In Reply to: death posted by tuka on Sunday, 30. November 2008 at 09:04 Bali Time:
In my JBR I retold our Bali cremation experience.
Here it is in part....
We visited the Rotary sponsored school SD 3 Sobangan, to see our sponsor children. We got there about 10 and although the schools have been closed for Galungan for 4 days, many children were waiting, in school uniform. We found Tina, Desi and Desak, Made and Lodi now both at high school came too. Its so lovely seeing the children each visit and see how they have grown. We found Wendy's girl and gave her a bag of goodies too.
Children sat in group outdoors singing happy sounding songs with their teachers. They laugh and carry on, what a joy!
Little Tina's Dad also came up to the school expecting us to be there but no Mum this time. We asked why and he said that her father had died on Galungan, motor bike accident and the cremation was in the afternoon. Would we like to come? Hmm, its so different Bali vs Australia regarding death and ceremonies. We said we would plan to. We noticed lots of the children have grown a lot in the 4 or so years that we have been visiting.
After lunch we headed back south to Sobangan and tried to find the cremation. We found young Made from the school and he drove ahead on his motor bike to show us the way (talk about being in the right place at the right time!). We stood to the back of the many locals, not wanting to intrude. Little Tina's Mum saw us and beaming , came over to greet us. I honestly think that by us being there, we added to the importance of the occasion. I think they also consider us extended family. I know they greatly appreciate our sponsorship. She took us to the area where the body was wrapped in the decorative structure ( just one body was being cremated). They unwrapped some of the body to at least display his head, then added offerings to the site then lit the 2 gas torches/burners. We looked around to see all happy faces. I explained to a cousin who acts as a tour guide, that in Australia many guests would be crying. He explained that in Bali, as the body is burned, the soul leaves the body and is free. If the soul sensed sadness and crying, it may turn around concerned and not be free, or its freedom delayed. We can learn so much from the Balinese and their beliefs. Salt is thrown on to the raging fire, to supposedly help the bones to burn to powder. We were proudly introduced to family members and those who could speak English thanked us for our sponsorship. The village area is eternally grateful to the Rotary program and hope it continues (Noel and Geraldine and co, take a bow).
We didn't wait until the body was fully burned. The ash from the skull is filled into coconuts and released into the rivers which will find its way to the sea.