In Becoming Eternal

The wish to be eternal had been inherent in human being ever since. The trace of this wish can be obviously seen from the ancient history to nowadays. From the history of Indian Maya, to the history of Chinese culture, to the history of Toraja tribe in Sulawesi to ancient Egypt had shown proof to the wish. A wonder to me that none of the prophets and messengers in the past had undergone the same procedure as they did. So it seemed to me that there was the right way of becoming eternal and the wrong way of becoming eternal for the same purpose. And by the grace of Allah both serve the purpose of becoming eternal.

Jatuh dalam Cinta

Dua kali aku jatuh
dalam Cinta kepadaMu
Di keunikan pengalaman rasa
Mengungkap sejatiMu

Pada si doel
Kau singkap tiraiMu
Memabukkan perawan jiwa
Dalam indah pesona Sang Surya

Saat yang fana lenyap
CintaMu menyisakan
Keabadian rasa.
Menetapkan Tao dalam pelukan

Dan masa pun berlalu.
Dalam tentram menunggu
Demi untuk kembali jatuh
Dalam Cinta kepadaMu.

Hingga pada si joel
Kau singkap lagi diriMu
Mengisahkan pengalaman
Cinta yang berbeda

CintaMu datang saat dia pergi
Bagai parfum
Meninggalkan jejak wangi
Kala sosok berlalu

Kini aku dalam Cinta
NamaMu telah terpahat
AbadiMu telah menetap
Di setiap nafas kehidupan


Jumat, 10 J.Awwal 1434H

Education for Life

Let's discuss social issue and have some fun

This weekend I went on a journalism training held by Al Falah Islamic Course (FIS) owned by Zamrony and his wife Ida. Both are English teachers though one came from teaching faculty and the other from literature faculty. The training was delivered by a team of four dedicated men Daniel Stephanus, Tri Anom, Taufik and Dwika and photographed by Hari. FIS is actually an English course in Siwalan village, Sidoarjo. I thanked them and my friend Nineng for allowing me to come for the program as an observer. I know their reason to invite me is to encourage me to take over the decision in executing the program that we had planned last year.

To give you a background story how I got to know these four dedicated men was an event that I supported last year. My friend and I had wished to do a training program and we decided to do basic writing course for IMQ students. Though I couldn't attend the program because I was on work assignment in Bali for a month, the course was successfully held. The respond and the report given was very pleasing. Both the trainers and the students were happy and look forward to have more.

Responding to their wish, we tried to outline a follow-up program with the output plan was on the history of organization within Shiddiqiyyah community. As the first enthusiasm was welcomed by the chairman of the institution, the planned was hijacked by some teachers who underestimated their students' persistence in keeping the enthusiasm and passion to learn. What a shame!

If previous arrangement took only 1-2month to prepare, this time take longer considering up to now there is still no confirm date. After the approval for execution verbally given by the chairman with a note that the teachers must accompany the students in going through the course, the written document doesn't materialize till now. Because it was supposed to be under formal agreement between the two education institution. I had no authority to interfere, when the end-receiver do not have their confidence to do it. However with my position as general secretary, I can take over the program and do the training to serve the purpose. All I need to do is to ensure all necessary person especially the general leader to get his approval to do it. So the team's lesson plan and the enthusiasm of the students have no one to facilitate them. And they invited us, my friend and I - and we brought with us two of IMQ students - to see how the program was going to be held.

Teaching under the rain - such is the passion to share

And I was glad I came. I was glad to be invited to attend the program. Apart from their intention to persuade me to take over the execution plan as the first program, I found something else. I learned new training games called Resource Attack, Star Power Game (I would called it Structural Poverty) and Environmental Spider Web to do social analysis which is a new thing for me. And then a tool to do social analysis called tree of problem from the leaves to show the phenomenon, the body to show the support system and the root to show the value.

Secondly, I was reminded to my buried and forgotten wish I had long ago, a passion I always have on natural education. Not to mention the inspirational books collection in the owner's private library where we stayed for a night. I found my heaven among these people with their passion on education both the students and the teachers. I feel at home. During the break while we rest and talked, I told one of the trainer, that when I retired from organizational activity, I wanted to be a farmer. Because a farmer is about planting a seed. And education is also about planting the seed; the seed of knowledge. I want to be the hands, the feet and the mouth in which God delivered His Knowledge to mankind. And being a farmer is not an easy task. It doesn't seem to be in my blood. But there's something else about it that will teach me to work with Nature, to understand its behavior, to take wisdom from natural flow of things and to be one with the energy that move them in such a beautiful and magnificence orchestra.

My friend told me that I would be a good teacher in such environment. She said so because she knew I had done some teaching in the past as well as having my own tutorial club before I take my existing work now. However I know that I'm not that good. I have no background on formal teaching course to prepare a proper lesson plan. I have my teaching materials but I don't know how to make formal lesson plan like any school teacher should be. By God's grace, while I was there, I found a book with an article about preparing a lesson plan. So I took note on the principle method. I may need it one day.

