MY APPEAL

With the height of my voice I call for your attentions. Please hear my appeal… for now I shall tell you what you should do to save the most beautiful place in the world. I’m begging for help from all of you O devout Hindus, my brothers and sisters in dharma, all of you who love Bali and have joyfully pleased your selves by her charm and beauty… I don’t know if you won’t listen to what I say, would Bali stay as glorious as before? … Would the Devas stay to protect our descendants of the future and continue to bestow their blessings to them… If you won’t listen and act accordingly, then everything will be too late, "even for The Supreme Lord Vishnu to help you…"

Transformation of Consciousness
When we talk about transformation in humanity we should consider what the real meaning of transformation is. We tried so hard to take transformation to our lives. Of course it is the better one. Yes, we want a better life, happier, free of anxiety, free of sufferings, sorrow, etc. The actual transformation wasn’t take place only in physical platform. We have three dimensional or three platform of existence. The physical or mundane or external platform and mental or mind or internal platform. But the most important is the transcendental platform, the consciousness, the Chit-vastu (Living and conscious spiritual substance). The Chit-vastu is our True Self, the Atma. The material energy, called Maya, is also one of the multi energies of the Lord, since The Supreme Lord is the source of all energies, source of everything, janmadhya-asya, and we, the living entities, the individual jiva-atma are also the energy – marginal energy – of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior to material energy. When the superior energy is in contact with the inferior energy, an incompatible situation arises; but when the superior marginal energy is in contact with the superior energy, the living entity is established in his happy, normal condition. This is what we should know before talk about any “transformation”.

As taught by the Vedas, we should realize our true identity as the eternal Atma. When this Atma entrapped within illusory external energy of material nature, he became embodied or conditioned soul. He forgot his real identity and misidentifies himself with physical body. There is no way for conditioned soul to escape from this situation and he “eternally” illusioned by the material external energy. This very illusion put him into the ocean of samsara, experienced false happiness and sorrowful condition, without perpetual bliss. Though he has tried his best to make himself happy, but everything end in more sorrowful condition. This is the nature of conditioned life under illusory external energy.

So if we do want a real transformation, we should take spiritual journey to our inner self, our real self and realize our true identity as Atma. The real transformation should take on transcendental platform for getting its real meaning and value. The real transformation actually a reformation, coming back to our true identity. This is what we called Transformation of Consciousness. But if we take our present position as the starting point, then we could get two kinds of Transformation, Downward and Upward.

Downward Transformation means we get more entangled, more attached to the external illusory energy. So we kept our self under perpetual influence of this energy. That’s why we called this Downward Transformation, since we take shelter under inferior energy. Now we have to go Upward, otherwise there is no way to escape from the strong affinity with this inferior material energy. We have to deal with the superior energy, take shelter under infinite transcendental energy. Only by accepting this path we can get into Real Upward Transformation of Consciousness. Surrender and put our self under Infinite Supreme Divinity. This is the real value of Dharma, the skillful means to go “Upward” called Saranagati as indicated by Lord Krishna in the Charam-sloka of Srimad Bhagavad-gita, sarva-dharman-parityaja…

The Key To Deal With The Infinite
Surrender, service, and dedication: this is the key to deal with the infinite, Vaikuntha. Without knowledge and without much energy one can attain fulfilment. It is not necessary to have the energy to be able to move a mountain. Also to read all the scriptures in the world and put them “within our belly” will not produce any good.

A typical example was shown in the Mahabharata. Lord Krishna foretold that when the rajasuya-yajna of Maharaja Yudhistira would be finished, a particular bell there would ring automatically. In that way everyone would know that the yajna was completed. The sacrifice was held and everything was finished, but the bell did not ring. Bhima asked Krishna, “You said that the bell would ring automatically. Everything has now been finished but it is not ringing. Why not?” Krishna replied, “No. One thing is still remaining.” “What is that?” “Vaishnava-seva, the service of a Vaishnava.” Bhima was surprised: “What do you say? So many munis, rishis, Narada, Vyasadeva, and even You Yourself are all satisfied with having been well fed, yet You say that Vaishnava-seva has not been done?” “Yes.” “So where is that Vaishnava?” Krishna then indicated, “Go to the outskirts of town, and there you will find a particular Vaishnava of the lowest caste. He does not go anywhere, but he is satisfied by taking the Name of the Lord and leading a full life of devotion without any care for the world.”

Hearing this, the Pandavas went with a chariot to receive that man. They found him, an ordinary poor man of the lower class, and they approached him. He was perplexed: “What is this? Oh, so many important men have come to my cottage. What is the matter?” He became very much panic-stricken. Then they petitioned him with folded palms, “We have come to bring you to take some food at the place of the yajna.” What to do? He could not avoid their order.

Draupadi had to cook, so she prepared various palatable dishes. She thought, “Vaishnava-seva has not been done. So many rishis, munis, and even Lord Krishna has been fed, but Vaishnava-seva has not been done!” So with all her skill she cooked foods of various types, and the man was fed, but the bell did not ring. Bhima asked, “What is the matter? He has finished eating but the bell has not rung.” Krishna said, “There must have been some offence against Vaishnava-seva, and therefore the bell did not ring. What do you say? Do any of you have any doubt or bad conception about this man?”

The Pandavas then asked one another if any of them had thought any evil about him. At last Draupadé admitted, “I had some thought in my mind that the man is lowborn, and although I prepared so many curries with the utmost attention and skill, he mixed all the preparations together and then ate that. He does not know how to eat because he comes from a very low class, this is what I had in my mind.” Krishna explained, “There is some contempt for the Vaishnava, and therefore the bell has not rung. There is no other course than for you to go to him again, bring him, and again feed him.” So the Pandavas went and brought him back. This time all of them waited with great respect as he took prasadam, and the bell rang with every morsel.
This example has been shown to us. Those who are niskincana do not want anything, no name, no fame, or anything of the kind. They are naturally satisfied with whatever comes, and they are wholesale dedicated to the Lord. Such devotion can be found anywhere without any show of grandeur. No worldly grandeur is necessary; just richness of the heart. No knowledge, no education, no honour of a high birth, no power, and no gorgeousness. Krishna consciousness is full, so sufficient, so absolute, that just a particle of that contains everything. All grandeur, all education, and everything is there; it is of such a nature. Service, self-dedication, saranagati, surrender: that is the necessity, not valour or learning. “You fail to understand, but he is all right. He must be thought to be a sadhu, a truly honest man, and nothing else. He may have no name or fame or good presentation, or any of the qualities that attract us; none of these are necessary.” (see Bhagavad-gita 9.30)

Self-contentment does not require anything. It can stand alone. It is self-sufficient. Krishna consciousness is self-sufficient. It does not require any form of paraphernalia to establish itself; it is a self-established thing. With it there will be no need of hankering for anything, whether it be grandeur or anything else.

