Life and Death: Journal of Eschatology
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Re-reading the myth of medusa in ecological crisis
No full textBackground: This paper reinterprets the myth of Medusa in the context of ecological crisis. By exploring the relationship between myth, the unconscious, the oppression of women, and nature, this paper attempts to reveal how hierarchical structures of domination shape the human perspective in understanding nature as an object. Methods: This study adopts a qualitative interpretative approach using symbolic hermeneutics grounded in Carl Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious and Hélène Cixous’ feminist deconstruction. Jung’s framework is used to read Medusa as an archetypal symbol of repressed fear and human–nature relations, while Cixous’ perspective critically reinterprets the myth to expose patriarchal narratives and reconstruct Medusa as a metaphor for liberation and ecological consciousness. Findings: This paper asserts that the root of the oppression and exploitation of nature lies in the binary logic that separates humans and nature. The human narrative of nature is also a narrative of domination, in which the distance between humans and nature is constantly maintained. Humans construct the "shortest distance" through an awareness of duality, distinguishing themselves from nature while remaining connected and dependent, and the "longest distance" through an awareness of an entity that places itself outside and above nature. As a result, humans become alienated from nature and lose the ability to listen to its voice. Conclusion: This paper concludes that restoring the position of nature and humans requires reclaiming the language of nature, which has been usurped by technology and the scientific revolution. A new ecological consciousness must arise from the recognition that humans are not the only subjects in power, but rather part of an interconnected web of life. Novelty/Originality of this article: Medusa's petrifying gaze and the nature gaze that awakens consciousness become reflective metaphors, suggesting that it is not only humans who are capable of conquering; nature can also "gaze back" through disasters, famine, drought, and death
Revitalizing dharma and prema as the foundation of a Hindu curriculum of love in confronting the finitude of life
No full textBackground: Human life is essentially finite, requiring a philosophical and ethical foundation that can guide humans in facing limitations with meaning and balance. Dharma as the principle of universal truth and Prema as transcendent love are the core of Hindu teachings that can be revitalized as the foundation of a love-based curriculum. This study aims to formulate a conceptual model of a Dharma and Prema-based curriculum that is relevant in facing the finite reality of life. Methods: Using a qualitative approach based on critical literature review, this study examines Hindu sacred texts, educational philosophy literature, and contemporary spirituality theories to construct an integrative theoretical framework. Findings: The findings show that Dharma and Prema, when constructed in a love-based curriculum, are capable of fostering ethical awareness, emotional balance, and strengthening individual spirituality in facing suffering, loss, and the transience of life. This model differs from conventional moral curricula because it integrates the transcendental dimensions of Hinduism with modern educational practices, thereby contributing new insights to the development of a love-based spiritual curriculum. Conclusion: In conclusion, the revitalization of Dharma and Prema as a Hindu love curriculum offers an innovative perspective for facing the limitations of life with full awareness, meaning, and inner peace. Novelty/Originality of this article: The originality of this article lies in the development of the concept of a Hindu love curriculum that emphasizes the synthesis between transcendental values and contemporary pedagogical practices, an aspect that has not been widely explored in the literature on spiritual education
India in Hindu eschatology: A survey on kerala bhakti literature
Full text linkBackground: This Research article analyzes the eschatological aspects of Kerala’s Bhakti literature to elucidate how devotional texts reflect India’s spiritual and political self-perception. This study is situated within the expansive domain of Hindu historical eschatology, examining the ways in which Bhakti poets like Ezhuthachan, Poonthanam Namboodiri, and Melpathur Bhattathiri reinterpreted scriptural concepts of Kaliyuga, moral decline, and salvation into vernacular forms that promote cultural renewal. Methods: The research utilizes a qualitative, interpretive methodology rooted in Gadamerian hermeneutic textual analysis. The study employs three analytical stages—textual exegesis, contextual interpretation, and conceptual synthesis—to identify key eschatological motifs, compare their manifestations across selected texts, and position them within Hindu philosophical cosmology and contemporary Indian political discourse. Findings: Comparative insights are also drawn between Hindu and Abrahamic ideas of apocalypse to elucidate the unique cyclical temporality and moral