17. Bali and the Gods –
Read at Your Own Peril
Balinese Agama Hindu
(Agama meaning religion) is really an amalgam of traditional animist beliefs
with Hinduism overlaid, rather like how Christianity is superimposed on African
beliefs in Latin America. Still the Balinese do recognize and worship Hindu Gods
and here is a rundown of some of the most common.
No God is really male or female.
Sanghyang Widi Wasa:
This God is widely accepted as the Supreme Being
who is only ever alluded to. Most Balinese temples have stone thrones for the
Gods when they come down to Earth and Sanghyang Widi Wasa has a throne called a
Padmasana located in the holiest part of the temple, the center of the inner
compound. Three other gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are the manifestations of
Sanghyang Widi Wasa and this manifestation is called Trimuti.
One rarely finds a statue or representation of
this God Sanghyang Widi Wasa. He/she is the ultimate mystery. It is said
that this God created all the other gods to make humans understand the heavens
a bit better.
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Brahma: Brahma is the one who creates. He/she has the
color red (fire) and can be depicted by a bull. The bull is the preferred
vehicle by which he travels.
Vishnu (Wisnu): The Protector, responsible for life giving
waters and has the color black. Wisnu rides a winged horse called Garuda and
has several avatars (representations) including Buddha.
Shiva (Siwa): The Destroyer or Dissolver is associated with
death/re-birth and has the color white (air). Some temples represent Shiva with
a large phallic lingam.
When all the 3 gods above (Brahma, Vishnu, and
Shiva) are mentioned, then it's called Trimuti
Surya: The Sun God, another manifestation of Shiva.
Rangda: The Balinese manifestation of Durga who is
seen in dances as the evil witch. See Rangda
here.
There are many lesser deities in Bali who are
associated with a particular place or thing. These are called dewi if female
and dewa if male and include:
Dewi Sri: She is the Goddess of rice and whom farmers
worship at small temples in the rice fields.
She is the Goddess of the crater
lakes. Annual pilgrimages are made to temple at the mountain lakes.
Dewa Baruna: He is God of the sea.
Dewi Melanting: She is the Goddess of prosperity.
The pantheon of the gods is larger, but the above
should do for my head. The most intriguing god in Bali to me is Sanghyang Widi
Wasa. I did find a statue of him in the museum. There he is called Achintya.
Ah, names!
 |
| Sanghyang Widi Wasa |
Very deep thinkers have dealt with the mystery
of the Hindu religions. Smart people who tried to figure out what it all means
and in the end…..it came down to what you choose to believe.
I like the mystery behind it all, the
uncertainty and yet, all these theories of belief when given to some men, make
those men want to ‘force’ it upon the masses, the people. I am sure some of the
believers are so convinced that they have the right belief, that they now KNOW
the truth, that it blinds them.
Nobody knows what is really true. Just because
my mom told me how to be in this world does not mean she knew. She just copied
what she heard from generations back. Yes, it is up to me to find my own way,
if there is a way. The world is large; there are many, many roads one can
travel, including the road in search of the ultimate truth.
I wonder if the ‘gods’ get a giggle out of the
stupid humans, especially the ones who keep looking for them… how can you find
someone like Sanghyang
Widi Wasa, Achintya or Yaveh, Allah or whatever she/he
is called. Now is that not the ultimate
road trip… trying to find the truth? But
remember, it’s not the destination that counts, it’s the journey.
No matter the books you read, no matter the
belief you have, no matter what… we all have to live together on earth, we all
have a nose, we are all alike. We need to drink, eat, even sleep, etc. All have
urges, all are not that good, and all are not that bad. We are Human.