So what is our practical point here? For so long, let we take our condition here, in Bali. Bali was celebrated everywhere as the most beautiful island and have this Hindu-Vedic spiritual culture as the base of her people’s lives for centuries. What is the base for these arts, amazing beauties, and other cultural wonder of Bali? They are service, devotion, and loving dedications. The pure dharma of love manifested as our tradition and way of life characterized by Satyam, Sivam, Sundaram, and Santosham (truth, auspicious, beauty, and universal well being). Upward Transformation of Consciousness lead to the ultimate realization of The Supreme Absolute Truth is shining brightly in the core of the heart and its rays manifested as the rightful conducts in accordance with Universal Dharmic Law of The Divine. So these Satyatva, Sivatva, and Sundaratva were dedicated to the Divine. They are real manifestations of our Love to The Lord. But here we even find such activities of love, though totally dedicated to Parameshwaran Lord Krishna Himself, Devatas, great sages, etc. but bereft of service and loving attitude toward Vaishnavas, the pure devotee of the Lord, and then everything would become nothing!

Necessity of Transcendental Association
Today in our society we didn’t even care about the real intentions of rituals, artistic offerings such as dances, musical performances, dramas, etc. as dedications of love for The Supreme Lord, Devatas, and sages. We just thought them as means to entertain the tourists, to get more money, more Euros, more USD… We invite tourists from everywhere but we never invite even a single Sadhu to our place. Today we just held our religious ceremonies and cultural performances just for entertaining mundane persons and for some materialistic gains. Without service to the Sadhus and Vaishnavas, even if we offer everything to the Devatas, it was considered fruitless! Sadhus and Vaishnava-bhagavatas are the abode of all spiritual perfections, all Upward Transformations of Consciousness, and as Consciousness formed by association, so there will be no spiritual advancement without their pure association or Sat-sangam. There is no other hope for any Upward Transformations of humanity.

The Great Sage Agasthiya, Mula Guru (Original Spiritual Preceptor) of Nusantara. He was the first Sadhu who gave us association by his instructions, mystical presence, and continual coming of his disciples and member of his spiritual lineage (Parampara)

We can’t deny our need for material prosperity. Yes, we do need money or wealth… But if we just think for mundane things or how to please mundane persons, then surely this will lead us to mental degradation and Downward Transformation of Consciousness. If we, the degrade-minded persons, also associate only with our other degraded fellows, we will get more degraded, more conditioned, and more attached to worldly things. So if we really want to make Upward Transformation, then we have to find a way how to bring the most auspicious Sangam of Sadhus and Vaishnava-bhagavatas to our place.

Acharya Dharmakrithi of Suvarnadvipa, Master of Bodhicitta

Acharya Dipamkara Srijnana or Guru Atisha. A Buddhist master from Vikrampur Monastery, Bengal-India and founder of Kadampa order in Tibet, sailed to Sumatera to found his Guru Dharmakrithi of Srivijaya. When will we again have such a visit from great personages like him?

We should remember how our ancestors in the past attained perfection only by serving Sadhus and act according to their pure instructions. In the past we have no tourist came just for enjoying the beauty of Bali and Nusantara. They came for pilgrimage. This very country was sacred to them. We should remember how Mulavarman of Kutai in Barhinapura (Borneo) invited the Agnihotri-brahmins from Kalinga for accepting alms. Our previous Raja won’t take money from foreign tourists, but he gave them alms of thousand cows and gold. Of course, they weren’t ordinary tourists. They were Brahmin pilgrims, Sadhus, Vaishnava-bhagavatas. How great our Kings and how noble our guests were. Then again some went to Suvarnadvipa (Sumatera). That great Buddhist Acharya of India and Tibet, Dipamkara Srijnana, went to Suvarnadvipa to learn from Acharya Dharmakrithi of Srivijaya. We should remember how Bhumisambarabuddhara (Borobudur) of Java became pilgrimage center for whole Buddhist world. How thousand of devotees came to worship Bhagavati Tara in Kalasha. Pandita Lohgawe also came later to Java from India and guided Rangarajasa to build his kingdom of Singhasari. The historical facts for religious influence of great Javanese Kingdoms of Kadiri, Singhasari and Bilvatikta (Majapahit) were well known. Many people came to Nusantara and Bali with pure and spiritual intentions. Once we were of a country with great spiritual significance and of spiritual tourism. But now, where is this?

Mandala Vajradhatu of Bhumisambarabuddhara (Borobudur)

On the past, thousands of pilgrims from all over the world pay obeisance to the lotus feet of this Bhagavan Mahavairochana Buddhadeva. But today, the tourists come to visit Him just for fun...

By neglecting the importance to invite and serve Sadhus, we became slaves to give mundane person their gross enjoyment. By abandon our duty to offer alms and hospitality to the real spiritualists, we spend our money for dry ritualistic ceremonies, then go with other sinful persons to enjoy wine, meat, and sex. Then we try to get more money and wealth by selling more sensual enjoyment. Selling every inch of our sacred land, the abode of our ancestors and devatas, to find it changed miserably as a place for pleasing mundane senses. Yes, we still perform great, pompous, beautiful religious celebrations everywhere, but bereft of real spirit of dedication and love. We treat our religious function only as common activities. Come only out of dry responsibility without real eagerness. Thought ourselves as have pleased the devatas and then go again to serve others who didn’t live according to the Dharmic values of our ancestors. What is this hypocrisy? How could we stay and inherit this land of our ancestors, but discarding the heart of their deep spiritual values…?

