In Search for the Past
Yesterday, our temple priest, some elders and I went to a house of a prince in order to find out a palm leaves manuscript which contains the history of our temple and all information in relation with our temple – when its was built, who built it, what is the function of it, etc. Our search proved to be futile but at least we found new information on whereabouts the palm leaf manuscript can be found. This is just one of many stories of Balinese persistent search of their past.
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There is a growing trend (or maybe need) for knowledge of the past in Bali. Many Balinese feel urgent need to know their origins, the history of their ancestors, their clan, place of their ancestral or clan temple, etc. This information can be found in palm leaves manuscript (lontar) called Babad. Many Western and Balinese history experts find Babad is highly subjective and not reliable historical document. But for most Balinese, Babad is authoritative historical document. Some babad are already translated from Kawi or High Balinese to Indonesian and written on paper. Many books on Babad have been written to accommodate Balinese needs for knowledge of the past.
Why the knowledge of the past is important for the Balinese? Ancestor worship is important part of Balinese Hindu. The ancestor worship can not be done when one does not know his own ancestor, and Balinese believe that the neglect of ancestor worship will result various misfortunes and sicknesses. The holy water from clan temple or ancestral temple is needed in cremation ceremony or other big ceremonies, no ceremony is considered complete without the presence on this holy water and it cannot be obtained without knowing where one’s clan temple is.
The knowledge of the past is also important to answer various questions imposed by others on one’s origin or ancestral line. A Balinese without knowledge on his origin and ancestral line is considered not a complete man (like a body without head). Balinese will feel ashamed if he cannot answer the question on his origin and ancestral line.
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