- BALINESE make sacred some trees for the sake of ritual needs and appreciate the living beings of unreal world
- It is done based on people’s belief in real and unreal world (sekala & niskala). They want to live harmoniously with others even though they are unseen because they are creations of God and have the same rights to live
When traveling or taking trekking activities in Bali, you may often see several large trees wrapped in poleng (checkered) or white-yellow clothes. This indicates that the tree is purified or made sacred.
Why are the trees sacred?
There are several reasons for the Balinese to do this. They have a belief in the existence of the real and unreal world (sekala and niskala), and the unreal world itself has its inhabitants as well. It is said that they inhabit cliffs, forests, certain large trees and other places. Large trees that are at least as big as a hug have the potential to become their home.
It is said, the unreal world is inhabited by supernatural beings such as wong samar, memedi, tonya and others. They can be seen if they really want us to see them. In addition, those who have a sixth sense or certain spiritual abilities can also see the existence of these realms and their inhabitants. Some are even able to communicate and interact with them, just like humans in the real world.
Well, the tree is sacred because people want to respect their existence or do not want to disturb them. Even if there are people who make offerings, it is as a form of appreciation to them and establish good relations to create harmonious relations. Maybe if analogized to the real world, this is a kind of ‘bilateral diplomacy’ to respect each other and maintain good relations because they are also God’s creations who have the same right to life as we do. With this good relation, people can work safely and harmoniously.
Secondly, part of the tree is taken advantage for religious ceremonies. Usually Balinese (Hindu) people need its leaves to fill in their particular offerings. Trees belonging to this type include banyan tree, bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa), wood apple and the like.
Ethics
Related to this unreal world, there are stories about empirical experiences from Balinese elders that humans are not allowed to do activities in their residential areas at noon (12:00) and after 18:00. It is considered to have been a time of rest for them. That’s why we should avoid making any inconveniences.
In addition, when entering a new area, whether it be in the fields, rivers or in the forest, we are encouraged to ask for permission to pass in our respective language. Last but not least, we are also advised not to speak harsh or taboo words in the areas mentioned above to avoid offending them.
There are several stories related to the belief in the trees and existence of this unreal world and their community activities found in daily life of Balinese people. For example:
- There is an outsider or foreigner urinating indiscriminately under a big tree even though there is no sign that it is sacred. What happened? Mr. P of the person was swollen and very sick. He has consulted to several doctors for treatment but has not recovered. After meeting a Balinese and being told about the background, the man was advised to apologize to the location of the tree by offering a canang offering. Finally, the pain was cured.
- A farmer cultivates a paddy field at the edge of the forest. Well, at the edge of the forest grows a large tree. Three times a day, namely at 06:00, 12:00 and 18:00, the farmer clearly hears the Tri Sandhya prayers from the tree. Meanwhile, it’s impossible to be done by humans because people’s residential area is very far from his rice field. He also often listens to the conversations of ‘people’ on the tree and smells their cooking.
- At night, a priest of temple at the cemetery was visited by several people who stated that their house near the temple was damaged by the wind. Having been checked, a banyan tree near the temple fell down because it was swept away by a tornado. He strongly suspected the people were the occupants of the fallen banyan tree and none of them was similar to his villagers.
