A paper originally titled “Contemporary Indonesian Buddhist Responses to a Monotheistic Framing of Religion”, presented at the Asian Studies Association of Australia, Fifth National Conference,Adelaide University,13–19 May 1984Google Scholar. The author acknowledges the kindness of Dr Robert Cribb, who commented on the draft of this paper.
2 Interview with Betty Tjioe, who was studying in the Netherlands at the same time, Brisbane, January 1984.
3 Sang Pengasuh, 30 tahun Pengabdian Suci Y.A. Maha Nayaka Sthavira Ashin Jinarakkhita, n.p., n.d. (January, 1982), p. 39. Also personal interview, October 1981.
7 For his travel plan for 1955 see his letter dated 30 November 1954 to Upasika Dayika (Mrs. Tjoa Hien Hoey?) in Tri Budaja 12 (01, 1955): 24Google Scholar. West Java in Jan. 1955, Central Java in Feb., East Java in March, continued to Makassar, in Sulawesi in April.
Head office of SKH: Jakarta (Mangga Besar), branches: Cileungsi, Tanggerang, Bogor, Ciampea, Cirebon, Bandung, Sukabumi, Cianjur, Krawang, Rangkasbitung, Cikarang, Bekasi, Purwakarta, Semarang, Magelang, Temanggung, Muntilan, Mojokerto, Makassar (now Ujung Pandang).
8 By the 1960's Perbuddhi had around 50 branches throughout the archipelago. On Bhikkhu Ashin Jinarakkhita, see Apa & Siapa (Jakarta: Grafiti Pers, 1981), p. 261Google Scholar. See also Willmott, D.E., The Chinese of Semarang (Ithaca: Cornell U.P., 1960), pp. 252–56Google Scholar. Also personal interview, October 1981.
24 Wirjosuparto, Sutjipto, Bunga Rampai Sedjarah Budaja Indonesia (Djakarta: Djambatan, 1964), p. 81Google Scholar. Kempers, A.J. Bernet, Ageless Borobudur (Wassenaar: Servire, 1976), pp. 168–70Google Scholar.
27 There are currently seven schools of Buddhism affiliated with the WALUBI (Perwalian Umat Buddha Indonesia — The Buddhist Council of Indonesia), they are: Theravada, Buddhayana, Mahayana, Tridharma, Kasogatan, Maitreya and Nichiren. However for the purpose of this debate on the issue of ke-Tuhanan Yang Maha Esa I have concentrated on the first two schools, i.e., the Theravada and the Buddhayana, as these are the schools which discussed this issue. My rough estimate of followers of Theravada is 1 million, Buddhayana ½ million, the total Buddhists in Indonesia approximately 2½ million, a big proportion is in the rural Central and East Java. Buddhism, in a way, has gained the numbers from the uncertain situation of Confucianism. Although Confucianism is officially recognized by the government (as Agama Konghucu), however it is not represented in the Department of Religious Affairs. The Maitreya and Nichiren schools are both recently developed sects and have gained followers in most big cities throughout the archipelago.