Remember Kartini

The followings are passages and writings from Letters of A Javanese Princess by R.A. Kartini. Through these words she expressed her sincere longing for freedom, equality, and fraternity. Her thoughts and ideals were ahead of its time, but truth always stands and echoes throughout eternity. She was such an enlightened soul whom we should remember, more than just by putting traditional clothes on our children and parading them on each Kartini Day.

On Education

The education of woman has always been an important factor in civilization.

Education means the forming of the mind and of the soul.

Our idea is to develop the fine qualities that are peculiar to their race; to help them to gain by contact with another civilization, not to the detraction of their own, but to its enoblement.

Is an intellectual education everything? To be truly civilized, intellectual and moral education must go hand in hand.

In "Our School" we want to give more of a moral than an academic education.

We want the whole idea of our school to be the education of children, not as though they were in a school, but in a home, as a mother would bring up her own children.
It must be like a great home community. Where the inmates all love one another and learn from one another, and where the mother is not a mother in name but in spirit, the educator of the child's soul and body.

We always have beauty within us. This is the reason that I wish that in education, emphasis were laid upon character forming, and first of all upon the cultivation of strength of will; it should be instilled into the child.

And who can do most for the elevation of the moral standard of mankind? The woman, the mother; it is at the breast of woman, that man receives his earliest nourishment. The child learns there first, to feel, to think, and to speak. And the earliest education of all foreshadows the whole after life.

And what we are most anxious to have taught in our future schools is hygiene, and a knowledge of sanitation and nursing. Hygiene and nursing should be part of one's education. So many misfortunes could have been averted or at least reduced to a minimum, if every one, men, as well as women, had been taught something of this useful study.

On Freedom

I long to be free, to be able to stand alone, to study, not to be subject to any one, and, above all, never, never to be obliged to marry.

The freedom of women is inevitable; it is coming, but we cannot hasten it.

On Equality

I should teach my children, boys and girls, to regard one another as equal human beings and give them always the same education; of course following the natural disposition of each.

When will the time come when boys and girls, men and women shall look upon one another as equal human beings, as comrades? As it is now — Bah! how we women are degraded at every turn, again and again.

On Wall Between the Sexes

And then I should let down the bars which have been so foolishly erected between the two sexes. I am convinced that when this is done much good will come of it, especially to the men. I shall never believe that educated and cultivated men designedly avoid the society of women who are their equals in education and enlightenment, to throw themselves deliberately into the arms of disreputable women. While many men seek the society where cultivated ladies are to be found, there is a vast army who cannot take the slightest interest in a girl without thinking of sex. Now all this will disappear when men and women can mingle freely together from childhood.

On Religion

Religion is intended as a blessing to mankind — a bond between all the creatures of God. They should be as brothers and sisters, not because they have the same human parents, but because they are all children of one Father, of Him who is enthroned in the heavens above. Brothers and sisters must love one another, help, strengthen and support one another. O God! sometimes I wish that there had never been a religion, because that which should unite mankind into one common brotherhood has been through all the ages a cause of strife, of discord, and of bloodshed. Members of the same family have persecuted one another because of the different manner in which they worshipped one and the same God. Those who ought to have been bound together by the tenderest love have turned with hatred from one another. Differences of Church, albeit in each the same word, God, is spoken, have built a dividing wall between two throbbing hearts. I often ask myself uneasily: is religion indeed a blessing to mankind? Religion, which is meant to save us from our sins, how many sins are committed in thy name?

On Spiritual

Fasting is the overcoming of the material by the spirit; solitude is the school of meditation.

Now we have found Him for whom unconsciously our souls had yearned during the long years. We had sought so far and so long, we did not know that it was near, that it was always with us, that it was in us.

On Respect

Honour every living creature, respect their rights, their feelings; and even when it seems necessary, shrink from causing the least suffering to another.

On Life

Life is not a dream. It is cold, sober reality, but even reality does not have to be ugly, unless we make it so. It is not ugly—it is beautiful.

On Happiness

Where is true happiness? It is not far away, but it is so difficult to find the road thither, we cannot go by tram, by horse or by boat, and no gold can pay the cost of the journey. It is hard to find the way, and we must pay the fare in tears and heart's blood and meditation. Where is the road? It is in ourselves. In the world, we find much that delights us, that transports us, so that we think we have found the long sought happiness. But even as the thought comes, we find by bitter experience that what we hold to our hearts, is empty dross.

True, lasting happiness dwells within, and is called soul's peace.

Reference
- Letters of a Javanese Princess, R.A. Kartini, 1921, London: Duckworth & Co.