Pengalaman vs Teori

Ada sebuah perbedaan nyata antara 'pengalaman' dan 'teori'. Dalam istilah filsafat, dikenal dengan istilah 'teologi' dan 'theurgy'. Teology, adalah 'ilmu yang memperbincangkan tentang KeTuhanan' sedangkan Theurgy adalah 'ilmu yang mempelajari pengalaman KeTuhanan'. Apakah ini berbeda? Jelas berbeda!

Dalam teology, kita hanya berdiskusi dan berbicara, bincang-bincang mengenai Tuhan. Konon katanya, Tuhan begini, dan Tuhan itu begitu. Sedangkan dalam theurgy, perbincangan atau diskusi dihentikan - mari kita berhenti bicara, dan mari kita 'mengalami Tuhan'.

Kita bicara mengenai Tuhan yang dialami oleh Jesus, dialami oleh Buddha, dan dialami oleh Muhammad, serta dialami juga oleh para orang suci dari pelbagai disiplin ilmu metafisika serta agama, dan juga sistem kepercayaan lainnya. Maka Tuhan menurut Jesus adalah ini, sedangkan Tuhan menurut Buddha adalah ini, dan Tuhannya Muhammad adalah seperti ini. Mereka - para pengikutnya - mempelajari apa yang dituliskan oleh beliau-beliau (atau dituliskan oleh para sahabat/pengikut awal mereka) mengenai pengalaman keTuhanan orang-orang besar tersebut, kemudian diformulasikan menjadi sebuah 'doktrin' dan 'dogma' agama.

Secara sederhana, teologi ibarat ilmu yang berbicara mengenai 'teori berenang'. Teologi berbicara mengenai pengalaman orang-orang yang bisa 'berenang dalam Samudera Ilahi'. Sedangkan theurgy, mengajak manusia untuk 'masuk ke dalam air dan langsung belajar untuk berenang'. Yang satu bicara mengenai pengalaman, yang satu tidak banyak bicara dan langsung mengajak kita untuk 'turut mengalami'. Yang satu adalah 'teori', yang satu adalah 'praktek'.

Apa bedanya antara mereka yang 'pandai/hafal teori renang' dan mereka yang 'bisa berenang'? Banyak. Bahkan, bisa sangat amat fatal - antara hidup dan mati. Seorang ahli 'teori renang' (theology) bisa 'mati tenggelam' ketika dia tercebur di lautan - karena dia hanyalah pandai teori namun tidak menguasai praktek daripada ilmu renang!

Sedangkan ahli renang (theurgy) bisa jadi tidak (atau belum) menguasai teori renang, namun ketika saatnya tiba - ia dapat menyelamatkan nyawanya karena ia mampu dan bisa untuk 'bergerak di air'.

Ajaibnya, seseorang bisa saja menghafalkan beragam teori tentang ilmu berenang, namun tanpa memiliki kemampuan untuk 'praktek renang'. Sedangkan untuk seorang ahli renang, dia tidak butuh banyak teori - karena dia sudah 'terlatih' dalam ilmu tersebut, sehingga sanggup menyelamatkan nyawanya ketika perahu pecah dan semua penumpangnya terjatuh ke dalam air.

Theology hanyalah 'bicara-bicara' sedangkan Theurgy adalah 'prakteknya'.

Dari manakah kita mengambil ilmu agama kita; dari para pendeta, ulama, atau ustadz yang hanya 'ahli teori' (jago bicara tentang Tuhan tanpa pernah bertemu dengan Tuhan) atau dari seorang yang mungkin tidak banyak bicara namun memang 'menguasai ilmunya' (sudah pernah bertemu dengan Tuhan, dan dapat 'melatih' atau 'mengajarkan' kita bagaimana cara untuk bertemu denganNya).

Tahapan Iman dan Cinta

Iman, atau keyakinan, adalah sesuatu hal yang dinamis dan berproses. Pada umumnya, kita dididik untuk memeluk agama atau keyakinan tertentu sesuai dengan kepercayaan kedua orang tua kita dan “taken for granted”. Selama bertahun-tahun kita diajarkan bahwa iman menurut agama kedua orang tua kitalah yang benar (dan sebagai konsekuensinya, kita memandang kepercayaan orang lain sebagai “salah”). Namun mulai pada saat kita dapat membaca dan menulis, serta menalar dan belajar, kita dapat mempelajari keyakinan atau agama lainnya guna memperbandingkan dalam semangat mencari kebenaran.


Iman, dalam hemat saya, dipelajari melalui proses. Bagaikan belajar berenang, kita mempelajarinya perlahan dan bertahap, kemudian kita harus terjun di air untuk mempraktekkan keyakinan atau iman tersebut. Awalnya kita diajari secara lisan atau tulisan bahwa manusia dapat berenang di air. Kemudian kita melihat baik secara langsung ataupun tidak langsung bahwa seorang manusia dapat berenang di air. Dan terakhir, kita mempraktekkan ilmu berenang tersebut dengan jalan menceburkan diri ke air. Pertama kita mempelajari gaya bebas, kemudian gaya punggung, gaya dada, serta gaya-gaya lainnya (dan mungkin juga gaya batu serta gaya gravitasi) guna membuktikan bahwa “manusia dapat berenang”.


Dalam teori keimanan (menurut saya) terdapat tiga tahap yang diilustrasikan dengan belajar berenang sebagaimana di atas yaitu Ilmul Yaqin, Ainul Yaqin, dan Haqqul Yaqin.


Ilmul Yaqin adalah saat dimana kita belajar mengenai berenang via lisan dan tulisan. Pada tahap ini, kita mengenal “iman” via buku-buku, pelajaran agama di sekolah, via khutbah-khutbah, dan input serta pengaruh lainnya. Di tahap ini kita mempelajari mengenai iman, kepercayaan, dan agama, melalui jalur pembelajaran formal ataupun otodidak, melalui jalur yang disebut “menuntut ilmu” atau mempelajari teorinya.


