I Nyoman Djirna was was born in 1933 in Sidan, a small village
in Gianyar regency. As is often the case with country folk
in those quieter times, he can’t remember the exact
date and month but his birth took place during Tumpek Wayang,
a religious festival for the wayang theater. He had a happy
childhood of exhilarating freedom playing in the vast, well-tended
rice fields surrounding his village. Today Pak Djirna works
as a priest, assigned by his clan to perform religious duties
and services at the Panti Pasek Gelgel temple in Sidan.
How did you become a village priest (pemangku)?
I guess there’s a propensity for providing spiritual
service in my family. My grandfather was a pemangku in the
palace of Sidan. He was an influential person because he won
the favor of the ruling family. My father was a well-known
traditional healer. In my case, by the late 70s I felt my
life had reached its material peak. I had built a profitable
printing business, possessed a huge house and several cars.
I started longing for something more substantial in life,
a spiritual fulfillment. I began reading and studying ancient
scriptures. The spiritual process reached its climax in 1980
when I underwent the Mewinten ritual, the purification ceremony
to elevate my status from a layman to a pemangku.
What are your duties and obligations as a pemangku?
Mostly, my duties comprised of presenting offerings and guiding
my congregation during rituals and mass prayer. However, I
also provide people with counseling both on worldly and spiritual
affairs.
What is a pemangku’s most important function in society?
Being a mediator between the members of my clan and their
ancestral spirits. Mediator in a sense that a pemangku acts
as the spiritual medium through which the ancestral spirits
convey messages. A pemangku is also the repository of the
ancient wisdom, the guardian of the teachings of the ancestors.
How do the duties of a pemangku differ from those of a pedanda?
A pedanda is a high priest from the Brahmana clan. The high
priest from my clan is called Ida Pandita Empu. The generic
term for high priest is pandita or sulinggih. Both pemangku
and sulinggih serve as mediators between the sacred and the
profane, the mortal and the divine, man and gods. Sulinggih,
however, possess higher and wider authority than pemangku.
Unlike pemangku, sulinggih could use certain esoteric incantations
as well as employ elaborate ritual paraphernalia. A pemangku’s
geographical area of service is usually limited to certain
temples whereas the sulinggih is not confined by such limitations.
From a philosophical point of view, sulinggih have much more
responsibility than pemangku. The sulinggih is tasked with
maintaining cosmic harmony. On the other hand, pemangku are
more accessible than sulinggih.
What is your opinion of social and spiritual consequences
of both Bali bombs?
I couldn’t answer the “Why?” question. But
the Karma Phala, karmic law, has taught us that our present
life was influenced and determined by our deeds both in our
past and present lives. In this context, we believe that,
to a certain degree, the bombings are the consequence of our
own mistakes. This belief is the sole reason why the Balinese
responded to the grave tragedy by conducting a peaceful, soul
searching journey instead of succumbing to anger and hatred.
Hopefully, that journey will help the Balinese to better understand
the world we live in, a world characterized by violent conflicts,
egoistical anthropocentric paradigms and perpetual greed.
In your opinion, does a healthy understanding and solidarity
exist between the followers of the Islamic and Hindu faiths
on Bali?
In the old days, the relationship between the two great religions
was very intimate, with many Balinese authors writing traditional
treatises discussing various aspects of both religions. Nowadays,
the relationship is still on an amicable level although it
is not as intimate as the old days. The primary reason why
the island has maintained such a peaceful and harmonious inter-religious
relationship for almost a thousand years is because of the
religious tolerance of the local Balinese Hindu population
and the religious restraint of the island’s Muslims.
In your job as clan priest, what are the main personal and
psychological problems facing worshippers?
Most problems in my congregation are generally about family
and economic matters. Deep spiritual problems, such as a person
who is questioning his own religious beliefs, are quite rare.
Are modern influences from Western countries good or bad for
the Balinese people?
Some of them are good and some are bad. Determining whether
an influence is good is not easy and will certainly call for
a certain level of maturity and honesty from the Balinese
peoples’ side. I believe the answer will vary from region
to region. People from different walks of life will also give
different answers.
Why is it important to preserve the old adat (customary laws
and traditions) in Bali?
I don’t think we have to preserve all the old adat.
A critical, honest and regular dialogue and assessment on
the relevancy of certain customs should be maintained at every
level of our society. A similar dialogue and assessment conducted
by the Hindu’s spiritual body Parisadha in the 60s and
70s resulted in the abolition of several outdated customs,
including a mandatory exile period for any woman who gave
birth to kembar buncing, twin children in which one of the
children is a boy and the other a girl.
In considering the future, what kind of thinking can be harmful
to the spiritual well-being of the people?
The Balinese should be very careful in thinking that material
fulfillment is the key to happiness. This kind of thinking
will give birth to greedy and self-centered attitudes that
eventually will delude the Balinese into destroying their
own island, culture and spirituality, thus committing the
ultimate act of suicide.
If you could put your whole religious philosophy into one
sentence, what would you say?
Loving God by serving mankind.
For anyone interested in being considered for Siapa, please
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Copyright@2006 Al Hickey
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