Learning and Appreciating Differences : A visit to Tjen Ling Kiong Temple (Poncowinatan)

Thursday, 12 March 2020
by adminstube
 
The diversity of Indonesia will be a precious blessing if people live in harmony and peace. However, diversity itself is not without challenges and tests, as proved by events that show intolerance cases in several regions in the country, also the prejudice of one believer to other religions and vice versa. This encouraged Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta to hold Multiculture and Interreligion dialogue training with a theme 'Together, Compiling Indonesia' on 6-8 March 2020 at Wisma Pojok Indah, Yogyakarta, where the trainees learned about prejudice that could block someone from having relationship among religions.
 
 
The exposure sessions to various places of worship of other religions became interesting sessions because these provided direct experience of trainees interacting with other religions, such as Klenteng Poncowinatan, Pura Jagadnatha, Vihara Karangdjati and Lintang Songo Islamic Boarding School. Each participant was free to choose which place of worship he/she wanted to visit to get new experiences.
 
 
The exposure to Klenteng Poncowinatan was attended by 11 students and 1 companion. They were Yustiwati, Fiany Kasedu, Ram Hara, Octavianus Talo Pake, Hidayat Badjeber, Roni Aropa, Yulius Servas, Marten Momo Ndara, Daniel, Siti Muliana and Ariani. The exposure group was welcomed friendly and warmly by Eka Putera, as the administrator of the temple. A feeling of amazed and curiosity immediately arose when we stepped into the temple building and revealed in questions throughout the discussion, such as 'when was this temple built?’, 'what is its history like?' and 'what kind of believers of religions worship here?' As the speaker, Eka told that this temple is called Tjen Ling Kiong, was built in 1881 on the land given by Sultan Hamengkubuwono VII, with approximately 2.000 m2 large and it was inaugurated by Sultan Hamengkubuwono VII. Initially, this temple became a place of worship for Confucianism, but as time went by, this temple became a place of worship for three religions, so that it is called Tri Dharma Place of Worship (TITD), namely Buddhism, Confucians, and Taoism.
 

 

The Yogyakarta residents recognize the myth of imaginary axis from Mount Merapi up to South Coast, and this Klenteng is in the range of the straight line between Mount Merapi, Tugu Jogja, Sultan Palace and South Coast. Red and golden yellow always decorate this temple because Confucians believe that red symbolizes happiness and prosperity, while yellow symbolizes luck and joy. Each religion has its uniqueness to worship God and the equipment used, including here, there is a drum and bell that is used during the Confucian holy day, especially every August 26 and Chinese New Year, and there are 19 altars for worship the gods in Confucian according to their own strengths, such as the god of sky ruling the sky and the god of kitchen reigning the kitchen. The interesting thing is this temple is used not just a place of worship, but also a tourist spot where visitors coming are not always Confucian, and even it is also visited by foreign tourists.
 
 
Yustiwati Angu Bima, one of the participants, a theology student of UKDW from Sumba, revealed, "This is my first time visiting the temple, even though I often pass by and have curiousity about this unique building,  I do not dare to respond my curiosity. From this exposure I got experience and new knowledge from Eka who had explained about the temple and gods in Confucian".
 
Like a beautiful rainbow with its different colors, the experience will enrich us, by knowing, understanding, and appreciating the existing differences. Differences are not reasons to hate each others but one capital to become Indonesia. It all starts from us. (Thomas Yulianto).



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