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Some notes on Borobudur

I was a little disappointed at having gone to Borobudur without knowing much about it.  I was even more disappointed when I read about it after my visit and realized that I would have had a better appreciation of Borobudur had I know more about it to begin with.

I put together the few things I learned about Borobudur in this article for you.  Just in case you decided to go there, these tidbits of information may help you appreciate Borobudur more and prevent you from become, like me, disappointed at not having read about it beforehand. (more…)

I feel God in Masjid Istiqlal

I am in Masjid Istiqlal in Jakarta, Indonesia.  I do not know why it is that I found myself here. It certainly was not my plan to visit this place, which until now I knew nothing of.  Initially, I thought that my presence would not be tolerated here.  After all, I am a Catholic and a woman.  Yet, I have been allowed through the gates of Masjid Istiqlal and in the sacred premises of this mosque.

As I explore this mosque, I am accompanied by a person of this faith.  This person is genuine, gracious and welcoming.  He is interested in my thoughts, and at the same time, he takes pride in showing me this place.

As I climb the steps of this mosque, I am moved to tears and surprised that I feel God’s presence so intensely.  Why do I feel God now when I am not looking for Him?  Why does He make  His presence felt in this place?  I am shocked.  I am perplex.  I am awed.  I am grateful.

Perhaps I thought that I would not find God in this place. After all, I did not come here to look for Him or to pray. I do sense Him everywhere.  I feel God in the corridors of this mosque.  I recognize Him in the people of this faith who I watch as they cleanse themselves before prayer and as they sit in quiet corners of this mosque to pray.

As I walk bare-footed in the corridors of Masjid Istiqlal, I find solace and peace.

A note about this post:  I wrote this article right after I visited the mosque called Masjid Istiqlal. I felt that it should be written in the present tense to convey how affected I was by the experience.

There is good in Islam

I suppose that most people learn about Islam from their parents or from teachers.  As for me, I learned a few things about Islam  by observing  how others in Indonesia practice this faith.

I did not travel to Indonesia to learn about Islam.  Yet, while there, Islam presented itself to me.

I did not learn about the teachings of the prophet Muhammad or the nuances of Islamic practice. Although, I did learn that Muslims must pray facing the Mecca five times a day, must cleanse themselves before entering the prayer hall, and on certain times during the year, they must fast.  What I did learn, from those who practice this faith, is that there is good in Islam. In the process, I was prodded into re-thinking my initial impression of Islam that was formed from my ignorance and bad press about atrocities supposedly committed in furtherance of this faith.  In the end, I feel a sense of gratitude that my Indonesian experience has left me with a better appreciation for this faith called Islam.

An unorthodox retreat

I asked my friend, Fr. Bill, to prepare for me some spiritual exercises I could do while I was in Indonesia. I felt the need to connect with God.  Although I was only able to accomplish one out of seven spiritual exercises, I had somehow achieved my goal of connecting with God in the strangest and most unorthodox of retreats.  I gained a connection with God through the eyes and practices of persons who, unlike me, are not Catholics. For, while I had not gone to Indonesia to learn about religious beliefs other than my own, I received an unexpected crash course in Islam, Buddhism and Balinism and learned more about Hinduism while I was there. My crash course did not, by any means, provide me with a comprehensive understanding of other religious beliefs.  If at all, it would probably take me several lifetimes to understand those beliefs.  I did, however, come away with the simple realization that a connection to God may be made through Islam, Buddhism, Balinism and Hinduism.  And to me, this is really what matters.

I am back from Indonesia with an unintended dark tan, lots of Batik clothes, more than three thousand photos and a host of stories to tell. And, yes Monk, this is the start of a long series of articles about my Indonesian experience.

Initially, I did not plan  a trip to Indonesia.  I had planned  to go to Laos with my little sister (LS) who is fourteen years younger than me.  Then, we received, and later accepted, an invitation from family friends, Tito L and Tita D, to visit them in Indonesia.  As it was the first time  LS and I would be traveling alone together and I knew very little about Indonesia, I was plagued with all sorts of worries before the trip.  But, the gods were kind.  LS and I survived each other and Indonesia opened my eyes to a world I had never seen before – a world where identity is not lost in diversity and where harmony exists despite varying beliefs.

I only hope that I would do justice in describing the friends I made and the places I had seen in Indonesia. As truly, my Indonesian experience was a wonderful one because of them.

A note on my forthcoming articles: I gathered more information about the places in Indonesia that I visited to give you a better idea of them. In the course of my readings, I discovered that some accounts about those places vary depending on who is telling the story.  If I had more time on my hands, I would have endeavored to provide the most accurate account. Unfortunately, time is a luxury for me.  Consequently, I only relied on readily available data.  I would, however, appreciate any additional information (specially if it is different from the information I found) on Indonesia, which is a subject I am most interested in.