Fenomena Ritual Mandi 7 Sumur Keramat di Vihara Gayatri, Cilangkap, Depok, Jawa Barat

Abstract

Cleansing ritual of bathing at the 7 Gayatri Vihara Wells was
performes not only by Buddhists but also by communities of diverse cultural
background. It is known that most who perform the cleansing ritual are
Buddhist. This fact it is interesting to research in the meaning of the 7 Sacred
Well in the society especially buddhist who perform cleansing ritual. Purpose
of this research is to know the meaning of the 7 Sacred Well in The Gayatri
Vihara, Cilangkap, Depok, West Java.
The research uses qualitative approach with phenomenon model.
Informant in this research are the owners, the believer, and the visitor of 7
Sacred Well at the Gayatri Vihara. Data collecting technique used is
observation, interview, and documentation. Data analyzed using Miles,
Huberman, and Saldana. Data validity technique are done with credibility
test, transferability, dependability, and confirmability.
The research concluded (1) the process concist of the ritual at 7 Wells
includes cleansing the body with seven dipper at each wells, going to amerta’s
pools, plunging eight times, then cleansing the body of eight dipper at the
middle well, one dipper was taken to rinse (something); three times; prostrate
at the well, toss a coin, follow instruction for cleansing; pray according to
intention and believe; pray first before cleansing; cleansing first then prays.
The purpose of the visitor are to prays and perform cleansing ritual,
recreation, and asking help in resolving mortal problem. The expectation of
visitors to perform the cleansing ritual is to gain health, trouble-freeing
prosperity, get married, be reassure and hopeless. The cleansing ritual was
also performed on kliwon Tuesday night, kliwon Friday, first suro night,
bakcang days, a light moon night, and a dark moon night. Where at night
cleansing there is keyholder who helps the cleansing ritual and there is a
ceremony that become socialating between believer, visitors, and community;
(2) visitors take to mean the ritual to outward and inner cleansing, reliefer,
trust and believe, and just to be clean. Then the visitors view of the ritual
phenomena at 7 Wells Gayatri Vihara if it believes it is can get beneficial the
wells, there is for good, and purification and cleansing; (3) impact in spiritual
sense are nothing (only an object of hope) and serene and sincere in the course
of life’s sorrows. Later on the life lessons gained form cleansing ritual for visitors are they have no lessons, and easy to concentrate, and more ease to
facing with life’s problems.