My countrymen of same glorious ancestors, I beg you to not let your mind go and thought about how to please and serve mundane persons only to get their money. We maintain external ritual without spiritual significance just for show it to the tourists. We may perform any kind of celebration, but only for the sake of our ancestors, devatas, and beloved Supreme Lord. We have to follow our ancestors by also inviting spiritual pilgrims, and the most important, the Sadhus, Vaishnava-bhagavatas, and serve all of them. It is alright to accept any guest. That’s also our dharma to please them. But why we have to neglect and not invite the Bhagavatas?

My dear Sadhus and Vaishnava-bhagavatas, I beg you to please be merciful to us. Please come and bless us with your divine presences and association. Due of ignorance, some of us have abandoned you. But please overlook our faults, since we have no other well wisher than you. My dear dharma-brothers and sisters please come and see the beauty of our country. She has been blessed and consecrated by many Rishis from the past. Please come here not for enjoyment, but see how she will beautifully adorn your sadhana. This is the very land, where the chants of Vedic-mantras are still resounding with music and bells, and wonderful celebrations of Dharma is an everyday life. Though we have suffer some spiritual degradation, but if all of you would willingly help us, then our descendant of the future could still see The Abode of Gods on Earth, with their own eyes.

This beautiful, colorful, and unique offerings were expression of loving dedication

Meat Eating Hindus ?

Balinese Hindus (or other Indonesian Hindus) mainly are not vegetarian as the majority of other Hindus should. They are similar with the Thais or Cambodians who also have a long history of Vedic civilization but mainly not vegetarian. Even the other Indonesian tribes who still lead traditional customs and life highly influenced by earlier Vedic civilization are mainly not forbidding meat in their diet. The only strict vegetarians I ever know were a certain esoteric communities, such as the Dayak Bumi Segandu of Indramayu in West Java, or some hermit-like traditional Javanese spiritualist, and certain peoples in mountainous range. These peoples of course are still following the Dharmic thoughts and some Hindu-Vedic religious practices in very special and unique way, superficially differs from common Hindus today. They tried to avoid Islamic domination by fled to remote areas with any little Vedic wisdom and practices left by their ancestors in the past. As prime targets of missionary works and dakwah activities, these communities are always struggling very hard to keep going with their inherited Vedic-influenced traditional customs.

Balinese traditional food. Some were made from meat. Previously only available at ceremonial feast.

Though meat wasn’t forbidden, but unlike Westerner’s meat eating habit, the Balinese Hindus as the only “clearly” existing Hindu community of Indonesia for example, don’t take meat as their daily food. Today, of course we can find meat of all sort everywhere because modernization of cattle-breeding, etc. But in older days the only domestic animals such as chickens, ducks and pigs, commonly take care by the Balinese Hindu families at house backyard. Cows and bulls are precious animal for agrarian peoples like Balinese. They have important role as co-worker for farmer to cultivate the land for rice fields. Beef is forbidden and strictly avoid by the upper class societies and nobilities. So practically the Balinese only eat chicken and pork, or fish for they who live near the sea. By such fertility of land there were no scarcity of rice, grains, fruits, and vegetables. In the past these natural products were daily consumed by the Balinese, without any dependency upon meat based cooking.

Food offerings to the higher celestial beings (Bhataras) mainly consist of vegetarian or already cooked foods and cakes

Meat only consumed in religious festival as remnants of sacrificial offerings. Cooked meat only offered to the Bhataras, ancestral spirits, or very specially honored guest such as the visiting aristocratic nobilities. Such kind of foods is only available on special religious occasions and feasts (weddings, tooth filling, or funeral rites). So they eat meat rarely and that also from animals ritually killed. In older days every Balinese before kill an animal will pray both mentally and by utter some words. “As we know every life is sacred and precious, now I beg you to let me kill you to attain your flesh. This is for sacrificial rites and offering to the honorable ones. I thank you for your sacrifice. May you in the next life attain a precious human form. If you’ll be male, may you become Undagi (an expert in construction work). If you’ll be female, may you become an expert offering maker.” Unoffered meat, gotten without any religious purpose or not according to traditional customs, especially the raw one, considered only fit to consume by the Bhutas and other ghostly lower beings. Meat eating habits in Bali, even among Hindus, grows because easy availability of feast fashioned, previously complicated cooked meat dishes. We can get any kind of meat, raw or already cooked in the markets and restaurants. Everywhere, with no more proper ritual or complicated cooking process.

Raw meat offered to the Bhutas only and never to the celestial beings. This is one kind of Bhutabali offering called caru. Balinese Hindus today, after more globalized contact with other Hindus all over the world, and also by influence of the Satvata and Bhagavata Sampradayas' teachings begin to looking for more non-violance caru by avoiding meat usage and substitute them. This kind of Bhutabali also authorized by the Sastras and such revolution has been initiated by Srimad Madhvacharya in India centuries ago. Even now, many Balinese cuisines, previously made from meat also have their vegetarian substitutions. This is favorable for Balinese or other Indonesian who still "loves" the taste of their original food but also trying to take the path of Bhagavatas or Vaishnavism.

A Feast for The Bhataras

Now I’ll describe a regular festival performs twice a year. This is similar with birthday party, when the temple got the first installation ceremony. The ceremony to commemorate this installation rite was called Pawedalan means “birth”. The word then became Piodalan or just Odalan. Actually the procedure was like our nitya-aradhana that we perform daily according to the scriptures of Agama-sastra. But the Balinese count one days of the Bhataras equal with six Balinese months of 210 days. I didn’t know if all temples and family shrines following the same procedures. It is common in Bali there are differences in ritual details, varied from place to place. I’ll simply speak about my own Balinese family shrine's protocol. (but the photos showed here weren't mine)

The ceremony actually can lead by the senior member of the family. But after past three generations we use paid Pandit (Pemangku). First he will do sankalpa on behalf of the whole family. He recalled the day, month, year, place, and finally our intention to invite the Bhataras for feasting on commemoration of their inauguration day.