Ainul Yaqin adalah keimanan yang diperoleh melalui penglihatan; sebagaimana kata “ain” dalam bahasa Arab berarti mata. Kita melihat bahwa orang sakit dapat disembuhkan melalui kekuatan do’a, kita melihat seseorang yang mempraktekkan ibadah dengan baik dan benar tumbuh menjadi seseorang yang baik dan patut menjadi tauladan, kita melihat bukti-bukti peninggalan pusaka dari pada pendiri agama. Apa yang kita baca melalui buku-buku dan kita dengar dari para ahli mulai menunjukkan suatu bukti yang dapat “dilihat” oleh kedua mata kita sendiri. Disini teori mulai menunjukkan bukti, meskipun bukti itu belum terjadi pada diri kita sendiri.


Haqqul Yaqin adalah keimanan yang memiliki bukti. Kita tahu bahwa manusia dapat berenang karena kita sendiri dapat berenang. Kita percaya bahwa do’a dapat menyembuhkan karena do’a kita dapat menyembuhkan orang lain. Dengan Haqqul Yaqin, kita telah menjadi “bukti iman” itu sendiri. Dalam tahap ini kita sudah tidak perlu membaca buku lagi, tidak perlu melihat orang lain lagi, karena kita sudah “percaya seutuhnya”.


Contohnya adalah mengenai keberadaan surga-neraka. Mungkin melalui buku-buku dan khutbah, secara teori kita mengenal bahwa terdapat dimensi lain yang bernama surga serta neraka. Namun, apakah kita pernah melihat dengan kedua mata kita sendiri dan menyaksikan keberadaan surga serta neraka? Dan, pernahkah kita “mampir” ke alam surga dan merasakan panasnya api neraka? Jika kita belum pernah melihat indahnya surga serta buruknya neraka; serta belum pernah mencicip sejuknya hawa surga serta panasnya api neraka, maka janganlah pernah berkata bahwa “iman saya sudah sempurna”. Karena kita baru sampai pada tahap “ilmul yaqin”. Jangankan merasakan, wong melihat saja belum pernah koq.


Konon katanya, Tuhan ada dan berkuasa. Begitulah menurut kata buku dan kata orang-orang. Namun sayangnya, kita belum pernah “melihat” ujud Tuhan. Dan, kita belum pernah “bertemu” dengan Beliau. Bagaimana mungkin kita dapat berkata bahwa “iman saya adalah benar” dan orang lain salah? Jika iman diukur hanya oleh penglihatan dan perjumpaan, niscaya Iblis (atau Lucifer) jauh lebih beriman daripada kita karena ia pernah bertemu dan berdialog langsung dengan Tuhan. Bahkan seorang (atau seekor?) Iblis pun dapat terjatuh terjerembab dari surga karena satu hal : sombong dan menolak perintahNya (untuk bersujud menghormat pada Adam). Kita bicara mengenai Iblis yang terjatuh dari kedudukannya disamping Tuhan karena merasa sombong; bagaimana halnya kita, manusia biasa, yang melihat Tuhan saja belum bisa, apalagi berdiskusi denganNya, dan sudah merasa sombong; adigung adiguna, merasa diri mulia dan mampu menundukkan segala?


Jika saya tidak salah kutip, Syekh Jalaluddin Rumi pernah berkata, bahwa alangkah banyaknya manusia bicara mengenai keindahan mutiara yang tersembunyi di kedalaman samudera, dan alangkah sedikitnya manusia yang mau menyelam guna melihat keindahan sang mutiara!


Jika kita mencari keamanan, maka diamlah di pinggir pantai. Namun jika kita mencari kebenaran, janganlah takut tenggelam. Bagaikan seorang pemuda yang dapat dibuat gila oleh sang kekasih karena rasa cintanya, maka – konon katanya – bahwa Samudera Keindahan Ilahi hanya dapat diselami oleh mereka yang mampu melepas ketakutan, ego pribadinya, dan berpasrah diri hanya mengandalkan Bahana Cinta. Tanpa Cinta, maka iman hanyalah sekedar ujud ego pribadi dan rasa sombong dengan mengatasnamakan kebenaran. Merasa diri sendiri paling benar, dan manusia lain salah semua. Apa bedanya dengan perkataan Iblis yang menolak ketika diminta oleh Tuhan agar bersembah sujud menghormati Adam? “Aku lebih baik dari ia; ia diciptakan dari tanah; sedangkan aku diciptakan dari api!”


Namun Cinta memang menakutkan; karena Cinta dapat membakar dada; dan membuat pikiran waras menjadi gila. Cinta dapat merusak tatanan keluarga; dan membuat seorang dara rela menentang orangtuanya dan menyerahkan jiwa-raga serta segalanya demi sekejap momen kebersamaan dengan sang pria yang ia cinta. Cinta dapat membuat seorang lelaki membunuh sesama; hanya untuk menjumput sekecap aroma bau tubuh dari sang kekasih. Oleh karenanya; jarang sekali manusia dapat mencapai taraf “Haqqul Yaqin” akan keberadaan Ilahi. Karena Tuhan adalah Maha Pencinta; maka Ia adalah Maha Pencemburu apabila kita mencintai yang lain selain Ia. Jika kita mendeklarasikan “I love You” maka sudah seharusnya tiada yang selain Ia bersemayam di dalam hati kita. Tiada pacar, tiada kekasih, tiada anak, tiada istri, tiada harta benda, bahkan diri sendiri pun terlupakan, dan yang ada hanya Alloh semata…(dan ini, saudaraku, adalah pekerjaan yang maha berat!). Dan, konon katanya, pabila kita sudah dapat menyingkirkan segala sesuatu selain Alloh dari hati kita, maka bersiaplah untuk menyambut perjumpaan denganNya…


