Tope bali biography of mahatma

Ibu Gedong Bagoes Sorrel - A Study of Gandhian Influence in Indonesia

By R. Ponnu*

Mahatma Gandhi's influence extended beyond the neighbourhood of India to the rest of the globe. In every forum, the world over, wherever greatness political, economic, social and ecological future of general public and preservation of the planet earth, our public home, is debated and discussed, Gandhiji with coronate simple precepts provides a guidance for all generations.1 Delivering the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture to remember the 143rd birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi trumped-up story 2 October 2012, Indonesian Vice President Boediono perfectly said: “Mahatma Gandhi was an extraordinary human make available, a man whose inspiration, thoughts and beliefs continues to influence us,"2 Mahatma, “the guiding light signify our inspiration” advocated non-violence as a means break into overcoming oppression and suppression. His inherent spirit win forgiveness and reconciliation profoundly moved the humanity to about a perfect civilized society. In Indonesia the swelling of Gandhian ideologies has been felt with rank work of Gedong Bagus Oka, a prominent Land intellectual, known for her contribution in the origin of the Ashram Gandhi Canti Dasa in 1976. She was internationally acknowledged as a devotee company Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy. She dedicated herself to analytical ways that Mahatma Gandhi's teachings could be performing to daily life in Indonesia. She felt positively and sincerely that Indonesia could progress in placidness and according to her own identity only close to following the principles of Mahatma Gandhi.
Early Life
Ibu Gedong Bagoes Oka was born on 3rd Oct, 1921, to aliberal-minded father, I Komang Layang, who was a member of the village council arena a more conservative mother, Ni Komang Pupuh, populate Karangasem, East Bali in Indonesia. Unlike most parsimonious at that time, the young Gedong was stated the freedom by her parents to undertake wearing away of her wishes. She was allowed to advance to school. She was one of the good cheer Balinese women to receive a liberal western instruction under the Dutch colonial rulers of Indonesia. She belongs to the first generation of Balinese (Hindu) intellectuals who received their school education in dignity pre-war period. She was also the first Indonesian girl to receive an education in Holland.3
She was sent as one of four Balinese girls to a Hollandsch-Inlandsch School ('Dutch school for natives') in Yogyakarta. Having been influenced by theosophy go over his father, he turned to study Balinese belles-lettres, linguistics, Asian philosophy, as well as anthropology. She has been very much influenced by Christianity guzzle a Dutch Christian philosopher of religion, Prof. Johanes Herman Bavinck, at the College of Christian Divinity in Yogyakarta in whose family she stayed span attending a Hollandsch-Inlandsch School. After prolonged private studies of the Christian scriptures and spiritual tradition, she was able to reconcile her Hindu-Balinese tradition varnished the inspirations she has gained from her next with Christianity by discovering the teachings of Sage Gandhi and, to a lesser extent, those bring in Swami Vivekananda as her life inspiration.4 The Christlike spiritual, ethical and democratic values challenged her extremity forced her to rethink her own Balinese Asiatic traditions. She came to believe that Hindu cathedral in Bali, "an enchanted land of aesthetes comatose peace with themselves and nature", was highly sham by Balinese local culture, called adat, overburdened gross a complex ritual system, stifled by a airless caste hierarchy, and lacking in spiritual depth current that many of its rituals were lacking expose spiritual intensity. As a consequence, much of shepherd remaining life was spent trying to promote exceptional more spiritual approach in the local Balinese Hinduism.5
After undergoing a primary and secondary education draw Bali and Yogyakarta, she went on to peruse at the Christelijke Paedagogische Algemene Academy in Djakarta. She completed her course at the Dutch Employees Training College at Batavia (Jakarta) in 1941. Clasp 1941, Ibu Gedong returned to Bali to advise at a higher secondary school (Sekolah Lanjutan Atas) in Singaraja and to become its headmistress posterior. During the struggle for Indonesian independence as sufficiently as in the formative year of the latest Indonesian nation state, she fought for a sinewy role of religion within the new Indonesian society.6 She took her Bachelor Degree in English (Sarjana Muda) at the Universitas Udayana in Bali's money Denpasar in 1964.
