Photos from Authentic Indonesia's post Dear Travelers , August is a very important month for the Balinese ! Today Authentic Indonesia would like to share the meaning of Cremation for the Balinese with it's travelers to the Island !
Cremation ceremony is the most important in Balinese life. Along with the following some rituals after, cremation is the last ceremony for Balinese in the human circle of life and must be done properly both in sekala and niskala (visible and un-visible world).
The Balinese view death as being part of a continuous cycle that involves birth, life, and death. This cycle continues until the person’s soul is purified. When this point of complete purification is reached, the individual can then be united with God. The local people believe that the person who has just died will soon be reborn as somebody else, and all newborn children are thus seen as reincarnated souls. In order for the dead person to be able to reincarnate they must first be released, and the Balinese Cremation Ceremony is what makes this happen. If the dead person lived a particularly good life, they may even skip reincarnation altogether to enter a state known as Moksha where they will finally be free of the cycle of life and death.
Ngaben Ceremony
Ngaben is the Balinese word that local people use when referring to their cremation ceremony – it can be translated as meaning, “turning into ash”. This is the ritual they follow when ushering the person into their next life or sending them on to Moksha. Unlike funeral services in other parts of the world, in Bali it is a time to celebrate. Tourists should not be surprised to hear local people talk about how much fun they had at one of these occasions, and if foreign visitors are lucky enough to attend one they will see for themselves that it is far from a somber occasion. The goal of those attending the ceremony is to help the dying person cut any ties they have to their old life, so that they will feel happy to move on. If the occasion was sad, the deceased might worry and use this as an excuse to hang around.
The day for the Ngaben to take place is always selected by a priest, and it will be based on the Balinese calendar. As part of the preparations the family will be expected to arrange for two important items that will be used in the ceremony:
The waddhu/bade is a tower like construction that has multiple levels – the more levels the construction has, the important the person was in their life. It is usually made from bamboo, paper, and wood.
The Lembu is coffin where the deceased’s body will stay for the ceremony. Lembu means ox, and the coffin is usually designed to look like this animal – it is also possible to have the coffin look like other animals.
If you are interetsed to learn about all the steps for the Balinese Cremation ceremony , don't hesitate to check our Blog !
In Our next article will explain all about the Beautiful Hindu Balinese Ceremony . ... See more
