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“Menyama Braya”
Valentine’s
Day a la Balinese
Spending vacation in Bali in February is,
presumably, a delightful moment. Other than
rejoicing in the charm of nature and culture
of Bali, you could have a festivity of Valentine’s
Day as well.
Yes, Balinese people also commemorate the
Valentine’s Day so some tourists then
name Bali “a multicultural island”.
This epithet indeed does not exaggerate
and is partly correct as in the passage
of Balinese history, since the prehistoric
kingdom and global period as today; the
existence of multiculturalism is easily
traceable in Bali.
Predecessors of the Balinese have bequeathed
a proverb “gumi linggah ajak liyu,
ada kene ada keto” (this mundane world
is hugely extensive with diverse dwellers,
along with their diverse conducts). Thus,
their predecessors have kept up the cultural
diversity from time immemorial as an element
of convenient and peaceful life. They never
thought about the act of making the culture
uniform, so each village, sub district and
regency/municipality throughout Bali has
its own cultural distinctiveness.
Within day-to-day social life, social behavior
of the Balinese more features the affectionate
togetherness called menyama braya meaning
harmonious life, loving one another and
being a peaceful brotherhood. This life
pattern of menyama braya of the Balinese
constitutes the implementation of the teaching
in Hinduism “tat tvam asi” meaning
“thou art that”. Harmonious
life and mutual appreciation towards the
human rights are being propagandized these
days as an attempt to uphold the human rights
all over the world in keeping with the wider
experience of menyama braya attitude of
the Balinese. Such togetherness is not only
in joy but also in misery.
Tat tvam asi teaching firmly described in
the Çhandogya Upanisad, to the Balinese,
has supreme significance in the establishing
of harmonious life with the fellows and
nature. It includes the setting up of the
national unity and integrity because the
tat tvam asi can be developed into “thou
art that”, “others are also
our brothers”. On that account, social
life of the Balinese at all times focuses
on the togetherness value, understanding
on the cultural meaning under laid by the
concept paras paros sarpanaya, sagilik saguluk
salunglung sabayantaka, asah asih asuh (tolerance,
appreciation, sharing another’s trials
and tribulations and affection).
Within a wider territorial integrity called
customary village, the Balinese consistently
implement the humanism approach in achieving
a happy life. They always cooperate with
one another either in joy or misery so the
Balinese neighborhood system is intensely
affected by solidarity and wholehearted
service. Solidarity and social harmonious
relationship is then popularized with the
Tri Hita Karana concept; where the Balinese
do not only take care of their self-interest
but also remains to keep harmonious relationship
with God, fellows as well as nature.
In the book, Compendium of Seminar Conclusions
on the Uniformed Interpretation towards
Hinduism Aspects (2000:77) it is explained
that the term Tri Hita Karana has set to
put into discourse on 11 November 1966 where
at that time was held a Regional Conference
I of Hindu Struggle Board at the Dwijendra
Educational Foundation Denpasar. The Tri
Hita Karana concept assures every single
individual to mutually appreciate, respect
and tolerate the differences, which seems
to be in line with the opinion of Brian
Pay (2002) stating that to understand others
one is required to possess the capability
of interpreting the significance of several
kinds of situation, relation and process
of shaping our life. Balinese people have
had such capability to set up their life
in compliance with the Tri Hita Karana concept,
either in their relation to God, the fellow
humans and nature.
Valentine’s
Day
Celebration of Valentine’s Day within
the last few years in Indonesia, including
Bali, is getting more mirthful. Particularly
amongst the circles of adolescent or the
newly grown-up, the celebration does not
suffice to behave affectionately, deliver
attention or exchange attractive gift to
the beloved, but also graced with carefree
festivity and whoopee. They imitate to behave
like those overseas seen on TV like exchanging
souvenir as affection symbol, party, sending
greeting cards or some deliberately visiting
a tourist object with romance together with
their lover.
Probably, the ambience of hotel where you
stay on the summit of Valentine’s
Day (14 February) is slightly different
from ordinary days, where you may get special
service along with souvenir reminding you
of loving all the time. So are at the shopping
centers, its atmosphere is vaguely joyous
and perhaps there is extravagant discount
on Valentine’s souvenirs. But, do
not expect to find a joyfull climate of
the Valentine’s Day at traditional
markets, as the traders are mostly old persons
who do not know about this. They stay to
sell their goods at their own fixed price
and buyers should be good at bargaining.
You will be able to bargain the price if
you could create a convivial milieu and
full of brotherhood or menyama braya.
Valentine’s
Day and ‘Tumpek’
Different from the celebration of Valentine’s
Day of the Westerner version, the predecessors
of Balinese also passed on special and sanctified
days filled with affectionate values in
the form of ritual called Tumpek. The habit
of loving one another of the Balinese version
handed down since thousands of years ago
is more intensely in socio-religious nuance
as the implementation of Balinese Hindu
teachings emphasizing on the affection to
nature (palemahan aspect), the fellow beings
(pawongan aspect) and God (parahyangan aspect).
