Experiences not only shapes one's life but the lives of others as well when stories are shared in person or on social media platforms. Online story telling platforms offer a personal way to share one's experiences and knowledge with a larger audience. I always love to be a story teller or a story listener in such online story learnings !
As mentioned earlier, the talks and lectures of Prince Tjok Dje Kerthyasa are very inspiring and captivating. I like hearing about his experiences and stories about his life as they are inspiring, motivating and renew my belief in what I thought is lost to many. I watched "Living Tri Hata Karna- Part 1".
It is nice to see someone valuing his family and traditions so much. I am profoundly philosophical and traditional. Everyone must inspire the next generation to carry age old customs and traditions forward. According to me, traditional values and modernity can go hand in hand. It is all about creating the right balance as the Balinese royal family is doing .Life is about maintaining balance and we believe that too in my culture. It is essential to preserve that balance in life.
I can relate so well to his cultural experiences and beliefs be it regarding Vedic traditions, Hindu customs or yoga. "Pranayama" is obviously well known to Indians. My father knows yoga and has often told me to follow it . My family too uses homeopathy and herbal medicines. Homeopathy and healing remedies have a place in both cultures. I feel that in a way our countries and cultures are deeply connected though some may not entirely agree which makes it really interesting to note the different translations of Hinduism. However I think we are the same basically...
I have to say that his way of presenting his culture, thoughts and ideas through his personal experiences and example is wonderful. Listening to his lectures gives a sense of peace and tranquility at a time when we are trying to reconnect with ourselves in the times of challenges during the world health crisis. As mentioned earlier , I am glad to have been introduced to his discussions as I believe in the way of life that he talks about and agree that we must be deeply connected to Nature.
Spirituality has great significance in my life too. Having lived in Japan for six years as a child in Tokyo and then later as a teacher in a village in Mie-ken, I visited numerous Shinto Shrines and Buddhist Temples which inspired me to research on the similarities between Shintoism , Buddhism and Hinduism. In both Hinduism and Shintoism, natural elements are worshipped. We revere and acknowledge elements of nature. Fire, Earth & Water have representations. India and Bali both have sacred plants and trees and one of them being the Banyan tree. He compared that to Shintoism in this way that Shintoism also has sacred trees .
So many of our beliefs and words in our languages are connected or linked. In the beginning of the talk, as a part of his greeting and later in his blessing or prayer in the end. some of the words were the same as Hindi words like "Ohm" and "Shanti". .
In India too chanting mantras and purification of homes with holy water or incense is part of everyday life in many households. We even sometimes use salt and light oil lamps made with clay to spread positive energy in our homes. We also have such purification rituals or purification ceremonies. Water purifying ceremony have relevance in some Asian cultures. He beautifully put it that you become one with element of water.
Like Bali, in India too we pray and ask for forgiveness for building anything on a land and seek permission from the divine to construct something on it. This Hindi ritual is called "Bhumipujan" and it involves a ceremony for laying the foundation. Before entering a house for the first time, we have the "Grihapravesh" ceremony where we worship to receive the blessings for positivity and good fortune in the house. So I could understand how in Bali too they give offerings to earth and natural elements. Offerings for prayers are often in the form of fruits and flowers in both countries at Hindu temples. Moreover like Bali and India, Japan honours their ancestors too through their own festival of "Obon".
He talked about how with the sacred bells & mantras during ceremonies we harmonize ourselves with nature and divine. In India it is the same as well and you will find bells at the entrance of Hindu temples.
It was also mentioned that different dimensions of nature and beings in other realms are acknowledged in Bali. Again I could comprehend that specially because of my personal experience too as a child. And so I wear a "tabeez/tawiz" or "kavach" as we refer to in India which is a kind of sacred symbol locket containing some verses or mantras from the holy book and amulet that protect from evil spirits and mishaps. In Japan they have something similar called " Omamori" which provide protection and blessings too.
Omamoris are good luck charms that are often sold at Buddhist and Shinto shrines. They are prayers on a small piece of wood, paper or cloth that are then wrapped in small brocade bags. They have omamoris for everything and they are so colourful as well as attractive ! It is interesting how different cultures can have similar beliefs but in different forms. It is amazing as to how our grandmothers too thought alike as mine would advise me not to do certain things at dusk as well. Like we were told not to do stitching at that time or not allowed to lie down during that time.
Tjok Gde mentioned that life is not necessarily about achieving a goal. I am known to believe that since I follow the Buddhist saying that "enjoy the journey instead of waiting for the destination". Many of his sayings naturally reminded me of the teachings of Bhagwad Gita too .
He says that it is important to be creators to save the earth and live in harmony with nature. That is absolutely required ! It is important to give back to the earth and I feel that appreciation would definitely be mirrored. So respect nature and respect earth !
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