focus of Hindu eschatology. The findings indicate that Kerala’s Bhakti corpus reconceptualizes Kaliyuga not only as a mythical era of deterioration but also as a moral state wherein devotion emerges as the most straightforward and attainable route to redemption. Conclusion: These works further sanctify Bharath (India) as a redemptive geography—an eschatological realm where divine grace and moral regeneration converge. Bhakti literature serves as theology, moral philosophy, and proto-political discourse by connecting spiritual rebirth to India's historical resilience. The study's methodological constraint is its dependence on a restricted textual corpus, primarily Malayalam Bhakti works; yet, it lays the groundwork for further comparative research among different regional traditions. Novelty/Originality of this article: The article's originality is in the development of a conceptual model of Hindu historical eschatology, connecting devotional literature with political imagination, and illustrating how spiritual writings persist in influencing India's ethical and cultural modernity
Between mokṣa and nirvāṇa: Archaeological traces of Siwa–Buddha harmony in Bali and their eschatological worldview
No full textBackground: This article examines the eschatological worldview underlying the archaeological heritage of Siwa–Buddha traditions in Bali, focusing on how concepts of life, death, and post-mortem liberation were articulated through religious material culture. Drawing on archaeological evidence such as temple layouts, ritual iconography, and mortuary-related symbols, the study argues that Balinese Siwa–Buddha syncretism represents not merely a historical coexistence of religious traditions, but a coherent theological negotiation between two soteriological paradigms: mokṣa and nirvāṇa. Methods: This study employs a qualitative interpretative approach with an archaeological-critical and historiographical framework to examine Shiva–Buddha relations in Bali as a process of religious-cultural transformation shaping eschatological understandings of life, death, and liberation. Data were collected through archaeological observation, textual and inscriptional analysis, and theoretical literature review, and analyzed using thematic, semiotic, and historiographical deconstruction to interpret artifacts, sacred spaces, and rituals as material expressions of eschatological meaning. Findings: The findings suggest that Siwa–Buddha harmony in Bali produced an eschatological framework in which life and death were understood as a continuous process of spiritual refinement rather than as oppositional states. Architectural orientations, ritual spaces, and symbolic representations indicate a shared concern with purification, release from cyclical existence, and ultimate union with a transcendent reality. Conclusion: This synthesis challenges rigid sectarian classifications and reveals a localized eschatology that accommodated multiple paths to liberation within a single religious landscape. Novelty/Originality of this article: This study demonstrates that Southeast Asian religious heritage, particularly in Bali, offers an important case for understanding how plural religious traditions can converge in shaping shared conceptions of death, afterlife, and ultimate salvation
Haunted spaces, failing myths: Spatial ecology and the collapse of environmental imagination in Indonesian horror cinema
No full textBackground: The dystopian narrative that has long been used as a source of fear in Indonesian horror films has not been able to reduce the rate of environmental destruction. This phenomenon shows a gap between imagination and ecological awareness. This study attempts to address the failure of ecological myths through Indonesian horror film narratives in changing people's social behavior. Using Lefebvre's theory of the production of space, this study analyzes how haunted spaces are constructed as ideological arenas that reinforce fear without producing ecological reflection. This study aims to reveal how Indonesian horror cinema produces ecological spaces that are trapped in mysticism, and offers a new reading of the failure of Indonesian visual culture in building a critical ecological subjectivity. Methods: This study employs a qualitative design. Data were drawn from secondary sources in the form of Indonesian horror films released over the past two decades. Analysis involved repeated viewing and systematic note taking, with interpretations cross validated against ancillary sources. Findings: Analysis of three Indonesian ecological horror films, namely Angkerbatu (2007), Eva: Pendakian Terakhir (2025), and Kereta Berdarah (2024) shows that ecological space is represented in symbolic and mystical rather than reflective terms. Environmental issues are reduced to religious morality and local myth, and the relationship between humans and nature remains hierarchical and anthropocentric, reinforcing ritual ecology instead of encouraging a post-fear ecology. Indonesian cinematic space functions less as lived space and more as perceived space governed by the logics of industry, myth, and religion. Conclusion: These findings indicate that the failure to construct an ecological imagination is not merely a cinematic shortcoming but a reflection of social structures that struggle to envision nature beyond sacred or supernatural frames. Novelty/Originality of this article: The article advances a new reading of Indonesian horror cinema by integrating spatial production theory with cultural ecology and by introducing ritual ecology as a form of stagnant ecological consciousness. In doing so, it charts a new direction for ecocriticism and Southeast Asian cinema studies, showing how myth and fear configure an environmental imagination that resists reflection
