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Old 19th December 2018, 09:26 PM   #50
A. G. Maisey
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Join Date: May 2006
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Thank you for your quite comprehensive statement of opinion , Kai.

Yes, I agree there is more than one road available to reach most destinations, however those roads do not necessarily enter the destination by way of the same gate, if they in fact do not enter the destination, but merely pass by it, and look in at the destination through a window, that which is seen through the window will alter, and will depend upon what is seen.

Is it possible to follow two roads at once?

Well, no, not unless one can become two people.

But it might be possible to follow one road, reach the destination, return to the beginning, and then follow a different road.

Our own individual choices are dependent upon our own individual orientation.

EDIT

I have just now reread my response to Kai's very thoughtful and thorough statement of his opinions, and I feel that this brief response of mine is a trifle dismissive, it really doesn't contribute much. Accordingly I have taken the time to write something that hopefully might contribute a little towards the thought processes of some of us.


The keris is an artefact that was given birth, developed and is owned by a group of people.

The birth of the keris occurred more than 1000 years ago, and since its birth it has fulfilled a number of functions within the society that gave it birth, within that society it has become a cultural artefact. The way in which this artefact has been understood at various times, and in various places, throughout its history has varied as a reflection of its function at any particular time and in any particular place.

No understanding can be dismissed as incorrect, no understanding can be given precedence as the only correct understanding, all understandings are valid for the people of the society and culture that owns the keris.

However, although there may be variation in the understanding of the external character of the keris, the deeper understandings will be found to be constant, but perhaps expressed in varying ways. As with perhaps all things that embody an esoteric element in their nature, there are varying levels of understanding that can apply to any particular thing:- that which is understood by the lay person is not necessarily the understanding of those people who have higher understandings. At the highest level it is usual for only a very limited number of people to achieve that highest level of understanding.

The confusion that currently exists in the various ways in which the keris can be understood is simply the expected result of the erosion of a belief system. This confusion does not in any way lesson the core nature of the keris, all it does is protect that core nature from corruption by denying understanding to those who are not yet ready to receive it.

The undeniable fact that there have been varying ways throughout history in which to understand the keris might seem to be something that is exceedingly difficult to come to terms with, however, in the case of the culture and society that is the owner of the keris, there is a vast pool of literature that is available to assist in gaining an understanding of the ways in which the people of this society acted and reacted throughout at least the last 700 years.

The task of understanding the world view and the thought processes of any people of a past time is undoubtedly difficult, but it is not impossible. Consider this, as children of Western European Culture there are similarities in our own World View, although that World View extends across a number of differing societies. Using our World View and the methods of thought and perception which this world View generates, together with the records from past times, it is not such an impossible task for a person trained in the applicable discipline of investigation to formulate defensible opinions in respect of the way in which our ancestors thought and acted in past times. The key to the process knowledge and empathy.

Similarly, the transition from one cultural understanding to the way in which a different society, drawing upon a different culture, understands the world around them is no more than an exercise in learning. Children learn relatively easily, as we get older that learning process can become slower and more difficult, but it still comes down to one very simple thing:- acknowledge that you know nothing and be prepared to learn from whoever is kind enough to teach. If you think you know something before you have been taught you will never learn anything.

The analogy of keris belief and religious belief is one that I have used frequently, and I do not want to turn this discussion into another sermon, I will mention just three things that might be considered.

Firstly, at their core virtually all religious belief systems have a single universal core belief.
Secondly, there are levels of understanding in all religions:- that which is understood by the common man is not the same as that which is understood by the high priest.
Thirdly, the external levels are always accessible in any belief system, even to those who do not subscribe to the beliefs, but the closer we come to the core the more difficult it becomes to access the understandings that are the property of the highest level of initiates.

The Solonese Tangguh System is often seen as being something of immense importance in gaining an understanding of the keris, and so it is, if the understanding that we wish to gain is an understanding that revolves around monetary values. However, in truth, the Solonese Tangguh System is relatively recent, no more than a couple of hundred years old at most, and it owes much for its existence at all to Dutch Colonial politics.

The Tangguh System is a useful tool for people who collect for the sake of collecting, it is an even more useful tool for people who sell keris, but it will do very little to assist anybody in gaining a deeper understanding of the keris --- unless of course the objective is to gain a deeper understanding of the monetary value of a keris.

True understanding of the keris can proceed in the total absence of the ability to differentiate between a keris classifiable as Mataram Sultan Agungan, and Mataram Senopaten.

However, I doubt that it is possible for anybody to access the understanding of the keris that is the heritage of the people of Jawa and Bali in the absence of a thorough understanding of these people, their societies and their cultures.

Last edited by A. G. Maisey; 20th December 2018 at 03:50 AM.
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