Śivarātri: The Light of Śiva and the Night of The Soul
Introduction Once a year, on the 14th day of the 7th month – a day before the new moon –comes a holy night called Śivarātri (more correctly; Mahāśivarātri). Śivarātri is one of the most important Hindu religious celebrations in Indonesia, including Bali. This night is also popularly called “the night of sin cleansing” or “the […]
The Mysticism of Goddess Sarasvati in Balinese Tradition
Sarasvatī holds a cherished place in Bali, especially among those who seek wisdom, as she is revered as the goddess of knowledge. However, Sarasvatī transcends being just an ethereal deity; she symbolizes myriad mystical and symbolic aspects within the Balinese paradigm. The name Sarasvatī also signifies an initiation ritual (Pawintĕnan Sarasvatī), an essential step for […]
Cosmicizing and Divinizing The Body
What we call ‘self’ lies within the body’s boundary, with the skin as the outer edge of the (physical) body. Something that is outside our skin will be called “something else” or “someone else.” Edges of the physical body are easy to comprehend. However, this is not the case with the boundaries of the subtle […]