Yesterday, we traveled to the village of Batubulan to see the Barong dance. It turned out to be less of a dance, and more of a play, a reenactment of a Hindu myth.
In music, dance, and drama the story addresses the fight between good and evil.
According to Nyoman, Bali is all about three. With apologies to my wise teacher, borrowed and adapted from him with a few of my own sprinkled in, I have drafted a list.
Bali Threesomes
1. Three kinds of temples: small in homes, medium in village, and large in region. Fact: Bali has over six thousand temples.
2. Three times of day: Morning, noon, night.
3. Three volcano peaks: Agung, Batur, and Batukaru.
4. Three kinds of people: girl, gay, and man (This from Ngyman). I did not discuss it with him and so cannot explain it.
5. Influences on Bali culture: Hindu, Indian, and Chinese.
6. Three important spirits: good, evil, and balance.
7. Three important ceremonies in Bali life: puberty, marriage, and death.
8. Three main gods: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
9. Three kinds of rice: red, white, and black.
10. Three regions of the country: North, East, and West. This from him with some concerns on my part for the South, so I'll revise it to say: mountains, ocean, and inland.
11. Three kinds of performances: In the inner courtyard of the temple, in the outer courtyard of the temple, and outside of the temple. The play we saw was performed outside the temple.
12. Correspondingly, three kinds of audiences: performances just for the gods, for gods and people, and just for people. The play we saw was just for people.
13. Three ways to lead a spiritual life: karma, raja, and jnana (works, meditation, and knowledge). Nyoman is the epitome of all three.
Fascinating!
ReplyDeleteEverything about Bali is fascinating, I think. We have stayed in three houses while we have been here, we have had three kinds of weather, and being here makes me feel three times as lucky as if I were anywhere else,
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