Can Money Give You Immediate Access to the Afterworld
I have recently returned from my first ever trip to Bali and I still can't put together all the emotions, impressions and amazing memories I gathered there. But I have to start from somewhere, one thing at a time, to tell my story of the adventures I had on this distant island. So today we're going to talk about the Balinese way to send the dead to the afterlife. I know, it's not the most cheerful of topics, but I promise you it's interesting.
Balinese Hinduism as the main religion
Bali has a very colorful and rich culture, closely connected to Hinduism, which is the main religion on the island. About 87% of the population is hindu and you can notice that from the many private temples you come upon along the roads (every family has one) and the various ceremonies and processions that take place on the streets. Not to mention the numerous communal and public temples, spread all around the island, which are lavishly decorated in great detail.
Daily offerings as a sign of devotion
The locals are very devoted in their beliefs. They place offerings (“banten”) in front of the temples, consisting of small cookies, crackers and various types of local flowers. These are usually contained in tiny baskets made of palm trees and are either store-bought or homemade. Offerings are made daily at any time of the day. They can be addressed either to the gods, guardians and creatures of light, in which case the small baskets are placed directly over the statues or pedestals in the temples, so that they are above the ground level and closer to the sky. Or alternatively such offerings can be used as a pay off towards the evil spirits and powers of darkness in an attempt to keep them away, for which case they are placed on the ground in front of the temples.
The temple system
The temples can be family, communal or public. As already mentioned, each family, even the poor ones, has their own temple.These are often built in the yards of the homes, either as separate constructions or directly attached to the houses. Quite often they are bigger than the living areas. The family temple, naturally, is a place of worship only of the family it belongs to and serves as a tribute and a means of remembrance for deceased relatives. These temples can continuously be modified and added to.
The communal temples belong to the separate municipalities and provinces in Bali. They are normally not open for tourists or even for outsiders, who despite their hindu beliefs are not a part of the local community. They serve purely religious purposes. The maintenance and financing of these temples is a joint responsibility of the locals as well.
And finally, the most splendorous and impressive architecture-wise are the public temples. They are open to everyone: from tourists, through hindu worshipers from other parts of Indonesia to pilgrims from around the world. These are what you normally see on Bali travel guides and social media platforms. Don’t get me wrong- they are not just tourist attractions, but are in fact active temples. Their inner courts are the most holy area and are off- limits for tourists. They are open only on big holidays for rituals and even then only Hindus can enter them. Our local guide told us that hinduism was brought to Bali from India back in the 1st century. The first preachers traveled around the island to spread the religion and throughout their travels they reached certain places, which they pronounced as holy places. Those were normally hard-to-reach places due to the rough terrain and volcanic activity. But still, they attracted pilgrims, who then contributed to developing infrastructure and with the time temples were erected at those same places. And these are the public temples, which we can visit nowadays. Their maintenance lies within the responsibilities of the state.
The place of the human being in the religion
In the complicated order of the local Balinese hinduism, everyone has their place within the religious circles. It is believed that with the birth of each and every human being, god (Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa- the main god in Balinese hinduism) descends from the heavens to give a little part of himself to the newborn. Therefore, the child, as carrying a piece of god himself, is sacred in hindu religion. But with age and the tendency of human nature to surrender to different vices and temptations, the sacracy is lost. Therefore, the purpose of the funeral is to once more connect the soul with the divine. Special rituals must be performed to invite the god to descend again and bless the soul of the deceased.
Ngaben and the Balinese burial practices
In hinduism the bodies of the dead are traditionally cremated. Hindus believe that after death and until cremation, the soul is trapped in the body. For the soul to continue its journey to the next life, however, the mere burning of the body would not be enough- this would only trap the soul on Earth, preventing the next incarnation. A funeral ceremony, known as Ngaben, is necessary for freeing the soul from its earthly prison and assuring the favor of god Ida Sang Hyang Widhi.
And here is a curious thing: when you travel around the island, you will notice that here and there are small graveyards, no bigger than 20- 30 m2. What is the purpose of a graveyard in a culture, in which the acceptable practice is cremation?! No, these are not final resting places for the many foreign influencers and digital nomads, which have increasingly been moving to Bali throughout the last decade. These are for the locals- in fact for the very poor locals, who cannot afford a proper Ngaben. The preparations, the cremation ceremony and the ritual during which offerings are made and rites are chanted by the priest are normally quite expensive.
But does this mean that the poor are completely robbed from their right to continue their journey beyond their life on Earth? No, they are just given “delayed access” to it. The bodies are buried in the ground just for a few years (normally up to 4- 5 years). Once the small area has no more vacancies, the bodies are dug out and the families of the deceased jointly pay for a group Ngaben. It is not uncommon for poor families to ask wealthier families that have a cremation scheduled to join the ceremony.
Could you imagine losing a close one and not being able to assure their passage to the afterlife for years in a roll…meaning years of mourning before the actual funeral when you have to say goodbye to them one last time? It is unthinkable for the average westerner, but then again here the difference in cultural and religious beliefs steps in. For the Balinese Hindu the mortal body is just a shell for the immortal soul and only one step of its journey. After death, the soul is free to either reincarnate in another form depending on the karma or if the person was righteous- to even become one with god. Therefore, cremation ceremonies are a form of celebration, because Hindu believe their family member or friend is finally returning to god.
How and When
Another important factor is the date of cremation. Balinese tradition dictates that a Ngaben cannot be organized on just any day, but an appropriate date (“hari baik”) must be determined in accordance with the Balinese Calendar and in harmony with traditional festivals and days dedicated to prayer.
The logistics of such event must also be considered. A group funeral or such of a person with higher social status (for example a priest or a member of the royal family) could potentially attract thousands of visitors from around the island. These people must be given shelter for the time being, but also specific duties in the organization of such event. The women are usually responsible for preparing the offerings, while the men perform the heavy work.
To carry the body a special sarcophagus (“Patulangan”) is made, which is believed to be a vehicle to heaven. It is always in the shape of a four-legged animal and the type of animal is determined based on the gender and social status of the deceased. Possibilities are a bull, cow, lion, deer or elephant.
And finally, a cremation tower is to be built for the event. The construction is a pagoda-type and is a complicated many- level structure, representing the universe. At the bottom there are always a dragon and a turtle- symbolizing the underworld, while above them stands the realm of men- represented by forests and mountains. Again, depending on the wealth and social status of the person being cremated, the height and splendor of the tower can vary- some reaching 10 or even 20m for a single person.
Once the cremation, chanting and prayers and the offerings are all performed, the family will gather the remaining ashes and bones and take them to the sea where they must be spread- in this way the body is returned to the universe.
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