The Universe supports

And that night, I finished up a book under titled Mestakung written by Yohanes Surya in a night reading. I have always been proud of him for bringing forth Indonesian students to compete on International Physics Olympiads. Many of the students by now had gone to top universities in US and Japan to learn Physics in their further studies. His dream is to have one of Indonesian to become a noble winner :) what a dream! I had that thought too when I was a little girl reading the life stories on Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Thomas A. Edison, and of course Alfred Nobel. Where did my thought gone?! It seems that life had taken me to different route :) By the way, Mestakung is an abbreviation of Semesta Mendukung (The Universe Support). He wrote about the physical evidence in term of Physics Law and the Law of Nature when we are working our way towards making dream come true based on his experience in preparing those students to be the winners.

As I read through the book I then found connection to the thought that came to me after I did my Friday prayer in the morning before I went for this weekend trip. All of the sudden I was reminded to my buried intention to write book that would put together science and holy scripture especially Qur'an side by side. This thought happened because in the past and I think to some extend till now, the way we learn science has been differentiated from religion as the effect of the past experience in Christian scientists. It creates secular science thus secular scientists. Unfortunately this differentiation to some extend has affected the Islamic community as well. In the other hand Qur'an has clearly stated that " Allah witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge - [that He is] maintaining [creation] in justice. There is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise. " [QS 3:18]

As I didn't know how to start the book, years later I knew Mizan had published science book for children that combined science information with Qur'an verses. It was done by a team of writers and editors. Had my thought been fulfilled? Yes and no. Yes, I'm glad someone had the same thought and worked their way. No, because what came to me after Friday prayer was something more. It was a combination of outer science, inner science and Qur'an verses. And I know it was such a lot of work. Because to do that, I have to do some research on outer science and then seeking inner guidance from My Lord to put the two together, add some wise thought of others great men and find the general conclusion within the Qur'an verses. This great task is in following the verse "And these examples We present to the people, but none will understand them except those of knowledge." [QS 29:43]. So it's really a holistic process in learning from His signs in the Universe that formed Nature's Law and then connect them to our mind to convert them into spiritual education for life.

but none will understand them
except those of knowledge
[QS 29: 43]

As I read through the book of Ibn 'Arabi RA, the great sufi scholar, under title Divine Governance of the Human Kingdom, he mentioned about the similarity between the outer universe called macro cosmic to the inner universe called the human self. That our hair is like trees, our blood channel is like rivers, our feet is like mountain and so on. So how will we connect the math, physics, biology, or chemistry that we learn so that we can always be in His Remembrance? That where ever we go or we face ourselves, we can be in peace because we know that before us is our Greatest Lord, Allah SWT. That whatever we are going to be either as a scientist, a farmer, a doctor, an engineer, a teacher, a secretary, an entrepreneur, a presenter, s student, an unemployed or anything we will be a grateful servant to our Lord.

Will this thought ever become a reality? Hopefully so. I have a life time to prepare it. I have about some topics that I can think of to start the research including their sub-topics, from the sky, the earth, the home, animals, plants and trees to chemistry to lights, to motion and technology and to maths.

So it is going to be a difficult work to do. But I think I just have to write a page at a time to make it real. And it is going to be my third book after the previous two finished. The first is Crossing the Border, the second is Coming Home. You may not find them in any book store, because I don't publish them for some reason. These two book were written in English. But for the third book I think I will write it in Bahasa Indonesia. I'm thinking of giving it's title The Living Science - Sains Kehidupan.


Hey, what about the school I thought about? Hmm.. I have to work hard to have it.
Let's see if the Universe support us.
Let's see if I can make it real and finish it before I'm dead.


Bismillahi tawakkaltu alalloh laa hawla walaa quwwata illa billah

Embracing Gravity

In our daily life, we often see people embracing others when they see each other for their first time or before they say goodbye and go their separate way. They embrace the other because they know the person. I don't think one will be willing to embrace something without knowing who and what is to be embraced. The most they will do maybe shake hands. Because an embrace requires body contact, touching / clasping the other and there is mutual feeling of affection between them. Embrace is an expression of affection, acceptance, welcome and inclusive.

And of course we know what gravity is. It is the very thing that pulls us down towards the earth, though so often we so wish to have the ability to fly like birds. Gravity as physics defines it is the attraction between two objects which produce the force that can be turned into any forms of energy. We see the attraction between the earth with anything that is on top of it gives them their weight. And as it falls from certain height, it gives potential energy.

Here, I'd like to talk about something similar yet so different. Because the gravity that we need to embrace isn't the gravity that is related to physics. The gravity that we need to embrace is something that is fundamentally important in living this life and it has nothing to do with technology. It is the gravity that bring us joy, happiness and peace in this life.

Embracing Love

The other day, I read an article on Muslim gay by a straight Muslim man. How he felt sorry for the man and his wife in their arranged marriage life. The reality about gay or lesbian isn't happened only in western society where they're more open with the issues. It also happened in the Muslim world, where the rule and regulation from Muslim scholars have stated clearly following the Qur'an and Hadith. And for me being a Muslim, I could understand and feel empathy to the inner turmoil they felt. And this have me thinking of The Most Merciful Allah as our Creator, in trying to put this into perspective and find balance for their peaceful life.

