Balinese show their creativity
For the sensitive souls among us, a visit to the island of Bali at the end of the year, which happens to be also the end of the millennium, will inevitably evoke inside their being the spirit of creation. It is easy to guess why. Wherever you are and whatever you look at -- a piece of furniture, a stone or wooden pole, a gate, a house, a government building -- it has become an ornament in itself, born from a creative heart and mind.
In Negara, some 20 miles west of Denpasar, innovative minds of the people are evident. One even can see mosques, churches and other public buildings styled with Balinese ornaments, for example carvings and sculptures on the entrance gates. I think these innovative minds should also be possessed by the government officials and the Cabinet ministers in particular, so that they never stop creating and recreating for the benefit of the people as a whole.
It seems that the people of Bali are irresistibly drawn by a force to create and recreate whatever they see or touch. Once a Balinese becomes a painter or a sculptor, he or she will not stop producing until they can work no longer. He or she will die if they stop creating and recreating.
No wonder that their music and dances are dynamic as if restlessly searching for the eternal value, the source of all creation. Their religion -- Hinduism -- calls for every human being to give some offerings to their many gods (wise people call the one Omnipotent God by many names), throughout the day almost without interruption by all members of the family.
The island of Bali has fascinated tourists from all over the globe since the first foreign visitor landed here. Attracted by thousands of temples (Balinese pura), a number of foreign painters decided to stay and die among the Balinese who gave them inspiration for their work. One of them (Anthony Blanco), an Italian, recently died at the age of 88. He was survived by a Balinese wife and 13 grandchildren to think of his legacy.
There are young people from around the world who just want to have the experience of lying down on Kuta beach and watching the sun set. On my recent visit to the island, I did not see many beggars. I believe that in rural areas there are people who still live below the poverty line. The tourist sector until now mainly benefits investors in hotels, banks and the fishing (cannery) industry. Yet I noticed that in general a degree of prosperity prevails, judging from the fact that most Balinese own a motorcycle.
I would think that the crime rate is low in this particular province, perhaps due to the firm adherence of the people to their religious teachings which include the principle of karma pala (the fruit of the deed or one will reap what one sows). Also there is no fee imposed on the residents for the neighborhood security arrangements.
GANDHI SUKARDI
Jakarta