Communication of Ritual Scripture System in Bojong Kondang Cijulang District of Pangandaran

Abstract

The Sheikh Layang Tradition is one of the rituals performed by the Bojong Kondang people of Cijulang sub-district, Pangandaran Regency. Its implementation is in the form of reading the ancient manuscripts and tawasulan by providing various kinds of ritual equipment in the framework of manaqib Sheikh Abdul Qodir Jailani, all of which have a certain meaning in living the life. This research aims to determine the meaning of Layang Syekh ritual communication and the meaning of symbols used in that ritual by cultural activists involved. The method used in this research is descriptive with data collection techniques of interviews and literature study of documents and books relevant to the problem under study. The result of the research shows that the ritual of Layang Syekh tradition is the implementation of ritual communication, which in Islamic termonology is the same as that one of Sheikh Abdul Qodir Jaelani’s. There is also a mixture of cultures in the form of ancient manuscripts, mantras, ritual equipment, and religion in the form of prayer readings and “tawasulanâ€, undertaken jointly in order to build shared feelings and understandings which enable the participants to transcend in terms of time, place, and even themselves. The process of establishing the meaning of ritual communication and its symbolism in the Sheikh Layang tradition by ritual actors is based on the experience it realizes. As long as he interacts with nature and environment, the collective awareness is awakened in a form of a shared belief that the ritual can obtain the blessings of God and elders.