"Nyepi" Balinese New Year

Nyepi comes from the quiet, meaning quiet or silent, or Wu Wei as stated by Lao Tse in the teachings of Taoism in Chinese philosophy, namely allowing nature in a single day to conduct its activities themselves spontaneously and naturally without being influenced by man (Mel Thomson, 1999 : 173), not only that humans also stop its activities for one day for his body was run in accordance with its own law, because it has activities for one full year. On March 5, 2011 evening, the whole of Bali will be dark, silent throughout Bali, all Hindu people still, to live "Nyepi Day welcoming Caka New Year 1933". Both natural and man in one day was quiet rest, reviewed, investigated, reflected, deposited as one of the characteristics of the philosophy of science, thereby increasing shortage would seem, what lies beneath the surface will be lifted up so that propriety and fairness will open and they seem, both natural and ourselves, both macrocosm and microcosm, for then there is the recovery process again and ready to support and rotate the back wheel of life on earth.

Like a battery that is continuously used after the full year, it should be in charge or charged back for energy can be used to support the following activities, to move other equipment in accordance with their respective functions.

 This process occurs not only in human beings alone but the entire existence of this nature occupies. Therefore, the change of motion is determined by the presence of occupying all of this nature, including nature itself. Therefore there must be cooperation, there must be synergy between each other in harmony. From here it was obvious how to harmonize it must underlie attitudes, steps and movements that will be done together, because the relationship between micro-and macrocosm, between man and nature is seen as an organic unity (Ramanuja: Vedic 1977: 50-51), where motion and step which one will affect the other, mutually affect each other. Only in a harmonic motion which allows the joint, as all who have a chance in a fair and equal to the change in the target, there is no discrimination, no one feels the most important and ignore the others. (Gde Aryantha Soethama, 2003).

The series of ceremonies in celebrating this Nyepi Melasti ritual begins with the first, the Tawur Agung Kesanga, Mebuu-buu, Ogoh-ogoh Parade, Peak Nyepi and Ngembak Geni.

 Melasti/Mekiyis/Melis

 Melasti, is purifying equipment praying, sacred symbols of God, whether in the form of statues which is a manifestation of God is immanent, God as comprehended adherents. Statues that are in place of worship (temples, pemerajan, holy places) was carried out to sea by his people to get the cleanup, remove impurities. Sea believed to be a place for cleaning or removing impurities. When we see the concept of Tri Hita Karana, the ceremony was a manifestation of Hita to "Parahyangan", clean Parahyangan, holy places.

Tawur Agung Kesanga 

The second ceremony followed a series of ceremonies Yadnya Bhuta, Tawur Kesanga or Tawur Great, a ceremony to holying universe, non-human universe, or macrocosm. This is done a day before Hari Raya Nyepi, where in the afternoon at 12.00 done at Pecaruan Catus Patha / Perempatan Agung (ceremony performed diperempatan road directly related to mountain and sea) to neutralize the energies that after one year are moving the wheel of life, already experiencing imbalances, to make it balanced again. Intersection is symbolized as a meeting place for positive energies and negative, then that the ceremony was performed at that place. Bhuta Yadnya ceremony is always used as the opening ceremony in any other ceremonies (wedding, piodalan, the inauguration of the building). Nyepi Day is Bhuta Yadnya ceremony that stands alone without transplanted in another ceremony, a ceremony largest Yadnya Bhuta. Therefore this ceremony was held on Tilem (month off) sasih Kesanga (nine months = roughly around March), the ceremony is also referred to as Tawur to Sanga. (Mas Muterini, 1988).

The ingredients used are caru appropriate levels where its implementation. Pecaruan also be undertaken at each yard of the house, temples, offices, village halls and all places in Bali.

 Pecaruan in addition to balancing the positive and negative force in nature is also for menyomia (meruwat) the Butha kala (the negative forces of nature in the form of jinn, devils and the like) into a positive force and protector.

