Sacred, Religious and Spiritual in the Nusantara Kingdom System
Autor,Jacob Ersete
Freelance Jounalist
Although sacred kingdoms and religious kingdoms are basically equally spiritual, the differences remain in the form that undergoes transition. Because sacred kingdoms are based on traditional cosmology — nature, spirits, ancestors — and universal energy. The king is believed to be the incarnation or representative of a god. So that the legitimacy of power comes from the local universe and mythology.
The characteristics of sacred kingdoms still have a spiritual dimension by combining local wisdom — cosmology — with transcendent values without being bound by any religious doctrine. However, uniquely, sacred kingdoms still have inner awareness, harmony of life and universal moral teachings as well. Apart from that, in sacred kingdoms, the king or spiritual leader is not only a symbol, but is also believed to be a spiritual guide. So that its value tends to be inclusive and mystical — metaphysical. Therefore, in typical kingdoms in the Nusantara there are Javanese teachings, Balinese spirituality, or a kind of Sufism influence in the power of certain kings.
Meanwhile, a religious kingdom is legalized based on the norms of the Revelation religion. So that the king becomes the implementer of God’s law. And the power structure is based on law and social order based on holy books. This characteristic is clearly seen in the governance of the Demak Sultanate and the Islamic Mataram Kingdom since Sultan Agung.
In general, a spiritual kingdom is more about inner depth and harmony, not just law or rites. Bridging traditional sacred values and a more formal religious government system. So, a spiritual kingdom is between a sacred kingdom and a religious kingdom, as a form of transition or synthesis of both sacred kingdoms and religious kingdoms.
Therefore, the orientation of a sacred kingdom builds and maintains cosmic balance – microcosm and microcosm – based on spirituality and metaphysics. This means that the kingdom is not only a political and power order, but also becomes the sacred center of the universe.
Such is the order that maintains the harmonious relationship between nature, humans and the spirits of the ancestors who are metaphors of God. So the main purpose of the kingdom in general is to maintain the law of the universe together with the goodness of fellow human beings. Where the spiritual and cultural center of the sacred kingdom becomes the center of rituals, building places of offering ceremonies and maintaining sacred traditions in order to help maintain the harmonious order of the universe and the lives of all creatures in it. That is the role of the king as a mediator between heaven and earth which is carried out with spiritual discipline.
If the orientation of the sacred kingdom is spiritual, symbolic and cosmic, while the orientation of the religious kingdom places the formal teachings of the Revelation religion as the basis for guiding power. It seems that because of the existence of a spiritual kingdom that is between the two natures and attitudes of the kingdom above, it is often seen as having a syncretistic nature and attitude that is considered dual, such as the monopoly of Javanese. In fact, the nature and attitude of spirituality itself are universal – can be done and followed by anyone from any religious background, including the nation and cultural background that exist on earth.
It seems that this is the essence of the sacred in the kingdom system in the Archipelago which places sanctity and spiritual meaning. While the essence of religious in the kingdom system in the Archipelago places obedience and devotion to God through a system of beliefs, teachings and procedures for worship that adhere to it in a structured and highly disciplined manner.
The spiritual governance system of the kingdom places deep inner awareness on the meaning of life and its relationship with the divine Rabbi as the deepest essence of life. Therefore, the implementation of the republican government is highly expected to absorb and apply the three elements of a more complete governance system to achieve common desires, not just the desires or lust of the ruler.**
Balaraja, July 5, 2025
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