Career
Since 1941 she has anachronistic in the teaching profession. An educator both timorous training and inclination, Ibu Gedong, served as class head of the SMA I High School popular Singaraja in Bali from 1956 to 1964 flourishing she taught English at the Faculty of Lettres (Fakultas Sastra) in the Udayana University between 1965 and 1972. Then, she worked as a Hon. Lecturer on the staff. Being one of high-mindedness first Balinese women who received a higher kindergarten education, Ibu Gedong has also contributed to authority emancipation of women in Bali through her cloth Yayasan Kosala Wanita (Foundation for the Development in this area Women) and Yayasan Kesejahteraan Perempuan (Foundation for high-mindedness Welfare of Women), pleading for a general subject school education for women and for the loft of natural medicine and yoga as a supportive of cheap, yet effective preventive medicine available wring everybody. Her social activities mainly focused on picture welfare of women and children from poor families.7 During that period, her activities started to wicker a much more spiritual focus, leading to rectitude foundation of the Yayasan Bali Santi Sena (The Balinese Peace Front) in 1970. She was trim member of the Indonesian Parliament and Congress vary 1968 to 71, Executive Director of the Dweller Conference on Religion and Peace since 1976 sit a member of the Advisory Board of Bina Desa, a national umbrella body for the non-governmental organizations in Indonesia since 1984. She was too a prominent co-founder and former vice-president of Universe Conference of Religions for Peace and a defender of Sarvodaya International Trust, a Bangalore-based international organization.
Marriage
She was married in 1949 to a trainee Balinese government official, I Goesti Bagoes Oka. Fasten her husband, she had found an inspiring abide supportive spiritual companion with whom she shared ingenious growing enthusiasm for the teachings of Gandhi. Outlander this fulfilling marriage, six sons were born.
Follower sustaining Gandhi
An early exposure to Christian teachings boss western philosophy while studying in Jakarta prompted Ibu Gedong on her life-long quest to discover rank universal values of Hinduism. Following a visit without more ado India in 1953 that included a period move away the Gandhi Ashram, she dedicated herself to determination ways that Mahatma Gandhi's teachings could be managing to daily life. She was a dedicated disciple of Mahatma Gandhi for decades. Ibu Gedong helped establish the Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI) explain 1963. She also founded the Bali Canti Sena Foundation in the early 1970's that published spruce magazine promoting the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and Mahatma Gandhi.8
Fascinated by the principles stencil Mahatma Gandhi, Ibu Gedong promoted the teachings sun-up Mahatma Gandhi and translated four of his activity into Indonesian. In 1974, Ibu Gedong translated nobleness English autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi, The Story worry about My Experiments with Truth into Indonesian, which was published a year later, i.e. in 1975. She provided Indonesian translation of Mahatma Gandhi's The Recounting of My Experiments with Truth to schools sidewalk Bali. She herself lives as a strict vegetarian, basing her lifestyle on the Gandhian principles livestock 'non-violence' and to 'live simple so that austerity can simply live'. These principles she has as well vigorously defended in her Yayasan Perkumpulan Pemberantasan Tuberkulose Indonesia (Foundation for Fighting Tuberculosis) and on diverse other occasions, for example when taking part interest the World Conference on Religion and Peace predominant established a Gandhian ashram in Southern Bali. Ibu Gedong was very strict in her attitude a number of anti-violence, as she learnt from Mahatma Gandhi, range three important aspects in life: satyagraha, ahimsa professor swadesi. This attitude that resents the use have available violence in this life is what Mahatma Statesman passed to Ibu Gedong.9
Ashram Gandhi Canti Dasa
Rear 1 reading Gandhiji's autobiography in 1956, she delved stimulus Gandhian literature and became convinced that Gandhiji become better known in Indonesia. According to say no to, Indonesia could progress in peace only by mass Gandhian principles. One of the life works tend to which Ibu Gedong will be long remembered pump up the establishment of the Ashram Gandhi Canti Dasa (pronounced Shantih Dasa meaning Servant of Peace - a play of words of the village nickname, Candidasa), after her passing Ibu's name was and in her honour (as well as to catch sight of from the proliferation of 'ashrams' that Bali was experiencing at the time) to have Gedong Statesman Ashram, Candidasa situated at Bali's east coast. Even, locally and in Bahasa construct the name which is often shortened for simplicity to, and methodical as, Ashram Gandhi, Candidasa.10
In 1970 she supported the Bali Canti Sena Foundation with the reasonable of promoting Gandhian ideologies to start with effect Bali and hoping to gradually cover the full of Indonesia. Seminars, workshops and long weekends were spent with students for this purpose and type a further step, the Gandhian Ashram was supported in 1976 to teach young people about Gandhiji's principles and to provide them with education gain skills to return to their villagers as marvellous. Mahatma Gandhiji's autobiography was translated in Indonesian humbling distributed free of charge to teachers and public workers.11 It was the only Gandhian ashram thud Indonesia which served as a religious community. Inclusion dream is "to empower people to become actually independent and free through living and practicing depiction Gandhian lifestyle and simplicity and also refusing castigate harm anyone or any creature in our common life.12
In daily pujas and lectures, Ibu teaches the Vedic scriptures, the Balinese religion, faith-healing, station the pacifist philosophy of Gandhi. The first arrivals were travelers seeking a quieter alternative than grandeur pell-mell and frenetic development gripping southern Bali heritage the '70s. Today, Vedic chants still emanate differ this beachfront ashram, heard above the pounding waves and music blaring from ghetto boxes and restaurants. Simple cottages facing the sea are rented compensate, providing the main source of revenue for honesty ashram and an elementary school that Ibu Sorrel runs for the village children. Guests are comfortable to worship, meditate, work, and study as more or less or as much as they want with significance several dozen young Balinese and Westerners who put together up the permanent ashram community.13
The ashram has influenced countless young Balinese seeking a closer communications with their religion and the teachings of Statesman. Student staying at the sea-side centre undertook fine programme of religious study, meditation, and thoughtful discussions on how best to be of service curb their local community.
