Hindu priest impresses upon Balinese gift of life<\/p>\n
I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar<\/p>\n
Hindu high priest Ida Pedanda Gde Bang Buruan Manuaba nodded
\ngently and immediately people began to lower the eight turtles
\ninto the salty water of Candidasa beach, some 70 kilometers east
\nof the provincial capital, Denpasar.<\/p>\n
Upon touching the water, some wriggled animatedly as if they
\ncould sense their imminent freedom. Soon, their flippers started
\nbreaking the waves and, in one majestic movement, they all swam
\ninto the blue ocean, free at last.<\/p>\n
The locals, who flocked the beach by the dozens, bade the
\nturtles farewell by chanting a common Hindu salutation, Om
\nSwastyastu (may God grant you peace and happiness).<\/p>\n
\"It might be a simple greeting but it also carries the sincere
\nand compassionate feeling we have toward other sentient beings.
\nThat's why I asked the locals to chant the salutation,\" Bang
\nBuruan Manuaba said.<\/p>\n
The release of the turtles ended the two-hour-long Hindu
\nritual that windy afternoon on March 1.<\/p>\n
It was unique for two reasons. First, it was initiated and
\norganized by a high priest. In Bali, religious rituals are
\ngenerally organized by individuals or traditional institutions,
\nsuch as banjar (traditional neighborhood associations) or desa
\npekraman (customary villages).<\/p>\n
The high priest is usually invited only to officiate at the
\nceremony. Only on such rare occasions like a prolonged drought,
\nplagues or terrible disasters do the high priests take the
\ninitiative of organizing a specific ritual.<\/p>\n
Second, not a single animal was killed in the course of the
\nritual. Balinese Hindu rituals have long been known for their
\nelaborate sacrificial offerings, which involve a variety of
\nanimals.<\/p>\n
The once-in-a-century Eka Dasa Rudra ritual, for instance,
\nrequires the sacrifice of a large number of exotic, and
\nendangered, animals, such as a lion, a tiger, an elephant and an
\neagle.<\/p>\n
\"It is about time that we teach our people the importance of
\nconserving and caring for nature and the rich tradition of
\nBalinese Hindus. Sacrificing animals is not the only way for
\nBalinese Hindus to show their gratitude to God,\" Bang Buruan
\nManuaba said.<\/p>\n
Known as one of the most influential high priests on the
\nisland, Manuaba has won a large following in recent years due to
\nhis combination of blunt honesty, an eccentric attitude and --
\nallegedly -- powerful siddhi (supernatural powers).<\/p>\n
An outspoken conservationist, he has played a pivotal role in
\nthe discussion, drafting and issuance of the Council of the High
\nPriests' recommendation on Jan. 15 that asked the Balinese to
\nstop using turtles and other endangered animals in Hindu rituals.<\/p>\n
An ironic arrest<\/p>\n
The recent ritual in Candidasa was a culmination of a series
\nof events that began two days earlier, before dawn on Feb. 27,
\nwhen the police at Padangbai harbor stopped a small truck that
\nhad just disembarked from a ferry from Lombok, West Nusa
\nTenggara. Stashed inside the truck, the officers found nine green
\nturtles (Chelonia mydas), bound and exhausted.<\/p>\n
The driver of the truck was 44-year old AA Kt Mataram, who, it
\nturned out was a police officer with the East Lombok police. The
\narresting officers had suspected Mataram of illegally trafficking
\nturtles for quite some time.<\/p>\n
\"We'd noted that the vehicle and the suspect had been through
\nPadangbai on at least four occasions. We did not check the
\nvehicle then because he shouted at us that he was a fellow police
\nofficer,\" the arresting officer said.<\/p>\n
By the evening, news of the arrest had reached the ears of
\nAdj. Comr. Ketut Arianta at the Bali Police Headquarters in
\nDenpasar. Arianta is one of several senior officers who maintains
\nclose contact with the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) Turtle
\nCampaign Leader IB Windia Adnyana.<\/p>\n
\"I notified Windia and later on he informed the high priest.