Mohon maaf atas segala kesalahan; Al Haqqu BiRobbikum (kebenaran hanya datang dari Tuhan); Wallohu a’lam bisshowab (hanya Tuhan yang tahu segalanya), wassalam…


(Padang, 5 September 2006)

Antara Agama dan Spiritualitas

Pada masa kita kecil, kerapkali kita diajarkan mengenai agama dan Ketuhanan melalui pola hitam putih : surga dan neraka. Anak baik masuk surga, anak jahat masuk neraka. Kendalanya adalah, bahwa apa yang “baik” dan apa yang “buruk” seringkali ditentukan oleh subjektifitas dari para pendidik awal kita : orangtua kita sendiri dan orang-orang yang berperan dekat di dalam lingkungan dimana kita dibesarkan.

Kita, sebagai seorang manusia kecil yang masih polos dan belum mengenal konsep “dosa” (serta “pahala”), anak-anak yang memandang dunia dengan penuh rasa keingintahuan tanpa kenal takut sebagai tempat petualangan terbesar dan menantang, mulai dijejali konsep-konsep yang “benar” menurut orangtua kita dan telah “diwariskan” dalam keluarga kita.

Menurut hasil penelitian mengenai sel-sel otak; diketahui bahwa pada awal mulanya pertumbuhan manusia, sel-sel tersebut bagaikan “spons” yang dapat dibentuk sesuka hati sesuai dengan input yang “diprogramkan” ke dalam otak, terutama pada masa-masa awal pertumbuhan kita (usia nol bulan hingga kurang lebih 7 tahun; Reff. Daniel Goleman & Taufik Pasiak). Seiring dengan kompleksitas input dan pembelajaran, sel-sel otak tersebut saling membentuk hubungan fisik, kait mengkait, dan berkembang menjadi lebih besar dan lebih kompleks. Kiranya dalam hal ini benar pepatah yang mengatakan bahwa dalam hal pikiran, berlaku “use it or loose it”. Gunakan otakmu, atau sedikit demi sedikit kamu akan kehilangan massa sel pembentuk otak dan lama kelamaan benar-benar akan menjadi bodoh. Gejala pikun pada manula dapat diatasi dengan metoda pembelajaran tiada henti. Begitu kita berhenti belajar, pada saat itu pula otak kita berhenti bekerja dan berlatih, dan mulai mengkerut.

“Programming” yang dijalankan kepada kita pada masa kecil dapat beragam tergantung kepada penginput data (orangtua kita) dan pelatihan kita (pengkondisian lingkungan masa kecil). Mungkin kita pernah mengalami, dan mengingat, baik secara sadar ataupun tidak, beberapa “program dasar” yang ditanamkan kepada pikiran kita semenjak kecil. Misalnya, bahwa “memegang atau bermain dengan kemaluan itu dosa”, “main tanah itu kotor”, “lelaki harus main perang-perangan dan perempuan harus main rumah-rumahan”, “lelaki main mobil-mobilan dan boneka untuk anak perempuan”, dan berbagai program lainnya. Ada pula “program-program bayangan” yang tidak dimaksudkan untuk diinput ke dalam otak kita namun toh terinput juga baik disadari maupun tidak, misalnya bayangan akan perkelahian rumah tangga diantara kedua orangtua kita yang diwarnai oleh kata-kata kasar dan kotor. Juga, mungkin diantaranya adalah kata-kata berbau rasisme yang terlontar secara tidak sengaja seperti “orang Cina dan Padang pelit-pelit”, “orang Jawa munafik”, “orang Manado gila belanja”, “orang Sunda matre”, dan berbagai stereotype lainnya.

Keseluruhan input ini, baik yang ditanamkan secara sengaja ataupun tidak, semuanya dimasukkan ke dalam CPU manusia yaitu otak kita, dan sebagai hasilnya keluarlah output berupa sikap, perilaku, tindak tanduk, ucapan, dan lainnya. Pepatah mengatakan, “buah tak mungkin jatuh jauh dari pohonnya” (kecuali kalo buahnya udah dipanen duluan di pohon terus dijual, hehehe). Demikian pula dengan agama yang kita anut; pada umumnya agama si anak bergantung kepada agama orangtuanya. Dan agama orangtuanya bergantung kepada agama kakek-neneknya. Bukankah begitu? (Bukaann…)

Danah Zohar & Ian Marshall (Spiritual Quotient, Mizan Pustaka) mengemukakan teori “God Spot”. Teori ini menyatakan bahwa dalam bagian otak manusia terdapat satu bagian yang “memang dari sananya” sudah diprogram secara hardware & software untuk berpikir mengenai Tuhan dan masalah-masalah Ketuhanan. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian mereka mengenai otak (yang didukung dengan percobaan ilmiah di laboratorium), terdapat satu bagian – atau komponen khusus – di dalam otak kita yang inheren berbicara mengenai Tuhan & Ketuhanan. “Tuhan & Ketuhanan” disini bukanlah “Tuhan” dalam artian agama tertentu, melainkan “Tuhan” sebagai suatu Kuasa Adi Alami, Kuasa Adiluhung & Supernatural yang berperan dalam menentukan nasib manusia.

