Ritualizing Buddhayana: The Invention of Rituals in Java Under the State Policy and the Diversity of Indonesian Buddhists

Abstract

This paper aims to study the invention of rituals of Buddhayana, the biggest Buddhist movement in Indonesia. Being a recognized religion in Indonesia also requires standardized rituals; thus, Buddhayana members adapt and negotiate among themselves. It questions, when Buddhayana have to invent rituals to express their identity as required by the government and to respond to the needs of Buddhists from different backgrounds such as Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, how can they do so without being criticized as syncretism or cross-traditional practices? The researcher conducted ethnographic fieldwork in Java from 2022 to 2023. Findings show that (1) as a religion of the minority, the initiation ritual has been invented to affirm the status of world religion and generate the imagined community of Buddhists. (2) Regarding the holy bathing on Kliwon, monks from Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana are invited to perform the ritual, showing that it is a separate ritual and the monks do not cross sectarian lines. The ritual can also accommodate the needs of people from different backgrounds. (3) It shows that the invention of rituals creates unity and allows different groups of people to come together and choose parts of the ceremony that match their identities.