\nThe priest then came up with the idea of going all the way to
\nCandidasa to conduct a religious ceremony for the turtles.<\/p>\n
As a devout Hindu and a senior policemen I was asked by the
\nhigh priest to be a designated driver of the group, a preferred
\nchauffeur,\" Arianta said grinning.<\/p>\n
New modus operandi<\/p>\n
The arrest, Windia said, was actually bad news for the turtle
\nconservationists.<\/p>\n
\"We are aware that certain elements in the police force have,
\nat certain levels, for years tolerated the illegal trade in
\nturtles for their own personal gain, financial or otherwise.
\nHowever, the fact that a police officer might directly be
\ninvolved in the illegal operation has raised the problem to a
\nwhole new level,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Other recent problems include a new modus operandi employed by
\nturtle poachers. In East Kalimantan, traffickers from Bali, in an
\neffort to elude local law enforcement agencies, have managed to
\nsecure the cooperation of local fishermen.<\/p>\n
\"They paid the locals to do their dirty work, Rp 1 million for
\n30 turtles,\" he said.<\/p>\n
That is small beer for the Bali-based traffickers, since one
\nadult turtle alone can fetch up to Rp 500,000 in Bali.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in the Yamdena and Kei areas of Maluku, the
\ntraffickers have equipped themselves with a letter from the head
\nof Desa Pekraman Tanjung Benoa in Bali, stating that the captured
\nturtles would be used for Balinese Hindu rituals. They have also
\nconvinced the locals into believing that the green turtles are
\nneither an endangered nor a protected species.<\/p>\n
\"The illegal turtle trade is dynamic, on a fluid, ever-
\nchanging playing field and we have to constantly adapt our
\nstrategies to meet the new challenges,\" Windia said.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, Karangasem Police chief Adj. Snr. Cmr. Sukawinaya
\nhas promised Windia he would thoroughly pursue the cases.<\/p>\n
\"He is a charming, intelligent officer who is able to quickly
\ngrasp the multifaceted issues of the turtle trade and
\nconservation. True to his promise, the police dossier on the
\nsuspect was completed on March 7,\" Windia Adnyana said.<\/p>\n
The gift of life<\/p>\n
Thus, on the morning of March 1, Arianta drove a minivan,
\npacked with five people and ritual paraphernalia, into Candidasa,
\na modest tourist destination in eastern Bali.<\/p>\n
A small plot by the beach was selected as the site for the
\nritual; a sacred spot for the locals, and the place where the
\npeople of Tenganan, Sedahan and Nyuhtebel villages usually hold
\ntheir annual Melasti (purification of temple effigies).<\/p>\n
When the small entourage arrived, to their surprise, they were
\ngreeted by none other than the Karangasem Police chief.<\/p>\n
\"We later learned that he canceled an important meeting with
\nhis superiors just to be able to attend the ceremony,\" Windia
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Manuaba spent almost an hour reciting sacred mantras before an
\narray of various, colorful offerings in a ritual known as Guru
\nPiduka. Lying on the ground next to him were eight turtles (one
\nof which was set aside as evidence).<\/p>\n
\"Guru Piduka is our way of expressing our regret to God for
\nthe way we have treated His beautiful creatures, the turtles, in
\na cruel and selfish manner,\" the priest said.<\/p>\n
He then sprinkled holy water on each of the turtles in a
\nritual known as Prayascita Biyekaon while praying for their well-
\nbeing.<\/p>\n
A few moments later the turtles were released into the ocean
\nwhile Manuaba recited the powerful mantra that combined the
\npowerful energy of Siwa with the compassionate heart of Buddha.<\/p>\n
The mantra ended with the touching utterances of Lokasamasta
\nSukhambhavantu (May the universe and all beings be in tranquil
\npeace and happiness).<\/p>\n
Afterwards, the high priest approached the locals, who were
\nsomewhat amazed at observing a ritual that did not involve the
\nkilling of an animal, and spoke to them in a solemn voice.<\/p>\n
\"This is the ultimate sacrificial offering. It is ultimate
\nbecause through this ritual we have given other creatures a
\nchance to survive, we have spared them from horrible death.<\/p>\n
\"Our religion has taught us that the most valuable of all
\ngifts is the gift of life. If you give life to Nature then,
\nbelieve me, it shall protect and cherish yours,\" he said.<\/p>",
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