Mengapa bukan “Tuhan” dalam arti agama? Karena “agama” yang kita kenal sekarang tidak terlepas dari sejarah dan bentukan peradaban manusia yang berbicara dalam bahasa yang berbeda serta hidup dalam pengkondisian budaya yang beragam. “Agama” yang kita kenal sekarang telah ‘hidup’ selama ribuan tahun; contohnya, agama Kristen telah hidup setidaknya selama kurang lebih 2000 tahun. Islam hidup selama kurang lebih 1400 tahun. Hindu dan Buddha, serta Kong Hu Cu, bahkan telah hidup jauh lebih lama daripada itu; dan sampai sekarang, agama-agama tersebut serta kepercayaan tersebut tetap hidup dan dilestarikan secara turun temurun oleh para penganutnya. Agama terdiri dari satu set ajaran dan dogma; yang dilandasi oleh kepercayaan dan keimanan akan keberadaan suatu Kuasa Adi Alami yang Intelektual, Imanen, dan Supernatural. Ajaran dan dogma dapat berkembang dan dapat dipengaruhi oleh perbedaan zaman, waktu, budaya, tempat, dan adat istiadat; namun inti dari ajaran tersebut (dalam hemat saya) tetaplah sama, yaitu mengajarkan adanya suatu Kuasa Tak Terbatas yang Maha Pencipta.

Karena itu, mereka (Zohar & Marshall) memisahkan antara “agama” (seperangkat ajaran, dogma, & peraturan) dan “spiritualitas” (kepercayaan akan Kuasa Adi Alami). “Tuhan” menurut agama bisa disebut dengan nama yang berbeda dan disembah dengan cara yang beragam sesuai dengan dogma agama masing-masing; namun “Tuhan” dalam spiritualitas adalah Universal, Maha Pencipta, Maha Pemelihara, Akal Intelektual yang menjadi Sebab Segala. Dalam definisi ini, seorang atheis yang mengutuk ajaran agama sebagai candu dan menolak untuk menganut agama tertentu dapat saja disebut sebagai “beriman” secara spiritual apabila ia mengakui keberadaan suatu Kuasa Adi Alami yang mengatur hidup manusia dan menciptakan segalanya.

Kepercayaan terhadap Kuasa Adi Alami yang mengatur segala (Spiritualitas) telah tertanam di dalam otak kita secara hardware, “dari sananya”, namun program yang hendak kita isikan ke dalam God Processor Unit (GPU) tersebut adalah tergantung dari diri kita sendiri sebagai manusia yang dapat memilih dan berakal budi. Ada yang mengisi GPU tersebut dengan OS (Operating System) ala Timur Tengah (agama-agama Ibrahimiyah – Yahudi, Kristen, Islam), ada yang mengisinya dengan ajaran Timur lainnya (Hindu, Buddha, Kong Hu Cu), dan ada juga yang memilih OS lain karena merasa “tidak compatible” dengan OS dari 6 ajaran agama besar. Tidak semua orang mau dan mampu menggunakan Microsoft Windows XP. Boleh dong, pakai Linux sebagai OS. Atau pakai bajakan. Dual System dalam satu GPU ? Hemm, kalo nda takut errorr ya silahkan saja dicoba.

Semasa kita kecil dan belum dapat membaca serta menulis, sudah sewajarnya orangtua kita mengisikan program yang paling tepat (menurut mereka) kepada otak kita. Yaa…kalau komputernya belum bisa pakai Windows Vista, pakai DOS dulu sebagai OS, nanti ngetiknya pakai Wordstar, spreadsheetnya pakai Lotus. Nanti begitu sudah besar, bisa upgrade sendiri, mau pakai Linus, Windows XP, atau bajakan, terserah yang punya kepala. Wong udah gede koq. Sudah bisa input data sendiri, prosessing dan outputnya sudah otomatis.

Pilihan. Saya (pribadi) berpendapat, bahwa “agama” adalah pilihan; sedangkan “spiritualitas” adalah takdir (sesuatu yang sudah inheren dalam otak kita dari sananya). Tuhan (atau siapapun namanya, pokoknya Yang Menciptakan manusia) sudah memberikan GPU (God Processing Unit) dalam otak manusia sebagai hardware, sedangkan untuk OS dan softwarenya silahkan pilih sendiri mana yang paling compatible dengan diri kita. Tentunya, semua penjual software akan berkata bahwa programnya lah yang paling baik. Yaa, namanya juga orang jualan. Namun, kembali kepada diri kita sebagai “pembeli” atau “konsumen” dari ajaran-ajaran agama (eh, maaf, software!) : OS mana yang paling cocok bagi diri kita? OS mana yang paling ok menurut kita?

Dan ingatlah, karena otak kita (secara fisik) dapat mengembang dan mengkerut, tentunya semakin dewasa diri kita (dan semakin banyak belajar), kemampuan Processing Power kita akan meningkat. Program isian atau bajakan yang diinput oleh orang tua kita pada masa kecil mungkin tidak akan memadai lagi pada saat ini. Ibarat sebuah komputer berprosesor Pentium 4 dengan speed 3,5 Mhz; bisa saja menjalankan program DOS 6.0 dengan Wordstar & Lotus, namun kemampuannya menjadi mubazir dan akibatnya, kita melihat komputer tersebut sebagai “biasa saja”. Percuma dong, punya komputer seharga 6 juta buat pake ngetik doang. Rugi amat…kalau buat ngetik doang, belilah mesin tik elektrik seharga 500 ribu, sudah sangat amat nyaman untuk mengetik. Dengan harga 6 juta, komputer tersebut sudah seharusnya bisa dipakai untuk word processing (bukan sekedar mengetik), spreadsheet, bikin presentasi, muter DVD, nyetel MP3, ngedit foto, nyimpen video, game 3D, dan lain-lain…tapiiii…ga mungkin kalo OS nya masih pake MS DOS. Harus diupgrade dulu jadi Windows XP (atau Linus deh ya, kalo ga suka ama Bill Gates).

Duuh, sodara-sodara, maap ya, saya bahasanya acak-acakan. Ternyata, ga gampang yah nulis serieus (kaya nama band dari Bandung aja yg nyanyi : rocker juga manusia…blogger juga manusiaa…). Udah dulu ya, udah 4 halaman A4 nech. Nanti yang baca (kalo ada yg minat baca) bosen n cape dengan tulisan amburadul serta tak berarti ini. Ok pamiarsa, wilujeng enjing, nyuwun pangapunten, matur sembah nuwun, thanks for all, please forgive me, tararengkyu, haturnuhun, mangga, wassalamm….

