Thieves seek blessings from god

Thieves seek blessings from god

Putu Wirata, Contributor, Tabanan, Bali

Being a thief is against religious, social and legal norms.
But in Bali, if you want to be a smart one, just pray to get a
blessing from the god of thieves at the Pelinggih Sang Hyang
Maling sacred site on the slope of Batukaru mountain in Tabanan
regency.

In Bali, there are two places of worship dedicated to the god
of thieves: Besikalung Temple near the Hoo river and Petali
Temple in Jatiluwih village. However, only a few worshipers come
to visit the two temples.

"There has been no pemangku (low-ranking priests) at the two
temples for quite a long time," said a pemangku from another
temple.

The existence of Pelinggih Sang Hyang Maling has raised
questions among Balinese scholars, wondering whether the "culture
of thieves" was acknowledged in a religious context. The fact
that some people praise the god of thieves is still confusing. Up
to the present, nobody knows the reason why people built the two
temples or their main functions within the Bali Hindu religious
concept.

According to old stories and legends, those who wished to
become clever thieves should pray at the temples. If the god,
Sang Hyang Maling, gave his blessing, those worshipers would soon
become adept at the thieving trade.

The pemangku, however, said that Sang Hyang Maling set strict
requirements, only allowing thieves to steal "moderately". "The
thieves only steal things when necessary. Don't use the stolen
goods extravagantly," he warned.

If the thieves failed to meet the requirements, they would
loose their "thieving skills". "Apart from thieves, the people
here also ask Sang Hyang Maling's blessings to protect their
houses and their goods," the pemangku said.

Local scholar Nengah Bawa Atmaja recently wrote an article
about the thieves and their relationship with Balinese society.

In the article, he argued that the presence of Pelinggih Sang
Hyang Maling represented the Balinese people's idea of a "social
bandit".

According to Atmaja, the concept of a social bandit exists not
only in Bali but also elsewhere in Indonesia and even in other
countries. The Betawi, indigenous Jakarta people, are familiar
with the kind-hearted thief Si Pitung. The legendary Robin Hood
is another example.

Another scholar, Hadukusumo, writes in Protes dan Proses
Budaya (Protest and Cultural Processes) that in Lampung and Aceh
provinces, there were ancient traditions allowing individuals or
groups to steal from corrupt authorities to help the poor.

In Bali, however, there has been no real evidence of people
receiving blessings from Sang Hyang Maling. "People here are no
longer interested in becoming 'social bandits'," the pemangku
said.

Residents living in Utu, Babahan, Wongaya, Betan and Bolangan
villages which surround the two Sang Hyang Maling temples do not
follow the social bandit path or worship at the temples.

"People only come to the temple to ask for holy water for the
protection of their belongings," the pemangku said.