Post Nine - Bali is an Island of Calm................ surrounded by a sea of chaos.
Peace on earth begins within me.
Bali Temple Prayers for Peace
The previous year when we visited Bali it appeared that all was in chaos. The streets were gridlocked with cars, trucks, motorbikes and people. Each was focused on getting ahead of those in front of them. When we walked through Ubud the streets had been lined with transports.
The drivers were standing on the sidewalk hustling the tourist to hire them. Walking through the market, the shopkeepers were aggressively trying to sell their things. It was clear that Bali was moving into the western model of life.......ego and I'ness. Still at the same time, the soft energy and activities of the temples was like being part of a quiet collective meditation. The priests no longer rang their bell during the prayers. If they did it was a soft gentle ringing simply to keep the cadence of the five-part prayer for the worshipers.
The drivers were standing on the sidewalk hustling the tourist to hire them. Walking through the market, the shopkeepers were aggressively trying to sell their things. It was clear that Bali was moving into the western model of life.......ego and I'ness. Still at the same time, the soft energy and activities of the temples was like being part of a quiet collective meditation. The priests no longer rang their bell during the prayers. If they did it was a soft gentle ringing simply to keep the cadence of the five-part prayer for the worshipers.
As we continued our drive to our home in Sayan my thoughts returned to the present time. We noticed that the cars, busses, trucks and motorbikes were all in a line. They were flowing as one, like a gentle stream of energy along the highways of Bali. It was as if the soft meditative energy of the temples of last year now covered the island and was radiating from the people of Bali.
The next evening we visited Gero Mangku Kabayan. He was the healer priest who I met in 1992 and had initiated and guided me though my six-year initiation into the Ancient Spiritual Mysteries. My question to him was, what’s happened in Bali since last year? His reply was, Bali is calm. He then added, all of the rest of Indonesia, Thailand and other countries of South East Asia are struggling and fighting within themselves and with each other.
This will continued for a while. In time, the Bali energy will begin to flow out over the area and they too will become calm. My next question was, what about the US? His reply was, the ups and downs will continue for a while. In time, they too will find balance. All life must return to balance.
This will continued for a while. In time, the Bali energy will begin to flow out over the area and they too will become calm. My next question was, what about the US? His reply was, the ups and downs will continue for a while. In time, they too will find balance. All life must return to balance.
The following afternoon we went into Ubud. As we drove through the village, we were amazed over the differences from last year. The streets were no longer crowed with vehicles. The transports were not lining the curbs. The drivers were gentle in their offering of transportation. When visiting the markets the shopkeepers no longer continued to try to get us to buy after we said, no thank you.
One day we were up in the mountains at Lake Bratan. Over the past few years this had been a place of major chaos as the Chinese and the Muslims were struggling to take over the village. This time when we entered the village and the market they were radiating only love. It was clear that the Muslim, Balinese and the Chinese were all living and working in harmony with each other. The Market had returned to it old playful experience. Pam words said it all, this tells us, we all can live and work in harmony and love for each other
As our annual 30-day visit continued it became clear that the new energy had also brought change in all the temples of the island. The primary temple of Pura Besakih, which previously had strong masculine energy, now carried a softer Divine Masculine Energy. The temple of Ulun Danu Batur, which had weak feminine energy, now carried a strong Divine Feminine Energy. It was as if the two temples were now balanced in Sacred Union with each other. To honor this shift the priests were now rebuilding both temples to make them equal partners in their presence and power.
One morning after my meditation my thoughts drifted through my past observations of Bali in relationship to the big shift of the 21st c. During the mid 90’s, when I was living in Bali, I became aware that a new energy had arrived. To me it was the energy of mother earth and father sky united in Sacred Union. The energy had a similar vibration, as the kundalini energy when it rises within me, except it was many times more powerful.
As the kundalini energy of mother earth and father sky began to cover Bali the people reacted as they do when their personal kundalini energy begins to rise. When it rises it brings all our negative patterns of life to the surface to be healed. If we do not heal them we go into chaos and spiritual crises. When we heal the patterns by transforming them to love, we move into an inner state of peace and calmness.
As the kundalini energy of mother earth and father sky began to cover Bali the people reacted as they do when their personal kundalini energy begins to rise. When it rises it brings all our negative patterns of life to the surface to be healed. If we do not heal them we go into chaos and spiritual crises. When we heal the patterns by transforming them to love, we move into an inner state of peace and calmness.
As a result with the arrival of the new earth energy, the people of Bali began to struggle with their egos. The young people lost their connection to their culture and the earth as they left the rice fields to work in the new resorts and businesses. TVs, cars and other physical possessions became paramount. Next came the economic collapse of the country. The government and world banks took over control of the major banks and the major companies causing an economic crisis. In the late 90‘s the people of Indonesia overthrew the government twice. With the unrest followed by 9 11 even fewer tourists came to Bali. The economy continued to decline.
Our outer world is a reflection of our inner world.
To find peace in the outer world we must first find peace in our inner world.
Next came the first Bali bombing. It looked like Bali was entering into the time of the battle between good and evil just as the US had done after 9 11. I called Kabayan the next morning to find out what had happened. It’s OK, he replied. The bombing tells us the Tao of Bali is out of balance. There is more bad energy then good energy on the island. To do battle with the bombers would add more energy imbalance. We will be doing the highest ceremony of prayers and offering for peace and balance each night for the next 30 nights. This will bring more good energy onto to the island and re balance the Tao.
Then came the second bombing. Again the Balinese responded with, The Tao of Bali is still out of balance. We need more purifying of the island and ourselves. They immediately began another 30 days of highest ceremonies to bring the Tao back into balance.
Gradually the balanced energy began to flow from the people and joined with the new balanced energy of mother earth and father sky. As we travel though Bali on our current trip it was clear, the people of Bali have move beyond the chaos and are walking the new balanced path of inner peace through the Sacred Union of the masculine and the feminine. This peace now radiates out making Bali an island of Calm in a world of chaos.
The ancient symbol of the fully balanced and empowered
masculine and feminine energy of a
physical spiritual being
in their Heart.
This shift of energy reinforces the Sanskrit meaning of the word Bali--the power is within--when it is purified. In addition to the many names of Bali such as The Island of The Gods, The Morning of The World, The Navel of The Earth, The Land of Magic, The Lost Paradise, and The Garden of Eden a new name has been added. Bali is now The Spiritual Way Shower of the path to peace for the 21st c.
One morning Pam and I were talking about what was happening in Bali. Nuadi, the man who takes care of our home stood beside us and listened. He then in his Balinese way summarized this entire story with his simple yet very powerful and clear model of life.
We are here to learn to live in peace.
When things are in front of us that we do not like
We do not get angry or push them away.
We reach out and put our arms around them.
We then pull them into our heart.
Wayan Nuadi
On our long flight back to America Pam reminded me that for the past 10 years we have based our relationship and our Marriage on the Balinese Model of Sacred Union within and between us. The Calm in Bali and the calm and peace in our relationship says, the Balinese Model of Sacred Union to balance the Tao within and around us works.
As we reintegrated back into America the essence of our journey became clear. Bali is truly the navel of the earth. The energy and chaos that was in Bali is now spreading to the rest of the world. In time the healing energy of the calm of Bali will also spread to the rest of the world. Our role is to hold our center in Never Ending Love, without any judgments, towards all of life. By understanding and living the Balinese model of purifying the power that is within, we each can begin to create our personal island of calm within and around us, without having to go to Bali. In time we will join with other islands of calm, as the peace continues to spread across the country and around the world.
When our inner world is at peace so will our outer world be.
