Taken from ‘Bungklang Bungkling’, ‘Cetik’, in Bali Post, Sunday, 29th March 2009,
a column by I Wayan Juniartha
Translated by Putu Semiada
It is said that Balinese have been familiar with poison. In Bali, when your neighbour is richer than you, you will use poison to harm your neighbour so their lives will suffer.
You don’t really care how one gains their wealth and neither want to follow the way how to be rich. The reason you use poison is not that you want be richer than they are, instead you just want them suffer in life. When it comes to suffering, you want to be in the same boat. But when it comes to wealth, you just want to be a wealthy person yourself.
“The same thing happens to our farmers. They have never learned why there are so many rats and rice pest spoiling their rice plants. They just use pesticide and insecticide, says I Made Pupuk Tain Sampi.
I Made is a farmer who loves promoting organic plants. He doesn’t like using chemical fertilizer. He prefers using natural ones. He is busy asking his friends to stop using pesticide and insecticide.
“They might not know that using it too much can spoil the plant itself, the water and the soil as well. It would certainly affect our health,” he further says.
It has been known that insects, rats, pests, etc. will be immune to any chemical agents we use to spray them with. No shaman can do something to overcome this problem. It is much easier for a shaman to use poison to kill people. Not like human, the rats, etc need no offerings or mantras to be immune.
“Well, I don’t think we can rely on pesticide and insecticide any longer. We should use big offerings and ask Cokorda to visit our rice fields. I am sure the rats will all be afraid,” says I Ketut Tawur Kabur.
I Made laughs loudly after hearing what I Ketut said. But, it is not because he doesn’t believe in gods and niskala (unseen world).
“You ask too much to the gods. You know, our gods are very busy currently. Almost everyday, there is always a person asking for blessing to be able to be a House of Representative member in spite of the fact that the gods have no identity card, no voting right, do not know how to vote. Under these circumstances, how do you expect the gods to deal with general election? Even worse, you want them to look after your rice fields and destroy the rats. Who do you think you are?” says I Made.
“You know, Ida Cokorda has bad reputation. He borrows money everywhere. He likes to borrow but doesn’t seem like to pay back, he even has criminal records. How could you ask a person like this to help you destroy the rats in your rice fields? He might be the rat himself,” says I Wayan Mauk Bogbog.
All laugh.
“So from now on, we should decrease the use of chemical agents so the soil will not be spoiled and the plants can grow properly and we are not poisoned,” says Made.
And let’s just stop discussing on ceremonies, niskala (unseen world), Ida Betara (gods), Cokorda, etc. Let’s just be careful with chemical agents.
Glossary:
a column by I Wayan Juniartha
Translated by Putu Semiada
Poison
It is said that Balinese have been familiar with poison. In Bali, when your neighbour is richer than you, you will use poison to harm your neighbour so their lives will suffer.
You don’t really care how one gains their wealth and neither want to follow the way how to be rich. The reason you use poison is not that you want be richer than they are, instead you just want them suffer in life. When it comes to suffering, you want to be in the same boat. But when it comes to wealth, you just want to be a wealthy person yourself.
“The same thing happens to our farmers. They have never learned why there are so many rats and rice pest spoiling their rice plants. They just use pesticide and insecticide, says I Made Pupuk Tain Sampi.
I Made is a farmer who loves promoting organic plants. He doesn’t like using chemical fertilizer. He prefers using natural ones. He is busy asking his friends to stop using pesticide and insecticide.
“They might not know that using it too much can spoil the plant itself, the water and the soil as well. It would certainly affect our health,” he further says.
It has been known that insects, rats, pests, etc. will be immune to any chemical agents we use to spray them with. No shaman can do something to overcome this problem. It is much easier for a shaman to use poison to kill people. Not like human, the rats, etc need no offerings or mantras to be immune.
“Well, I don’t think we can rely on pesticide and insecticide any longer. We should use big offerings and ask Cokorda to visit our rice fields. I am sure the rats will all be afraid,” says I Ketut Tawur Kabur.
I Made laughs loudly after hearing what I Ketut said. But, it is not because he doesn’t believe in gods and niskala (unseen world).
“You ask too much to the gods. You know, our gods are very busy currently. Almost everyday, there is always a person asking for blessing to be able to be a House of Representative member in spite of the fact that the gods have no identity card, no voting right, do not know how to vote. Under these circumstances, how do you expect the gods to deal with general election? Even worse, you want them to look after your rice fields and destroy the rats. Who do you think you are?” says I Made.
“You know, Ida Cokorda has bad reputation. He borrows money everywhere. He likes to borrow but doesn’t seem like to pay back, he even has criminal records. How could you ask a person like this to help you destroy the rats in your rice fields? He might be the rat himself,” says I Wayan Mauk Bogbog.
All laugh.
“So from now on, we should decrease the use of chemical agents so the soil will not be spoiled and the plants can grow properly and we are not poisoned,” says Made.
And let’s just stop discussing on ceremonies, niskala (unseen world), Ida Betara (gods), Cokorda, etc. Let’s just be careful with chemical agents.
Glossary:
- Cokorda: a person from ksatrya caste.
