cultures moderation tips for keris lovers

[Mick]

Rick

Excellent piece. There are very few pamor pendoks out there. Whoever made this ensamble is keeping the art of pamor work up to it's highest standard.

[Alam Shah]

Hi Rick,

Love the pendok more than the keris pamor. Beautiful...btw, where did you get yours?

[Rick]

From the Postman .

[purwacarita]

Hi Rick. It is beautiful fine keris, ...a few hundred years from now it will be beautiful fine old keris. Seems like the maker made it with intention to reflect its own era rather than chemically corrode the blade to make it looks old for dojo vu. Beautiful and honest keris.

Originally Posted by nechesh

Certainly there may be other ways to obtain such a keris that does not demand money, but realistically, that is the most common way keris change hands these days.

Hi nechesh. I'm glad that Indonesia keris have fans abroad whose keris change hands by money. I don't have problem with that. But in Indonesia, it could only be done without forgetting the culture. Culture is still the reason why Indonesian acquires keris, sorry, it is not the money. Such stories told when exchanging the keris is not a bonus after all, and surprisingly is most common told by those who considered trustworthy, so when it's phoney, it's destructible to the culture. Like discussing how the Greeks took advantage of Trojan culture to a victory. It feels creepy to say that the Trojan horse is most common worth the plunder, and still I don't think it's right to conclude to "I fear the Greeks even when they bring gifts" thing. I don't know the latin, but I believe it is the right translation. Well, ...as so many uncountable cities and so many uncountable horses, it will be the challenge to burn the mysterious men in the horses before the horses taken into the cities. For example, keris dapur Jaran Guyang luk 7 is said good for sex driving energy source, and so whoever needs for sex drive should acquire it. Or unyeng Asmaradana in handle that said good for polygamy. What an intention of the mpu, who supposed to have a straight spiritual path. It's not easy to put right this wide spread misconceptions besides above dapur and unyeng may symbolize other sacred meanings. So the dapur and unyeng are better sacrificed to be meant as the misconception, except that it only in most mild sarcastic gurindam to be read, need more sex drive, huh? Settle down yourself before you're settled down, by death, AIDS, or anything bad you deserve, as the blade will loaded with spirit of transquality. Very constructive.

The sun never covered in the clouds, it always shine upon anything in its solar system. The earth rotates and the night blames the sun of running out. When earth covered with cloud of prejudice, please look if you have ignited incense in your mind whose smoke blocks your view to the sun. The third sun is coming from another galaxy. It's already the third! See?

How complicated will you classify keris? More complicated means that you will make yourself difficult to find your dreamy keris.

It is not a challenge to others who has different classifications. Please understand that it is because we are plural that makes the richess of our country.

I classify keris according to my group as follows,
- kadutan, is to see keris as weapon
- pusaka, is to see keris as historical property
- pertimi, is to see keris as spiritual property

The 3 classifications are overlapping one another. You need to make a priority list of the 3 as they are not hierarchical. For example, kadutan is your highest priority, than you should look for properties that will construct a dreamy weapon of your life, inspect for blade metal materials, etc. But once the keris is made, and keep you accompanied for tens of years, it has had historical properties, or it may have saved your life, then it becomes pusaka.

Or when pusaka is the highest in your priority list, then ask yourself, whose history will you treasure with keris, or is it really important if you treasure the history of the President of RI by acquiring his keris for your ego, ...of perdikan?

It is said that if the bearer is committed to something, the spirit of his commitment would induce his keris, though the keris is only either pusaka or kadutan. The induced energy when sealed by the priest could make it lasts longer or stronger. The induced keris is called pertimi. It is the spirit of commitment of the bearer what is in keris, not his soul, and that commitment should be paid by the same commitment of the next bearer under term of mahar, to keep the spirit alive. And the spirit in keris will also influence your spirit, and your spirit will influence your life. In some martial groups, this spiritual keris is then upgraded to supranatural keris, but the keris is still called pertimi.

If pertimi is your first priority, you should look for places where priests could raise spirit of ordinary non-martial men to perform a show which they will be immuned to blade, in full view of public.

