<![CDATA[Studies of Old Sundanese manuscripts have thus far been dominated by philological, linguistic, and historical approaches, resulting in their philosophical dimensions often being overlooked or interpreted merely as guidelines for traditional customs. This article aims to examine the philosophical dimensions of two Old Sundanese manuscripts, namely Sanghyang Siksa Kandang Karesian (SSKK, 1518 CE) and Sewaka Darma (SD, 14th or 15th century), using Pierre Hadot’s hermeneutics of philosophy as a way of life and spiritual exercises. The method employed is a qualitative literature review of the manuscripts’ transliterations and translations, utilizing thick description to situate the texts within the cosmology of Old Sundanese. The results indicate that the teachings on sensory control (Dasa Kreta) and mindfulness (Catur Yatna) in the SSKK, as well as the recommendations for iyatna-yatna in the SD, can be interpreted as functionally equivalent to prosoche. The journey of the Atma toward Jatiniskala in the SD can be interpreted as analogous to “learning to die” and “the view from above.” Both manuscripts can also be interpreted as texts of self-formation (“ubar keueung” in the SD, “pitutur rahayu” in the SSKK). Theoretically, this interpretation of the two manuscripts tests the extent to which the idea of philosophy as a way of life can be applied outside the Greco-Roman context.]]>
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