Sexual orientation is one of so many gifts packed in the gift of Life. It isn't that one day we picked our choice to be created as male or female. It is already set for us. And this sexual orientation is given in various ways; one is that the sexual orientation and the physical form are matching and the other aren't known as transgender, lesbian or gay. As I recalled my biology class on genetics, this sexual orientation is attached to the gene stored in chromosome denoted as xx and xy for norm male and female. But then there's also possibility of trans-mutation for Allah is The Great Creator. I mean the possibility is there. Here I have no saying on changing sexual orientation by choice due to society or lifestyle for I see it as a deliberate attempt in trespassing the command of Allah.

So, in the eyes of the Creator, one is no better than the other. Each has its own reason to be created. Each has its own challenges in living their life. In the eyes of their Creator, the quality of life isn't determined by their sexual orientation. In the eyes of their Creator, one is considered the best when they fulfill the purpose of their creation.

And what is the purpose of their creation? It isn't to indulge their (sexual) desire. It isn't to banish their (sexual) desire either. The purpose of human creation is to worship their Creator [QS 51: 56], in finding the contentment of their Creator in their life [QS 2: 207] And how can we know the worshiping is fulfilled? That His contentment is met? When human being find peace within them in living their life in accordance to His commands.

Now, with this so called oddity that is inherent in their genetics, how and what can those people do? What should they do with it? Is Allah created them for suffering? Of course not. If Allah do not create them to suffer, then how should they live their life? If He has made clear in His command that woman is for man and man is for woman instead of woman is for woman nor man is for man [QS 11: 78-79].

I know some people will think that there is no reason for me to entertain such thought, that I should learn to accept the fact as it is presented. And then what? Being a heartless person and letting those people imprisoned by the command and let them think the worst of The Beloved? And find no solace in this world while all the while the answers have been presented to them very clearly. Actually, for me personally, the thought leads me to find wisdom in His decree on mankind.

Nowadays the access to find sexual fulfillment is so easily presented that people confuse it with love. They mixed up the understanding of love with sexual fulfillment. Yet, if we try to look deeper we will find the difference between the two. One can find sexual fulfillment with or without true love. I mean the world of prostitution have answered the doubtful mind if they ever doubted the statement.

To find true love out of sexual fulfillment is about self-restraint. How do I come up with this statement? It is based on my own experience in finding it. I mean as human being I am also undergoing the challenge. My challenge is that I prefer married man (or is it experienced man?!). Did I make my choice in this preference? No. I figured it out after going through the same pattern that I like smart, mature, older men who happened were married ones. But I also have my personal principle that I wouldn't let myself being the cause of a breakage in someone else's family life. So there I was, having a feeling that wasn't of my own choice yet a rule was set to it.

So what did I do? At first I tried to fight the feeling. I was in denial that it got me inwardly suffered. The more I denied and fought the feeling, the more it affected me. Until I was told not to fight it. That I needed to embrace the feeling and admitted its existence. Embracing the feeling doesn't mean that I have to fulfill it on the outside world. Embrace the feeling means that I acknowledge the feeling within and understand the very source that causes it. Admit its existence doesn't mean that I have to declare it to the outside world. Admit its existence means that I acknowledge its existence within, grateful for it as a gift and understand its purpose.

I mean, look at Rumi and Syams Tabriz. With such great love they shared, they didn't indulge themselves to their lower desire and follow the path of the devils. They kept their relationship within the command that Allah had set. What happened to them wasn't their choices. It was there for some reason. And as the history tells, the reason was beautifully fulfilled. And I could learn from them too.

As I knew that the preference is something that I couldn't fight and deny, for they're within, I then embraced it and admitted its existence as the Way of Love and transcended it into Divine Love. I practiced self restraint in channeling the desire. Only then, no longer it caused suffering for me. In fact I could find my happiness within that is free of all dependence. The abundance of Love within is so much that it can surpass the humanly love I felt to the person. That no longer the choice between having sexual intercourse / masturbation or not having sexual intercourse / masturbation as the only way to fulfill sexual desire. I find my peace and tranquility in my being alone and disappear in His Presence.

It is my earthy paradise. And I think this is how those people with their oddity should and can do to stay in the Path of Truth. And Allah will direct those who sincerely seek His Guidance. There lies the secret of a verse "seek helps from patience" [QS 2: 45]

Tears of Blessing

The other day, the episode of emotional hijack part two happened to my friend. This time she cried for no other reason but the mixed up feelings. The illogical thing was my boss just called her to get his mobile phone to be topped up. But she had her preconceived idea just by reading his name in her mobile. She had her mixed up feelings and didn't want to answer. When she was obliged to answer him, after the short call she was in tears. As I calmed her, I had to explain to her friend about emotional hijack that caused her to react such way. Her tears was a blessing from the Creator. For it became an outlet to release the emotional overload in her brain.