The Pandit sat cross-legged on the ground for humbly inviting the Bhataras. First he purifying himself than the ritual begins. He invokes the Lord Ganapati, elephant-headed god, pray for protection. Then he invokes the Bhataras begin from our vastudevatas, sthanadevatas, gramadevatas, the navagrahas, the eight lokapalas. He performs puspanjali to the seven sages and the Mahadevas. After that he invite our ancestors to attend the function by saying in archaic Javanese, “Let our revered elders came together for the feasting, joyfully worshiping the Devas, Mahadevas, and The Lord of Your Family, Who was told to me as The Lord of Seven Hill, offering your obeisance toward The Lotus feet of The Lord known as Kesava, Hrisikesha, Govinda, Janardana, and Padmanabha.” (sinembah sira sang bhatara kabeh maring padanta sanghyang kuladevatanta, sang rajabhatara maraga iswaraning saptagiri anghaturaken puja stuti panganjali ri pada juga hyang kesava, hrsikesa, govinda, janardana, padmanabha, kadi kawruhaken ing mami )”. Lord of Seven Hills is one of many names of Lord Vishnu, Whose temple was located on the top of Thirumala Hill, a sacred pilgrimage place for Hindus. The South Indians preferred to call Him Lord Srinivasa and in the North He was famous as Lord Balaji. This most famous Hindu shrine of Lord Srinivasa was the richest religious institution in the world. More than 10.000 pilgrims were visiting this holy site everyday. When my "first" ancestor came to Nusantara, he could be a devout worshipper of this Divine Form of Our Lord. Thus He became our Family Deity (kuladevata).

Now the Pandit offers some water to wash the Bhatara’s feet, their hand, and sipping for refreshment. Then he told the Bhataras to purifying themselves before attending the feast of Our Family Deity. He told our relatives to circulate some containers of consecrated holy water and ceremoniously sprinkled them to all shrines and other holy structures all over the house. Meditatively we thought that the attending Bhataras have come to the function freshly bathed and sanctified. Next offering were articles for face make up. Scented water, perfumes, fragrant powder, herbal oil for hair, and flowers. Their essences weave toward the shrines by chanting some prayer indicating the offered articles. The last articles were one set of clothing and jewel, also offered by same procedure.

Then the Pandit left his seat on the ground and take new position on a pavilion with platform full of food offerings. Because we have two main Kemulan shrines, we also have bigger pavilion with two platforms for each shrine. Once my ancestor has no male progeny, only one girl. Because there’s no other way, the “princess must become prince” to inherit the house and its wealth. So the daughter has to change her status socially as son. When the time of marriage came, then the bridegroom spiritually converted to the status of a wife not a husband. So the husband (but wife in social status) has to take his ancestral shrine to his wife’s house (now with the status of a husband, the legal heir of the house). So we have two main shrines till now.

Various food offerings, fruits, cakes, and flowers.

Back to the feast, now the Pandit offered the whole articles first to the highest Bhatara, our Kuladevata The Lord of Saptagiri (I don’t know about other Balinese family). Then in descending order to the other Mahadevas, Devas, and Bhataras. But we have to remember that there were attending ancestors and lesser Bhataras that have no right to directly take the offerings. So now the Pandit led us to weave the essences of Prasada to these certain Bhataras.

After the Bhataras got their feast, we perform sembah, anjali namaskara, and offered puspanjali, respectfully fold our hand and rise them up, offered oblations of flowers at the feet of attending Bhataras. Then the same procedures were repeated by offering water for sipping, wash hand, and feet. After that the Bhataras were gave farewell and send back to their respective abodes. The whole ceremony was over by taking Sripada-tirtha (holy water) and consecrated rice mixed with turmeric and sandalwood paste, similar with akshata-prasada, called bija in Bali, and of course did our own feast with the leftover foods of the Bhataras.

Offering anjali namaskara and pushpam, raising your hand, and offer the flowers

All temples and all family shrines have their own “Birthday Celebration” at certain auspicious day. A bigger temple or more famous one with many followers will have more elaborate festivals even continued for days. The great temples of the Cardinals Patron Devatas and the temples at the complex of Besakih, the Mother Temple, could have full one month feast. The higher the rank of the presiding Bhatara, many more his equal colleagues and lesser Bhataras should be invited to his feast. Also many people from so many places will come to offer obeisance, then more time will be needed to accommodate all of them. So from initial avahana (invoking rites) to final visarjana (farewell rites) of the Bhataras will take longer time.

Relating With Bhutas, Demons in The Island of Gods

In one sense, we understood Bhutas as natural elements of this material world. They are also representing material forces, the subtle mundane energies permeates and constitutes this mayic (deluding) impermanent universe. We should consciously treat this world as manifestations of external energy emanating from The Supreme Lord Himself. By doing so, we can maintain this creations with feeling of total gratitude to Sri Bhagavan, as He gives them as His mercy for the conditioned souls. We show honor to these material creations, by which we can make offerings to please Sri Bhagavan in devotional loving service. Because of this thought, the Balinese can’t abandon the value of the Bhutas in their religious lives.

Other meaning of Bhuta is some kind of demonic or ghostly beings. They believed as malign negative spirits who can bring disharmony to the environment. They have subtle forms and can influence human’s subtle body, our minds, by their negative vibrations. They can create disturbance to the performance of sacrificial rites for the Devatas and other religious activities dedicated to God. Disagreement, quarrel, or mere tendencies for gossiping mundane topics in religious function supposed to the results of their negative influences. Some negative spirits also can do more disturbing activities such as haunting living quarters and make their inhabitants fell sick with unknown reason. All of these disturbances caused by the negative vibration of the Bhutas, when they were in improper place and circumstance.

They could be look like this...

Unlike the followers of Abrahamic religions who thoughts the Bhutas as agents and companions of Satan, thus became the enemies of The Lord and the believers, the Balinese Hindus don’t take exorcism ritual to deal with them. As Veda and the Vaishnavas don’t have conception about such a malicious being as Satan, who became a rival to The Supreme God, so do the Balinese Hindus. Sri Bhagavan is peerless Eternal Absolute Truth, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, how could be any being became His competitor or eternal enemy? So the Balinese treat these Bhutas with same attitude with other creations of The Lord.

Some food...

