Pulau Bali, Pulau Para Dewa
Bali , l'isola degli Dei
バリ、神々の島
Flowers, rice, and incense offered to the divine. The silence before the dance.
Bunga, nasi, dan dupa dipersembahkan kepada yang ilahi. Keheningan sebelum tarian.
Fiori, riso e incenso, offerti al divino. Il silenzio prima della danza.
花と米と香が神々に捧げられる。踊りの前の静けさ。
Bunga, nasi, dan dupa dipersembahkan kepada yang ilahi. Keheningan sebelum tarian.
Fiori, riso e incenso, offerti al divino. Il silenzio prima della danza.
花と米と香が神々に捧げられる。踊りの前の静けさ。
Bali, where the Sacred dances with the waves and the scent of incense
The island of Bali is nicknamed Pulau Deva in Indonesian, meaning “Island of the Devas” or “Island of the Gods,” for its vibrant and traditional Hindu culture.
The term Deva, derived from Sanskrit, means “one who emits light”: every human activity has its Deva, its spiritual counterpart. This is spoken of in the Vedas, ancient sacred texts.
Here you see this light shining in a thousand shades of blue, in the strength of the colors of its landscape… It is a fusion of colors, sounds, scents, ceremonies, gods, and demons that reach living beings from the depths of the sea of consciousness.
A place where the wind carries the scent of incense from offerings, a world where even the way of dressing, the passage to a new existence, the breaking of the waves, and the sound of the gamelan seem charged with sacredness.
Everything is wrapped in the stories of the Mahābhārata and the Ramayana, with names that recall epics. Here, everything is sacred and at the same time human, making the Gods human and sometimes humans divine, with envies and jealousies of men, gods, and demons, just like in the theatrical dramas that tell their stories.
You feel it everywhere on the island, even on its beaches at sunset or dawn, where people wait for the end and the beginning of a new day.
A place where, even if you wanted to, you cannot avoid feeling the presence of the supreme divinity that permeates everything, that invisible force that unites nature, spirit, and man, which the Balinese call Hyang Agung.
Here Hinduism merges with ancestral animism and traces of Buddhism, in a syncretism that recalls the spiritual depths of India but takes a form all its own. Bali draws you in, casting you into a state of awe and wonder if you have the capacity to perceive the depth of its sea.
In the heart of the largest archipelago in the world, in the largest Muslim state in the world, Bali is an anomaly, a vision, an ancient and unique breath: a place that has not been transformed by time and has fiercely and gracefully preserved its ancient Hindu roots, transforming them into something unique.
But Bali is not only a land of breathtaking landscapes: it is also a place where daily ceremonies and rituals form the beating heart of its spiritual life. These practices are the living thread that connects communities, ancestors, and the divine, making the sacred tangible in everyday gestures.
Far from being a static tradition, Bali is a vibrant and ever-evolving island. Its people constantly renew their ancient spiritual heritage, blending it with the present and keeping the sacred alive and relevant in modern life.
The lush and sensuous nature embraces everything: the rice fields, volcanoes, sea, temples, and people. But the sacred in Bali is never only gentle: it is also sharp, unsettling, as sharp as the architecture of its temples and the gestures of the dancers. There is something cutting in the beauty of Bali, something that commands respect.
And then there are the women, silent custodians of the spirituality of the sacred, weaving batik like threads of life, preparing ceremonies, and dancing for gods and demons, creating an invisible thread that binds past and future, soul and body.
The cultural heritage, the relentless work of its people, and their slow pace have made it unique because, in its sacredness, time seems to have stopped.
The term Deva, derived from Sanskrit, means “one who emits light”: every human activity has its Deva, its spiritual counterpart. This is spoken of in the Vedas, ancient sacred texts.
Here you see this light shining in a thousand shades of blue, in the strength of the colors of its landscape… It is a fusion of colors, sounds, scents, ceremonies, gods, and demons that reach living beings from the depths of the sea of consciousness.
A place where the wind carries the scent of incense from offerings, a world where even the way of dressing, the passage to a new existence, the breaking of the waves, and the sound of the gamelan seem charged with sacredness.
