Balinese Hinduism
The religion practiced by the majority of Balinese is a local branch of Hinduism called Agama Hindu Dharma. Balinese Hinduism is an amalgam of indigenous beliefs, Buddhism and Shivaism of Indian origin. Hinduism is Shivaic, while Buddhism belongs to the Tantric form of the Great Vehicle Buddhism found in China, Tibet, Korea and Japan. The nameAgama Hindu Dharma is the product of a recent rationalization of the religion, which was previously called Agama Tirta, or "religion of lustrous water", or Agama Siwabuddha, a blend of Shivaism and Buddhism originating in classical Java. Indian philosophy provided the theological framework, while indigenous beliefs nourished the rituals. It is in the worship of natural elements and ancestors that the latter beliefs are most visible.
Nature is perceived as a "power", and each of its components is the emanation of one or more spirits, who have their own altars and are nourished by various offerings(sajen) made from local agricultural produce. Another aspect of this animism is the mountain's role as a refuge for the gods and ancestors. When a Balinese dies, the ritual of death is signified as a "return home", to the "old country" above the mountain. As the origin of water is located in volcanoes, from which comes the wrath of the gods, the mountain occupies the pole of purity, kaja, while the pole of impurity is kelod, the sea. This kaja-kelod axis determines the spatial organization of rites and architecture, as well as everyday gestures: for example, people sleep with their heads facing the mountain.
In this way, the ancestors and gods maintain constant contact with the living. Dances and offerings bring them down during temple festivals, where they are welcome, but they can also be called upon to manifest themselves through the supplications of a medium. Balinese religion is known the world over for the magnificence of its rituals.
The conception of the existence
According to Hindu belief, every soul is subject to the principle of transmigration(samsara). Incarnation, which binds the soul to the body, is a hellish condition that everyone strives to break through to moksa, or ultimate enlightenment. In moksa, the individual soul and body join their cosmic equivalents. For the soul, the divine soul, called paramatma, and for the body, the five primordial elements: fire, water, earth, air and ether.
The reincarnation of a human soul is both a human and a cosmic process. When a man and a woman make love, their union is the result of cosmic forces, of two principles, male(purusa) and female(pradana): they are part of the divine encounter between the love god Asmara and the moon goddess Ratih. In the sexual union, the red and white elements of desire(kama bang and kala petak) unite as symbols of sperm and ovum respectively. This cosmic union is accompanied by the descent of an ancestral soul from the mouth of hell, or from its home above the mountain. From this process of fertilization is created the "little world"(bhwana alit) which, as a human being, is a combination of matter and spirit. All subsequent phases of life, from pregnancy to birth, from birth to death, and eventually from death to the afterlife, are accompanied by ritual ceremonies. The function of these rituals is to attach the soul to the body, before birth, and to welcome it into the world, then to accompany it throughout its existence, and finally to help it escape earthly bonds and reach the old country of origins where it will merge with the world soul(paramatma).
The ritual offerings
Simple offerings are made every day (at least three times a day), while others are prepared for special occasions. These canang must be aesthetically pleasing, and require a great expenditure of time and energy. Palm leaves are meticulously cut, woven and pinned together into decorative shapes(jejaitan). Multicolored rice cakes(jajan) are shaped into small sculptures and even entire scenes with significant symbolism. In many ways, offerings are an expression of Balinese art. An ordinary pula gembal features dozens of different rice-paste figurines in a palm-leaf basket. For an important ceremony, such as an odalan, these figurines form a spectacular cone that the Balinese women carry on their heads to the temple in gigantic processions. In addition to the canangs made by the community, each family brings its own. These offerings are placed in the temple according to their purpose and function. Those dedicated to the gods and ancestors will be placed on high altars, arranged by the pemangku, while those offered to the devil will remain on the ground. The big difference is that the latter contain raw meat, unlike the cooked ones dedicated to the ancestors or gods.
Sacrificial rites
The rites are intended to appease the forces and powers that can cause disturbances in the harmonious unfolding of things, such as crop failures, volcanic eruptions, periods of drought... The caru, sacrificial offerings, are not intended for the impossible annihilation of demonic powers, but for the re-establishment of the proper balance of all things. In these propitiations, animal sacrifices and the presence of blood are of crucial importance. For important caru, satay(saté and jejatah) made from various cuts of pork, duck, beef and turtle are prepared, along with lawar, a meat mince containing blood, coconut and certain vegetables. For the rite of appeasement and purification for the guardians of the cardinal points, an ox is sacrificed to the south, a duck to the west, a black goat to the north, a goose to the east and, in the center, a hen of various colors. Since demons greatly appreciate the blood of fighting cocks, ritual cockfighting(tabuh getib) is still important.
Funeral rites
In the Balinese cyclical conception, death is the return to origins. Daily rites are the symbolic realization of the passage to liberation. When they die, the bodies are not immediately burned, essentially for financial reasons. They are generally buried until a suitable date, or until collective cremation. Only the nobility can afford cremation a few days or weeks after death. In all cases, the reason for cremation is the same. The body, or its effigy, is burned and the ashes scattered in the sea, meaning that the material components, the elements that make up the human body, join their cosmic equivalent, the five elements(Panca Maha Butha).
The cremation ritual is linked to cosmic symbolism. The cremation tower is a replica of the cosmos. The body is placed in the central human world(madiapada). The sarcophagus, in which the body is burned, is the vehicle for the soul's flight. Under no circumstances is cremation an occasion for demonstrations of mourning, affliction or pain. The body is first displayed in the home of the deceased. The pavilion is richly decorated with ribbons, flowers, mirrors, etc. Then the body is placed in a sarcophagus and covered with a shroud(rubrub). In the days leading up to the cremation, the villagers (members of the banjar(s)) build a bamboo pavilion(balé pawedaan) in which the pedanda prepares the lustrous waters essential for purification. When the ritual is finally completed, it's time to accompany the body to the pura dalem, the place of cremation. The body is hoisted up a staircase(raren) into a niche(balé spatika) in the tower. The tower rests on a square bamboo base. Satria cremation towers can reach a height of twenty-five meters and are pagodated(tumpang), meaning that, like temple meru , they have an odd number of superimposed roofs, up to eleven. The cremation tower is sometimes preceded by a long, decorated snake, the nagabanda, which is supposed to become the deceased's vehicle in his quest for heavenly places. After further purification, the sarcophagus is placed on the pyre. Previously, the ritual fire was observed in its entirety; now, the pyre is sprinkled with flammable substances. It takes a few minutes for the flames to engulf the sarcophagus and the tower.
Christian religious communities
Christians wishing to settle in Bali were discouraged by both the Balinese and the Dutch. They were told to settle in the west, as far away from the "Balinese" as possible, to protect the population from outside religious influences. This is why the two villages are perched in the hills of western Bali, north of the village of Melaya, where no one wanted to live. The Protestants settled in the village of Belimbingsari, while the Catholics chose the site of Palasari. For their religious buildings, both were curiously inspired by Balinese architecture, using kulkul or meru, or imitating temple facades. Their churches are well worth a look. Palasari church is a gigantic white stone edifice reminiscent of New World Baroque architecture. The Belimbingsari Protestant temple is less impressive, but it's amazing to see the Balinese influences, even in the Christian statues!