Everyday they make a simple Bhutabali offerings from rice, sometime coloured. Placed primarily at three places: the gateway of the house, the centre of living courtyard, and the courtyard of family shrine. At more elaborate form they also offered meat and liquor, as such beings are fond of these substances. Or even there are more complicated rituals of Bhutabali. But cooked rice on square of banana leaves, some flower petals, tamasic mixture of little pinch of ginger, onion, salt with soot, and grains were enough for them. Sometimes they also scattered coins for the Bhutas.
There is an interesting story in the Aitreya-brahmana that tells how rice became the substitute for the meat. "In the beginning the gods used human beings for sacrifice. Overtime the sap of life left the human being and entered the body of the horse. Thereafter, the horse became the object of sacrifice. In time this sap of life left the horse and entered the ox. The ox became the object of sacrifice. Then again when the sap of life left the ox and entered sheep, a sheep became the object of sacrifice. Soon this sap of life left the sheep and entered the goat, wherein the goat became the object of sacrifice. For a long time the goat remained the object of sacrifice. Eventually, the sap of life left the goat and entered the earth. Thereupon, the earth became rice and rice became the fit substitute for the sap of life." Here we get the history of the sacrificial animal and the relationship between rice and the sacrificial animal. So rice for meat is OK. Surprisingly, this also practiced in Bali.

... and some flowers, with some sweet words for friendship...

The prayer for this Bhuta offerings is very interesting for me. The language is in archaic Balinese translated as, “O You the Bhutas, Raksasas, and other ghostly beings. This is our offerings to you, please enjoy it. Please go back to your respective places, take your wife, sons, relatives, and servants with you. Don’t disturb our performance of holy rites, to please the ancestors, devatas, and The Supreme Lord. This is some grains and money; take it to buy your needs at the market (the phrase used in original prayer is a little funny. “Pasar Agung”, literally means something we know as Supermarket). Please be convenient and be happy. And let your happiness help us to bring harmonious relationship among us, so the Devatas will be please with us.” Friendship is better than enmity, and friendship may come from sweet words. Such is the humble way of a Balinese in build a relationship with even such a spiritually low beings. The same values that we always trying to develop in Vaishnava society.

We may think these offerings to the Bhutas as something superstitious. But let we see the morality behind this act. A deep appreciation towards any living entities. Veneration to The Lord’s creations and energies. A humble and loving attitude to the lesser one. Lives and let lives. Don’t you think this perfectly in accordance with Vaishnavism and true Vedic messages? And if the invisible Bhutas don’t actually need or accept the offering, at least the visible Bhutas will take it (dogs, cats, birds, or even ants).

All right, here are some visible Bhutas always in need for some food...

You see? The offerings is work....

The day when there's no Balinese put some offerings for the Bhutas...

At least I patrolled around your temples, so just give me something...

Gods in The Island of Gods (6)

Jagannath Trimurti in Divine Unity Form

The Trinatha of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Siva

Trinatha temple of Java

The Trinatha worship as the manifestations of One Supreme Absolute Truth, Paramasiva for the Saivites, Adi Buddha for the Buddhists and Sriman Narayana thus Lord Jagannath for Vaishnava was true Vedic tenets especially developed in Orissa. Even today, the main shrine of worship in every Balinese house was a structure with three compartments. This structure called Kemulan (The Beginning), Sanggar Kawitan (The Shrine of Origin), or just Dewa Hyang (Abode of Revered Lord). Traditionally the ordinary Balinese Hindus considered this shrine as housing deified and sanctified ancestral spirits. After the elaborate rite of Sraddha, might be inherited from its style performed by royal family of Javanese Hindus in older times, the effigy representing the departed souls was buried in the soil of this main shrine. This symbolized the communion of the Atma with the Paramatma.
Ordinary Balinese will said that after this rites their ancestor has became Devas. But once again this term Devas is better substitute by Bhataras, with a more proper meaning. The Balinese understand that after life then the soul will go to its next destinations and get a new body according to its karma. They may reincarnate as human beings, in higher form of lives, or may be lower. So why they said they worship their ancestors in Kemulan? Why did they ignore their own knowledge about destinations of souls as the verdict of the Veda and Sastras? If we take this superficially, then we can’t get any spiritual practices valuable enough to claim as Vaishnavite tenets. This is not Vaishnava practices at all.

Now I’ll try to take us to the subtle meaning of this important shrine of every Balinese family. We begin from the term ORIGIN. If we talk about origin and worship the origin then that may come to The Supreme Origin of All, Sarva-karana-karanam, The Supreme Lord Sriman Narayana, Sri Jagannath. As we know, because Lord Jagannath manifest Himself in Three Main Forms, and as we said before that the cult of Jagannath take the form of Trinatha worship in Java until it reached Bali, so we can concluded that actually the One worshipped at Kemulan was The Supreme Original Lord Jagannath Himself. This is the esoteric meaning of Kemulan worship. (I didn’t discuss another belief in Balinese Hindu that the left part of Kemulan representing the power of mother, the right of father, and the middle of The Lord Himself. It was enough to say this shrine representing The Origin). Now how could be developed such a belief, that the ancestral Bhataras also resides in Kemulan?

Actually the parampara system was exists in Bali for centuries. My short encounter with some of them assured me that the certain spiritual Vedic or Tantric sadhanas were continuously inherited by certain family lineages. Some of them are of course the Javanese Saivite and Buddhist hereditary Brahmin families, the Bhujanga (Vaishnava) lineages, the Pasek, Dukuh, Pande, Bang, and many more. The father or grandfather became spiritual master himself for their children. They give down the spiritual knowledge to their descendants. So actually, when their elder pass away that means their Guru or Acharya went to the Divine Abode of their Istadeva. As our Acharya attain Samadhi, we take him as in eternal communion with Our Lord in Paramapadam, in Sri Vaikuntha, to continue rendering devotional service eternally with other perfected and divine personalities. Thus he became our most worshipful personality, both as our parent and more importantly as our Gurupadapadma. He is our guardian and spiritual protector, thus a Bhatara in Balinese. So, we are always worshipping the Kemulan shrine as the personification of Paramapadam.

As I told you before in previous posts. There are two kind of ordained priestly orders in Bali. The Brahmin high priests and lesser officiating priests from common people. For the Brahmin high priests, of course we could see them clearly following Hindu-Vedic sadhana according to their own particular sects. Because they’re hereditary Brahmins, they learned everything about Vedic knowledge, the secret of mantra and Tantra, and procedures of complicated Vedic rites from their elders, usually from their own father. So it wasn’t uncommon if the Guru was the father of the pupil both spiritually and biologically. They worship their ancestors as their purva-acharyas and also worship the certain Divine Form of The Lord as their hereditary kuladevata and istadevata. Sometime the kuladevata is different from the Istadeva that they worship according to their special hereditary Tantric methods. This kuladevata can be a certain demigod who considered as a protector of the family and their spiritual heir. But usually the Istadeva and kuladeva was same special Divine Form of The Supreme Lord.