Everything is wrapped in the stories of the Mahābhārata and the Ramayana, with names that recall epics. Here, everything is sacred and at the same time human, making the Gods human and sometimes humans divine, with envies and jealousies of men, gods, and demons, just like in the theatrical dramas that tell their stories.
You feel it everywhere on the island, even on its beaches at sunset or dawn, where people wait for the end and the beginning of a new day.
A place where, even if you wanted to, you cannot avoid feeling the presence of the supreme divinity that permeates everything, that invisible force that unites nature, spirit, and man, which the Balinese call Hyang Agung.
Here Hinduism merges with ancestral animism and traces of Buddhism, in a syncretism that recalls the spiritual depths of India but takes a form all its own. Bali draws you in, casting you into a state of awe and wonder if you have the capacity to perceive the depth of its sea.
In the heart of the largest archipelago in the world, in the largest Muslim state in the world, Bali is an anomaly, a vision, an ancient and unique breath: a place that has not been transformed by time and has fiercely and gracefully preserved its ancient Hindu roots, transforming them into something unique.
But Bali is not only a land of breathtaking landscapes: it is also a place where daily ceremonies and rituals form the beating heart of its spiritual life. These practices are the living thread that connects communities, ancestors, and the divine, making the sacred tangible in everyday gestures.
Far from being a static tradition, Bali is a vibrant and ever-evolving island. Its people constantly renew their ancient spiritual heritage, blending it with the present and keeping the sacred alive and relevant in modern life.
The lush and sensuous nature embraces everything: the rice fields, volcanoes, sea, temples, and people. But the sacred in Bali is never only gentle: it is also sharp, unsettling, as sharp as the architecture of its temples and the gestures of the dancers. There is something cutting in the beauty of Bali, something that commands respect.
And then there are the women, silent custodians of the spirituality of the sacred, weaving batik like threads of life, preparing ceremonies, and dancing for gods and demons, creating an invisible thread that binds past and future, soul and body.
The cultural heritage, the relentless work of its people, and their slow pace have made it unique because, in its sacredness, time seems to have stopped.
Pulau Bali, tempat Suci menari di antara ombak dan aroma dupa
Pulau Bali dijuluki Pulau Deva dalam bahasa Indonesia, yang berarti “Pulau Para Deva” atau “Pulau Para Dewa”, karena budaya Hindu yang hidup dan tradisionalnya.
Istilah Deva, yang berasal dari bahasa Sanskerta, berarti “yang memancarkan cahaya”: setiap aktivitas manusia memiliki Deva-nya, lawan spiritualnya. Hal ini dibicarakan dalam Veda, teks-teks suci kuno.
Di sini Anda melihat cahaya ini bersinar dalam seribu nuansa biru, dalam kekuatan warna lanskapnya… Ini adalah perpaduan warna, suara, aroma, upacara, dewa, dan setan yang menjangkau makhluk hidup dari kedalaman lautan kesadaran.
Sebuah tempat di mana angin membawa aroma dupa dari persembahan, dunia di mana bahkan cara berpakaian, perjalanan menuju keberadaan baru, pecahnya gelombang, dan suara gamelan tampak sarat dengan kesucian.
Semuanya dibungkus dalam kisah Mahābhārata dan Ramayana, dengan nama-nama yang mengingatkan pada epik. Di sini, segala sesuatu itu suci dan sekaligus manusiawi, menjadikan para Dewa manusia dan kadang-kadang manusia menjadi ilahi, dengan iri hati dan kecemburuan manusia, dewa, dan setan, seperti dalam drama teater yang menceritakan kisah mereka.
Anda merasakannya di mana-mana di pulau ini, bahkan di pantainya saat matahari terbenam atau fajar, di mana orang-orang menunggu akhir dan awal hari baru.
Sebuah tempat di mana, bahkan jika Anda mau, Anda tidak bisa menghindari merasakan kehadiran keilahian tertinggi yang meresapi segalanya, kekuatan tak terlihat yang menyatukan alam, roh, dan manusia yang disebut Hyang Agung oleh orang Bali.
Di sini Hinduisme berpadu dengan animisme leluhur dan jejak Buddha, dalam sinkretisme yang mengingatkan kedalaman spiritual India tetapi mengambil bentuknya sendiri.
