In his address to the nation on Aug. 15, 2009, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono mentioned self-dependency (kemandirian), competitiveness (daya saing) and excellence in civilization (peradaban yang unggul) as three important factors in nation building.
To the people of this archipelago, of which Bali has always been an inseparable part, artha, “wealth” or “money” is not the end but the means to attain to total prosperity. And total prosperity is not just economic prosperity, but also social security. Above all, artha is something that gives meaning to one’s life.
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Along with dharma (right action), artha (social security), kama (basic comfort) and moksha or freedom – are commonly considered the four purushartha, the four most important pillars of human life’s structure.
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My first and last meeting with W.S. Rendra took place not long after The Jakarta Post carried an exclusive interview on the great poet on Nov. 12, 2005. I was then invited by a friend to talk about national integration and Pancasila, the state ideology.
There is a saying among the Sufi mystics: “In the olden days, ‘Sufi’ as a term did not exist, but people lived the Sufi message. Now, the term ‘Sufi’ exists – but no one lives the message.”