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In The Beginning : Mysthical
Origins
Of Dragons and Temples and The Propagating of a
Religion
A Brief History
Of Temples and Dragons and The Propagating of A Religion
Travellers'
tales from the East have always been wreathed in shades of mystery and
the adventures of some of the earliest recorded visitors, especially those
early scholars and preachers who came to Bali between the 12th and 16th
century, have become part of the mythology and history of the island.
The border between myth and historical fact is undefineable, but in these
ancient tales we find the roots of many of the religious practices, places
of worship, and beliefs of the people.
Bali's glamorous aura, and essential
durability of the culture and religion are the result of a multitude
of such influences, some directly traceable back to venerable holy men
whose main purpose in life was to spread enlightenment and share knowledge.
The priest Danghyang Markandeya
was one of these spiritual pioneers. He came from the foothills
of Mt. Mahameru in East Java with a group of followers and set about
establishing a place of meditation on the slopes of Mt. Agung in Bali.
The site of this monastery was to become the most important place
in Bali, Pura Besakih, the "mother temple" of the island's
Hindu religion.
Danghyang Markandeya taught a
belief in one Almighty God known as Sanghyang Widhi, to be worshipped
in his many manifestations through offerings of three elements : fire,
water and fragrant flowers. In time prayer and offerings
became inseparable from daily life, necessary in order to ensure
the blessing of every venture. This preoccupation with offerings or
bebali so dominated the everyday life that the island became
known as Bali.
Under the auspices of this spiritual
leadership the first Sad Kahyangan temples were built : Pura Besakih,
Pura Batur, Pura Sukawana, Pura Batukau, Pura
Andakasa and Pura Lempuyang, centres of worship for all Hindu
Balinese.
The son of Danghyang Markandeya
went on to further his spiritual work, becoming famous in his own right.
As high priest of Pura Besakih, Empu Sang Kulputih further developed
the art of offerings. Flowers, leaves, fruit and cakes were
incorporated into these symbols
of thanksgiving, each of which had specific shape, colour and ingredients
according to its purpose. In time local people were brought into the
priesthood, and the purification rites and ceremonies associated with
this became incorporated into the customary law. Hindu mantra and prayer
were translated into the Balinese language and transcribed onto lontar
palm-leaf.
Empu Sang Kulputih was responsible
for the introduction of ikons as focal points for prayer. He taught
the local people to carve beautiful images to this purpose in wood,
as well as casting them in metal and making them from the Chinese coins,
tying them together in the shape of mannikins. Special rites were developed
for these temple pieces, necessitating purification ceremonies every
210 days. Bali's most important festivals evolved during his time: Galungan,
the great feast commemorating the victory of good over evil, Kuningan,
the closing day of this festival, Pagerwesi, a day for protecting
oneself and one's surroundings from evil influences.
Empu Kuturan who arrived
at Padang Bai in the 11th century and built a retreat on the hillside
overlooking the bay, Pura Silayukti, also left a legacy of temple
architecture and ritual that endures to this day. He devised the philosophy
of Bali's microcosmos and macrocosmos symbolized by the bedawang turtle
embraced by two intertwining dragons, above which the various levels
exist from manliness to godliness: a universe within and without.
This pilgrim priest conceived
the complex building law of Bali, designed to ensure harmony between
building and user, based upon a system of body measurements, ratio and
ceremony. His teaching, the hasta kosala kosali, ensured that
the priest-architect or undagi was aware of the powers of directions
and so able to base the layout of buildings and compounds in optimum
positions. His manuscript on Hindu-Bali ritual, the Widhi Tat Twa,
formed the basis of the religion out of which later developed literally
thousands of specific rituals.
The itinerant preacher, Danghyang
Nirartha, alias Pedanda Sakti Wawu Rauh, (literally translated as
the "powerful priest who just arrived"), was to follow in
his footsteps several centuries later. His journey around the island,
teaching and spreading a combination of Sivaism and Buddhism that was
to strongly influence Bali's Hindu Dharma religion, inspiring
the erection of more monumental temples and using his spiritual powers
to avert natural disasters, was a 'tour de force' that will forever
be recorded in the annals of Balinese legend. He was the founder of
the Balinese Brahmana caste, defining their spiritual role as
priests and makers of tirtha holy water.