Bali menarik Anda masuk, membuang Anda ke dalam keadaan takjub dan kagum jika Anda memiliki kemampuan untuk merasakan kedalaman lautnya.
Di jantung kepulauan terbesar di dunia, di negara Muslim terbesar di dunia, Bali adalah anomali, visi, napas kuno dan unik: tempat yang tidak berubah oleh waktu dan dengan kuat dan anggun mempertahankan akar Hindu kunonya, mengubahnya menjadi sesuatu yang unik.
Namun Bali bukan hanya tanah dengan pemandangan yang menakjubkan: itu juga tempat di mana upacara dan ritual sehari-hari membentuk inti kehidupan spiritualnya. Praktik-praktik ini adalah benang hidup yang menghubungkan komunitas, leluhur, dan yang ilahi, membuat yang suci menjadi nyata dalam setiap gerakan sehari-hari.
Jauh dari tradisi yang statis, Bali adalah pulau yang hidup dan terus berkembang. Orang-orangnya terus memperbarui warisan spiritual kunonya, menggabungkannya dengan masa kini dan menjaga kesucian tetap hidup dan relevan dalam kehidupan modern.
Alam yang subur dan sensual merangkul segalanya: sawah, gunung berapi, laut, pura, dan orang-orang. Namun yang suci di Bali tidak pernah hanya lembut: itu juga tajam, mengganggu, setajam arsitektur pura dan gerakan penari. Ada sesuatu yang tajam dalam keindahan Bali, sesuatu yang memerintahkan rasa hormat.
Dan kemudian ada perempuan, penjaga diam-diam spiritualitas yang suci, menenun batik seperti benang kehidupan, menyiapkan upacara, dan menari untuk dewa dan setan, menciptakan benang tak terlihat yang mengikat masa lalu dan masa depan, jiwa dan tubuh.
Warisan budaya, kerja tanpa henti dari rakyatnya, dan langkah lambat mereka telah menjadikannya unik karena dalam kesuciannya, waktu seolah berhenti.
Bali, là dove il Sacro danza tra le onde e il profumo d’incenso
L’isola di Bali è soprannominata Pulau Deva in indonesiano, cioè “Isola dei Deva” o “Isola degli Dei”, per la sua cultura induista vibrante e tradizionale.
Il termine Deva, che deriva dal sanscrito, significa “colui che emana luce”: ogni attività umana ha il suo Deva, la sua controparte spirituale. Ne parlano i Veda, antichissimi testi sacri.
Qui questa luce la vedi brillare nel blu di mille tonalità, nella forza dei colori del suo paesaggio… È un connubio di colori, suoni, profumi, cerimonie, divinità e demoni che raggiungono gli esseri viventi dal profondo del mare delle coscienze.
Un luogo in cui il vento porta con sé il profumo d’incenso delle offerte, un mondo in cui anche il modo di vestirsi, il passaggio verso una nuova esistenza, l’infrangersi delle onde, il suono del gamelan sembrano carichi di sacralità.
Tutto si avvolge nei racconti del Mahābhārata e del Ramayana, con nomi che richiamano epopee. Qui, ogni cosa è sacra e al tempo stesso umana, rende umani le Divinità e a volte divini gli umani, con invidie e gelosie di uomini, divinità e demoni, proprio come nei drammi teatrali che ne narrano le storie.
La percepisci ovunque sull’isola, anche sulle sue spiagge al tramonto o all’alba, dove la gente aspetta il finire e il sorgere di un nuovo giorno.
Un luogo in cui, anche volendo, non puoi non sentire la presenza della divinità suprema che permea ogni cosa, quella forza invisibile che unisce natura, spirito e uomo e che i balinesi chiamano Hyang Agung.
Qui l’induismo si fonde con l’animismo ancestrale e con tracce buddhiste, in un sincretismo che richiama le profondità spirituali dell’India, ma prende una forma tutta sua.
Bali ti risucchia, gettandoti in uno stato di stupore e meraviglia, se hai la capacità di percepire la profondità del suo mare.