There are many reason why tears drop from our eyes. And for me, I have promised myself that I wouldn't shed my tears for a wrong reason. The cause has to be reasonable, otherwise I will try my best to hold it, my heart may feel squeezed, my eyes may glisten with tears or I may numb myself, but I would not let it fall. Why do I try to practice this? Because learning about life and the self, I realize there are things that is true and there are things that is temporary. And over something that is temporary, why should I waste my precious tears? They're meant to come and go. And to the one that is true, there is no reason why I shouldn't shed my tears.

In us two faculties affect the production of tears; one is the mind and the other is the heart. The mind can cause tears to drop by any reason both true and temporary things for the right and wrong reason. Well, the gland that produce tears don't know about right and wrong reason. It will produce tears when something command it to produce, that is the state of the mind or the state of the heart. That's why my friend cried as she cried.

And the other week I too cried, though my friend didn't and I think many others didn't either in hearing the same lesson. We were in the particular sermon delivered by my spiritual teacher. We were reminded about our neediness to Allah, about the generosity of Allah and how we could truly relate to that by feeling our true poverty in front of Him. Because most of us do not feel so. And then he related this state of ignorance to the first verse of surah An Nuur. For no other reason my heart was touched and resonated with the verse and tears welled up and my breath was caught that I had to take a deep breath to regulate it. Silently I enjoyed the spiritual ecstasy within while tears rolled down my face. And this is definitely tears of blessing.

The gravity is there for both my friend and I to cry. The cause that triggers its production is certainly different. Embracing its gravity allowed me to be washed away in the feeling of peace and tranquility in His presence. It is my oasis of love.

Forbidden Tree

The story of Adam's life in paradise were told both in the Holy Scriptures Bible and Qur'an. I don't think they're ever told in other Holy Scriptures. One part that is very famous is the episode of the Adam's fall. In the Bible it was written in Genesis 3 while in the Qur'an it was written in QS 7: 19 and 20: 120-121. It was after they ate the forbidden fruit, while originally they're commanded to not approach the tree. The important of the message is this: even in paradise there is something forbidden.

If we read the Qur'an, the command of Allah is simple 'Do not approach this tree' which is further explained the reason 'Lest you be among the wrongdoers'. Yet in our fascination, our curiosity, our forgetfulness and our ignorance, the task become difficult. And the forbidden thing has its gravity with the help of the devilish mind. Some people may place the blame of the fall to his wife but I won't buy it. Even Qur'an said that both tasted it. It doesn't matter who started it. As a mature adult we all are responsible of our own choices whether it was affected by others or not. You see this is the difference between Adam - to represent human being and the Devil. When Adam found guilty, he admitted his fault, he didn't object or take other to blame. It was about his relationship to his Lord not about making excuses. But the Devil, he made excuse, he gave reason and blamed Adam to be the cause of his fault. And that was also the state of human beings who follow the devil to his grave; they make excuse by giving reason and passing the blame to others for their fault [QS 14: 21-22 and 16: 86].

Anyway, the forbidden thing is there for some reason. Its existence is natural. I mean, why do you think people put sign 'DO NOT bla bla bla'? Is it for nothing? Of course not. People put the sign because they want to warn others of the danger they may face. By putting the sign in particular thing or place, they want to let others know they should take other option to stay safe. And certainly there are much more other allowable things for us. Won't we feel grateful to anyone who warn us for our own benefits? Won't we feel grateful to the generosity of Allah with His messengers, His messages and guidance in living this life? Yet, which gravity takes its hold on us?

And it was the same thing for us in living this life. The holy scriptures contained messages about things that are commanded and things that are forbidden. On things that are forbidden we need to understand, they are all to avoid us being the wrongdoers either to ourselves or to others. Doing wrong to ourselves means we are taking ourselves away from the default setting that are in peace and blissful joy, leading ourselves to the road of pain and suffering just like doing wrong to others. The only difference is doing wrong to others cause both get the effects.

Here is tricky question about the forbidden tree and its fruit since its gravity found its mark to Adam and his descendants : do we believe in the whisper of Satan or the message of God? Because the whisper of Satan said it was a tree of eternity and a possession that will not deteriorate [QS 20:120] while God said 'lest you be among the wrongdoers'. In our mind of course we will say I believe in God, yet in practicality of our life such isn't the case. Because we have the tendency to forget. The way our mind and desire work is the more we resist the more it persists. So we need to do something else, that is embracing its gravity not from the wrong point of view but from the right point of view. That the gravity isn't focused to the one 'forbidden' tree but rather to the much more 'allowable' trees for the sake of our true state as human being.

It is why the first command is 'do not approach' the tree instead of 'do not eat' its fruit. Approaching is an act of coming closer so that we can be affected by it and being involved with it. It is a first sign of deliberate attempt to be in touch. Eating its fruit means eating its result. My personal interpretation of forbidden tree is: the tree represent any forbidden things that Allah commanded us in living this life. It is commanded for our own benefits, for Allah gains nothing from it. It represent one of challenges we have to face in living this life, how we can go around it without being affected by its existence. And the fruit represents the result if we ever do something against the commands. Eating its fruit - from the objective point of view, is a sign of several trespasses from the original command 'do not approach'. To get into eating it one must see it, and then think about it, and then want it, and then come close to it, and then smell it, and then touch it, and then hold it, and then taste it, and finally eat it - not to mention clean it :D. So can we realize how Most Forgiving Allah is to human being and how deeply remorse and guilty Adam in committing such sin?

