Indo Balinese Rituals

Brooke Paulson INDO 1011 Balinese Rituals In the Balinese culture it is noted that “everything has its place, and that spatial orientation is crucial for every kind of activity.” For example, the Balinese believe that anything below, such as feet, carry negative connotations or evil. Furthermore, anything above, such as the sky, is good. Therefore, even in sleep, the Balinese orient their heads toward the north or east because this places their head in a good spatial orientation. Afterlife is also a very strong belief in the Balinese culture. The cosmos, or world-view, are divided into three worlds. The released spirits of their ancestors live in the upper world, known as swah, and humans are found in the middle world, known as bwah. The demons reside in the lower world known as bhur. The Balinese relate their geographical location with these same worlds. For example the mountains are swah, the plains and bwah and the ocean is bhur. The human body is also part of this division with the head, torso and legs and feet. Such belief distinctions are important when one tries to understand their rituals pertaining to the life cycle.