Tri murti symbolism in candi prambanan: Revealing the cycle of creation, maintenance, and dissolution in hindu cosmology
Full text linkBackground: Prambanan Temple, as a world cultural heritage site, is a silent witness of the Tri Murti worship in Hinduism. Tri Murti, which consists of Brahma (Creator), Vishnu (Preserver), and Shiva (Redeemer), is represented by three main temples in the Prambanan Temple complex, namely Shiva Temple, Vishnu Temple, and Brahma Temple. This research aims to reveal the symbolism of Tri Murti in Prambanan Temple and its relationship with the Hindu cosmological cycle that includes creation, maintenance, and dissolution. Methods: The approach used is qualitative with analytical descriptive method, which examines the architectural structure and arrangement of the three main temples as a representation of the cycle of the universe. Findings: The results show that the arrangement and selection of the three temples illustrate the concept of Hindu cosmology related to the three stages of the life of the universe. This discovery not only confirms the spiritual significance of Prambanan Temple as a place of worship of Tri Murti but also enriches our understanding of Hindu teachings in the context of architecture and space. Conclusions: Tri Murti worship at Prambanan Temple makes an important contribution to the theory of Hindu cosmology and has significant implications for the preservation of Hindu culture and religious practices in Indonesia. Novelty/Originality of this article: This study reveals the unique connection between Tri Murti symbolism and the Hindu cosmological cycle in Prambanan's architecture, which has been rarely explored in previous research
An exploration of ancient yoga in Bali: An effort to make Bali a world centre for spiritual tourism
Full text linkBackground: Background: Religion is often considered as a cause of environmental problems. In response to this pessimism, Buddhism through the philosophy of Dharma comes up as revolutionary perspective in shaping contemporary environmental development paradigm, a counter for modern Cartesian-Newtonian paradigm. This philosophy is embodied in the concept of paṭiccasamuppāda applied as “scalpel” on existing environmental problems. Methods: This research uses a qualitative case study to explore the revival of Ancient Balinese Yoga as a spiritual tourism destination. Data were collected through interviews, observations, document analysis, and FGDs. Data analysis included transcription, coding, thematic analysis, and contextual interpretation, with triangulation to validate findings. Findings: Currently, there are significant efforts to revive Ancient Balinese Yoga as a spiritual tourism destination in Bali. Especially with the increasing of global interest in wellness and spirituality, Bali has great potential to attract tourists seeking authentic spiritual experiences. This involves the restoration and revitalization of traditional practices, including the hosting of yoga retreats, spiritual training, and festivals featuring ancient aspects of Balinese yoga and meditation. The development of spiritual tourism based on Ancient Balinese Yoga focuses on maintaining the authenticity of the practice while adapting to the needs and expectations of modern tourists. Conclusion: By combining yoga training with cultural tours, spiritual seminars, and meditation programs, Bali can position itself as a major hub for global spiritual tourism. Reviving Ancient Balinese Yoga as a spiritual tourism destination also supports the preservation of Bali's cultural and spiritual heritage, provides economic benefits to local communities, and enriches the traveler’s experience with authentic spiritual depth. Novelty/Originality of this article: By bridging Buddhist philosophy with the revival of Ancient Balinese Yoga, this research offers a novel perspective on addressing contemporary ecological challenges, highlighting the interconnectedness of all life and proposing spiritual practices as essential components of sustainable development
Corpse exposure and cosmological ecology: Ritual, space, and death in an indigenous mortuary landscape
