Harmony

Harmony is when all lives in peace. All has foods on the table, clothes to eat and roof above heads. There’s no chaos anymore. All lives in peace. No one needs to challenge the current situation, all accepts the honourable social norms.

I saw a tribal life in Vanuatu show on Discovery Channel. They live in harmony, even when the men have better yam (women are not allowed to eat the first yam, it’s taboo for them. Yam and penis are alike for them, therefore it’s men’s privilege). Women get left over yams. Men go fishing and get big fishes, while women receive the smaller fishes that thrown by men. Sure women are not happy with that, but it’s taboo for them.

Some men want to have more than one wife, sure the women get upset. One woman chased after her husband with a stalk in her hand saying that she doesn’t allow her husband takes another woman. Still he continues his intention to get another wife. Another man says that he needs 3 wives, 1 to look after his children, 1 to stay at home and becomes a homemaker, and another one to gather food. I wonder what if he know once upon a time, a Chinese Emperor has thousands women around him.

But this tribe lives in harmony. Women do not question why they have left over yams and smaller fishes, why men are allowed to have more than 1 wife, but women only have 1 man. For sure men do not need to question their privilege. It’s taboo for this tribe to challenge the taboos, what if their ancestors do not bless them sufficient food in the future. It’s better to remain silent and take it for granted.

In Javanese culture, harmony is a significant aspect in social life. Long time ago, a leader (aka King) is seen as a son of God, therefore he cannot be wrong and questioned (I believe it is not only in Javanese culture, but also in other cultures, west, east, south and north). The wealthier a nation is, the more harmony a nation live in, the better leader they have.

In my country, once we have a ‘King’ too, he loves Javanese culture and is well known that he’s fond of Semar. Semar is kind of incarnation of Bathara Guru, he tries hard to be like Semar. He wants his folks live in harmony, his words are law, and we all have to obey this respectable man. If he kills a person, then it must be with reason, to maintain the harmony. No one may question what harmony, is who gets the advantages, is it for the sake of the people or mostly for people around him. Since I don’t have any evidences, I cannot name his name.

Ironically I admire my former “King” as a genius man who knows exactly how to brainwash 200M people in such a long time (you can lie to a person for ever, but you cannot lie to many people for a long time), who can cover up all he has done and makes all sins looked merits, who can leave no traces unlike Hitler, Nero and Polpot. But sorry sir, I am not your follower. I prefer to challenge the harmony.