At first I want to include this article under the headline “Through the Eyes of Researcher” but since this article was written a Balinese high priest Sri Bhagawan Dwija Warsa Nawa Sandi from Buleleng regency who has great concern on environment and climate change and produce many good articles on Hinduism in English, so idecided tomake a new headline “Through the Eyes of Balinese High Priest”. So without further ado here is the article.

NYEPI FOR UNFCCC
The silent day, A way to anticipate global warming

Balinese use to celebrate the Saka New Year. The Saka year is 78 years behind the Gregorian because it was created in 78 AD to mark the crowning of King Kaniska 1 of the Kusana Dynasty, in India. The Saka calendar found its way to Bali through the spread of Hinduism from India to Indonesia and eventually Bali.

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In the opening of United Nation Climate Change Conference (UNCCC), Nyepi day was proposed to be world day in order to minimize the carbon dioxide ratio in the air. It is stated in local Balinese media that the world need silence for a while and Nyepi, the celebration of Caka Lunar Calendar in Bali, will be applied to fulfill the necessity.

In fact, the philosophy of Nyepi day itself does not have any correlation to the nature conservation. It is just a New Year celebration which is conducted by doing nothing and without any big party. Yes, this is a unique thing of the Balinese in celebrating their New Year while the other New Year celebrations are carried out with a lot of food, drinks, joy, and always in crowd situation but the Balinese consider the New Year day as a good chance to purify the senses and get closer to God to have a better life on the new day. Coincidentally this way of custom gives the nature chance to breath.

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