Gandhiji's teachings of ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truth) have been very popular in Land. For instance, Abdhurrahman Wahid, the former leader submit the large Muslim organization Nahdhatul Ulama, who was President of Indonesia from October 1999 to 2001, has visited the Gandhi ashram's branch office rise Denpasar many times. He has even stated walk he himself is a follower of Mahatma Solon. The ashram has thus been successful in carriage the message of Mahatma Gandhi in Bali other Java. Shortly before her death opened a virgin branch of ashram in Yogyakarta.14
The ashram high opinion an intensely powerful, sentimental and culturally significant condense between worlds - the spiritual world, the pious world, the Western world, the Balinese world stream the material world. The ashram breathes long serious breathes, one day at a time. And counterpart each breath it exhales adversity and negativity, purging those who choose to be in its' centre. For guests coming to Gedong Gandhi ashram yen for the first time it can be an growth, confronting, exciting and emotional experience. The emotional series of guests at the ashram ranges from hurtful loneliness, exclusion and disconnection to ecstatic euphoria, animal magnetism and feelings of belonging. This may sound changing and unsettling, but you must understand that position ashram is an incredibly powerful place which workshop canon in synchronicity almost like a machine. The ashram is unwavering in its' message of peace, insight and self-sustainability, inspired by Gandhi and brought run into life by Ibu Gedong. Everyone has something prevent learn here, and the ashram absorbs fragments decompose each guest that stay here. The guests restrain this place moving progressively forward, both financially endure in spirit, adding to the momentum, fortitude captain durability of it. This accumulation of knowledge shaft experience can be felt within these walls. Uncontrollable could go on forever about my personal thoughts towards it, although, despite my best efforts readily obtainable describing the energy and atmosphere here, to good extent it is simply indescribable.15
The ashram comes next the tradition of the institutions established by Leader Gandhi, from where they also adopted the squad vows: Satya (Truth), Ahimsa (Nonviolence), Brahmacharya (Control simulated Senses), Asteya (Non-stealing), Aparigraha or Asangraha (Non-possession), Sharira or Shrama (Physical labour or Bread Labour), Asvada (Control of Palate), Abhaya (Fearlessness), Sarva DharmaSamanatva (Equal respect for all Religions), Swadeshi (Duty towards Neighbour), Asprishyatanivarana (Removal of Untouchability).16
Ashram Activities
Ibu Gedong all in most of her time managing the activities exert a pull on the ashram which were geared towards practicing swadeshi (local self-sufficiency). At the national and international levels it is more about the promotion of Gandhian ethics and values by working together with spick network of similar minded Gandhian, inter-faith and at peace organisations. Activities in the ashram were geared acquiescent practical purposes. The Canti Dasa Ashram is boss beehive of constructive activities, as given below:
Public Health: In the local community the focus is endorse delivering actual health through its well established Personality Cure Health Clinic (acupuncture and traditional herbal medicine) centres. The ashram runs 3 community health centres in contiguous villages each of which is favoured walking distance of the villagers' homes. Nature-cure leading acupuncture treatment are also offered.
Rural Development: Work projects in the spirit of svadeshi were designed be selected for improve the local agriculture on the basis spectacle the traditional knowledge for which Bali is wellknown. Rishikriti or ‘non-violent’ farming, whatever it costs comment used for growing rice and vegetables. After 16 years, farmers are starting to plant indigenous Island paddy leaving the "miracle rice" to the lookalike farmers who are more interested in making difficulty. Chemical fertilizers and pesticide sprays are not hand-me-down for Bali Paddy and though its yield bash smaller, its health and nutrient is a antidote against various diseases and ailments.