In martial world, keris is also gurindam over a remark of remembrance. To remind you of your commitment, or to remind you how vulnerable you are inspite of your mighty virtues. The Bugiswise has it also, to remind the bearer away from thapeler or thalaso. I think that culture will be established after many searches within, but I don't mind if you will take mine, choose which part you like as you consider will make yours stronger. Take it, it's free.

[nechesh]

PURWACARITA WROTE: I'm glad that Indonesia keris have fans abroad whose keris change hands by money. I don't have problem with that. But in Indonesia, it could only be done without forgetting the culture. Culture is still the reason why Indonesian acquires keris, sorry, it is not the money.

I am afraid you have misunderstood me, my friend. No where do i suggest that the REASON people in Indonesia acquire keris is money. I am not suggesting that the culture is forgotten and that keris in Indonesia are merely a commodity these days. Still, it is the METHOD by which most people, even in Indonesia, acquire their keris. I do understand the term mahar (dowery) and that within the culture many Indonesians will also accept certain responsiblities that come with the ownership of certain keris. Money, BTW, is nothing more than a representation of energy to be exchanged. There is nothing intrinsically evil about it. It represents the hard work of the person who holds it and can be used to obtain things they want or need in life. It represents the hard work they did to acquire it (in most cases ). Regardless of mahar, i believe it is still the most common way people acquire keris these days, even in Indonesia. I brought up the money issue originally because of your statement that people in Indonesia expect the "best" keris for $1000USD. I know for a fact that Indonesian collectors (for lack of a better word) often pay far more (in money) than that for what might be termed the "best" keris. This isn't meant to imply that they value the keris only for it's monetary value.

Purwacarita, could you also please define the terms perdikan and gurindam? Thanks.
BTW, thanks also for the lesson in astronomy.

[purwacarita]

Hi nechesh. You said you understand the 'cryptic drop in the bucket' culture of Indonesia keris" quite well, ...friend.

[Rick]

Hi Purwacarita , thank you for your complimentary comments , let's take the new keris I purchased as an example .
I bought it because it is a beautiful example of a kadutan . When I pass and it goes to my Son it will then be kadutan/pusaka , yes ?

Now another question ; if I had the resources to comission a keris with certain esoteric properties made by one of the last empus in Jawa capable of doing this and he requested money from me then I have indeed 'purchased' the keris , no ?

[nechesh]

Originally Posted by purwacarita

Hi nechesh. You said you understand the 'cryptic drop in the bucket' culture of Indonesia keris" quite well, ...friend.

So.....does that mean you are NOT going to answer my simple question about the definition of the terms you have used?

[Alam Shah]

Originally Posted by Rick

From the Postman .

Oh! I thought it came from heaven.... Some of mine came from the Customs Office.

[nechesh]

Well Mark, of course, you are right, it certainly is done, both here and abroad. But the romantic in me will continue to believe that true love is still alive, even here in in the greed-driven morass that is capitalistic America.

Unfortunately there are greedy people everywhere, regardless of the economic or political system of the country in which they live. Even in Indonesia as is evident from the sad story with which Purwacarita started this post. However, that does not make it the endemic nature of an entire people.

[Rick]

Originally Posted by Alam Shah

Oh! I thought it came from heaven.... Some of mine came from the Customs Office.

I'm sorry Alam Shah; I'd rather not mention sources in the forum .
Not meaning to be disrespectful , just discreet .

[John]

Boedhi, as always it has been such pleasure to read your posts. I like your wisdom and humour as well as the wealth of information you've took the time to share.

Purwacarita, what is important is the willingness to share and put things on the table and whilst views may be varied or relative, it's good to see what you've to say. No expert knows everything. Your mention on mahar does strike some cord and I've witnessed it practised a couple of times in my vicinity...

Rick, I guess your keris flew from down under?

[Rick]

Originally Posted by John

Rick, I guess your keris flew from down under?

John , the postman may have delivered it to me but in my eyes it came from heaven as Alam Shah has said .

We all know heaven is from above .