Nel cuore del più grande arcipelago del mondo, nel più grande Stato musulmano del mondo, Bali è un’anomalia, una visione, un respiro antico e unico: un luogo che non si è lasciato trasformare dal tempo e che ha custodito con forza e grazia le proprie antiche radici induiste, trasformandole in qualcosa di unico.
Ma Bali non è solo una terra di paesaggi mozzafiato: è anche un luogo dove le cerimonie e i rituali quotidiani costituiscono il cuore pulsante della sua vita spirituale. Queste pratiche sono il filo vivo che lega comunità, antenati e divino, rendendo il sacro tangibile nei gesti di ogni giorno.
Lontano dall’essere una tradizione statica, Bali è un’isola vibrante e in continua evoluzione. La sua gente rinnova costantemente l’antico patrimonio spirituale, mescolandolo al presente e mantenendo il sacro vivo e rilevante nella vita moderna.
La natura lussureggiante e sensuale abbraccia ogni cosa: le risaie, i vulcani, il mare, i templi e le persone. Ma il sacro, a Bali, non è mai soltanto dolce: è anche spigoloso, inquietante, affilato come l’architettura dei suoi templi e i gesti delle danzatrici. C’è qualcosa di tagliente nella bellezza di Bali, qualcosa che incute rispetto.
E poi ci sono le donne, custodi silenziose della spiritualità del sacro, che tessono il batik come fili di vita, preparano le cerimonie e danzano per dèi e demoni, creando un filo invisibile che lega passato e futuro, anima e corpo.
Il retaggio culturale, il lavoro incessante del suo popolo e il suo passo lento l’hanno resa unica, perché nella sua sacralità sembra che il tempo si sia fermato.
バリ、波間に踊る聖なる香の島
バリ島はインドネシア語でプラウ・デワ（Pulau Deva）と呼ばれ、「神々の島」あるいは「神の島」を意味し、その活気ある伝統的なヒンドゥー文化で知られています。
デワ（Deva）という言葉はサンスクリット語に由来し、「光を放つ者」を意味します。すべての人間活動にはそれぞれのデワ、すなわち精神的な対応物がいます。これはヴェーダという古代の聖典にも記されています。
ここでは、その光が千の青の色合いの中で輝き、風景の色彩の力強さの中に見えます…それは色、音、香り、儀式、神々、悪霊が意識の海の奥底から生きとし生けるものに届く融合体です。 風が供え物の香の香りを運び、服装や新しい存在への移行、波の砕ける音、ガムランの音までもが聖なるものに満ちた世界。
すべてはマハーバーラタやラーマーヤナの物語に包まれ、叙事詩を想起させる名前が呼ばれます。ここでは、すべてが聖でありながら同時に人間的でもあり、神々を人間化し、時には人間を神聖化します。人間、神々、悪霊の嫉妬や憎悪を伴い、その物語を語る演劇のようです。 島のどこでもそれを感じることができ、夕暮れや夜明けのビーチで、人々が一日の終わりと始まりを待っています。
たとえ望んでも、すべてを満たす最高の神性の存在を感じずにはいられない場所であり、自然、精神、そして人間を結びつける見えない力、それがバリ人の呼ぶヒャン・アグン（Hyang Agung）です。
ここではヒンドゥー教が先祖伝来のアニミズムや仏教の痕跡と融合し、インドの精神的深さを彷彿とさせつつも独自の形態をとっています。
バリはあなたを引き込み、その海の深さを感じる能力があれば驚嘆と感嘆の状態に投げ入れます。
世界最大の群島の中心にあり、世界最大のイスラム国家の中にあるバリは、時に変わらず古代ヒンドゥーの根を力強く優雅に守り、唯一無二のものに変えてきた異例であり、幻であり、古代の息吹です。
しかしバリはただの絶景の地ではなく、日々の儀式や祭典がその精神生活の中心を成す場所でもあります。これらの習慣は共同体、先祖、神聖をつなぐ生きた糸であり、日常の所作の中に聖なるものを具現化しています。
静的な伝統ではなく、バリは生き生きとした絶え間なく変化する島です。人々は古代の精神的
Dance in Bali, A Sacred Offering to the Divine