Berichte und Kommentare 
569 
the Great Council of the Kaharingans. Only during 
the past few years was it possible to formally em 
ploy teachers and to erect subsidized buildings for 
Hindu Kaharingan services in Kalimantan. 
It is remarkable to see how positive and self-con- 
Sc ious Kaharingans currently are in their interior 
Ullages. “We are Hindus,” they proclaim. Likewise, 
Poople in Palangka Raya are proud of being part 
°f a Hindu world community. “In October [2004], 
^hen a Krishna world congress takes place in the 
HSA, our people will be there!” The Kaharingan 
^rriculum for high schools claims that “The Hindu 
kaharingan Religion has no beginning. It has al 
ways been present, ever since there have been hu- 
m ans. In fact, ‘Kaharingan’ equals life. Together 
^hh the first human beings it came down to earth 
‘ • it gives direction and faith to all mankind.” 
Two passages of Ngaju death rituals may serve 
^ explain the development which has taken place. 
Ihe first (Citation 1) was formulated some 80- 
]00 years ago, written down as cited by religious 
' u nctionaries, some three months after the death of 
individual ready for burial (Scharer 1966: 495, 
b7). The second (Citation 2) was formalized 30- 
0 years ago, as recited by a Kaharingan repre- 
Se ntative of a local community, while the body 
0 be buried still remained at home (Majelis ... 
y 74 ; 14_16 [shortened]). Both quotations speak 
° r themselves. Can the Ngaju prayers of a century 
be compared with the Kaharingan prayers of 
e Present, or does the new ritual appear closer to 
0c i e rn, monotheistic rituals as we know them? 
Station 1: “You - the souls of the dead, as you 
tQ St by the stepping stone, close the entrance door 
^ tbe house of the hombill; you - who lounge 
ere like fallen leaves by the stone, close to the 
^ch 
you 
°rage, the place for boats and water snakes; 
pray, turn back, and lead us to the mountain 
^ piuy, iurn oacK, anu leau us tu me muuiu<uu 
0 ttie of the coffins, to the hill where the dead reside 
. • May our handfuls of rice quickly rise up to the 
^-clouds and return from there as a shower ...” 
q r ese words and many more like them are ad- 
^ es sed not to one almighty God, but to spirit-like 
tQ ln §s, whom one commands, rather than pleads, 
iiicr^P 031 ^ Such texts can only be understood by 
r^vl^duals familiar with the ritual language and the 
bology of the native community concerned, 
potion 2: “Ranying Hatalla Langit, with this 
it ^ er We commend unto you this soul hoping 
Up d* be accepted. We pray asking you, the Al- 
¡U ty» to lend us your golden boat for the Liau 
K e grave site of our village. Ranying Hatalla 
t 0 grant us your forgiveness and love, forever, 
the ’ ^° Ur community, during lifetime the home of 
s ° u l of this deceased. Let the water of life rain 
At Hhr, 
■°Pos 102.2007 
down on all of us, so that we may continue to share 
a long life on earth,* be wealthy and happy. Ranying 
Hatalla Langit, protect us from sickness and grant 
us means [magic] to survive, for you are almighty, 
you have more power than all kings together. Our 
prayer has only few words; it is short so that its soul 
may return to us directly!” To conclude, three times 
a kurr is uttered (as if calling chickens) that the 
soul for whom the prayers are recited may return. 
The final word “sahij” for “amen” marks the end. 
This second passage seems to bear similarities to 
the Lord’s Prayer of Protestant Christians praising 
the Lord and asking for assistance. 
Although single elements, ways of expression, 
words, and names may derive from ancient, native 
belief, Hindu Kaharingan deserves to be called a 
new religion, one that was shaped by modem, ed 
ucated individuals. They adapted to the demands 
of their culture, to those of the state and to others 
elsewhere in the modern world. This new religion 
takes its place in Indonesia. It developed from tribal 
religion into a high religion. At the beginning of 
the 21st century it became Indonesia’s largest, now 
monotheistic, tribal religion with nearly 200,000 
believers. Hindu Kaharingan is well respected, in 
fluential, and progressive. It had to go a long way 
to achieve this. 
This is a slightly revised version of an address to repre 
sentatives of sundry religious communities on 10 March 
2006 in Tarakan (East Kalimantan). It was as part of 
a series of discussions which President Abdulrahman 
Wahid recommended in 2001 to be held in all capitals 
of the governmental districts of Indonesia as a means to 
prevent religious hatred (Forum Komunikasi Umat Antar 
Umat Beragama). Tarakan has a liberal policy as regards 
religion. 
The statement is also an abstract of a more detailed 
description of the Hindu Kaharingan Religion, entitled 
“Dari Agama Politeisme ke Agama Ketuhanan Yang 
Esa” in a work edited by Hermogenes Ugang (Balai Pe- 
nerbit Pontianak Amu Lanu). 
I thank Dr. Barbara Harrisson for translating this 
essay into English and Prof. Dr. Ernest Brandewie for 
editing it. 
References Cited 
Baler, M. 
1998 Die Hindu Kaharingan-Religion als beispielloser Fall 
eines nachchristlichen Nativismus. Tribus 47: 49-54. 
2006 Menjadi Agama Ketuhanan Yang Maha Esa. [Mim 
eographed manuscript; forthcoming in: Hermogenes 
Ugang (ed.), Dari Agama Politeisme ke Agama Ketuha 
nan Yang Esa. (Balai Penerbit Pontianak Amu Lanu)]