A Typical Hindu Village and Family Compound

In contrast to the older, pre-Hindu village, today's modern Hindu villages contain elements that place Hinduism within the context of the community and the larger context of Indonesia. On our last day of biking, we stopped in a typical Balinese Hindu village on the southern slopes of Agung. Our Balinese guide explained the various elements. 

In the center of the village is a community structure - a covered meeting place/town hall. The villagers gather here for celebrations, but it also serves as a homeless shelter during times of disaster - house fires, earthquakes, flooding. The affected families live in the shelter while the villagers rebuild their houses. 

Across the street was a community bank. Large banks aren't interested in supporting small villages, so each villager contributes to a small bank/credit union from which they can borrow when the need arises. The concept is very similar to micro-financing. 

Very close by was another shared structure - the storage building for the gamelan instruments and a place for them to practice. Also, this structure had a tower with a wooden bell that was used to notify the village of important events. Today, there are loud speakers that serve the same purpose. 

Painted on a wall in the middle of the village were the 10 rules/guidelines for Indonesian life. These rules fit quite well with the Hindu Balinese way of life, even though Indonesians are almost entirely Muslim. The rules also align with Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which is interesting due to Maslow's mostly Western orientation. 

Down the road a little way, we were invited in to a typical family compound. Balinese compounds include a family temple area and approximately three other buildings: a kitchen, which is located away from the temple area; a living room, and a bedroom. Each building had a covered porch area, because much of Balinese life occurs outdoors. 

The temple area was the most interesting part. There is a shrine to the highest god, named Acintya, which is an empty, uncovered chair only. Acintya is never depicted. The Balinese Hindus added Acintya to the Indian Hindu religious trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Another shrine housed the spirits of the ancestors. This shrine has central meaning in daily life as well as during Galungan, the week when the ancestors' spirits visit Earth. Balinese people pray to their ancestors for guidance about daily life. If they need further direction, the local priest gives spiritual guidance. Other shrines are dedicated to other gods - Ganesh, the human/elephant son of Shiva, called the Lord of Success; and Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, music, and creative arts - the Hindu equivalent of the patron saint of teachers. Our Balinese guide explained the roles of these shrines and gods in the daily lives of the Balinese people.