The obstacles of the spiritual journey in Serat Jatimurt,i>i and the Exodus Homily of Origen

Abstract

Many religions use figurative language to convey their teachings on the spiritual journey. Identifying their similarities and differences might deepen the  recognition of each core faith and create mutual appreciation. This article compared Serat Jatimurti, a Javanese indigenous spirituality text with the  Exodus Homily of Origen, a text from antiquity. This article is a qualitative study to compare their teachings on the stages of the spiritual journey and the  obstacles. The finding showed that both Serat Jatimurti and the Exodus Homily of Origen teach that there are several stages of the spiritual journey. It  also found out that the main obstacle of the spiritual journey lies in the human inner tendency to rely on self-centred perception that prevents them from  recognizing reality and the will of God for them. Both texts differ significantly in their views concerning the human capability to start a spiritual  journey.

Contribution: This study offers clues on the path to having mutual understanding between people who embrace different spiritual journey concepts and  their obstacles. It also gives the voice of indigenous spirituality proper appreciation. Such an understanding might serve as a starting point for a deeper  appreciation of each other and to development of further dialogues while deepening one’s recognition of the core of their faith.