The Balinese Brahmin high priests

The other priestly orders were come from common people. They maintain the temple affairs; serve the daily offerings for the Bhataras, and officiating actively in every temple festivals. They are the core of religious communities attached to the temples. Many of them serve for the temple from the very young age. Others sometime ordered to become priest by mystical arrangement. The Bhataras told him to serve them through dream or words of a medium in trance state. One day I asked one of such a priest. He has been serving at the temple for more than 40 years. “When your time is coming (I mean when he die), where did you think you will go?” Then he said, “Of course I want to go to His place. I hope He will let me continue to serve Him there. Wherever He like, let Him decide for me, so I can serve Him forever. That’s only about my karma or my devotion to Him.”

Ordinary priestly order, the Pemangkus

In other case, according to Vedic beliefs, by funeral rites and after Sraddha ceremony the departed souls will get his Pitri bodies. If he destined to go to Pitriloka, then he will become Pitri under Aryama’s leadership as the lord of ancestral realm. We also believe by subtle mystical way all of us were connected to our Pitris. By remembering them, offering regular Tarpanam, and giving Vishnu-prasadam or Sripada-tirtham, this connection through family lineage will maintained nicely. The Pitris by worshipping Lord Vishnu under Aryama’s direction will send good vibrations toward their descendants in earthly plane. Thus the Pitris also became our Bhataras. From the Kemulan shrine we remember them, offer Vishnu-prasad, Tarpanam, and ask the perfected Bhataras of Paramapadam (the siddha-gurus) to be merciful toward them.

Gods in The Island of Gods (5)

Village temple decorated for festival

For the community of the village they have common temples. Every Balinese village has three main public temples. The Pura Dalem or Death Temple, located at village’s outskirts, near cemetery and crematorium ground. The seat of Bhataras who preside over negative energies and take charge on departed souls. This is also the abode of Lord Siva and Durgadevi, worshipped in their many wrathful forms such as Lord Kalabhairava and Mahabhairavi or Kali Ma. The second one brings the name Pura Desa or literally means The Village Temple. The Pura Desa supposed to worship Lord Brahma and representing other Deva realms as organizer of the whole cosmic manifestations, thus also organization of the village community in mundane realm. It placed at the centre of the village, with two characteristics. One is the Bale Agung, The Great Stage of Assembly, the place for all Devas to meet together and accept offerings from the villagers. Designed as a high and very wide platform, resembling the Devasabha of celestial realm. Other building in inner part of the temple is a sannidhi called Gedong Anda or The Sanctum of Egg. This is representing the Brahmanda, the whole egg-like universe, the Hiranyagarbha, the Shining Golden Womb, the Satyaloka, abode of Lord Brahma, the highest living entities and the highest sovereign ruler of all material planetary system. Then the third temple is Pura Puseh, The Navel Temple. Placed at the highest point of the village, housing the pagoda-like structured sannidhi of Lord Vishnu. The Navel Temple considered as the origin of both material and spiritual energies of the village. This is the place for deified ancestors of the village, who considered as perfect souls that has entering the Paramapadam (amor ing acintya as in archaic Javanese term) to serve The Supreme Lord. They also preside over the sattvic or positive energies permeating the whole village. The three temples keep the mystical forces of the village stay in balance and perfect harmony. Accordingly, we have presented in previous posting, that the worship of Trinatha has long became the core of Indonesian Hindu spirituality especially as we seen in Balinese today, similar with the cult of Lord Jagannath at Puri.

Gods in The Island of Gods (4)

Such guardian Bhataras are not limited to personal house only. From my grandmother I also know something about a village deity, a Devi. The more powerful Devis that known as grama-devatas, the patron of the village are reside in village temples. They were believed as emanations of Mother Goddess, Durgadevi, or at least empowered by Her. In Bali they have their shrines in the Death Temple since they have relationship with Mother Durga. But this certain Devi that we called Jro Luh or “Revered Lady” though also can be classified as grama-devata, has a more limited area under her control. She was famous for her magnanimous nature. Many villagers came for her help. One miracle she used to show was to lend her jewelleries to poor peoples.

One kind of gramadevata's or sthanadevata's shrine presiding over a pond (water source)

In traditional Balinese custom it is improper to attend temple festivals without dressing well. We have to use our best clothes, especially for the ladies they have to decorate themselves with the best fabrics and jewelleries. This is the time to meet the gods and Supreme Lord, The Sovereign Master of the whole universe. How could you look like a beggar and show yourself in front of such a great and important personality? Look poor in front of the Devas were a rude act for a Balinese. It was impolite to not dress properly even in front of an elder or honourable mundane person. So a poor village woman may propitiate “Our Revered Lady” and ask her to please lend her jewellery so she can dress properly in temple festival. The Devi then miraculously put a golden ring, or earring bedecked with precious stone, or a pair of golden bracelets, or sometime a golden chains necklace, on the special place, a table-like stone at the bank of the river nearby. Only the one who ask for it can see the precious things. After the festival over, the lending must be put again on the same place, never try to steal it from the Devi or sell it; otherwise you will get severe punishment. Some people also said that the Devi help them in their business. One family I know as maintainer of the Devi’s shrine was not so rich. But after they keep their heavily earned money, little by little, and use it to repair the shrine, now their business growing very fast and became wealthy and prosperous family. Some people mistakenly thought that the Devi will fulfill all their material desire. But actually, our Devi try to help people as a servant to the greater Devatas and finally Our Supreme Lord, so they who get some help to gain more wealth from her can use it to make better offerings at the temple festivals.

Peoples always offering some food or flower (look at the stuffs under the umbrellas) to the deities of this public bathing place. Considered emanates from holy spring, many people come to take a bath for purification. The supernatural personalities propitiated by these offerings considered as the protector of this water's sanctity.