Full text linkBackground: This study explores the distinctive mepasah burial practice observed by the indigenous Trunyan community in Bali, Indonesia, in which deceased bodies are neither buried nor cremated, but instead placed openly on the ground beneath the sacred Taru Menyan tree. In contrast to the widely practiced ngaben cremation ritual of Balinese Hinduism, mepasah reflects a theo-eco-cosmological worldview in which death is regarded as a sacred process of returning the human body to the cosmic order. Methods: Employing a qualitative ethnographic approach, the study draws upon participant observation, in-depth interviews with customary leaders, and analysis of customary law texts (awig-awig). Finding: Findings indicate that mepasah serves not only as a spiritual-ecological expression but also as a subtle form of resistance against the commodification and homogenization of death rituals. The sacred landscape of Sema Wayah, where corpses naturally decompose beneath the Taru Menyan tree, is interpreted as a living deathscape that preserves ancestral harmony and embodies a localized ecological ethic. Conclusion: Utilizing the theoretical frameworks of ecological spirituality and dark green religion, this study reveals mepasah as a form of sustainable mortuary practice rooted in indigenous ecological wisdom and cultural cosmology. Novelty/Originality of this article: The originality of this article lies in its application of a theo-eco-cosmological lens to the analysis of indigenous death rites. It offers a significant contribution to the fields of postmortem body anthropology, spiritual ecology, and relational ontology, while presenting mepasah as a living heritage that bridges ancestral spirituality with ecological reverence for death
Between fire and custom: A study of Indian cremation practices on the Island of the Gods (Bali)
Full text linkBackground: Cremation tradition is one of the ritual practices that has deep meaning in Indian and Balinese culture. This study explores the cremation practices of Indians on the island of Bali, which reflect the intersection between their ancestral traditions and local Balinese customs. In the context of globalization and migration, this study is relevant to understanding the dynamics of cultural interaction and the sustainability of ritual identity in a multicultural society. This research aims to analyze how Indians in Bali carry out their cremation practices, adapting or maintaining traditional Indian elements within the framework of Balinese customs. Methods: The methodology used is qualitative with in-depth interview techniques, participatory observation, and document analysis. Data was collected from the Indian community living in Bali, Balinese traditional leaders, and religious leaders. Findings: The results show that the cremation practices of Indians in Bali are the result of a process of cultural adaptation and negotiation. Although the core rituals continue to reflect Indian traditions, many elements are integrated with Balinese customs, such as the use of cremation sites and the involvement of local communities. This outcome reflects a unique cultural harmony and the sustainability of the tradition amidst the dynamics of social change. Conclusions: This study concludes that the cremation practice of Indians in Bali serves not only as a spiritual ritual but also as a symbol of harmonious cultural interaction. Novelty/Originality of this article: The findings have important implications for cultural anthropology and intercultural studies and can serve as a reference in designing policies that support cultural diversity in a globalized society
The Buddha’s Paṭiccasamuppāda: Addressing contemporary environmental development challenges through eschatological perspectives
Full text linkBackground: Religion is often considered as a cause of environmental problems. In response to this pessimism, Buddhism through the philosophy of Dharma comes up as revolutionary perspective in shaping contemporary environmental development paradigm, a counter for modern Cartesian-Newtonian paradigm. This philosophy is embodied in the concept of paṭiccasamuppāda applied as “scalpel” on existing environmental problems. Mehods: This study employs a qualitative approach using library research, analyzing philosophical, religious, and environmental texts. Through content analysis of Buddhist teachings, particularly paṭiccasamuppāda, the study explores its role as an alternative paradigm for addressing environmental challenges. Findings: The findings reveal that paṭiccasamuppāda, or the law of dependent origination, provides a holistic understanding of the interconnectedness between humans and nature. Unlike the Cartesian-Newtonian paradigm, which separates the observer from the observed, paṭiccasamuppāda emphasizes relational existence and balance, fostering ecological ethics based on interdependence. This perspective reduces environmental exploitation and encourages sustainable practices. Conclusion: The study concludes that paṭiccasamuppāda serves as a transformative framework for addressing contemporary environmental issues. By shifting from a dualistic worldview to an interconnected one, it promotes a sustainable development model. Integrating Buddhist ecological ethics into environmental policies and education can contribute to a more sustainable future. Novelty/Originality of this article: This study presents paṭiccasamuppāda as a fundamental principle for reinterpreting environmental sustainability. Unlike previous research that broadly discusses Buddhist ethics, this study specifically highlights paṭiccasamuppāda as a precise analytical tool for addressing environmental issues. By bridging Buddhist philosophy and contemporary ecological challenges, this study offers a novel perspective on sustainability rooted in spiritual wisdom