Rituals hoped to bring back peace

Ananta Wijaya and Ketut Sumarta, Contributors, Kuta, Bali

After the Pamarisuddha Karipubhaya cleansing ritual is held on Nov. 15, the people of Bali are hopeful that peace will once again return to their island.

The special ritual is being held to cleanse the island of evil influences, or niskala in the Balinese language, caused by the Kuta bombing of Oct. 12.

But high priest Ida Pedanda Gede Putra Bajing said the ritual would not guarantee the island would be immediately safe.

"Balinese should be on the alert. Everybody here, no matter their social status, should start rethinking (security) and doing some introspection," he said.

The priest suggested the Balinese improve their own lives and that Bali should be redesigned to create a more spiritually harmonious place in which to live.

He said no one knew whether the bombing was a pralina, the total destruction of Bali, or just the first sign of a more disastrous catastrophe.

"That's the secret of the Almighty One. But we don't expect another disaster to take place on our island. It depends on ourselves, whether we want change," he said.

The bombing shows Bali is not immune to outside influences, including ideology, politics, economics, cultural and social influences. The bombing can also be viewed as the climax of local and national problems.

AA Ngurah Made Arwatha, a city planning expert, suggested that Bali undergo comprehensive changes, covering all policies related to culture, tradition, education, population, the city master plan, economy, politics and the environment.

"But we have to do this gradually," he said.

Discussing the present situation in Bali, noted scholar L.K. Suryani, professor of psychiatry at the University of Udayana, said the Balinese had forgotten the concept of Tri Hita Karana, which spiritually safeguards the island and its people.

The concept teaches the Balinese how to live in harmony with their surroundings. It teaches the Balinese how to enjoy harmonious relationships with their Creator, their brothers and sisters, and the environment.

"The Balinese people tend to forget their roots. There are a lot of sacred places that have been transformed into hotels and tourist sites. They sold their ancestors' land to outsiders for the sake of money," the professor said.

Kuta, she said, was a bad place where people sold drugs, marijuana and alcohol.

"I tend to consider the tragedy as punishment. It was not just a slight warning from our gods, our ancestors, but a real punishment because of our own mistakes," Suryani said.

After the bombing, the Balinese government as well as the people have been expected to look inward and to work hard to review existing policies, especially those governing customary institutions.

"We Balinese are not spoiled people. The tragedy should become an important milestone to upgrade our living situation and to defend our land," Suryani said.