Bhisama

By I Wayan Juniartha - Bhisama - Bali Post, October 12, 2008, Page 12.

Can bhisama be changed?

Bhisama is created by men, anything created by men is indeed can be changed, says Made Investor Main Kotor.

The Sekehe Tuak are busy discussing about bhisama. A big Jakartan investor is planning to build a big hotel on the land east of Pura Dalem temple. The land has fantastic view; beautiful gorge (complete with spirits of the ground). Pura Dalem is an ancient temple, the shrines are mossy, the carvings are very old, so it looks beautiful for the tourists. But the Balinese doesn’t seem happy to see mossy temple, that’s why they will demolish it and make a new one using black andesite or concrete. However, as the temple is included in the cultural preserve, the villagers do not dare to change.

Half of the villagers give green light to the investor, but the other half don’t. The first agree because most of them own lands by the temple while the later live a bit far from the temple where no beautiful gorge. Half of the villagers can’t help wait to receive a lot of money while the rest know they will receive nothing. The first are eager to talk about investment and increasing standard of living of the villagers while the later are concerned about the holiness of the temple and possible pollution due to the development.

“You are always easy to talk when it’s all about money, Madé. Don’t you know that a bhisama was prepared by sulinggih, the holy men, how dare you to change, says I Kadek Basing Bawak.

Everybody is laughing. Since gambling has been forbidden, since no good programs on television, since nothing good featured in newspapers, so the only thing the sekehe tuak can enjoy is watching people debating.

“How can’t you control your emotion? Now you think, if the bhisama only makes people remain poor and have nothing, then it needs to be changed,” Made continues.

I Wayan Asal Bayah Bareng Ngutah is interrupting now against Kadek.

“You are pretending as if you were holy man, talking about bhisama. If you really want to keep the temple as a holy place, why do you have cock-fighting, or other gambling at the outer courtyard during the temple festival? It is the Balinese who create and play the games. Doesn’t that make the temple unholy?”

Suddenly Wayan shuts his mouth up. All the sekehe tuak members give him a ‘sign’. It is not allowed to discuss about cockfighting (tajen), nor criticise other kind of gambling (bola adil). Both of them are not ‘bad’ ones. They are heritage from our ancestors. They will bring no harms and need to be guarded by the local vigilantes (pecalang).

Kadek gives up. Everybody is against him now; because most of them need the money.

It can be understood, big temple ceremony is coming. Each household is borne 300 thousand Rupiahs. They also want to hold a Ngenteg Linggih ceremony. So each household is borne 500 thousand Rupiahs. The new customary village leader would like to build a new temple. He would like to have something that he can tell everybody when he is not a leader anymore. So again each household is borne another 400 thousand Rupiahs. Most of the villagers are unemployment, and the rest only rough workers, so where they can get 1,2 million Rupiahs.

“Well, just let the investor build the hotel. But he has to make commitment to help the village. Regarding the bhisama, we might ask for guidance from our gods” He says.

Finally the village hold a ceremony at Pura Dalem Temple to ask for instruction from their gods. After two hours, nothing come up. The priest’s eyes are getting red because of the smoke from the incense but still he is not able to be in trance. Suddenly, a gecko at the bale penyimpenan makes a sound. The bendesa (the traditional village head) smiles. The priest nodes. It looks like they both understand gecko language.

“It is a sign that we are allowed to build a hotel east of the temple,” the bendesa says.

All the villagers are nodding. It seems they all understand gecko’s language and everybody seems need the money.

So they change the bhisama, the perimeter to be able to build a hotel is getting closer to the temple. The investor donates 1 billion Rupiahs, the bendesa is building a new temple, temple ceremony and ngenteg linggih ceremony are held, they invite the mayor, and television company, the Pura Dalem is going to be renovated.

Everybody is happy. So they have no problem having the tourists watch them praying from the third floor. So we can’t distinguish which is sacred and which is profane as the temple and hotel is to close each other.

That’s why there is no more trance (kerauhan) in the village. Only gecko’s sound………………..

Glossary:

Bhisama : a binding ruling in religious matters/guidance of an older person

Made Investor Main Kotor : this name refer to someone whose job is land broker and always defends the investors’ interest in dealing with the locals.

I Wayan Asal Bayah Bareng Ngutah : this name refers to someone who will do anything you want as long as you pay him.

I Kadek Basing Bawak : this name refers to somebody who easily get upset when other people against his opinion (he thinks that only his opinion is correct).

sekehe tuak = informal association of Balinese men whose hobby are drinking palm toddy (tuak)

tajen = cock fighting

bola adil = a type of gambling using a ball with a board consisting of different shapes (triangle, circle, etc) in different colours. The ball will land in one of the shape to get the winner.

Ngenteg Linggih : beatification rites.

Bendesa: village leader in charge for ceremony affairs.

Translated by Putu Semiada