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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Hierarchy in a society exists in some areas in the world and Bali is one of them. This island of gods has a special society order. Balinese adopted their society order from India. This order was developed between 2000 until 1000 BC in India by the Aryas (an ethnic group which lived in India at that time).

Indians, between 2000-1000 BC, had divided their society based on the divisions of labor into four parts.
1. Brahmana. This group was fulfilled by the people who have abilities in leading and managing the traditional ceremony (Pendeta).
2. Ksatriya. People of noble birth belong to this group, included the King and his family.
3. Waisya. Farmers and traders belong to this group.
4. Sudra. This group is the lowest and its members are the slaves and bondsmen.
Actually there are two possibilities to explain how caste system was spread to Indonesia, but a theory which stated that trading was the medium of spreading the caste system seems more acceptable. The trade made the adoption easier. The caste system was brought from Java to Bali and Balinese then applied it into their society.

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Most Balinese believes that their bodies, like an electric battery, accumulates a magic energy called ‘kesaktian’ that enables them to withstand the attack of evil powers, human or supernatural, that seek constantly to undermine their health. This ‘kesaktian’ is not evenly divided; some people are born with a capacity to store higher charge of magic than others. Balinese believe that women has greater capacity then men, someone who born on a certain day and someone who born with a deformity is believed to have stronger magical power than ordinary human. Some people are believed to be born with stronger magical power inherited from their previous life.

Balinese have a firm belief that ‘kesaktian’ can be trained to produce various magical ability such as changing shape, flying spreading disease, etc, by undergoing ascetical life, meditation and systematic study of the arts of magic (kawisesan). The magic energy (kesaktian) can be used for various purposes, people whose heart are wicked use the magic science to harm their enemies, or satisfy their curiosity on magic by using their neighbors as specimens for their magical experiments.

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Balinese language clearly expresses the hierarchy in Balinese society. Balinese often speak of three broad language levels, though each of these levels has sub-levels within it. These three broad language levels can be explained as Low Balinese, Medium Balinese and High Balinese. The Low Balinese is used by a Balinese to speak to friend from same or lower caste, family members and relatives. Medium Balinese is used to speak to stranger, people from higher caste and people of status and importance. The High Balinese is used to speak to high priest (pedanda).

The rules in Balinese language in which a low caste person must use Medium or High Balinese to a high caste person or when referring to a higher caste person but a high caste person may use a Low Balinese in return and the use Medium or High Balinese for words pertaining to the body and actions of the higher caste person while the higher caste using low Balinese terms for the body and actions of lower caste are the obvious evidence of strong hierarchal structure of Balinese language and its close connection with Balinese hierarchal society.

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When someone encounters a Balinese high priest (pedanda) in action, one can hardly miss the beauty of his or her hand gestures. This hand gestures are known as mudra. Mudra has been used by both Hindu and Buddhist priests for thousands of years. The word “mudra” means “sign” when the high priest utters the sacred incantation, his or her hands make certain gestures as signs to express the words of sacred incantation with movements.

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No ceremony, ritual, or offering is believed to be accepted by God without proper incantation (mantra) is chanted by a qualified priest or high priest to summon God from heaven and beg Him to accept the essence of the offerings and witness the ceremony or ritual. Balinese considered the mantra that is chanted by the priest as “finisher” (pemuput) of the ceremony, without it all offerings just a heap sewn coconut leaf, foods, fire and water.

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