Now, the Bible said that the forbidden tree is the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2: 17). Is it right or is it wrong? To answer this we need to see further on the scenario that was written there. As mentioned there "The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;17but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” what happened when Adam and his wife broke the command? she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.7Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. You see this is the tricky part to answer whether it is wrong or right. Because we then have to refer back to the one who gave the information. What did the serpent tell when he encouraged her to eat the fruit? 4The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!5“For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” What did God say? "...for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” So if we followed the verses correctly which one is actually telling the truth? The serpent or God? If we said that the serpent is telling the truth and God is telling lies, it contradicts our belief that God promises truth and the serpent which represent the devil promises lies. Yet the scripture said so. Or could it be that there had been manipulation applied to the verses very subtly that is without the eyes of Truth one can't see it. We need to understand this if we do not want to be misled to the deviated ideas in looking into our relationship to God and other human being.

So embracing the gravity of forbidden things is by being conscious and understand the reason for its existence.

Embracing Joy

Everyone I think, at least once in their lifetime must have felt joy or happiness. It is either from winning something (lottery, competition, race, championship, someone's attention/love, etc), gaining something (presents, scholarships, grants, merits, honors, fishes, books, jewelry, etc), loosing something (weight for the overweight one, disease for the sick one, problem for the troubled one, etc) or defeating something (foe for the fighter, rival for the champion, opponent for the conqueror, etc). And we know how it feels like. It is very uplifting, euphoric, intoxicate and elated. That the expression people commonly used is jumping out in the air beside the big smile on their radiant face. It tells us that the energy of joy is both enlightening and lighten us up. The way it works is against the gravity of anything that weigh us down.

We have affinity to joy so much, that we work our way to be in joy all the time. Here, our gravity is the joy. However we need to be ascertain that the joy that we seek is the one that is permanent to us not the transitory joy. Because as we see the state that most people have when they're in joy, they are affected by others; from the lottery, to presents, to weigh loss and so on. That is why when the source of their joy disappear or being taken away, their situation shifted from joy to grief, from happy to sad. I had been through this too. Till I learned my lesson to embrace the permanent source of joy that is within.

That my source of joy and happiness is no longer because of the outside circumstance that may work against or for my wishes. It is because of the essence of my being a living human that I'm grateful of, in my relationship with my Lord regardless of what He gives me and gives me not. I am embracing this gravity wholeheartedly. And in it, I can forget that I am susceptible in making mistakes or that I may haven't achieved much or that I may be nothing to others or that I may not important or that I may be weird compare to others. The gravity of being in joy is even much more than all that weigh me down, that they start losing their effects and enable me flying heavenward. It is by no mistake that in Sufism world the heart is symbolized as having wings. For it is the heart that flies to the Throne of their Lord while the mind weighs us down.

So we have several kinds of gravity that work on us. Some pull us down and some boost us up. Those gravity will determine the quality of our worship. When we embrace the temporary gravity we are led either to hell or paradise. That means when we worship our Lord it is either because we're afraid of hell or wish of paradise. But when we embrace the permanent gravity, we are definitely in paradise, for being with our Lord is the paradise in itself.

And there is the type of man who gives his life to earn the pleasure of Allah: 

And Allah is full of kindness to (His) devotees.

~ QS 2: 207 ~

Subhanallah Alhamdulillah Astaghfirullah

Pancasila di Belantara Dunia

Ada banyak pohon besar di dunia ini, ada pohon jati, meranti, ulin, pinus, cemara, oak, dan sebagainya. Setiap pohon punya ciri khas dan habitatnya sendiri. Ada beberapa pohon yang berbagi habitat seperti cemara dan pinus. Tapi tidak berarti kita bisa mengatakan bahwa pinus adalah cemara atau cemara adalah pinus. Karena masing-masing membawa ciri khas yang membuat setiap pohon itu menjadi unik.

Demikian pula dengan Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia yang kita cintai ini. Di tengah-tengah arus globalisasi, manusia di seluruh dunia seolah sedang digiring menuju pada kesamaan gaya hidup, pola pikir, budaya dan kebiasaan melalui sarana teknologi yang semakin canggih dan beragam; dari mulai telpon genggam, majalah, koran, televisi, film, internet, turisme dan transportasi khususnya penerbangan. Teknologi itu dimaksudkan untuk mendekatkan yang jauh, tapi pada saat yang sama - disadari atau tidak, juga berefek samping menjauhkan yang dekat. Dan karena efek samping teknologi tersebut, maka banyak orang Indonesia akhirnya mulai lupa bahkan malah telah kehilangan sentuhan dengan jati diri mereka sebagai komponen bangsa.