Rerahinan Tumpek or Affection Day a la Balinese
falls once in 210 days. There are Tumpek
Bubuh or Tumpek Wariga; Tumpek Kandang or
Tumpek Uye, Tumpek Wayang, Tumpek Krulut,
Tumpek Landep and Tumpek Kuningan. Falling
of these festivities on Saturdays because
they are based on the almanac of Wariga
Dewasa (propitious-inauspicious based on
Balinese calendar).
On the Tumpek Bubuh the Balinese present
oblation to God in his manifestation as
Lord Shankara, the master of plants or nature.
Prayers are chanted while sprinkling holy
water. Ritual procession of Tumpek Bubuh
undertaken by the Balinese every Saturday
Kliwon Wariga is taking the human beings
worldwide to love and preserve the nature
well in order the human does not lose the
wellspring of food, clothing and housing
constituting the primary life needs. If
you are on vacation in Bali right now, do
not be surprised to see the Balinese putting
some offerings on the trees, ritual procession
in the midst of vast estate and other socio-religious
activities from the morning up to late night.
Function and meaning of the tumpek bubuh
ritual is as affection-awareness milestone
to the nature for the sake of survival of
the entire beings.
Tumpek Kandang falls on Wednesday Kliwon
Uye. On that day the breeders of cattle
in Bali present the offerings to Lord Rare
Angon (Herdsman) accompanied by prayers
in order the animals and their cattle are
healthy, growing big as well as breeding
well. As a manifestation of affection they
present the oblation consisting of peras,
ajuman, daksina, dapetan, penyeneng, pesucian
and several kinds of tipat (rice bag of
braided coconut leaf) like tipak kukur,
tipat dara, tipat sidapurna, belayag, belekok,
pesor, pasung and so forth in accordance
with one’s affordability.
Tumpek Wayang Day or some prefer to call
it Tumpek Aringgit is falling on Saturday
Kliwon Wayang. Balinese people make an oblation
dedicated to Lord Ishvara, manifestation
of God as the creator and god of arts along
with its instruments like wayang or puppet,
carved articles (aringgit), statue, sanctified
effigy, gong, gender, gambang, holy bell,
wooden split drum and other Balinese gamelan
instruments. Balinese artists have a special
day to maintain their taksu (inner power)
of the art, including taking care and maintaining
the instrument of its art through religious
procession. From here grows the affection
amongst the artists and keeps on making
art creativity to preserve the national
art and culture.
Tumpek Krulut is an auspicious day to nurse
the articles of arts like gamelan (Balinese
music) used to accompany the rituals. Members
of the hamlet, customary village or art
troupe purchasing a new gamelan set, will
organize a grandiose inauguration rite or
nyakepan gong. It’s similar to the
procession of a wedding ritual that is imbued
with affection. It means to invoke the safety
to God in order the sound of gamelan is
harmonious and the gamelan payers are bestowed
with the brightness of heart and mind. Do
not get startled, if during the ritual procession
there is something funny performed by the
gamelan players just like a newly wed who
are moderately dazed when looking directly
at one another. For instance, when the female
and male drums are struck, the players behave
funnily imitating the movement of newly-wed.
Interestingly, on the Tumpek Landep (Saturday
Kliwon Landep) Balinese people prepare special
rituals for the technological devices comprising
an element of iron such as car, motorbike,
bicycle, machines, computer, television,
radio, knife, spear, hoe and several kinds
of weapons. Do not get amazed, if you will
encounter cars and motorbike passing on
the road are affixed with oblation and special
ornaments made from young coconut leaf called
ceniga, sampian gantung, tamiang and kolem.
These oblations represent the thanksgiving
of Balinese people to God who has extended
the learning and capability of designing
sophisticated technology that consequently
produces devices that can make the human
life easier. Sophisticated technology should
be exploited for positive things in compliance
with the life concept of the Balinese named
Tri Hita Karana (harmony life with God,
nature and fellow humans).
Saturday Kliwon Kuningan is called Tumpek
Kuningan falling ten days after the Galungan
feast day as experience of affection to
the sanctified predecessors. According to
the palm-leaf manuscript Sundarigama, the
devas and pitaras are coming down to earth
on this day with crowd of love delivering
profane and spiritual bestowal to human
beings, nature and other beings. Ritual
paraphernalia prepared on this Kuningan
day comprise the tebog, selanggi, endongan,
yellow rice, wayang-wayangan, tamiang, kolem
and ter. Execution of the ceremony is held
before midday as after which the devas and
pitaras has returned to their respective
heaven.
Thus, the predecessors of the Balinese embody
their affection in the life pattern menyama
braya and harmonious life to nature, environment,
fellow human and God filled with socio-religious
nuance. How pleasurable it is, on this day
overflowed with affection you celebrate
on this Island of Thousand Temples, Bali.
(BTN/Ketut Sumadi)
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