(Padang, 3 September 2006)

Why We Hate America (USA)

It used to be a good ‘ol world. Everybody was happy, everybody loving with each other. Then, suddenly, it happens. The 9/11 comes, and the world changes in an instant. Bush’s administration respons quickly the thousand lossess of NYC people with hundred thousands lifes of Afghans, Iraqis, Pakistanis, and others. But none from Saudi Arabia, eventhough the terrorists that flown the aircraft in 9/11 are Saudians. Strange. So, if a Saudians kills one of our people, lets kill ten of Afghans or Iraqis or Pakistanis in exchange, but dont kill Saudians. Hey, Saudians are our partner, eventhough in their country, they breed terrorists. Lets threat Iranians instead and leave Israelis in peace, eventhough Israelis invade Lebanon and kills several hundreds civilian Lebanese in its process.

Iraq, Iran, and North Korea are axes of evil. Yeah, sure. They have may satanic church there. Uups, I forgot - North Korean are communists, so there is no ‘evil’ concept there - how can we accuse people who acclaim ‘there is no God’ with the term ‘evil’? Hell, they do not even believe in Lucifer’s existence!
How aboud Iraq? Yea, sure, they have WMD ‘Weapon of Mass Destruction’ there. They have many silos, hidden laboratories, and stockpiles of nuclear warheads. Ups, I forgot to mention that it is just a ‘probability’ assumed by our intellegence agents. But the decision had been taken so we invade there and hang Saddam Hussein upside down while our army occupied the oil fields. Too bad, the WMD never found while the oil fields failed to produce because ‘terrorists’ attacks’. Sure, everybody will turn out to be terrorists if they fought and defend their own country against an ‘invading’ army. Dutch’s army branded Indonesian’s independece fighter as ‘terrorists’ in 1948. Hello world…whats new???

Iran are evil - because their women wears black veils and their mullahs cursed Hugh Hefner of Playboy? C’mon…last time I heard that we live in a democratic world where everybody have their own freedom to use any cloth they like - whether if its bikinis, veils, or naked. But of course, they have a potential to develop nuclear weapons in 10 years. Hmm…so lets be kind and forgive North Korea (which already have a nuclear warhead), forget about Israelis, and let British develop their new nuclear powered submarines. Let no one have any potential to develop any nuclear weapons - except us and our allies. Sure, this world is such an unfair world where the one that had power (nuclear warheads) can do and dictate what they like, when they like, and however they like - even if it means by any use of military power.

Just like a James Bond movies - The World is Ours. Hell heath no glory upon us. Eventhough around the world people are protesting us and branded us as a warmonger, eventhough our allies in Europe or anywhere else, and their people, are already have doubt about us and our real intentions, we will keep faith in our one solid principle : either be with us or else. Just like an ‘ol cowboy movie - aint a Brokeback Mountain, no.

Dont make any mistakes, no. We like listening The Black Eyed Peas and watch Will Smith’s videos ‘Get Jiggy with it’ and (in secretly, if not to mention hypocrisy) we envied Hugh Hefners’ way of life - but we branded such a lifestyle in more decent words - ‘polygamy’. We like to watch Baywatch and admiring Pamela Anderson’s size while watchng Paris Hilton shaking. But, unfortunately, we do hate your president named George ‘Warmonger’ Bush and we do hate your goverment. Do not make mistakes, no. Most of our people are still think that America (USA) is such a dream country and would sacrifice almost everything to pursue an American Dream. Do please forgive our such imbicile minds which sometimes cannot distinguish between a government and its people. Sometimes we attack American civilians instead of an American Soldiers because we have a big trouble to differentiate them - the same problem you people have in Iraq or Afghanistan - you people bombed our own civilian brothers and sister while they have their wedding days and you people kills our own civilian children because you people have such trouble to distinguish between terrrorists and civilian, even with your high-tech ’smart bombs’.

You people and we people, we are the same human living being here in earth. Why should we wage war and kill each other instead of ‘get jiggy together with it’???

PS : For dear Mr Professor Samuel Huntington who predict a ‘Clash of Civilization’ between West and Islam. Aint you had a failure? Coz I believe it is not a fight between West vs Islam. I believe it is a fight between USA and the rest of the world (leads by China - ahh, the ancient scary dragon finally has awaken and ready to eat the rude cowboy - what a relieve)

(Padang, 23 March 2007)

My Work

Okay, so I'm working. Kinda like to see Aircraft and/or Airliners from my early days in life - my mom took me twice to IAS (Indonesia's Aircraft Show) in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, at my early age. If I'm not mistaken, once when I'm still 6 or 7 years old, and once again when I'm 10 years old (is this true? hmm...I better check it with my ma).

Destiny seems have its own way - or maybe supposedly we call it "self fulfilling prophecy" - or what? I dont know exactly. In my religion, Islam (I was born in this religion), I was told that "everything has been written in His Clear Book of Knowledge (in Arabic : Lauh al Mahfudzh)". Everything; include my interests in airplane(s) - I have a very good illustrated book of aircraft for kids, it have many pictures of commercial and war planes in it - my goings to the air show twice in my early days - and (maybe) my work now, in an airlines.

Interesting to note that I'm not taking "exact sciences" (like mathematics, physics, biology, whatever knowledge who deals with nature) whether in my Senior High School or in College. Infact, I'm taking "social knowledge" as my major - and the knowledge I'm learning doesnt deals with aerodynamics, weather, electronics, computers, whatsoever.

Sometimes I wonder, how could I get involved with those airlines and aircraft stuff(s) that need some basic "nature sciences" while I'm educated in "social sciences"? Dunno.

