THE CONCEPT OF SINAHU AS A LIFELONG LEARNING PROCESS (READING SOCIAL CHANGE, HARMONIZING LIFE, AND DEFINING ONE’S STANCE)

Abstract

Education is, at its core, a human process of continuous learning, understanding life, and developing the ability to participate in societal change. In Javanese society and the pesantren tradition, this concept can be approached through the term sinahu—a learning process that does not end in the classroom but continues through teachers, texts, experiences, the environment, the community, and daily life. This article aims to develop the concept of sinahu as a framework for lifelong education that encompasses intellectual, social, moral, and transformative dimensions. The discussion employs a conceptual approach by linking the idea of sinahu to theories of lifelong learning, critical education, transformative learning, social change, and pesantren education. This article argues that learning should not be understood merely as the process of acquiring knowledge, but as a process of interpreting reality, understanding change, reflecting on one’s own position, determining one’s stance, and translating knowledge into action. Within this framework, students, pesantren students, and college students are part of the human journey as learners. The ultimate outcome of sinahu is not merely individual intelligence but the ability to harmonize human relationships with God, nature, and fellow human beings. Thus, sinahu can be developed as an educational concept that connects knowledge with life, tradition with change, and learning with social transformation.