Authentic Being

The Path of Spirituality of Ki Ageng Suryomentaram’s Kawruh Jiwa and Bernard Lonergan’s Conversion

Abstract

This article discusses the theme of authentic being based on Ki Ageng Suryomentaram’s notion of Kawruh Jiwa (self-knowledge), which is rooted in Javanese wisdom raos (intuitive inner feeling), and Bernard Lonergan’s notion of conversion with its three aspects: intellectual, moral, and religious. This research analysis employs the method of hermeneutic phenomenology, which is based on lived experience. Both Kawruh Jiwa and conversion focus on the fulfillment of authentic beings through mystical transformation in daily life. The encounter of the spiritual paths of Ki Ageng Suryomentaram and Bernard Lonergan will be discussed in relation to contemporary studies on spirituality that give serious consideration to lived experience in which authentic being is the core of spirituality itself. This new perspective contributes to harmonious coexistence in a highly pluralistic context such as Asia.