Religion And Bali

When you step your feet in Bali (Balinese people call it Gumi Bali) you feel religious atmosphere very much which is closely related with situation of Bali. It is hard to express the feeling in Bali, except by involving ourselves in it. The feeling flows strongly from the holy spring of Balinese with its estuary of Hindu Religion, as most of Balinese people adheres Hindu Religion. Since beginning, Bali Island was created as an Island of God, the throne of Gods. Many people called God as Ida Bhatara. However, the essence known and inspired as the term NYA is Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa. If there is any term of Dewa or Bhatara, it is the manifestation of the greatness of God or Atman in Hindu perspective. The foundations of Bali's rich cultural tradition are firmly rooted in its unique religious heritage. The early immigrants, who arrived by sea and settled along the north coast some two-and-a-half millennia ago, brought with them beliefs that still echo through the ages to the present day. Essentially animist, they worshipped the forces of nature and the spirits resident in rocks, trees and dark, mysterious river gorges. They also brought elaborate funerary practices and a reverence for departed, deified ancestors.

The island itself belongs to the gods, and the Balinese see themselves simply as temporary caretakers, just as the body is regarded as a temporary home for the soul as it progresses step by step through successive reincarnations towards ultimate perfection or moksa. In death the soul must be released in preparation for its impending return in a newborn member of the family. Its ultimate fate will depend on the karma accumulated during life.

When visitors to Bali see the great outpouring of artistic creativity — carving, painting, music, dance, theatre and more — they are surprised to discover that the language possesses no word for art. For the Balinese, this creativity has no meaning in itself, for it is intended solely for pleasure of the gods, and its merit lies in the act of creation, rather than in the finished product. Nowhere is this more apparent than in cremation ceremonies. Families – even highborn families – often wait years to cremate a relative while sufficient funds are gathered. The more spectacular the send-off, the more sumptuous the decorations and offerings, the better the soul of the departed will fare, and the more kudos accrue to the living. Preparations for a cremation can last for months, as friends, family and retainers create a mountain of offerings. Within a few minutes, all is reduced to ashes, but in the very act of their creation, the offerings have served their purpose. Through dance and drama children absorb the traditional moral precepts imparted by the epic stories of the Mahabharata and Ramayana