Maybe, it is something mysterious that we called "destiny".

God’s Religion

Nowadays, we know that amongst 6,5 billion people that lived on earth, most of them have some kind of religious system or spiritual believe which they hold dearly. We know those religion by several name; such as Christianity (Roman Catholic and Protestant alike), Islam (either Sunni or Syiah), Buddhism (Theravada, Mahayana, Zen…u name it!), Hinduism, Confucianism, Judaism, and so, and so. Most of them – the believers or the faithful ones – have something in common; which, if I’m not mistaken; most of them are believe in the Divinity – God, Allah, Jesus, Khrisna, Brahma, Buddha, Thian – u name it – as an All Powerful entity which created us all, human being, that walketh the earth.

From my childhood, I’ve been told (or educated, or indoctrinated, whatever) that among the religion that we know lived on earth ( I said it ‘lived’ – because religion, whatever abstracts the words mean, ‘lived’ through the heart and the life of its followers) could be divided into two main catagories; religion or believe system that ‘made by God in Heaven’ and religion or believe system that ‘made by Philosophers on Earth’. One have been stamped ‘made in Heaven’ and the other are stamped ‘made on Earth’. For example; Judaism, Christianity, and Islam categorized as ‘made in Heaven’ – and Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism categorized as ‘made on Earth’.

Is this true? That we could categorized those belief system unto only two of its kind? Well, since when I’m received ‘this lesson’ am still a child, a very young one, I couldn’t figure it out and accept those as a ‘simple an plain truth’ – just like I accept that earth is revolving the sun while rotating on its own without have to see it or prove it by myself (this fact is only known after Copernicus was born, and luckily I’m born long after he is gone). Just believe. Like most of us people believe everything that been told by our parents when we’re young and ‘mindless’ (mind me, I don’t want to say that when we are human still young at age we don’t have a mind).

Just like I accept the existence of God (I’ve been told that His name is Allah, not Jahwe, Jesus, Father, or Brahman) as a Supreme Being and the Only Great Creator of Everything without have to see it by my own eyes to believe it. Whenever I ask, “where is Allah” various answers given by my parents or my teachers. Some said, “Allah is resting on His Throne, up there in Heaven”, and some said that “Allah is lies deep within your own very heart”.

At that time I couldn’t figure it out how a Single Entity, The Most Exalted of All, could reside both at His Throne in Heaven and in my own very heart also in the same time. I just thought that maybe Allah has put an invisible telephone in my heart – and everybody’s heart – so on the same time He could resting on His Throne whilst He listens to our prayers. And since the world is round and we have different time zones in every part of the world, I thought, at every second in His time He must have been listening to human’s wish and prayers. He doesn’t sleep, He just listens – because whenever there is light in other part of the world, it is night at the other part. At every second, we ‘speaks’ to God via the invisible telephone in our heart.

God, I thought He must be have thousand and billions of angels serving Him everytime, pick up the telephone line and listening to human’s prayers. Since He is Single, and ‘He looked like us’ (my teacher use to say that God has created us ‘according to His own image’) so He must be have only two ears to hear just like us human being. If He doesn’t employed those angels to help Him listens, how could?

Ok, so at that time I just figure it out that I – a young kid that walk on earth - could speak to Allah The Most High who Resting on His Throne in Heaven – everywhere, everytime, simple by just looking at my heart, dial the number, and speak thru the mic. Yea, right.

The other question that bothers me the most are the differentiality of human’s religions, its kind, its own gods, its systems, its category. Like I said before; one made in Heaven and one made in Earth. I remember the time when I want to buy a Canon Digital Camera – I search thru the internet discussion forum and I found out that for the same type of camera that I look for, they have two kind of product; one is made in Japan, and the other is made in China. Guess Canon divided its factories or manufacturing processess between Japan and China. So most people – while they understand clearly that this camera is made by the very same company, made exactly according to the very same design and specification, and have the same type and ability – always want to search for the one that ‘made in Japan’ because they believe (or supposedly I said that they ‘belief’) that the one bears the ‘Japan’ have higher quality then the one that bears the ‘China’ mark.

I remember the scene in ‘Armageddon’ (the movie, which features Liv Tyler and his father, Aerosmith…I just want to sing, “am leaaaviiing on the jet plaaane…” oh, Liv…) when the Russian cosmonaut banging the instrument on NASA’s plane while screaming, “everything that build by Russian, American, whatever – are made in Taiwaaan!” true to the very bones of it, mind me? Nowadays almost all factories – for example, Nokia of Finland and Mattel of America – have its own China’s factories as their centre of productions. And they built it big. And…they pay it cheap. God, I love capitalism (didn’t China said that they are communist-socialist country? Hmm…maybe am wrong about this. What do you think?)

So, one is marked ‘Heaven’ and one is marked ‘Earth’. Hmm, maybe God want to sub contract His work to the Philosophers of Earth – like I said before, if He is created us ‘according to His own image’, so, I see no reason why when His both hands are full, He appointed some ‘helping hands’ to help Him. God, I love this analogy.

Just like those big multinational company nowadays – they sub contract their administrative and IT works to India, and they moved their production/manufacture works to China. Only left the headquarters and management office in their own country. I see no reason why God couldn’t do the same. Whenever the ‘belief system’ being manufactured – whether on Earth or in Heaven – I belive that it bears the same ‘hidden’ marks, ‘made by The One and Only God of all Nation’. Same creator, only different locations.

