There are two kinds of priests on Bali, the pedanda, or high
priest, and the pemangku, or temple priest. Only a Brahman can become
a pedanda; pemangku are recruited from the lower castes. There are
about 20 times more pemangku than pedanda. Priests don't
hold political office and their economic power is limited, yet they're
the most respected members of Balinese society, their place the highest
a mortal can achieve.
Balinese priests don't stand between a worshipper
and god; he's there to make sure a person's prayers are properly directed
so the desired results may be achieved. Before a family moves into a new
house or opens a losmen, a priest is asked to give god's blessing.
Priests purify people after an accident or illness, avert curses, and bring
people out of spells and trances.
Pedanda all claim lineage from Wau
Rauh himself, the highest priest of the Majapahit Empire. A pedanda
is usually an old man, quiet, gentle, thin, clad in white with a white
turban. He is cared for by his sons, his spiritual practice "subsidized."
It's bad manners to ask a proud pedanda how much a ceremony will
cost; the answer will most likely be, "no, I'm busy."
Pedanda outrank every other caste
and are considered the most scholarly members of Balinese society. Belonging
more to families than to temples, consecrated pedanda are called
into service by higher-caste households to bless such ceremonies as marriages,
births, and cremations, as well as for such informal celebrations as the
building of a new dike or bridge. They exercise a virtual monopoly on liturgical
knowledge, and with their intimate familiarity with the Balinese calendar
are always consulted to determine a lucky date on which to begin any important
undertaking. Pedanda enter into a trance state to become an empty
medium through which the gods can talk to the people.
Every temple has its own pemangku,
a lay priest who maintains the temple and officiates at everyday rituals.
Pemangku remain in direct contact with the ancestors and can exorcise
devils. Even the most indigent Balinese will make a great effort to hire
the services of a pemangku, especially when it comes to making sure
dead loved ones are properly ushered into the spiritual world.
The proud pedanda look down upon pemangku,
disdainfully calling them "sweepers" (jero sapuh) in reference
to their lowly task of sweeping temple courtyards. Pemangku are
simple, good-natured souls who live near the temple, leading normal lives
except when a temple celebration makes them the center of attention.
Pemangku are not paid any compulsory
amount. Before a ceremony takes place, the family gives an offering of
money to the pemangku's shrine of spiritual power (taksu).
This offering (sesari) is generally Rp500-1000. The pemangku
doesn't make a living as a priest, but works as a farmer or merchant.
Pemangku should not be confused with
the balian, a witch doctor or healer, nor with bell ringers or scribe
writers. A third kind of technical specialist, the sungguhu, is
a low-caste priest whose duties are limited to propitiation of the malignant
buta and kala.
Festivals
There's an unending chain of festivals, over 60 religious holidays
a year. The basic tenet of the Balinese religion is the belief the island
is owned by the supreme god Sanghyang Widhi and has been handed down to
the people in sacred trust. Thus the Balinese seem to devote most of their
waking hours to an endless series of physically and financially exhausting
offerings, purifications, temple festivities, processions, dances, and
cremations. Festivals are dedicated to woodcarving, the birth of a goddess,
and percussion instruments; there are temple festivals, fasting and retreat
ceremonies, parades to the sea, and celebrations of wealth and learning.
Get ahold of a Balinese calendar; besides
offering faithful pictorial representations of simple, realistic folk scenes,
they show the most propitious days for religious activities. Try to catch
one of the full moon ceremonies, a traditional affair that can last for
some days. Lots of praying, singing, and dancing-a wonderful opportunity
to interact with the people in their own environment on a special occasion.
Your hotel owner will tell you what to wear or perhaps even dress you in
traditional attire. Incidentally, ceremonies concerning people take place
in homes rather than temples. The temples are only used for ceremonies
to gods.