Bale Blessing

It took a month to build the bale (a kind of gazebo-like open sided structure). The plan was to have the "blessing " for it the following week on the eve of the full moon, which is an auspicious time for blessings. But since there was a death in the extended family, we were not allowed to have it, and ended up waiting another month for the next full moon eve. When the bale stood finished, it felt kind of "empty". There was no feeling of a dream being realized or finally a nice place to meditate in. it was there, but not inviting. Each day I would sit on the porch, opposite it, and didn't feel any kind of attraction. Could it really be that the bale is a let down? I knew that we could use it, but that only after it was blessed would it be official. I decided to wait for "official" and would just sweep it each day along with the rest of the grounds, and sometimes the kids ate there, but nothing special.

On the eve of the full moon, the priest came over on his motorbike with his wife at 7p.m. The full moon had just risen above the top of the palm tree opposite the bale, and was glowing with a purple and white aura. The priests' wife had prepared all the necessary offerings for the ceremony, instead of me doing it, without experience. It included many fruits and cakes and a roasted chicken, and rice and flowers, etc. A white cloth with a gold printed design was tacked around the sides of the bale and Ketut had taken some young palm leaves and created a kind of crepe paper hanging effect ( I think the crepe paper copies the palm leaf and not the opposite!) and tacked them above two of the open sides of the bale where we enter. We were wearing our temple clothes for the occasion.

The priest, who is a fisherman when he is not being a priest, is a simple, happy, laid back guy that I see at the beach each morning. He lives in the forest near us. Still used to my internal American clock, I was pleased to see that even though it was 7, no one was in a hurry to get something done. It was all done easefully and joyfully and without any pretentiousness. Ketut was asked to paint with his fingers the white, black and red lines that symbolize Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva (Creation, preservation, transformation) on the wooden slats of the peaked ceiling and on the four posts of the square structure. The red of Vishnu is the blood from the chicken that was slaughtered and roasted for the offering. The other colors were from plants.  Also a little kind of palm crown is hung from the center of the ceiling along with a smaller palm symbol on each post.

We were now ready to begin the ceremony. The priest along with ketut and his three children and I, were all sitting on the bale, as a symbol that it will always be strong and support us. The priest had his bell and ceremonial flowers, incense, holy water and rice and the offerings all arranged on the mat in front of him, and we sat with incense and flowers in front of us. I do not understand the mantras or prayers that he was saying, although I could guess that he was blessing this structure and inviting the soul to enter it. I sat there praying the whole time that this place be one of love and bestowal and health and well being, inspiration and reverence, and connection to the highest forces of the universe. It was a very nice feeling of togetherness and creation of something new among us and on the grounds.

In less than half an hour it was finished, and all the offerings were now shared among us to enjoy after their "essence" had been received already by god. I cleaned up and placed the evening offerings around the house and grounds and the kids watched television. The following morning, when I went to put the rice offering in the bale, since it was now officially blessed and would receive daily offerings like the other symbolic places around the house and grounds, I was surprised to sense something different there! It was the same bale that had been situated there for over a month, but when I went to place the little banana leaf with a bit of rice on it, the same structure suddenly felt like "home"! I wondered if it was just my imagination.  I mentioned it to ketut a few minutes later, and he said he had the same feeling at night, when he awoke and decided to go outside for a minute to the bale. He had explained to me a month ago that the ceremony is what invites the soul to the bale and without it it is not alive. It is just material. But once the ceremony has been completed, you can feel the life force there, and god willing it will be one that blesses us with all good things.

The offerings I place twice a day are my opportunity to give to the universe all of my intentions. It is a quiet time when just me and the moment are in touch in prayer. I see how powerful it can be. Giving intentions creates life.