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Reverence for The After-life
A
most important area of Balinese ritual is that known as Pitra
Yadnya, devoted to the veneration of the ancestors, which
includes the all important funeral rites. Cremation for Balinese
is the only means to ensure that the spirit may be released
from its mortal remains so as to be reincarnated in another
physical body. Reincarnation is a process that can happen
many times, until the soul finally reaches such an elevated
state that it is able to attain moksa, or oneness, with the
Godhead. This process is governed by Karma Pala, the belief
that one must sooner or later receive the benefit or punishment
for good or bad actions during a lifetime. The nature of the
reincarnated form depends upon the purity of the spirit, a
direct consequence of actions in the previous lifetime.
There is little woe and suffering associated with Balinese
funeral rites, which are elaborate and extremely costly. A
cremation is a joyous occasion, as it is a fulfillment of
an obligation that is by no means easy to pay. Few people
can afford to cremate immediately, and frequently the family
must bury their dead until such time as they can share costs
in a mass cremation. The more wealthy families will sometimes
take the lead in this case, to help those who cannot afford
to hold an independent ceremony. If the dead are buried, their
remains may be exhumed after a period of waiting of anything
up to several years. It is a matter of great pride and satisfaction
for those Balinese who are able to cremate their dead directly,
and the personal loss of loved ones is somehow compensated
by the fact that their souls may now pass on to the afterlife,
leaving behind the suffering of this world.
Until cremation preparations have been made, the body lies
in state in a pavilion within the family compound. If it has
been buried, then the remains are exhumed and kept in a special
pavilion in the cemetery, or in some cases an effigy is made,
the soul is called up from the cemetery, and the entire cremation
is carried out for this symbolic representation of the deceased.
The body, or its representation, is carried to the ceremony
in a tower that has tiers decorated to represent the levels
within the universe. This wadah is supported by a bamboo frame
which enables it to be carried by the members of the banjar
in a great procession to the cemetery. A special bade or container
is also constructed, within which the body will be burnt.
This symbolic vessel of the soul on its last journey is generally
in the shape of an animal, a bull or winged lion, as determined
by the caste of the family.
Visitors to Bali are usually quite taken aback by the wild
excitement of funeral processions and the extravagant beauty
of the towers and vessels, all of which are consumed by flames
at the cemetery. This is the part of the ceremony which most
people see, but few realize the weeks of preparations and
great expense involved, and the ritual does not end at the
burning. After the fire has subsided, the ashes are collected
and taken in a procession to the sea to be scattered on the
waves, along with many offerings as a purification of the
newly released soul, which must undergo yet another ceremony
before it is actually released on its journey to heaven.
Another series of rituals follows during the next month, leading
up to the nyekah ceremony, in which effigies of the spirit
of the cremated relative are burned with prayers and offerings.
The ashes are then placed in yellow coconuts, wrapped in white
and placed in a small tower which is borne in procession to
the sea where they are once more scattered. The miniature
mukur tower is discarded.
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