In the afternoon at every house mebuu-buu performed the ceremony, the ceremony is an event mebuu-buu which is a symbol of the expulsion of evil spirits yard area. Head of the family will bring the old palm leaves that were burned, give off an onion, kencur and the like, accompanied by all the inhabitants of the house is sprinkled Tirtha (holy water) from the Great Pretending in Bali, Pura Tirtha of the village and tirta tawur agung. In addition, residents also hitting the objects that emit sound, such as clappers, panic, or any pan that aims expel evil spirits from the house.

 Pengerupukan and parade of Ogoh-ogoh

Afternoon early evening (twilight), followed by a ceremony conducted by Pengrupukan around carrying torches, holy water, the sounds, as symbols to neutralize the negative forces, the power-kekutan evil in contemporary form, such as corruption, robbery, theft, rape, fraud, greed and so forth, which the society is symbolized by "ogoh-ogoh" (a kind of giant sculptures made from sterofoam) that carried and finally burned at the end of the ceremony. The ceremony is the concept of Tri Hita Karana, go on sanctification "weakening", the area of land, settlements, fields, workplaces and so forth. 

Ogoh-ogoh is a large statue depicting negative traits or illustrate a story crushing negative. Ogoh-ogoh is a work of art in the making requires funds that are not small. After ending the pengerupukan ogoh-ogoh will be burned as a symbol of destruction of negative things. today ogoh-ogoh more interesting because the statue can be varied so that it appears to be floating, looks like life, can rotate and so forth.

  

Peak Nyepi / Sipeng 

The next day is followed by a Penyepian third event, namely "meditation", for each of the Hindus that there are three options that can be taken, the first can choose to implement upawasa (not eat), can also choose not to sleep or stay up (jagra) or chose not to speak (mona Brata). But that must be in the celebration of Nyepi is conducting Chess Brata Penyepian consisting of amathi Geni (do not turn on the light / fire including the fire of anger and lust in itself), amathi work (unemployed), amathi lelanguan (not fun) and amathi lelungaan ( non-traveling). This is believed to provide the ability for everyone to look inward, within one year after doing all the activities that bad or good, thoughtful and tried to see the weaknesses personal self, self-evaluation to be corrected in the new year which will dijelang next day. This is a purification ritual human self, which in the context of Tri Hita Karana is called the "Pawongan".

 Thus in the human effort to enter the Hindu New Year Caka the three components in the Tri Hita Karana (Parahyangan - Palemahan - Pawongan) simultaneously cleaned, purified so that together equal start entering the new year with the same sanctity of capital to get together to play again natural this universe to change as expected together.

Ngembak geni / Ngembak Fire

The next day was the fourth ceremony called Geni Ngembak an event whose meaning turn turn fire fire spirit to become better in the new year, each visit relatives or co-workers or profession, or close friends to forgive each other are sorry for the actions that had probably been cause harm or distress to other people, with a spirit of togetherness, love each other, recognize each other disadvantages of each, correcting back together acts that harm one of the existing ecosystem. (Drafting Team: 'Hinduism', 2004: 108-110). Thus the meaning of Hari Raya Nyepi is the embodiment of the procession from the replacement of Saka Saka New Year 1932 to 1933, with the spirit of togetherness in equality and justice, as the embodiment of "Universal Love" Humanity to others, extends even Valentines Valentines Life Fellow to everything that exists.

 Hindu culture in the form of traditional ceremonies is not a culture that only has aesthetic benefits alone, as something only useful to be presented to local and foreign tourists, and it's not a made for spending money alone, but as a self-reflection about our lives as human beings in this world. Life as a human being in this world are living together with others, living together with other living creatures and the common life is life together in one of Planet Earth the same.

in some places in Bali has a unique tradition in Ngembak Geni as in Banjar Kaja Sesetan who perform the ritual omedan Omed-mouth kiss between young men and women while also there is a tradition that is mekotekan brandishing bamboo sticks to form and then climbed the tower and many more different traditions in each area in Bali.

 Dharma Shanti

Dharma Santhi is the closing celebration of Hari Raya Nyepi series where we each other's Greetings, and give daksina on the Reverend or a saint and give alms to the poor.