A new world religion emerges in Indonesia between 1400 and 1800

IOTL, of course, Indonesia became solidly Muslim. But there's plenty of potential here for a new religion incorporating Islam and Hindu-Buddhism, akin to Sikhism. For instance, one Javanese text explaining Sufi philosophy in Hindu terms (Gift Addressed to the Spirit of the Prophet, 18th-century text):
Being that is external is called metaphorical Being because it exists only insofar as it is connected with its reality, which is found within the Divine knowledge. There is no difference between these two. They are like Vishnu and Krishna in the way they appear. When Holy Vishnu was incarnated as Krishna the visible Krishna was the shadow of the true Vishnu, who was the reality of the Holy Vishnu.
The true power of Krishna was honored, praised throughout the world, yet no one knew the doings of Holy Krishna, who was truly Vishnu: they met not, nor were brought together yet they were one in reality.
One Javanese chronicle describes a wind god, Sunan Lawu, helping the construction of a mosque:
Sunan Lawu gave assistance [in the building of the mosque]:
Volcanic mud flowed in the stream,
Throwing up sand along the banks.
Here's a picture of Javanese lords making sacrifices to the Goddess of the Southern Ocean, a sea deity and the queen of Java's indigenous gods:
swtums.png


Or one Javanese poem rejecting the common practices of Islam:
You are neither Muslim nor infidel.
The manifestation of the reality of the Immaterial
People reflect upon, but do not recognize.
And the recitation of the Qur'ān,
The payment of the religious tax:
These carry no blessing.
Look upon the world--it exists not.
You alone exist,
Derived from the creation,
With divine acts and attributes.
Yea, you are the source of praise and the source of veneration.
You are the essence or worship.​

Could things have gone further?
 
It's bad form to bump something the very day you post it, methinks.

The Malay archipelago being the birthplace of a religion based on a mixture of traditional and Hinduist cosmology, deities and mores with some aspects of Islam is an interesting idea and far from impossible. I would struggle with the notion of this becoming a world religion though.
 
IOTL, of course, Indonesia became solidly Muslim. But there's plenty of potential here for a new religion incorporating Islam and Hindu-Buddhism, akin to Sikhism. For instance, one Javanese text explaining Sufi philosophy in Hindu terms (Gift Addressed to the Spirit of the Prophet, 18th-century text):
Being that is external is called metaphorical Being because it exists only insofar as it is connected with its reality, which is found within the Divine knowledge. There is no difference between these two. They are like Vishnu and Krishna in the way they appear. When Holy Vishnu was incarnated as Krishna the visible Krishna was the shadow of the true Vishnu, who was the reality of the Holy Vishnu.
The true power of Krishna was honored, praised throughout the world, yet no one knew the doings of Holy Krishna, who was truly Vishnu: they met not, nor were brought together yet they were one in reality.
One Javanese chronicle describes a wind god, Sunan Lawu, helping the construction of a mosque:
Sunan Lawu gave assistance [in the building of the mosque]:
Volcanic mud flowed in the stream,
Throwing up sand along the banks.
Here's a picture of Javanese lords making sacrifices to the Goddess of the Southern Ocean, a sea deity and the queen of Java's indigenous gods:
swtums.png


Or one Javanese poem rejecting the common practices of Islam:
You are neither Muslim nor infidel.
The manifestation of the reality of the Immaterial
People reflect upon, but do not recognize.
And the recitation of the Qur'ān,
The payment of the religious tax:
These carry no blessing.
Look upon the world--it exists not.
You alone exist,
Derived from the creation,
With divine acts and attributes.
Yea, you are the source of praise and the source of veneration.
You are the essence or worship.​

Could things have gone further?
Something hybrid from local traditions, Bhuddism and Sufi mystic?
 
I love this idea.

Now if you want this to count as a 'world religion' it needs to be a powerful enough force to dominate over the majority of the Indonesian islands, and perhaps spread a bit throughout southeast Asia.

Since your POD involves the arrival of Islam... Instead of being a copy-pasta of Sikhism, we could start the birth of the synthesizing with a semi-legendary origin involving a series of debates between a Hindu Priest and a Sufi Imam, the movement would first spread among the local populous and initially just be seen as a new type of Sufism that ironically the authorities might promote since they see it as a means of converting people to Islam... Until they realize how much power the movement has and try to suppress it...

But instead wind up giving it some useful martyrs to admire while the religion gains some traction with the nobility, then some Sultan converts because someone he cared about converted and taught him the religion from childhood.

In terms of the name... I think it would make the most sense for it to come from whoever becomes the religion's most notable teacher/prophet/mystic whatever, though among the followers it would be simply called 'The Way'. Let's call our prophet figure, 'Barong', which is a name taken from a mythical figure in Bali, historians will comment on how they believe that the name was an alias, or perhaps a nickname at attached itself to the Prophet who's actual name was lost to history. Barongism!

As for a belief system, I think it would be a monotheistic faith, but with a view that God manifests in many materials so that mortals can under stand Him, and that while these forms are worthy of reverence, the reverence cannot equal actual worship, which belongs to God and God alone, though the word 'Hyang' would wind up being used by Christians translating this for Westerners as a means of separating Barongism from Christianity (and other Abrahamic faiths). So in the Barongian faith there'd be temples with more decoration than a standard mosque, BUT wouldn't be as ornate as a Hindu temple... and maybe instead of praying to statues per se, worship would be conducted in a number of rituals in front of an image of the word 'God', or maybe an Eye so that you know you are in the gaze of God, or some stylized (and decorated) symbol, but not a direct human image.

Of course this would all emerge organically, along with a Holy Book(s)? Or maybe the holy book would be a collection of texts... The most important being the debate I mentioned earlier.

The title of the holy book of Barongism could literally translate out as 'The Debate'.
 
For such a latecomer to be a world religion, it would have to be believable and strike a cord with those who come across it in an era where education is beginning to reach more people.

It would be interesting if it were to suggest that the monotheistic maker-deity did not create the universe in one go but instead created our world and left spirits, demigods and angel-equivalents in charge when he/it/she moved on. This would allow for spiritualism while explaining why major miracles do not happen. It might thus have a greater chance to appeal to some of the more eccentric European scholars and explorers before the late colonial era's racism sets in.

It needs to have an easy access to converting Hinduists and Buddhists, as those denominations would make up the bulk of both the initial populace and potential settlers from China and India.

I would suggest no silly 'permanently assinged to heaven/hell' nonsense, but a form of reincarnation wherein people who fail to live up to moral values get reincarnated as lesser animals, total bastards reincarnate as petty and powerless spirits in 'I have no mouth and I must scream' scenarios for long periods of time and particularly virtuous people might become demigods themselves.
 
Very interesting ideas here! Could I (or we) - in cooperation with @Bfoxius who I will hereby alert - use some of them for the Silent Reverse MG 2017?

Honestly, it also depends on your definition of "world religion"... It will probably remain quite regional (so: between Mumbai, Dalian and Koror approximately), but if such a new religion finds enough converts there, it will be a world religion by 2017 with at least 1 billion followers. And in modern times, such a religion could spread to the West - like OTL there is a Hinduist-Buddhist wave going on - which would even enhance its standing.

Maybe you want to incorporate elements of Charvaka to attract enlightened/secular Europeans?
 
You could start with something like this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kebatinan

Perhaps some nationalist leader could declare a religion based on this the official religion of Indonesia?

If you had another colonial power in the mix, other than the rather stand off-ish Dutch, you could also add Christianity into the mix.
 
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