Balinese Life
Mutual Assistance, Harmony and Freedom

The Balinese (read: Hindu) considers other living beings, like animals and plants to have the same right to live, as they equally have a soul as the creation of God. And more than that, they also respect other spirits that live in the other, invisible world. To be able to live safely and prosperously, they should maintain the harmony among them by means of presenting oblations and respecting each others existence, as Hinduism believes that every living being has a soul and can endure reincarnation if they help each other to get a higher grade of life, namely endless reunion with God.

In daily life, they cannot live without plants as they provide most of the food and herbs for their health. Besides, plants also becomes the main ingredients for the oblations presented to God. Ranging from small-scale offerings up to grandiose ones, plants play an important role. Most frames of offerings are made of young coconut leaves while other fillers consist of flowers, fruit, other leaves, tubers and so forth. A nice and complete example of this representation can be seen on the Galungan penjor, a bamboo pole completed with young coconut leaf ornaments, offerings, fruit, flowers, tubers and cakes. It signifies a thanksgiving expression, appreciation to ancestors and deities on Mount Agung. Here, ingredients of plants help the prayer and devotional service of devotees to reach Almighty God.
Prior to using the plants as ingredients of oblation, devotees make a prayer for such plants in order that their souls do not get lost and can find a proper path leading to the Creator, in this case, His manifestation as the Lord Rudra (for leaves) and the Lord Mahesora (for trees) as mentioned in the Pegalmangsa compendium. Hopefully they can find a higher reincarnation in the next life. It is based on a Hindu belief in soul evolution in which the soul should pass through several reincarnations in the form of various living beings from lower to higher organism. This resembles the theory of evolution proposed by the modern scientist, Charles Darwin (1809-82).
This belief in the soul undergoes certain times of reincarnation before reaching moksha or release from the bond cycle of birth, death and rebirth is the prominent and ultimate goal of Hinduism. This progress would be much determined by their interaction with the fellow living beings. As they lead to the same goal, they should cooperate with one another accordingly based their own existence. It may need mostly the role of humans as he or she have superiority among others, namely intelligence.
Therefore, humans (devotees) should preserve the nature (including plants) as he already gets benefits from them. On the contrary, they should plant them at home, in the garden or other places to avoid extinction as the yajna or ritual sacrifice needs them persistently. To get better crops or quality of plants they must follow a compendium like Dharmaning Pemaculan. Except for techniques, this also presents the auspicious and forbidden day for planting certain plants. In Wariga Dewasa (almanac), it is also suggested not to cut a tree on certain days, like the prohibition to cut bamboo on Sunday. Certainly, it is reasonable that Sunday is an auspicious day to plant it. So, it seems unethical to plant and cut it on the same days.
As thanksgiving, the Balinese perform rituals for the plants on Tumpek Bubuh every 210 days. In addition as the appreciation and conservation, some customary villages in Bali have also endorsed plant conservation, chiefly those that are used for oblations, in its awig-awig (village legislation). Thus, mutual assistance among God’s creations, in this case plants and humans, are highly required to create harmony in supporting life and ultimately lead to eternal freedom, moksha. (BTN/Punia)