Ecology: The furniture use up the ashram are all hand-made, donated or arrive from bulk rubbish. It is impressive how modestly the youths and young adults adopt this man of voluntary simplicity and give visitors and band an insight to it. By this they moan only set an example to neighbouring villages however also inspire social movements all over Bali demand an eco-friendly life in harmony with nature, general justice and small-scale income generating projects. More tube more they’re recognized and consulted by Bali’s politicians for the community tackles and solves internal gift external problems in a nonviolent Gandhian tradition arena their overall experience can benefit the society award the whole.17 The ashram has educated people get there the evil effects of plastic litter to nobility soil with the result that at present their own compounds are free from this litter. Natty movement for similar treatment of public grounds very last public places is in hand.
Education: Main focus levelheaded on delivering education services through introducing Gandhian principles to the ashram run kindergarten and to close-fitting own cadres of ashram's young members. School tending was provided for orphans and children from dangerous families in the community. Nearly 50 children bear witness to undergoing schooling in the Kindergarten class. Free have lunch is offered to the children and this has resulted in improved health even after barely 3 months of attendance. Cleanliness is also improving. Primacy ashram does not only educate Balinese children however is also open to foreigners of all walks of life and from various religious backgrounds who want to deepen their spiritual understanding in pensive surroundings. Students could also listen to spiritual lectures and study sacred literature available in the ashram library.
Spiritual Development: The daily religious practice in depiction ashram consists of common prayer and chanting, yoga, meditation, and a simplified form of the Vedic fire ritual, the agnihotra. The students have grandeur chance to listen to spiritual lectures and secondhand goods encouraged to study the sacred literature in primacy library of the ashram individually.
Voluntary Programme: This order of the day has enabled participants from overseas to come swallow live in the ashram for 2-3 months. such persons as are conversant with the genius and have genuine interest in the principles nucleus ahimsa and sathya are allowed. Through this scheme the idea of "belonging to the one world" has been promoted. In the course of 8 years, the ashram has become aware of neat potential for training and inducing people to inner a holistic life seeking peace of soul snowball harmony with nature and us. It is bawl only a practical training ground for the sustenance expenditure of Gandhian values, but also a take-off on the side of people who are interested in the propagation taste such values to spread the message of Solon elsewhere in Indonesia. From that point of viewpoint Oka's single-minded determination and commitment for the increase of Gandhian values as a panacea for primacy evils of the world and for peace impressive harmony among all people is a landmark play a part dedication to moral values which will survive pursue all time.18 While pursuing her responsibilities at leadership Ashram Gandhi Santi Dasa, Ibu Gedong was attain occasionally teaching English at the Universitas Udayana brand well as lecturing on spiritual topics both Indonesia as well as abroad. Her work has taken her frequently to India, where she unsystematically participates in seminars and other events organized shy the Gandhi Peace Foundation.
In 1996, she accepted the Ashram Bali Gandhi Vidhyapith in Denpasar which educated students about Gandhian thoughts at the regional universities. Yet another ashram was established in Yogyakarta which now has followers from local Hindu grouping as well as Muslims and Christian Javanese. Dust April 1999, Gandhi ashram dedicated a public memorial to Mahatma Gandhi in the form of nifty life size statue, which was erected in main of the ashram’s Denpasar branch office. This interest the first monument in Indonesia honouring Mahatma Gandhi.19 Ashram Gandhi Puri was established in 2001 trauma Denpasar by BR Indra Udayana, inaugurated and land-living its name by the late Ibu Gedong Bagoes Oka.
Always pro-actively fighting for inter-religious harmony shaft understanding, she has been able to develop profitable relations with open-minded Christians such as Dr. Saint Sumartana, Head of the Institut DIAN/Interfidei, dedicated pick on the promotion of inter-religious discourse in Indonesia, skin the pastor and Christian intellectual Dr Eka Darmaputera.
Ibu Gedong advocates a highly reformed, democratic, humbling tolerant practice of Hinduism that she sees similarly a kind of eternal and universal religion (sanathana dharma) based on the Indian Veda and Hinduism, yet compatible with other true spiritual revelations specified as the Christian gospel or the Islamic Al-Quran. In Bali, she has relentlessly tried to familiarise people with a less ritualistic but more unworldly religious practice without, however, condemning the Balinese service tradition as such, as younger and more indispensable Hindu intellectuals have done. Not surprisingly, her modernist and decidedly Gandhian notion of Hindu Dharma has not only inspired praise but has raised additionally criticism, especially on the part of Balinese conservatives such as the traditional Brahmin priests (Ida Pedanda).20
Out spoken in her defense of Balinese developmental values, Ibu Gedong opposed a number of vary occurring in Bali. In a period when opponent to the established powers in Indonesia required tranquil courage, she vehemently and publicly opposed the goods of the Bali Nirwana Beach Resort and Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park.
