Life ,death ,rebirth ,This cyclical conception of existence
lies at the very heart of Balinese Hinduism .During each life on earth the
eternal soul occupies a temporary vessel – the physical body – which at death
must be returned to the pancamahabhuta ,
the five elemental substances : solid ,liquid , radiance ,energy ,and ether .
Only then can be the soul be released and reincarnated . Of all Balinese
rituals , the cremation ( pengabenan,palebon ) is the most complex ,lasting for
many days and culminating with the
spectacular burning of not only the corpse but of vast quantities of valuable
ritual object especially created for the occasion.
Calling the soul
Due to the huge amount of time and expense involved,acreamation is usually postponed for months or even years .In the meantime the
body of the deceased is temporarily buried . Family members first wash and
groom the corpse ,then wrap it in cloths and mats .A raw egg is rolled across
it and smashed to the ground , removing
all impurities . The body is then transported to the cemetery on a simple bier
and buried without a casket.
Once a favorable day has been set ,an army of ritual
specialist ,artists ,priest ,family members ,friend ,and neighbors of all ages
and sexes is mobilized ,calling upon an encyclopedia of communal knowledge in
the creation of offering of every imaginable shape ,color ,and ingredient and
the performance of a series of elaborate rites.
Before cremation a “ soul calling “ ritual must be held at
the grave .Offering are made, and as the corpse cannot be returned to the house
once it has been buried , the soul is taken home in a sangah urip
effigy containing soil from the grape. Outside the house a paper and coconut
shell lamp – a damar kurung – is hung to guide the soul home.
The washing of the corpse is symbolically repeated on an
edegan , a small board with a human
figure drawn on it .The day before the cremation , a priest prays for favorable
treatment of the soul in the afterlife. Various types of holy water are made
and offering are purified . The angenan , an eggshell lamp mounted on a
decorated coconut ,serves as a memorial.
On the day of the cremation ,once the sub has passed the
zenith ,loud gong music is played and a lively procession starts the
journey to the cemetery . Dozens of
offerings and ritual objects lead the way , and the body is carried in a
colorful tower ( wadah , bade )
fashioned of wood ,bamboo ,and
paper ,shouldered by scores of
shouting men . Platforms at the base
represent the earth ,sometimes
resting on the cosmic turtle and
serpents of the underworld .On the back
of the tower may be a winged and fanged face of the son of the earth ,and
higher up a goose symbolizing purity.
Above these platforms is an open space for the body , and crowning
the tower is an odd number of roofs representing the heavens . The caste and
clan of the deceased determine the number
: 11 for royalty , less for persons of humble birth . Attached to the
front of the tower is a long , white
cloth ( lantaran ) held by family members to represent their ties to the
deceased . The tower is rotated at each crossroad to disorient and prevent the soul from returning to disturb the
living.
Release through fire and water
Arriving at the cemetery
, the body is taken down and a pair of birds set free ,symbolic of the
soul’s release . On a bamboo platform under a high roof stands a wooden
sarcophagus ( called a patulangan or palinggih ) decorated with cloth and paper , sometimes carried in procession ahead of the tower
. The sarcophagus is generally in the shape of a mythical animal such as
a bull or winged lion.
The sarcophagus is opened and the body or newly exhumed
remains ( sometimes simple an effigy ) are carried around it and placed inside . The shroud is opened ;
jars of holy water are poured over the
body and shattered . Cloths , letters of introduction the the
gods , and effigies are piled inside ,and the sarcophagus is closed . Offerings
are placed below to start the fire ,and
the sarcophagus and corpse are consumed by flames .The tower is burned
separately.
Death brings with it the opportunity to fulfill all duties
toward the deceased ,and there is no public display of mourning if the deceased
has lived a long and full life . Weeping near a corpse disturb the soul ,making
it unwilling to leave . Grief is expressed in private , however ,especially if a young person has died
prematurely as the result of serious illness or a tragic accident.
Purification and deification
When the corpse has finally been reduced to ashes ,the
flames are doused and the family hunts for bone fragments ,forming them into a
small human shape . The bones are
pulverized and placed in an effigy made
from coconut , which is taken on a bier
to the sea or river and cast into the
water . Three days later another
ceremony removes the ritual pollution brought by death upon the living.
Twelve days after the cremation , the soul of the deceased
is purified in a ngrorasin rite ,often accompanied by rituals ( mukur , nyekah
, ngasti , maligia ) designed to deity the ancestor A sekah effigy is made for the soul and
placed in a high pavilion . In the evening , family members pray and offer
their respect . Early the next morning , the image is broken and burned
, and the ashes placed in a
decorated coconut . A tower ( bukur ,Madhya ) then transports them to the sea
for disposal.
Finally , in the nyegara –gunung ceremony .the family
expresses thanks to the gods of the oceans and the mountains . Offering are
brought to important sea and mountain temples often including Besakih , after
which the deified soul is enshrined in a clan of family temples as a protective
ancestral
By Garret Kam
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