On Wednesday, Balinese celebrated Galungan Holyday, a holyday to commemorate the victory of Dharma (virtue) over Adharma (evil). This holyday is considered the pinnacle of Balinese struggle to subdue the negative force of evil, and what is called evil here is the sad ripu (six internal enemies), they are kama (lust), loba (greed), krodha (anger), mada (drunkeness), moha (confusion) and matsarya (envy). It is an inward struggle, a struggle to free our mind from the influence of negative force that at the end leads us to do various bad deeds.

Though this struggle is carried out everyday but the ultimate battle occur during three-day period before Galungan, when three personifications of negative force come to the world successively, they are known as Kala-tiganing Galungan – which are Bhuta Galungan, Bhuta Dunggulan and Bhuta Amangkurat.

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Penampahan Galungan, is a day before Galungan (a Christmas for Balinese). The word “Penampahan Galungan” derives from the word “tampah” which means “to slaughter” and “galungan” which means victory. So Penampahan Galungan is a day for Balinese to slay their Sad Ripu (six internal enemies, they are: kama (lust), loba (greed), krodha (anger), mada (drunkeness), moha (confusion) in order to achieve victory.

For six months Balinese engage with the battle of Dharma (Virtue) versus Adharma (Evil), and Penampahan Galungan is the last day of this great battle. On this day, Bhuta Amangkurat (King of negative force) comes to the world to temp Balinese. Amangkurat derives from the word “Mangku” which means “king”, “lord” or “master”. Bhuta Amangkurat temps human with the lust for power over others. If we were not in alert and weak, it would succeed in tempting us. On this day Bhuta Yadnya (offering for demon or other negative force) is held in Catuspata, (the houseyard), offering is distributed based on urip (special number for five direction, 4 for north, 5 for east, 7 for south, 9 for west and 8 for center) and direction, dedicated to Sang Tiga Bhuta Galungan (Three Evil force of Galungan which are Bhuta Galungan, Bhuta Dunggulan and Bhuta Amangkurat) in order to placate them so they will not disturb the human life.

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Here is a good articles on wedding by Balinese high priest Sri Bhagawan Dwija Warsa Nawa Sandi from Buleleng regency, without further ado here is the words of Bhagawan Dwija

THE WEDDING IN HINDU (BALINESE) RELIGION

By : Bhagawan Dwija

Om Swastiastu,

The “Weda” says that marriage in Hindu is a holly act. There are two main reasons; firstly, God bless man and woman to love each other as what “Dewa Smara” (similar with Adam) and “Dewi Ratih” (similar with Eve) done in the beginning; secondly, human have to allow their ancestor come to reincarnation through the couple so that the soul be able to reform live in the next born. Reform to a better and holly live exactly important for every soul than through reincarnation that rolling times to times they hope at one time can be in one with God. That is make children is a need in Balinese couple.

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Here is an interesting writing on Buddhism in Bali by venerable S. Dhammika. It is interesting to see the point of view of a Buddhist Monk form outside Bali on Buddhism in Bali.

Much attention has been given to how far west Buddhism extended in ancient times. The most westerly Buddhist monument that can be is the foundations of a large stupa in the south east corner of the ancient citadel of Khiva in Turkmenistan. Small communities of Buddhists may have existed beyond this but if they did they would have been insignificant, isolated and exceptional. We can say therefor that the outer edge of Buddhism in the west was what is now eastern Iran. But how far to the east did Buddhism spread its gentle and civilizing influence? To the outer islands of Indonesia, to Australia or perhaps beyond? In the 1920’s a superb bronze bust of the Buddha was found on Sulawesi, one of the larger islands that make up Indonesia. This is the eastern most point that any Buddhist antiquity has ever been found. There is, though, no evidence of an enduring Buddhist presence either on Sulawesi or beyond it; no ruined temples or monasteries, no inscriptions or references to it in the historical records. However, only a few hundred miles south west of Sulawesi is the small island of Bali where MajapahitG and literary evidence shows that Buddhism existed along side Hinduism for about seven hundred years.

Indian merchants first arrived in Bali in about 200 BCE and it was probably these people who introduced Buddhism and Hinduism. A Balinese work of uncertain date called the Nagarakertagama by the Buddhist monk lists all the Buddhist temples in Bali, twenty six altogether, and mentions that in 1275 King Kretanagara underwent a Tantric Buddhist initiation to protect his kingdom from an expected invasion by Kublai Khan. The island’s history is scant until 1343 when it was conquered by and absorbed into the Majapahit Empire of Java-Sumatra. Hinduism and Buddhism both received state patronage although the type of Buddhism that prevailed gradually became indistinguishable from Hinduism. A Javanese Buddhist work from about the 12th century contains this telling verse. “The one substance is called two, that is, the Buddha and Siva. They say they are different but how can they be divided? Despite differences there is oneness”. Clearly at the time these words were being composed some Buddhists were struggling to maintain the uniqueness of the Dharma while others were stressing its similarity with Hinduism. Eventually in both Java and Bali the integrators prevailed. Incidentally, the phrase “Despite differences there is oneness” ( Bhineka tunggal ika ) has been taken as the motto for the Republic of Indonesia. With the collapse of Mahapahit in 1515 and the ascendancy of Islam, Java’s old intellectual and religious elite, including the last surviving Buddhist monks and scholars sought refuge in Bali.

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Today, Redite Paing Dungulan, is the day of Panyekeban Galungan, According to Gregorian calendar falls on January 20, 2008. Here is previous article’s featuring that event:

Galungan, a Balinese celebration to commemorate the victory of Dharma (virtue) over Adharma (evil) will be celebrated on November 29^th. But there is always a battle precede the celebration of victory. The peak of battle between Dharma against Adharma begin three days before Galungan, on Sunday Paing wuku Dunggulan (based on traditional Pawukon cycle calendar). This day is called Penyekeban by Balinese. The word “penyekeban” derived from the word “sekeb” which means “to cover up,” this word signifies the nature of enclosure or restraint. Balinese believe that on this day, the avant garde of evil, Kala-tiganing Galungan (three personifications of negative force which are Bhuta Galungan, Bhuta Dunggulan and Bhuta Amangkurat) come to the world.

As mentioned by the Holy Scripture, they are the symbol of Sad Ripu (six internal enemies, they are: kama (lust), loba (greed), krodha (anger), mada (drunkeness), moha (confusion). In this case the battle is not a physical battle but a battle against our own negative qualities. Sundarigama a sacred Balinese scripture describes this day as “den prayitna anjekung jnana nirmala, lamakane den kasurupan” which means “the day for self restrain in order not to be influenced by the evil force”. Penyekeban day for Balinese is always a day for cultivating self restraint (as the name of this day suggest) since it is an essential weapon for fighting the Adharma.

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Young Indian Culture Group, Inc - Sruti Youth Ensemble
29^th JUNE 2006, Ksirarnawa Stage 20.00 PM

Ramavana Dharma Saagara The Ocean of Dharma in the Ramayana

It is a unique compilation of Music, Dance and Storytelling, capturing the Ramayana tradition, which has an infinite appeal to people of all ages. This is a celebration of Valmiki Ramayana. We bring a small amount of water from its rich ocean of values and experiences. The Ramayana is tilled with compelling dialogues, addressing universal issues of love, sorrow, fear, adventure, anger, greed. We bring some of the famous episodes in the Ramayana to you and they bring Dharma alive.

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