Bali an Island of intrigue

thegardenisland.com - Bali an Island of intrigue A gamelan orchestra dramat - izes the scene with an intense percussive beat as 12 bodies encased in 12 magnificently crafted bull sculptures burst into flames. Mesmerized while at the same time honored to be a witness, I am in the middle of a one of the most important celebrations in Bali, the only island in Indonesia where Hinduism is the major religion.


Cremation: Liberation of spirit

Today’s elaborate cremation ceremony represents great expenditures of time and money, but I’m learning that there is no compromise in this culture that believes in karma and reincarnation and where devotion has survived the centuries. Central to that belief is that only the ritual of cremation will liberate the spirit from the body after death. And as to what happens afterwards? That depends on karma, determined by one’s ancestors and how a person lived their life. It is karma that will shape the form of the spirit’s reincarnation for its next life on earth.

Starting late morning at the temple in the village of Peliatan, I witness a priest blessing dozens of participants as well as the 30-foot high gold tower that contains the body. Both the elaborate tower and the huge sarcophagus, sculptured in the image of a bull, will be carried on the shoulders of young men to the cremation grounds. But now, women balancing 2-foot high offerings on their heads file into the temple for blessings. Afterward they’ll lead this procession into Ubud and join 11 others in the cremation ritual. Ashes of each deceased will be scattered in a river or the ocean.

Religion: Container of the culture

This is my sixth visit to Bali since 1990 when I first became enchanted by these extremely friendly and artistic people. But I haven’t been here for 15 years and I was concerned that as in many places in the world, westernization would have taken its toll. There are changes: more vehicles, more buildings, more noise in the street, air pollution, restaurants selling hamburgers, shops selling foreign goods and Starbucks. But the heart of the culture is still vibrant and people as welcoming as before. The myriad of religious rituals carried out daily by Balinese are enacted for themselves, not for tourists. It’s Bali’s spiritual core which weaves as well as preserves the fabric of this complex culture.

 Women still spend hours assembling palm leaf offerings for their home temples and pray every day to Hindu deities. The artistic touch displayed in paintings, sculpture, home/garden decoration, architecture, dance and music thrives here. Processions will suddenly appear complete with a gamelan orchestra and women balancing offerings. My impulse is to follow, which has happened twice. Each time I was delighted to end up at a temple and experience the sacredness of a ceremony, which honors the spirit that left the body in cremation 12 days earlier. The amazing thing is that these gracious Balinese people don’t mind if foreigners tag along, but only if we are respectful. And I am touched that several people in Ubud remember not only me, but my name after so many years

As luck would have it, the full moon occurs the day following my arrival from in Bali. My driver, Wayan Murda, picks me up at the airport and invites me to join him and another American woman in a purification ceremony. It’s held during the full and new moon each month at the holy water temple called Tirta Empul. Dressed in sarong and a sash as is protocol, we submerge in the pools where sculptural spouts pour water over my head as I pray and gave thanks to the Balinese people as well as for my own life. How could there be a more perfect beginning for my two-month Indonesian adventure?

Ubud: Cultural center of Bali

One of the most satisfying experiences for me is watching highly skilled, beautiful dances that are performed nightly in Ubud. Based on the theme of good and evil, they depict Hindu Ramayana stories. Masked and costumed dancers are so colorful and dramatic that the theme is readily revealed through their movements. Graceful women, Legong dancers, who have been trained since they could walk, enchant as they move only two fingers and tilt their heads at the perfect angle to a mood and rhythm set by the spellbinding gamelan orchestra

 Hand-made wooden and stone sculptures, paintings, masks and clothing are crafted in Ubud and villages nearby. One year I bicycled every morning over to Mas, a nearby wood sculpture village, where I sat with five men who held the wood with their feet (I didn’t) as we carved and later painted the exotic dance masks. Another time, I moved into the family compound of a master painter and spent my mornings painting under his guidance. The Balinese are so open that they will accommodate those who have a sincere desire to learn.

Another joyful activity is a visit to the Monkey Forest with its temple honoring the Hindu monkey deity, Hanuman. Monkeys swing through trees, climb on stone sculptures, groom each other as well as care for their adorable youngsters. Previously, I witnessed tribal warfare between two monkey troops that was only settled when a Balinese man stood on the hillside and emitted secret sounds that immediately halted aggression and brought peace to the forest. It’s the mystery that draws me back to Bali time and time again.

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