practices on a nationwide level, helping maintain a specific structure to the nature of their religion. This action, in a way, follows the outlined principles of governance through both discipline and rites, the key lesson taken from the analects. Indonesians, then, manage to organize specific, complex, and necessary rituals around the Confucian religion, paying respects to the book of analects and its message.
Works Cited
Chuarsa, Ira. The Invention of Indonesian Confucianism. The Center for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies, 2017, Web.
Setijadi, Charlotte. Talking Indonesia: Confucianism. Indonesia at Melbourne, Charlotte Setijadi, Web.
Sutrisno, Evi Lina. Negotiating the Confucian Religion in Indonesia: Invention, Resilience and Revival (1900 2010). Scholarly Publishing Services UW Libraries, 1970, Web.
Theodore, De Bary Wm, et al. Sources of Chinese Tradition. Columbia University Press, 1999.
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