Urgensi Jati Diri Bangsa

Garuda Pancasila

Saya tak tahu apa yang dipikirkan para founding father, para negarawan bangsa Indonesia ketika mereka mengawali penyusunan Pancasila sebagai dasar negara dan pembuatan lambang Garuda Pancasila sebagai lambang negara. Apakah karena wajib ada atau sekedar meniru karena negara lain punya dasar negara dan lambang negara, saya tak tahu. Tapi sebagai komponen bangsa, saya bersyukur bahwa mereka telah memikirkannya, membuatnya dan menetapkan Pancasila sebagai Dasar Negara dan Garuda Pancasila sebagai lambang Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia (NKRI). Karena di era globalisasi saat ini, dasar dan lambang negara tersebut menunjukkan signifikansinya.

Seperti ketika kita membedakan satu pohon dari pohon lainnya. Pancasila sebagai dasar negara merupakan simbolisasi benih dasar berdirinya pohon NKRI yang bersumber dari esensi hidup suku-suku yang berdiam di negeri bernama Indonesia. Garuda Pancasila sebagai lambang negara menjadi identitas pengenal selain bendera Merah Putih. Seperti pohon pinus tak bisa menghasilkan kayu jati dan pohon cemara tak bisa menghasilkan kayu ulin, maka sudah semestinya seluruh komponen bangsa Indonesia yang menyatu dalam NKRI tidak bisa menghasilkan sesuatu yang tidak dijiwai oleh Pancasila. Tidak rakyatnya, tidak wakil rakyatnya, tidak pemerintahannya, dan tidak juga penegak hukumnya. Seluruh komponen bangsa mestinya mencerminkan jati diri bangsa Indonesia. Jika tidak ingin sekelompok individu yang bernama bangsa Indonesia yang meyatukan diri dalam NKRI ini tinggal nama atau menghilang dari percaturan politik dunia tergantikan oleh sesuatu yang lain, karena telah kehilangan jati dirinya.

Karena itu, menjadi kewajiban bangsa Indonesia, seluruh komponen pembentuk NKRI untuk terus menumbuhkan dan mempertahankan jati diri bangsa ini. Menumbuhkannya pada generasi muda penerus kehidupan NKRI dan mempertahankannya agar tetap menjadi jiwa setiap generasi yang menjadi penentu hidup, berkembang dan sinambungnya NKRI. Di kalangan pemangku jabatan legislatif, eksekutif dan yudikatif harusnya ada upaya-upaya untuk menjaga kebanggaan diri sebagai bangsa dengan menghidupkan jiwa Pancasila sebagai jati diri bangsa dalam laku mereka sebagai pelayan rakyat.

Menumbuhkan kesadaran

Ketika kita lahir sebagai bagian dari bangsa Indonesia, jiwa Garuda Pancasila baik langsung maupun tidak langsung telah mengalir pada diri kita. Karena tanah yang kita pijak, air yang kita teguk, udara yang kita hirup berasal dari tempat yang benama Indonesia. Maka karakter umum orang-orang yang tinggal di bumi Indonesia, budaya yang tumbuh dalam interaksi masyarakat dan tata aturan yang berlaku, seluruh aspek kehidupan bangsa berpadu dalam esensi jiwa Pancasila.

Sumber: www.pelauts.com

Maka kepada generasi muda, upaya menumbuhkan kesadaran jati diri bangsa adalah dengan mengenalkan Pancasila dan Garuda Pancasila melalui jalur pendidikan formal maupun non formal. Setelah melalui masa pendidikan era orde baru dan membandingkan dengan era reformasi saat ini, saya sadari adanya nilai-nilai yang baik dalam era pendidikan di masa orde baru dalam hal menumbuhkan jati diri bangsa. Saya ingat dulu  banyak pelajar memandang seebelah mata - karena 'terlalu mudahnya' bagi mereka untuk memberi jawaban standard dan mendapatkan nilai minimal 7 - untuk mata pelajaran Pendidikan Moral Pancasila (PMP). Kini di tengah arus globalisasi, saya menyadari pentingnya pelajaran tersebut. Secara obyektif harus saya akui bahwa PMP adalah mata pelajaran yang membantu saya untuk lebih mengenal, menghayati dan memperkuat jati diri saya sebagai bagian dari bangsa Indonesia. Tentu saja perlu ada penjabaran yang lebih kreatif oleh para guru agar PMP bisa benar-benar menumbuhkan kesadaran para siswa tentang perlunya memiliki identitas kebangsaan. Karena esensi yang mestinya dituju oleh pengajar PMP bukan sekedar memberi nilai standard untuk naik kelas/lulus, tetapi yang lebih penting adalah menanamkan dan menumbuhkan kesadaran. Jika di era reformasi kini pelajaran PMP berganti judul pelajaran budi pekerti atau tata negara, ada sesuatu yang kurang dalam pemilihan nama tersebut. Karena terkesan ada upaya menghilangkan dan menghapus identitas bangsa.