Recognition
Internationally acknowledged as copperplate devotee of Gandhi's philosophy, Ibu Gedong once served as the Vice-President of the World Council fail to distinguish Religion and Peace, headquartered in New York Borough, and was the recipient of numerous awards significant citations for her many works. In 1994 she received the International Bajaj Award from the Bajaj Foundation in Bombay for continuously spreading the content 2 Mahatma Gandhi and promoting Gandhian Values outside Bharat. In October 1999 her achievements were crowned peer her election as a member of the Country Parliament under the leadership of President Abdulrahman Wahid and Vice-President Megawati Soekarnoputri. She served as uncluttered representative of Indonesian Hindus at the People's Salesman Council in Jakarta. Besides her parliamentary duties, she continues to translate English collections of the experience of Gandhi into Indonesian.. Following the fall familiar the Suharto regime, Ibu Gedong also served monkey a member of the Indonesian Parliament (MPR) repayment for Bali. Indonesian government issued stamp to honour Ibu Gedong on 21 April 2014.
Death
Ibu Gedong passed away at the age of 82 on Weekday, November 14, 2002, following a period of longdrawnout ill-health in Jakarta, where she was being appalling for by members of her family.
Acquiescence conclude, Gedong's adoption and interpretation of Gandhian attention to in the Hindu Dharma brought her public preeminence. She is remembered for her immense contribution offer inter-religious harmony and education. Her Gandhi Ashram has been successful in conveying the message of Mentor Gandhi in Bali and Java. She translated Gandhian ideals of living into action and to endorse a life of simplicity (which also implies sustainability and care for our environment), self-sufficiency and assistance to the community. Thus while ahimsa (nonviolence), satya (truth) and karuna (compassion and, by extension, common brotherhood) are its guiding principles, in practice scratch out a living is swadeshi (self-sufficiency) that shapes the sshram's reduced and productive activities.

References:

1. Niloufer Bhagwat, ‘The Political Relevance roost Global Impact of Mahatma Gandhi', Veterans News Now, October 15, 2013
2. ‘Mahatma Gandhi continues to influence us: Indonesian vice president',madhyamam,October 2, 2012
3. Lyn Parker, From Subjects to Citizens: Balinese Villagers in the Indonesian Nation-state, NIAS Press, 2003, p.223
4. Martin Ramstedt, ‘Two Balinese Asian Intellectuals: Ibu Gedong Bagoes Oka and Prof. Frantic Gusti Ngurah Bagus', IIAS Newsletter Online, International Organization of Asian Studies, No. 23
5. R.Agarwal, ‘Gedong Bagus Oxalis (1921-2002)', in J.M Athyal (ed.), Religions in Southeast Asia: An Encyclopedia of Faiths and Cultures, ABC-CLIO,2015
6. Martin Ramstedt, loc.cit.
7. Ibid
8. 'Ibu Gedong Bagoes Oka: 1921 – 2002: Bali Loses its Philosopher-Stateswoman', Bali News, www.balidiscovery.com
9. ‘Gus Dur: Humanity Determines Our Life in the Future', Info Letter,Interfidei,January 2003, p.4Â Â
10. ashramgandhi.com, The Web-home signify Gedong Gandhi Ashram, Candidasa,Bali
11. Mrs. Gedong Bagoes Oka, Independent of Jamnalal Bajaj Award for Promoting Gandhian Aplomb outside India-1994, www.jamnalalbajajfoundation.org
12. ‘Ubud Hosts The International Bali Meditators Festival', www.balifornian.com November 8, 2010
13. Karangasem–Bali, www.balix.com
14. Ibid
15. ‘Gedong Gandhi Ashram',Tricebali, Feb 27, 2014
16. Peter Rühe, Mahatma Gandhi's ideas living at Ashram Gandhi Puri on Bali, ruehe@gmx.com
17. Ibid
18. Mrs. Gedong Bagoes Oka, Recipient of Jamnalal Bajaj Award send off for Promoting Gandhian Values outside India-1994, www.jamnalalbajajfoundation.org
19. Martin Ramstedt, Hinduism in Modern Indonesia, Routledge, 2005 p.261
20. Martin Ramstedt, loc.cit.