IN legends and in history, there are stories of people who isolate themselves in total solitude to obtain within them something more valuable than they already have. The Serat Wedatama, for instance, tells of Panembahan Senapati in the 17th century “lelana lalading sepi/Ngingsep sepuhing supana’: “wandering in the quiet/ absorbing the ancient ways.” Or Airlangga from the kingdom of Kediri in the 12th century who abdi