Spektrum sila-sila Pancasila yang tersemat dalam lambang Garuda Pancasila sebenarnya cukup luas untuk bisa dijadikan kurikulum pendidikan tanpa harus melakukan pengulangan-pengulangan materi pelajaran. Bukan berarti pengulangan itu tidak perlu. Tetapi mestinya pengulangan itu harus diikuti dengan pendalaman dan perluasan makna demi sebuah penghayatan yang semakin mendalam. Seperti seorang tukang pewarna pakaian, pengajar berulang-ulang mencelupkan warna Pancasila sebagai jati diri bangsa kepada siswa dalam cairan pewarna bernama kurikulum hingga semakin terlihat nyata bekas dari pelajaran yang diberikan. Kalau saat ini kita melihat bekas-bekas itu tidak nampak nyata dan malah berbeda warna, maka itu indikasi kualitas hasil karya pendidikan yang telah dilewati siswa yang kini menjadi bagian dari pelaku sejarah bangsa Indonesia. Hanya karena hasilnya kurang berkualitas bukan berarti kita harus berhenti berusaha lalu menghilangkan upaya menumbuhkan jati diri bangsa dan menggantinya dengan sesuatu yang lain. Karena yang harus diingat, upaya pengajaran tersebut adalah dalam rangka melestarikan hidupnya pohon NKRI, agar NKRI tetap tumbuh berkembang selamanya di tempat yang bernama Indonesia ini. Kita tentunya tidak ingin pohon NKRI menjadi seperti pohon pisang berdaun sirih, yang tidak jelas jati dirinya.

Menumbuhkan kebanggaan

Di kalangan generasi bangsa yang hidup saat ini, ada yang telah kehilangan kebanggaan diri sebagai bagian dari bangsa Indonesia karena melihat para pelayan rakyat dari kalangan legislatif, eksekutif dan yudikatif telah mengabaikan cita-cita luhur bangsa. Bukannya berusaha mensejahterakan rakyat, mereka malah mensejahterakan keluarganya sendiri. Bukannya melindungi kepentingan rakyat, mereka malah melindungi kepentingan sendiri. Ini adalah indikasi kebusukan sel-sel penyusun pohon NKRI dan jelas bertentangan dengan upaya menghidupkan dan melestarikan jati diri bangsa. Sebagai orang-orang yang peduli dan menyadari betapa bahayanya pembiaran atas tindakan itu, kita perlu melakukan segala upaya untuk melindungi kelangsungan bangsa ini dengan cara menyembuhkan (baca: menyiapkan perangkat hukum berupa undang-undang), melokalisir (baca: eksekusi aturan/hukum yang berlaku) agar pembusukan tidak makin meluas, sampai pada mengamputasi (baca: menetapkan hukuman mati) bagian yang busuk itu.

Sumber : arun1st.wordpress.com

Sayangnya orang-orang yang mestinya layak disebut pimpinan negara dari kalangan legislatif dan eksekutif maupun yudikatif saat ini belum punya keberanian untuk secara tegas mengobati penyakit kanker yang telah menyebar kemana-mana ini. Sebagai bangsa yang tangguh, kita tidak boleh putus asa. UUD 1945 sendiri mengakui bahwa kekuasaan tertinggi ada di tangan rakyat. Kemenangan Jokowi dalam pemilihan gubernur DKI dalam pilkada tahun lalu atas partai politik yang berkuasa jelas menunjukkan bahwa rakyat merindukan pemimpin yang berjuang untuk mewujudkan cita-cita bangsa yang tersebut dalam Pembukaan UUD 1945 di alenia ke empat setelah merdeka dari penjajahan. Adalah sebuah kebodohan dan hal yang tidak masuk akal apabila setelah bebas dari penjajahan bangsa asing, kita malah dijajah oleh bangsa sendiri, karena kita salah dalam memilih pemimpin. Hanya karena pelayan rakyat dan petinggi negara tidak mencerminkan sikap dan jiwa Pancasila, bukan berarti kita harus mengganti dasar negara kita. Yang harus diganti adalah para pelayan dan petinggi negara itu. Mereka tidak pantas atas titel tersebut karena tidak membawa jiwa Pancasila dalam melaksanakan tugasnya.

Garuda Pancasila dalam keseluruhan simbolisasi yang ada padanya telah dengan sempurna merangkum jati diri dan identitas bangsa Indonesia. Keindahan Garuda Pancasila bukan terlihat dari keindahan fisik para anggota delegasi negara, diplomat maupun petinggi negara yang mewakili bangsa ini di percaturan politik baik lokal maupun internasional. Tanpa harus menjual dengan murah identitas bangsa ini, Indonesia beserta kekayaan yang terkandung di dalamnya telah memiliki daya tarik tersendiri bagi bangsa-bangsa lain, yang membuat mereka berusaha mempertahankan penjajahan mereka, dan setelah bangsa Indonesia merdeka masih terus datang dan berusaha mengeruk kekayaan negeri ini untuk dibawah ke negeri mereka.

Kita sebagai pemilik negeri bernama Indonesia ini hanya perlu mempertegas jiwa Pancasila kita agar makin indah bersinar. Keindahan sekaligus kegagahan Garuda Pancasila mestinya tersemat dan tertanam dalam jiwa seluruh bangsa Indonesia dalam kehidupan berbangsa dan bernegara; dalam wujud penjiwaan kita sebagai bangsa yang ber-Ketuhanan yang Maha Esa, yang menjunjung tinggi semangat Kemanusiaan yang adil dan beradab, yang berharap dan berupaya selalu menjaga Persatuan Indonesia, yang menghormati sikap Kerakyatan yang dipimpin oleh hikmat kebijaksanaan dalam permusyawatan/perwakilan serta mengupayakan seluruh potensi kekayaan bangsa baik materi maupun immateri demi Keadilan sosial bagi seluruh rakyat Indonesia. Agar sebagai komponen bangsa, kita bisa berujar secara tegas dan lugas bahwa "Aku bangga sebagai bangsa Indonesia yang berjiwa Pancasila".

