I live 22 kilometres to the north of Yogya. I am a writer and reasearcher and am looking at religions in Java, especially the relationship of Kejawen and traditional (mystic) beliefs to the established religions most people follow. How much of a part does Kejawen play in your religious life? And/or in the religious lives of your friends and neighbours?

There is a difference in cultural and traditional life around Yogya; and maybe Solo also. But in Jakarta my bro in law is very traditional about observances of the family ceremonies and salamatans esp. connected to birth and growing up. I am interested to find out if this is largely a rural practice, my brother in law grew up in a rural part of Java and was educated in Yogya.

True kejawen is a philosophy of life, I suppose, and Julia Day Howell at Griffith University in Australia has done a lot of work that tends to argue against the view that kejawen is on the decline, and purely rural, along with Sufism. Clifford Geertz studied the religions of Java in the 1960's in East Java and came to the conclusion you have reached; but I find the influence of traditions very strong around us and in Magelang, Boyallali and Solo.

Thanks for the reply Patung.