Gods in The Island of Gods (2)

When Balinese talk about gods, they prefer to use the more familiar term Bhatara than the Vedic word Deva or Devata. Bhatara means The Guardian, Protector, or Revered Person. So when we discuss these Bhataras, we consider a wide classification of personalities who bring positive influence in their relationship with the people. That must not the Deities eulogized in sacred hymn of the Vedas such as Indra, Agni, Surya, Candra, Vayu, etc. They are occupies the highest rank of the Bhatara and only invoked in very elaborate ceremony.

Agastya Muni called Bhatara Guru in Bali and Java. The Hindus still worship him in temples as the Mula-guru and representative of Lord Siva and Vishnu Himself. This is his ancient deity from Singhasari period. In bad condition, but some people keep offering flowers at his lotus feet.

The most common Bhataras were personalities and spirits that has nearer place with the common people’s living sphere such as the Sages (in their siddha forms), the deified ancestors of certain clans, the deity of earthly area range from small village to the patron of the whole city – gramadevata, the deity of certain place of human activities such as market, public bathing area, water spring, etc. – sthanadevata, the deity of place for living – vastudevata, the personality of river, hill, and many more of them. Some of them were not even a pure being from celestial realm. They can be a powerful Raksasa, Yaksa, and Naga. In such case, once upon a time they were defeated by a powerful sage, who then turned them to be guardians and serve to protect the sanctity of a Temple dedicated to the worshipful Form of The Lord revered by the sage.

A shrine for guardian spirit of nearby water source for the ricefield

These Bhataras are easier to contact by common peoples. Sometime the ignorance people, mistakenly worship these supernatural beings for get easier and quicker material gains. But that wasn’t the proper way to treat them. And as I concerned, the Balinese temples have a similar nature with Chinese temples. It has a Hosting Bhatara, with position such as a head of one house. He preside over the whole temple’s supernatural energies and he is the most important personality who responsible to accept and serve The Higher Vedic Devatas or Particular Form of The Supreme Lord.

While the Abrahamic concept of monotheism was prevailed by domination of Islam in Indonesia. The Balinese Hindus suffer some kind of "inferiority complex" (please, forgive me for opined like that). They tried to explain their numerous Bhataras indicated by many shrines dedicate to them in the way of speculative arguments, just to adjust the view of Abrahamic monotheistic concept. They said that actually the numerous Bhataras were only manifold manifestations of One Supreme God. So actually all of them are finally The God. This is totally incorrect.

A typical Balinese temple. Main shrine for the Primary Deity, sorrounded by other smaller shrines for other Bhataras specially related to the Lord Himself

The Balinese Hindus’ concept of monotheism was a Vedic one. It is Ekanta monotheism similar with Vaishnavism. The Vaishnavas certainly exclusive monotheistic worshipers of One Supreme Personality of Godhead, as do the Balinese Hindus. But at our temple we also giving exalted position to the Nityasuris (eternal associates of The Lord). In Sri Vaishnava temple we have sannidhi for the Alvars and Acharyas. In Sri Vadiraja’s Math there’s shrine for Sri Bhutaraja. We also maintained and appreciated the Brindavana-samadhis of our revered Gurus. For Gaudiya Vaishnavas, we also offered worship to the Samadhi shrine of Srila Rupa Gosvamipada in Sri Sri Radha Damodara Temple. We also worship Sri Gopishvara, Lord Lingaraja, and many other pitham of the saints and demigods. The most important one we shouldn’t forget is the numerous shrines of Devatas in the premise of Lord Jagannath Temple at Puri. Somehow these personalities enshrined in the numerous structures of Jagannath Temple and also in Balinese temples have a certain relationship with The Supreme Bhagavan. Some are guardian of Bhagavan’s sanctum. Some are perfected beings, the pure devotees of Bhagavan, who installed or invoked Sri Bhagavan’s Sannidhana for the first time at that place. Or some are local deities who empowered by The Lord Himself to take care of His Temple in subtle stratum. It wasn’t uncommon for the Vaishnava devotees to offer their respect to these personalities, if not a must. A Hosting Devata in Balinese temple was the primal personality with authority to worship the Supreme Lord. He may a siddha-rishi or demigods, but he isn’t The Supreme Lord Himself. These Bhataras are the spiritual owners of the place of worship. So we humbly pay our respect to them. Just remember my previous post about Bhatara Hyang Markandeya at Pura Kahyangan Gunung Raung in Taro.

Gods in The Island of Gods (1)

Miguel Covarrubias, a Westerner who came to Bali with his wife in 1930, like other foreigners, became fall in love with the beauty, mystery, and wonders of the Island. Happened to change be an anthropologist rather than a mere curious tourist by his direct contact with the land, people, and their custom. He wrote what I considered as a historical book about Bali, named Island of Bali, when no one even to heard of the place in their first coming. Mr. Covarrubias wrote, “Rather than a sectarian Church system, separate from daily life and in the hands of hierarchy of priests to control and exploit the people, the religion of Bali is a set of rules of behaviour, a mode of life. The resourceful Balinese fitted their religious system into their social life and made it the law by which the supernatural forces are brought under control by harmonious cooperation of everyone in the community to strengthen the magic health of the village. Like a human being, the community possesses a life power that wears away and must be fed by regular performances of magic acts of the ‘right’ the side of righteousness.”

Miguel Covarrubias and his wife, Rosa

Though Covarrubias may not understood the subtle meaning of Balinese religion, but his observation gave us prove that Balinese were a spiritually conscious people. Many anthropologists who didn’t enter deeply to the core of spiritual life thought that the Balinese religion was just a mixture of animistic, primitive, tribal beliefs with some touch of Indian and Javanese Hinduism. But this is incorrect. Actually the religious system of Balinese was a manifestation of earlier form of Vedic tradition. In one way more purer than our Western influenced modern Hinduism today. The same tenets also preached and protected by our revered Acharyas as we inherited from our Vaishnava-parampara. The soul and spirit of Balinese system of religion was Vaishnavite by nature. Although superficially we also find demigods, ancestors, even Bhutas worships. I’ll try my best, by carefully analyze the prayer and the process of these worships, so we can grasp the real or should be the real intention of the ritual.

The temple procession

As Covarrubias said, the Balinese religious system was aimed at controlling supernatural forces by harmonious cooperation of everyone in the community. When we talk about supernatural forces and everyone in community, actually we have to consider not only human members but also the inhuman members of the community. Now we’ll talk about the gods, from whom the island got her designations as The Island of Gods or Paradise on Earth.