Emotional Hijack

Yesterday I had three women cried; not on my shoulders but in front of me. And I wasn't the cause of their anguish. It's rooted to the problem they faced with the boss.

It was only the night before I was called by his wife asking me to tell them about their reporting duty and procedure. A threatened scenario seemed in store to emphasize their point, that I wasn't aware of. Because in the morning I told them what should be done and that the boss was unhappy with the situation. And they all aware of it. Yet, later in the day, something came up. The finance staff came with the news that the budget was put on hold, while regularly she supposed to pay the workers's salary. And she felt helpless. So she went to marketing staff and indirectly asked her to call the boss to apologize. She refused because she thought she felt she'd done nothing wrong and that she had told the wife as the vice director about the arrangement she made with the customer. Unfortunately, the boss wasn't happy and agreed with the arrangement.

Well, looking into the situation, I told her that I could understand her refusal. However, the common practice is that as an employee, our assessment depend on the employer's judgment. If he thought we're wrong, so be it. As an employee our obligation is to admit it. If he demanded an apology, let him have it. It is his rights. So I encouraged her to apologize on the phone, since he made decision to travel to another city for some reason. She said she wouldn't call him for fear that she would break up crying. Well, she'd already cried when we talked so I said 'Fine, Then just send him through short message'. She was the first I needed to console, to see the situation objectively and do the right thing.

I know I may not do the right thing in the boss' perspective. They may want her to speak directly to him. But I think in such situation, I just can't press the demand too much. So she text-ed him. Only she took further step by asking to step down from her current position. That part I left it to them to make their decision.

tears is a gift from our Creator

In another office, the finance staff was waiting and waiting for the approval to withdraw the cash and prepare the workers salary till noon. And it didn't happen. So she went back to her room and cried. Her colleague came and asked me to console her. So I went to her office and put her into perspective. I knew she felt guilty and sorry if the workers wouldn't get their salary while they needed it for their weekly expense at home. So I had to tell her that she worked based on what was available. If the boss demanded apology, they had it from the other crying staff. If they didn't satisfy with that, it is up to them and it is their rights. Her task is to prepare the necessary work to ensure payment is done on schedule. However the availability of the cash to pay isn't her responsible. It is the boss responsible. If they wanted to hold the cash, it is their responsible. It is their problem not hers. And if that happened, the best she could do was to make announcement that for some reason, the payment couldn't be done that day. So I asked her to take it easy. The day hadn't over yet. She could understand my point and calmed down by then. I left her room and continued my work.

Later while I was doing my work in front of computer, the two staffs talked with another accounting staff who was involved in the scene because she is responsible with the customer payment. They were outlining an answer to the question about the incoming payment from one of customers. And to some point, the accounting staff also broke up crying. My God, I couldn't believe it! Such a practical decision in doing their task with good intention to make their boss' lives easy could cause three women felt guilty, anguish and crying. Whatever their reason to cause such dramatic result, I really can't understand.

Listened half ear in their conversation, I then turned my back to face her and telling her that she shouldn't feel guilty over something that it wasn't her responsible. And she responded that someone definitely accused her for being that. I knew who she meant, yet I brushed aside and told her that the talk wasn't about to find out who's the culprit. The talk is to find solution to the problem. That she shouldn't feel under attack in every comment directed to her. If she admitted that she was still learning to do the work and not good enough, all the comment directed to her should be welcomed as a helping hand to do her work better and to correct what may not be right in doing it. If she keeps on feeling insecure and defensive in her response, she will not improve her work quality. So she calmed down and then talked some more about the question the boss asked her the other night.

People need liberation.
Their mind and feeling need liberation

As she related the story to us and found the weird thing the boss asked, she then told us about the answer that finally could make us laughing. The boss kept asking her 'Who told them to cash the payment check in such way?' And she kept answer the bank did. While he was expecting the name of the staff who made such decision, she kept given him standard information as though he didn't know about the banking procedure. I could understand his irritation in such situation. And we found the situation very funny and absurd that I, well, we couldn't help laughing it out.

That was a good ending to finish the suspense of yesterday event. And the salary? Well, they finally got the cash and paid the workers' salary. I finally knew that it was part of their scenario to emphasize their point that the boss needed to be involved in their decision.

Whatever their reason, I think using emotional hijack as a threat to other is a cruel act. I don't like to use it and I don't defend those who use it. People should be set free in making their choice and decision. If they don't agree with our point of view or do not understand, either we help them to see and understand our point of view or we respect their different choices. The boss may not realize what they had done to their employees, but there I was witnessing their turmoil mind and feeling. There's nothing I could do but helped them see the situation clearly. And I'm glad I was there to help. Alhamdulillah.

What a day!