So, you ask me – at least that whats am imagining right now – if the same God who creates all religion or belief system, why the differentiality? Well, maybe this is the answer – He employs different people from different nations. In Israel (or, better I said, Egypt) He choose Moses to do His works. In Israel he choose King Solomon, King David, and finally – Jesus. In Arab He choose Muhammad. In China He choose Confucius. In India He choose Siddharta Gautama a.k.a. Buddha. It is very natural for every ‘prophet’ to speak according to their own languanges; it is not natural for Jesus to speak Chinese or for Confucius to speak Hebrew. Different nations, different languanges, different customs, different ages – because time/space continuum IS a dimension – it is ‘fourth dimension’.

People tend to give name of a product according to the name of its creator, or where it originated, or something that has been associated with it – or so I belived. Judaism, the name of Jewish religion – named after the people of Judah tribe, the tribe of Israel. Hindu named derived from the place called ‘Indus’ valley, nowadays we called it India. Jesus came from Nazaret, so at the first time the Christian people are called ‘The Nazarean’. The word Christianity came from the word Kristos in Greek, which is translation from the word ‘Messiha’ (or Mesias) in Hebrew-Aramaic. Jesus Christ, Jesus Christos, Joshua the Messiach. Buddhism taken from the word Buddha, a.k.a the name of Lord Siddharta Gautama after he is been enlighted. The name of Islam taken from the word ‘salaam’ in Arabic, which means ‘peace’.

Although the message came from, or originated from, the same own very source, God – because the message has been ‘manufactured’ in different locations around the globe – certainly it will have its own ‘marks’. People who followed Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, have the same ‘father’ of faith – Abraham (or Avram, or Ibrahim). And yet, the followers of the same father Abraham are having the most bloodiest fight in history. You name it – Inquisition, Crusades, Jihad, whatsoever – and the latest are happening in Gaza strip between Hamas (follower of Muhammad) vs Israel (follower of Moses). Whether Muhammad or Moses, both of them are descendant of Abraham (Ibrahim). Muhammad came from Hasyim tribe of the Arabian, which is believed are descendant of Ishmael, the son of Abraham. Moses came from the Juda or Jew tribe, which is believed are descendant of Isaac, which is the son of Abraham also. Basically they are brothers – same father, different mother (this story teach me to reconsidering and rethinking about polygamy – we don’t want our grandchildren have bloodbath because they have different mother). Jesus is a Jew, so it is natural if he sides with Moses, because both of them came from the same Isaac link. Maybe this quarrel are fight between Hagar (the mother of Ishmael) and Sarah (the mother of Isaac). Well, father Abraham have teach us one thing; a quarrel (or jealousy) between wives could inherited by their sons, and so, and so. Hmhm. (hey, no offense, this is just a joke! Am not serious…)

Well, at least that is what am thinking about difference of religion and what cause it right now. I’m not always right, you know. After all this is only my very own humble opinion of religion whatsoever. You don’t have to feel offended because I don’t want to offend anybody. I just want to ‘speak it out loud and clear’ about my own thinking – and I believe that you, and anybody else in this world, have the same rights to speak their own mind. We could choose to listen or not; or just thought that whoever writes this must be a very crazy degraded man who suffer mental illness, so you don’t have to feel offended anymore. After all, I’am still like to watch Dragon Ball movie at my age – which is 30 years past already…

Maybe you say that I’m simplified things. They have sooo many difference in their belief system; how could you say that they (the message that brought by the prophets of history as we know them) are came from the same source?

Well, my answer is this : you know Linux? When Linus Torvald (peace be upon him) created Linux, he created it from an ancient languange or hidden knowledge of programming : Unix. But he created it ‘open source’! (not like Bill Gates, or Steve Jobs, I wonder – can you crack the I-Phone yet without making it a very expensive plastic brick?). So, while Bill Gates an Steve Jobs ‘protected’ their source for whatever reasons imaginable (mostly money matters, I think), Linus Torvald ‘opened’ it – so anybody could develop Linux into something else – so now we know there is Red Hat Linux, Linux Suse, Lindows, and so, and so (and we may develop it if we have the ability). Basically, Linus Torvald is a ‘Godlike’ person because he acts ‘like God’ – he gave the message, and he gave us the authority to develop it according to our own needs. He didn’t ask us any money for using Linux; just like God didn’t ask us any money for using earth, breathing the air, and enjoying the light. Do you think that The One that The Most High, The Most Exalted of All, still need any money?

God gave us, human, the ability to extend the knowledge and upgraded it, customized it, according to our own needs, habits, customs, nations, and others. While He created and own the source, He opened the source code so anybody could access it. I can, you can, and so anybody else. Certainly there is some kind of a ‘guide’ for anybody wish to ‘download the source code’ and ‘develop or upgrade it’. We may choose whichever ‘program’ that suits us – just like we may choose to use Redhat, Suse, Lindows, or Windows, or Mac OS – me and you (and anybody else) may choose their own religion – nobody could stopping you to choose Christianity or Islam or Buddhism or Confucianism or Hinduism or Communism or Capitalism or Atheism or even creating your own religion – it is in our own mind and heart. But in order to be able to do that, we need the ‘source code’ which is ‘hidden’ in every religion, deep down under the dogma and doctrines (because I believed that dogmas and doctrines are created later, as an ‘upgrade’ and ‘customization’ by human who have it own needs and wants. Who said we have to confess our sin to our local priest who spend his life in celibacy? Hey, the priests (and priestess) are only human just like us, a human being who need foods n drinks (n they have their own sexual needs also…the question is how long those priests could hold it before they turn to be a boy sodomist).