The Mystical Island of Bali (2)

Living Harmoniously
Any typical Balinese village divided to three quarter, representing the concept of what they called Tri Hita-karana, three sources of happiness. Yes, the joyful and wealthy life can be gain by pleasing and harmonious relationship between human beings with higher spiritual power (parahyangan), other humans (pawongan), and nature (palemahan). Everything was in balance, to provide the whole community with healthy energy. Any disturbance to the subtle energy such as irresponsible act against the sacred law, creating illness to the whole community that also needs ritualistic purification, otherwise many kind of disaster will come and destroy the whole communities.

Gate to the holy ground, the Parahyangan

Threefold Thrones of The Universal Sun. The main object of veneration in The Mother Temple, Besakih. Representing The Trinatha, Three Divine Forms of The Supreme Lord

Ngayah or serving the Gods by preparing Temple Festivals. Harmonious relationship with the exalted divinities and The Supreme Lord Himself

For Balinese, not only physical inconvenience or malice, such as common criminality, will invite disharmony, and finally bring unhappy lives. But the more important were the spiritual and mystical relationship of the Tri Hita-karana. For example; we know if there’s any kind of criminal acts, than surely the society will suffer a loss. But if there’s some feeling of enmity or just only unpleasant relationship among people of a certain village, then the whole society will suffer spiritually. They believe that such an emotional discontentment always creating negative vibration, which spreads to all over community. So traditionally, every Balinese village stand as an autonomous social unit. They try to solve every problem by discussion and deliberation democratically presides by the village chief; and should be in accordance with their responsibility to “the spiritual authorities” and other “unseen members” of the village. Legal court was the last choice. This will keep harmonious relationship and maintain the good emotional vibration among people.

Constructing good relationships among peoples (pawongan)

The Balinese, as other Hindus, traditionally believes in unseen personalities mystically connected to everyday lives of all human beings living on this planet. Some are divine, some are positive by nature, and some negative. We believes in The Supreme Godhead, the great gods, lesser gods, deified ancestors, and also the Bhutas, Raksasas, Pisacas, Yaksas, and other demonic ghostly beings. Every place was inhabited by unlimited forms of living being. So mountains, forests, rivers, water sources, even deserted part of the village such as crematorium grounds and deep ravines should be treated with honour. No land can be dig out, no stone may take out from its place, no tree can be cut down without first ask permission by proper ritual.

Honorable beauties of natural wealth of the island. Precious gifts from The Lord (palemahan)

The Sacred Cows

Taro, 30 minutes drive north Ubud, is one of the ancient village in Bali where by you can find sacred white cows sanctuary that are rare to the island; They used to live freely but now surrounded by wire fence.They were believed as sacred properties of The Devatas, and considered as honorable as human Brahmin nobilities. The people of Taro called them by venerable designations Ida Bagus (the handsome one) for the bulls and Ida Ayu for the cows (the beautiful one), the same honorable title to addressed Brahmin's descendants.Even they follewed the same samskara rites as human Brahmin, from birth rite till final rite of burial samadhi (not cremated as common Hindus). Curiously, there weren't any hereditary (human) Brahmin family available at this village of Taro. Another interesting fact I ever heard, that no Brahmin high priest ever dare to preside over any rites in the temple of these sacred cows sanctuary from high platform as usually done in other part of Bali. They choose to sat low, cross legged on the ground.


The people of Taro believes that the sacred cows were actually descendants of Nandishvara or Surabhi-mata, brought originally from India by the great Rishi Markandeya. The mission of Markandeya considered as the first wave of Vedic Brahminical spiritual masters ever came to Bali from Java. Before, he has his Ashram in Di Hyang at central Java, then went further to the eastern part of Java and organizing his new monastery in Ravanga-giri or known today as Gunung Raung.From Ravanga he feel divine urge to brought the Veda Dharma to the neighbor Island of Bali.


The first expedition involved 8000 followers and disciples, but half of them couldn't survived, mysteriously died or fallen ill, by the negative forces of Bali. The sage then decided to return to Java and in deep meditative stage he got instruction from Lord Pasupati to installed special yantra made from five kind of metal on the slope of the highest mountain of Bali called Tohlangkir (now Gunung Agung - Agung means great, the great mountain). In accordance with the divine instruction, the sage came to Bali once again, installed the powerful yantra, and established the first temple of Bali, The Basukihan Temple. Then gradually it grown as today's Besakih temple, The Mother Temple.


Then the sage decided to bring his followers to create a place for living and established new Ashrama or monastery as the base for his preaching work. They came to the considered perfect land, but still a forest of big trees, daru or taro. But the sage could foresee, that the land would give tremendous wealth and very fertile. This place could give us anything we want. So he named it sarvada. So thus came the name Sarvada Taro

Gate to the earthly divine abode of The Great Sage

The samadhi of Sage Markandeya at Taro

The Ashrama of the great Javanese sage Markandeya today became the Pura (temple) Kahyangan Gunung Raung, bring the same name as his previous Ashrama at East Java. The Samadhi and Deity of The sage in the form of Brahmin Hermit still worshiped reverently by the people of Taro, and by other Balinese Hindus as well. Markandeya supposed to belong to Vaishnavite Brahminical order and cow protection was one of the most important tenets in Vaishnavite-Vedic tradition. Markandeya considered as the original Brahmin of Bali. The descendants of this Markandeya Rishi still claimed themselves as Brahmana Vaishnava or Bhujanga, a name which has close relation with Lord Sriman Narayana or Vishnu, Sri Bhujanga-sayana, The Lord Who Lied on Bhujanga (Lord Adisesha, the divine serpent). But here in Taro today, there wasn't Brahmin descendant of the sage anymore, and the sacred white cows were became the actual Brahmins.


18 Maret 2009, The Deity of Markandeya Rishi from his samadhi at Taro was invoked to attend the Pancabali and Sarvadevata-avahana-aradhana (Bhatara Turun Kabeh in Balinese) in Besakih Temple. This rare phenomena of umbrella-like cloud appeared on the peak of Mount Agung. Did the Devatas want to welcome their revered sage, who built a wonderful abode for them at this magnificent temple? (from cellphone camera of one Pujari, Jro Mangku Bhagyartha)