By Robin Dohrn-Simpso
We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know it for the first time.
~ T.S. Elliot
T
ravel is much more than a physical act. It is spiritual. It is cultural. It offers a metamorphosis to those with open eyes and open minds. That is what Bali was for my husband and me on our rst trip there in the early 80s Bali changed my life. Bali, the Land of the Gods, is a spiritual island and you cannot help but absorb the energy of peace here. I have never seen such beautiful people living a beautiful and truthful existence. Happy and content with what they have. Joyful every day
Spiritual It becomes quickly apparent to visitors that a deep and ubiquitous vein of spirituality runs through the island. The Balinese people practice a distinct form of Hinduism. It incorporates animism and ancestor worship. Parades through neighborhoods that end at an ancient temple occur practically on a daily basis. Some small, some large. There are over 20,000 temples on the island. Beautiful Balinese women in the parades balance large platters of food and owers on their heads as they sway down a street en route to a temple. Cement statues of gods are dressed in black and white checkered cloth to symbolize the philosophy of the balance of harmony found throughout Bali Worshippers honor the gods on a daily basis. One custom is to make regular offerings to the gods. A typical offering might be a small banana leaf with a dollop of rice, pretty ower petals, and a stick of incense burning. The host at our losmen, a Balinese guesthouse, left an offering every night at our doorstep entreating the gods to protect us. Every car dashboard has an offering, as does every storefront and home. Our host had a motorcycle accident and later
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Bali, Ind ia L d of the Go
