Building a Balance of Life and Livelihood Through Spirituality
Author: Jacob Ereste
Freelance Journalist
Life and living are actually mysteries that cannot be reached by common sense. Starting from life and living itself, to death, almost everything is God’s secret. From the confession of a friend who never expected to get a life partner who is so extraordinary and full of mystery, amazed in contemplation and the beauty when rain waters the earth. To the point of indicating that this is one of God’s jobs to maintain the balance of nature to carry out therapy on himself, so that the cycle of life in the universe can continue to be sustainable and balanced with what humans have done with other creatures, exploiting the earth in different forms and scales.
Urban people who crowd the city often still carry the remnants of instincts that they obtain naturally from their environment such as planting flowers or other types of plants in front of the house, even though they don’t have a large enough yard. Likewise, the desire to keep animals, especially birds and other types of pets, seems to want to fulfill the instinct of the law that has been part of life and living since in the village.
This is what a poet friend meant, the natural instinct that was passed down from generation to generation until it became agrarian and maritime traditions, customs and cultures as more common and dominant in marking the lives and existence of the Nusantara people in the past.
In the course of history, that is how the law of nature also passed down the instinct to continue living and living, so that humans from West Ujang explored to the East just to live and live a sufficient life, even though they had to sail the open sea as if it had no limits, just to get abundant produce from the land of their ancestors who were gemah Ripah loh jinawi. But the villagers who felt they did not have enough social access to improve their standard of living and livelihoods actually crowded and flocked to the city. All of that was done simply to find a new atmosphere of life in order to change the image of fate that should be done as an effort to change fate, because a person can only change through persistent and resilient efforts and efforts to face the challenges of the times.
There are indeed quite a few urban communities who are successful in the city. They are able to change their fate and gain better fortune. However, there are also many of them who are defeated, but still do not want to give up to stay in the city. In fact, the problem in the village is generally, not being able to see enough opportunities to be developed into jobs. Although in general the problem for villagers is not having the initial capital to open their own jobs without having to depend on other parties. Especially for those who have quite extensive inherited land, for example for gardening or planting for types of commodities that do not take too long to be harvested.
This worldly work is usually more dominant in taking up time until ignoring problems of the uhrowi (afterlife), as a result the values of spirituality are eroded, or even forgotten altogether. In fact, basically, the people of the Archipelago are very religious, have strong and firm religious beliefs, are serious and devout in carrying out religious rituals that are believed in.
Unfortunately, the problem of heresy often becomes a problem in the context of religion which refers to new practices or rituals that are not exemplified by the Prophets. In fact, the meaning of heresy is innovation in an effort to renew or reduce religious teachings that are considered not in accordance with sources that refer to religion. Because the meaning of bid’ah is called bid’ah hasanah and bid’ah dhalalah. So, clearly there is bid’ah that is allowed and bid’ah that is forbidden by religion.
In the context of spiritual practice, this is the best way to build a balance in life and livelihood to be wiser in responding to the world and the hereafter as believed by all religious adherents, human efforts – as khalifatullah – God’s representatives on earth can always be close to God. Because spirituality is universal and can be done by all religious owners who believe and trust in the guidance and teachings of goodness for the universe and its contents, including the creatures in it. The phenomenon of the awakening of spiritual awareness is now increasingly widespread in attracting the attention of many people to pursue spiritual practice, so that they are not bound by worldly thoughts – forgetting and neglecting uhrowi – which are very dominant and suffocating.
Banten, May 19, 2025
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