But, like I said before, there is certain ‘guides’ for us in order to be able to access it. Not everybody have abilities like Linus Torvalds, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs. But even those people (this big three) have to ‘learn’ to be able to be like that. Bill Gates didn’t born with Windows Vista package on his hands. He born just like us all – naked, and crying – and of course, without glassess – I believe its been added later in his life. So people like me, who don’t have any programming abilities or understand any programming languange – have to choose a kind of product that has been developed by somebody else to suit my needs. In my case, I choose Bill Gates’ product (I use Windows, mind you. What? Of course it is an Original version. I bought it 98 US Dollar. What a waste). My friend use Linux because he understand the programming languange and able to write programs – he is an IT officer – and because he found freedom in using Linux (and he didn’t like the idea of paying for something that he could created by himself. He always choose ‘shareware’ or ‘freeware’ if it is possible – always search and choose the free one before you opened your wallet – what a wise guy). Me? Am just a plain and simple guy who always having trouble to understand the difference of the binary code ‘10’ and the number 10 (ten). In this case, my prophet is ‘Bill Gates’, because I’m following him devoutly without question asked. In the term of operation system in my computer, of course, not in the term of my marriage life (in my marriage life, I prefer ‘Kamasutra’ as my ‘holy book’, not ‘windows vista for dummies’ as my guide).

So, if you don’t understand the ‘guides’, please don’t even try to change your registry in Windows (regedit.exe) because it could cause your computer crashed and soon you have to face serious problem. Believe me. Try it if you like. But you could never hold me responsible for executing my advice on your very own personal computer. After all, you don’t know me. Use it at your own risk.

Just like in religious life – everybody following their own prophets, priests, and teachers. That’s why we have soooo many differences nowadays – we only following other people’s product, and we don’t even try to digg it deeply beneath dogmas and doctrines to find the ‘hidden knowledge’ of God. And so, the people of Windows are fighting with the people of Linux – or, let me say it differently – the people of Muhammad are fighting with the people of Moses. If we could understand the roots of all religion, and master the ‘hidden knowledge’ within it, will we fight? I doubt so. We’ll just understand that people tend to have different choices because they have different needs and they just using different products, made by the same maker and designer. Will we force our own religion to others? I doubt so. Because what suits me well and fulfilling my needs maybe won’t suits you well because you have different needs. If I’m comfortable using Windows, my friend doesn’t – he still choose Linux because for him it is the best, give him freedom, and suits him well. Well, my other friend didn’t choose anything because he didn’t have any computers and didn’t believe in the miracle of internet. He still lived in the stone age. He eat only organic raw vegetables, he eat sushi, and he like his steaks raw, preferebly with some blood drop on it. Yucks.

Or, in other words, they are people around the world who didn’t choose to believe because they belief that every religion are made by certain human who created a certain belief-system to fulfill their own needs, whether if it is spiritually or materially. Some people believe that Muhammad is God’s prophets and His true Apostle, some believe that Muhammad just ‘creating’ a blend of Judaism and Christianity in order to uniting people of Arab and transform their power to be a new founded empire, an empire that once in the history able to rule one third of the world and kicks Persian and Roman Empire to their assess. My friend believe that Hitler was a prophet for German people, especially for the Aryan Race. Yea, prophet of doom (and prophet of racism), I said to him. Notes for my reader : I hate racism, I hate holocaust, and I hate what the Jews in Israel did with the child and women in Palestine. The abused becomes the abuser?

Whatever. After all, what is history but an acts of great people who once walk the earth?

Or, in my humble opinion – history is just a stories about great people who could access the ‘source code’ or ‘hidden knowledge of God’ and using it for their own or their nations’ needs’. Whether if it is for good or bad, I don’t know and I cant judge them – they like mountains and I’m just an ant who crawl on its surfaces, trying to figure out whats make them great and all powerful.

Before I end this discussion (or article, or monologues, whatever), let me bring back the first question that has been reflected on the title; what is God’s religion?

Well, I dare say – God is an atheist. Why? Because He didn’t worship anybody or anything. If He still have to worship somebody, anybody, He is not God Who Created All and The Most High. If He have to worship anything, it means that there is another authority above Him. And above Him there is no authority; He is The Only Authority ever existed.

But we, human being, are the ‘end user’ of a certain product – so we must bow before an authority, whether we likes it or not. Just like earth bows and follows to certain rules that keeps him (or her, if you like) flows in the vast ocean of universe. If earth have its own will – for instance, if earth able to ‘jump’ closer to the sun without warning – we’ll have doomed instantly. Earth have to follow the rules that has been written for it since beginning of time, or else it wont be able to contain lifes on its surface. Did earth have such a ‘free will’? I doubt so.

I believe there is such ‘thing’ (or entity) that created us all and the vastness of universe, and all the laws and all the power that dwells within it to ensure its survival. Some people call ‘it’ God – or Allah, or Father, or Brahman, or Heaven, or Jahwe – some people just call it as ‘It’ because we don’t know its real name; what we know is His name in our languange, human languange that lives on earth. I prefer to call it ‘The Force’. And the Force ‘didn’t play dice’.

So, which side are we on? Are we on ‘the light side of the Force’ or on the ‘dark side of the Force’?

You choose it carefully. Anyway, you must choose it wisely – because it will define who you are exactly. Whether if you are a true Jedi, or else…

(Padang City, West Sumatera, Indonesia – 11022009 – 16.07 GMT+7)

My First Blog

Hello, this is my first blog. My name is Aa Boed; you may call me Aa if you like, because Aa means "big brother" in Sundanese languange (well, Sundanese languange is a languange spoken by people of the Sunda Tribe in West Java Province of Indonesia country).

Purpose of this blog? Well, everything that created must have a purpose. Watch "Matrix Trilogy" if you had a time. God, I love Trinity - she's just sooo...sexy. Her mind, I mean.

I just want to share about my thoughts to anybody who had the time to share with. Because I believe, when we share our thoughts with others, maybe we'll find our "soulmate". Soulmate in this term doesnt have to be just one - because I believe that we have more then just one soulmate. If you had a chance to read this, big chance that destiny has lead you to share with me - my thoughts, my worries, my hope, and else. Maybe we have something in common to share together; not just the two of us, but with anybody else who have the same interests.

Thank you very much, God bless you, and may Peace dwell on earth.