Balancing energy

Upon opening the trunk of my car in California to load groceries, I noticed the black and white checkered fabric lining the trunk space, and paused for a moment. Covering entities as diverse as Banyan trees to fringed umbrellas hanging in hotels, in Bali this black and white checkered cloth (kain poleng) represents the balance of energies needed in the world, positive and negative, good and evil, and embody the Balinese view of the universe: both good and evil are necessary for balance. After Bali, black and white checkered cloth will always carry this meaning for me.

The daily handmade offerings of beautiful flowers in small palm leaf baskets (canang sari), the respectful treatment of Banyan trees, their trunks covered in black and white cloth (kain poleng), scarf (saput), and headband (udeng), and the darting eyes and studied movements of the Legong dancers performing the Mahabharata, are images that will stay with me forever.

On the way to yet another temple during our visit to Bali, we stopped in the midst of a road teeming with adults and children dressed in their finest sarongs, kebayas (lace blouses), and vibrant sashes. Each family had painstakingly prepared an offering to the Gods, cone shaped gebogan, filled with fruit (apples, oranges, and bananas, as well as other exotic fruit), cooked chicken, rice, flowers, and intricately designed sampian. The spectacularly colored regal offerings amassed together in the temple complex spilled outwards in every direction. Ever practical, each family took one of the offerings home after the ceremony to eat, so nothing went to waste. No effort was spared to appease the Gods.

Wishing I had a gebogan to offer the Gods on my temple visit that day, I made do with two canang saris, nestling a perfumed stick of incense into the flowers, and placed my offering amongst the colorful lot already assembled in the temple complex. Palms together I said a prayer and let the incense carry it up to the Gods.