In 1489 or thereabouts this illustrious
personage arrived from Blambangan, Java, with his family. His departure
from the Royal Courts of Blambangan was precipitated by a pressing need
to escape the embarrassing attentions of one of the wives of his royal
sponsor, who had fallen unremittingly in love with him. It is said that
he crossed the ocean between Bali and Java on a mere pumpkin shell,
paddling with his hands, whilst his family sailed in a leaking dugout,
the holes of which had been stopped up with the leaves of the same plant.
To this day the Brahmana caste in Bali are forbidden to eat the fruit
of this plant, although very few are aware of the reason why.
The arrival of this strange contingent
upon the beach of Jembrana no doubt caused some astonishment, and had
lasting effect. They took shelter from the hot sun and rested in the
shade of an ancak tree. A temple was later built here and give
the name Pura Ancak, and the place is still known as Purancak,
The journey records a dramatic
episode, bordering on the light fantastic, as they followed the coastline
eastwards, when the party was confronted by a huge naga, or dragon-snake.
Our hero, a veritable Jonah, is said to have entered right into the
jaws of the monster, and within its murky realms he found and picked
a beautiful lotus flower. His trials, however, were not yet over .....
When his family saw him reappear
from the jaws of the naga, a psychedelic mass of flames, they
fled in panic far into the forest, and by the time the adventurer returned
to his normal level of consciousness, were nowhere to be found.
After searching f ar and wide
he managed to find all except Dewi Swabawa, his stunningly beautiful
daughter. It was some time before he was able to trace her, as she had
been taken by a man to the village of Pegametan. Beside himself with
fury that his daughter should "empu laki", or fall
prey to the attentions of a man, be cursed the entire village.
Pegametan was reduced to ashes, and its dwellers fated to roam the earth
as lost souls, forever
invisible to man except in their ghostly form as "wong gamang",
strange monkeys and tigers with human features.
As for beautiful Dewi Swabawa,
he redeemed her loss of virtue by releasing her from her material body,
renaming her Dalem Melanting, in which form she was deified.
A temple was built for her at the northern beach of Buleleng, and named
Pura Empulaki or Pulaki, and so that all people should
worship her spirit she was given the power of blessing people with prosperity.
In time every centre of commerce in Bali erected a Pura Melanting.
Now every vendor has a tiny altar
on which daily offerings of flower and incense are placed to
ensure a profitable day.
Danghyang Nirartha finally resumed
his journey, heading back along the southern shore. At a village named
Gadingwangi he came across a plague of illness. Taking pity on the stricken
villagers he meditated and prepared holy water or tirta penawar and
cured them of the scourge. Overwhelmed with gratitude, they beseeched
him to stay and teach them his religion. However, his mission in Bali
was to visit the presiding Raja of Gelgel, Dalem Batu Renggong,
so he presented them with a hair from his head assuring them that through
this medium he would protect them from further disaster.
This hair was placed in a temple
named Pura Rambut Siwi, "the temple of Siwa's hair",
which is still today a stopping place for all those who journey to and
from Java, who pause to ask for holy water and the blessing of a safe
journey.
The priest then continued his
journey on foot to a place where a huge rocky outcrop jutted into the
sea. Here he rested for a while, to meditate. The local people, bearing
of the presence of a great holy man, came to beg his wise words, philosophy
and healing. In respect to him they built a beautiful temple high on
this promontory overlooking the ocean, which became known as Pura
Tanah Lot, a name derived from the words "tengah laut"
or "in the middle of the sea". To this day Tanah Lot attracts
a continual flow of visitors, both those who come to pray and those
who come to witness the beauty of the location.
The coastal path to the southeast
was barred by immense jagged cliffs, so Danghyang Nirartha continued
his journey overland, making many a legend en route with his visits
in Mengwi, Kapal Tuban and at the Royal Puri of Kiyayi Arya Tegeh Kuri,
the Raja of Badung.
