CYCLE OF LIFE ( Part. 3 )

The Balinese marriage ceremony is no less complex. It is preceded by engagement of mepandik during which the couple falsely elope, and are supported by a group of accomplices, who protect the couple during their honeymoon. After three days, they are considered man and wife. The ploy is a serious one as the girl’s parents may be furious and refuse their blessing.

The wedding ceremony follows in a more formal manner. It emphasizes that one’s desires, while being exercised, should at the same time be kept under tight control. The climax of the wedding ritual, Maskapan, is meant to appease the earthly forces or buta sor, which are the origin of desires and temptation.

CYCLE OF LIFE ( Part. 2 )

The gods and deified ancestors will descend occasionally to earth during temple ceremonies to partake of offerings and enjoy entertainment. When souls are ready to re-incarnate on earth, they will come from the mountains above or straight from hell.

That is why the mountains is revered as the Holy Place.

The religious rites of the Balinese consist of the human rites (manusa yadnya), the rites of the dead (pitra yadnya), rites of the gods or temple rites (dewa yadnya), rites of demonic forces (buta yadnya) and ordainment rites (rsi yadnya).

Each phase of a person’s life, from pregnancy to birth and birth to death, will be accompanied by rituals, which are performed specifically on certain occasions or at any time whenever the need arises. Holy water, fire, ash, geese, duck, eggs, and dabdab tree leaves are the purifying elements used in the rituals.

The manusa yadnya rites include birth rites. The seventh month of pregnancy is the time for the housing of the soul or Megedong-Gedongan ceremony, when the soul is bound within the womb.

CYCLE OF LIFE ( Part. 1 )

Balinese Hindus believe that when a person dies, the soul passes into another body, where it is in torment because of evil deeds accumulated in its present and past lives. To cleanse the impurity of the soul, rituals are continually performed throughout the person’s life. The soul will constantly seek to free itself from this cycle of life until it attains enlightenment or moksa.

The process of incarnation is both human and cosmic, starting from love. The union of a man and woman is that of purusa and pranada (the male and female principle respectively) and the cosmic energy of Asmara, the God of love, and Ratih, the goddess of the moon. In their sexual love are united the red and white elements of desire (kamabang/kama petak), symbol of male sperm and female ovula. The eventual merging of the two kamas begets what is often called “The Godly Fetus” or Sanghyang Jabang Bayi, as the soul originates from the heavenly world. A child is called “Dewa” or little god during his first year of life.

Balinese believe that the mountains are the abodes of the gods, deified ancestors and souls which did not attain moksa.

OVERVIEW OF BALI ( Part. 2 )

The people of Bali, as diverse as the geography of the different regions and yet united by their strong religious beliefs, draw their strength and their meaning from this wonderful environment.

The mountains are the focus of daily activities, with holy mount Agung as the great heavenward inspiration. All villages, temples, family compounds, house and furniture arrangements are designed to face “kaja”, or towards the mountains. The seaward direction “kelod”, on the other hand, is considered to be less sacred and at times impure, although the sea itself is not considered to be propane.

Mountain slopes provide the ideal setting for the luminous terrace rice paddies, which then transform to become vast paddies fields. The Balinese have an ingenious irrigation system which keeps these paddies well watered, and the rich nutrients from the volcanic ash ensure these fields are also well fertilized.

Rice is the staple food for Balinese people, and sampling the steamed rice (nasi putih), red rice (nasi merah), or even colored yellow rice (nasi kuning) is a must. Or try a mixed rice dish served with different condiments (nasi campur) or fried rice (nasi goreng), even some sticky rice patties. Rice also has sacred significance, and it is offered back to the Gods in the form brightly colored cake, or even simply as a few grains sprinkled on a banana leaf. Dewi Sri, the Balinese goddess, features strongly in local mythology and religious observance, and she often appears as a “cili” figure cut and bound from rice stalks.