Ayu Utami: Anatomi Rasa as no 4 of the Bilangan Fu?

Ayu Utami began her literary work with twin books, Dwilogi Saman & Larung. This was followed by the Trilogi  of autobiographical books: Si Parasit Lajang, Crita Cinta Enrico, Pengakuan Eks Parasit Lajang. Now the great novel Bilangan Fu has been given four complementary books (out of the twelve promised/announced): after Manjali dan Cakrabirawa (on the temples of East Java), Lalita (on Borobudur) and Maya (on Prambanan), now again a very different book has been published, Anatomi Rasa. It is a quite difficult book. Not a novel, but rather an essay, complete with footnotes and references to other books (of different authors) we should read.

The book is written in three parts, each of 11 chapters. It is suggested that it is written by Parang Jati, who here is the editor of the doctrines of his father Suhubudi, living in a hermitage (padepokan) close to the mountains of Guung Sewu, southeast of Yogyakarta. Ayu Utami again is the editor and commentator of the writings of Parang Jati.
The first section is about rasa: Feeling, intuition, gnosis, ma'rifat. Rasa is not only the way to arrive at knowledge, it is also the ultimate goal (216: alat & tujuan). In this first section there are many references to the story of Dewa Ruci, the teacher of Bima seeking knowledge and union with the Eternal (manunggaling kawula gusti, the Unionof Slave and Master). But not the story is here told, not the travelling of Bima through forest and mountains, diving in the ocean, meeting with fishes: rather the systematic of colours. Often the three moments of nafas-nafsu-syahwat (breathing, passion, histery) are told. The drawings probably are also by Ayu herself.

In the second part 'Religion', we are introduced to the master pieces of older Javanese literature. Beginning with the four servants (Semar, Petruk, Gareng and Bagong) of the five Pandu brothers. They are not mentioned in the Indian texts, so they are original creature of the Indonesian mind. Maybe Petruk is modelled after a Dutch Piet (104-5).
Various classical texts are commented: Kidung Sudamala, Sutasoma, Arjunawijaya. The Suluk Malang Sumirang as included in the Serat Cabolek: the various stories about Siti Jenar, Sunan Panggung and other 'heretic mystics'. Great authors: especially Mangkunegara IV. It is more an introduction to religious sections of Javanese literature than the style of the novel as we now from the other volumes in the Bilangan Fu series.
Also the third part ('Rasio') has the style of notes about interesting readings. From Stange and Clifford Geertz about the dictinct style of Javanese 'Islam', to the dissertation on Pantheism and Monism in Suluk literature by Jesuit Father Piet Zoetmulder. Chapter nine in this third section (259-63) proclaims her ideal of non-denominational 'religion' or Spiritualisme Kritis. It is more an essay, even a pamphlet or manifesto than a literary work, definitely not a novel. The book is written in a loose style, more notes than a piece written with a clear and consistent structure. A new development in her work, although sections of Bilangan Fu already were in this style as well (the essay 'Three enemies of the postmodern world' in my Dutch translation on p. 476-84).
The first 'Dwilogi' on Saman was quite close to social action, NGOs, but this political involvement has been less direct in the later works that concentrate on individual spirituality, not to say piety.