En route from Tuban to Badung,
he came across a terrible flood at Buagan, where the entire village
was swamped in water. Taking pity on the suffering of the villagers
he gave them a stave with magic writing upon it, telling them to stab
it into the ground in front of the flooding water. Suddenly the waters;
rose up, forming a great wave, and with a great roar rolled back from
whence they came. Amazed by this miracle, the local people showered
gifts of fruit and food on the traveller.
After
resting a while at the Puri in Badung, he received a deputation from
the village of Mas, asking for the honour of a visit. The chief of the
In time the news of the coming
of Danghyang Nirartha reached the court of Gelgel. Raja Dalem Baturenggong
sent a delegation to ask the priest to come to Gelgel as soon as possible.
Upon arrival in Gelgel they found
that the Raja had gone on a hunting trip, so they followed him to his
bunting lodge at Teluk Padang (Padang Bai). The royal hunting
expedition had met with little success, so Danghyang Nirartha suggested
that the Raja once more send out his hunters and fishermen. As they
went about their task he silently called the fish of the sea and the
animals of the forest, to sacrifice themselves. The nets were full and
the huntsmen laden with trophies, and the Raja duly impressed. He then
sat down for an audience with the great ruler, and they spent time in
serious; discussion of philosophy and religion.
On their return to the Royal Palace
at Gelgel the next day, the priest once more exhibited his amazing spiritual
powers. A flooded river blocked the path of the royal carriage, but
with special mantra the priest was able to induce the horses to gallop
across the surface of the water.
A special courtyard in the Palace
was alloted to the eminent visitor, and he proceeded with his duties
as a spiritual teacher. Every purnama (full moon) and tilem
(dead moon) he came to the Raja to minister prayer and holy water,
and under his, guidance Dalem Baturenggong greatly improved his power
and standing as a ruler. However, the Raja still refused to take the
last step, a purification ceremony known as "madiksa". It
was not until a vision of the almighty Mahadewa warned him of pestilence
and plague and enemies threatening the kingdom that be conceded to take
this spiritual step, and a great ceremony was held.
Between his dwelling in Gelgel
and Mas, and his journeys around the island, Danghyang Nirartha continued
to carry out his self - ordained task of teaching religion and philosophy.
Many of the customs and rituals of religious ceremony in Bali today
have evolved from his teachings. Embracing both Shivaism and Buddhism
be taught these two great philosophies as parallels of the same ultimate
truth. Prior to his arrival in Bali there was much conflict between
these two followings and his influence did much to restore the balance,
bringing a new emphasis to the importance of yoga and meditation within
the religion.
In his lifetime Danghyang Nirartha
was to bequeath much to the island of Bali. To his descendants from
his several marriages, the forefathers of Bali's Brahmana caste, he
bequest the duty of the priesthood and spiritual leadership. His pilgrimages
throughout the island are recorded in Bali's early lontar (palm-leaf)
literature : Nirartha prakerti, Darma Sunia, Haji Saraswati,
Sebun Bangkung and Surakusuma, to name just a few.
Amongst the temples built in his
time are Pura Goa Lawah and Pura Tengkulak in east Bali,
Pura Ponjok Batu in east Buleleng, Pura Karang Bolong and
Pura Suranadhi in Lombok, Pura Masceti and Pura Peti
Tenget to the southwest of Denpasar.
In his wanderings he discovered
a place perfect for meditation and the worship of God on the southernmost
cliffs of Bali. Here he decided was the ideal place for attaining Moksa
(spiritual enlightenment), and ngeluhur, the release from
the physical being required to enter heaven. The temple built here became
known as Pura Luwur Uluwatu, and is today revered by all Balinese
as one of Bali's major kahyangan temples.
The path of life or Danghyang
Nirartha is said to have reached its end at Pura Luhur Uluwatu. Those
who witnessed his departure told of a bright light that soared high
into the sky and disappeared.
To this day every ancestral family temple in Bali, in order to be complete, must have one shrine with a black palm-fibre roof, a pelinggih uluwatu, where offerings and worship are made to the soul of this great ancestor and teacher of the Balinese Hindu religion.
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