Flowers and Coconut Leaves
FLOWERS and coconut leaves are daily necessities in Balinese life. Along with cooked rice, they are normal gifts to gods as the natives of Bali, “Island of Sacrifices”, set offerings in front of their houses every day, not to mention on special dates.
You get a glimpse of the islanders' carefree lifestyle from the common scene of small clusters of farmers enjoying a leisurely chat by the paddy fields, having laid down their hoes. A recess could easily last two or three hours, according to our guide.
On my recent visit, I noticed automobiles festooned with designs woven out of coconut leaves on their fronts. It turned out that sacrifices had just been offered with a prayer for road safety. The fast growth of tourism and traffic had brought about frequent accidents on the island, prompting the natives to add “safe driving” to their sacrificial calendar.
The Balinese entrust everything in life to divine providence. Even when a house is virtually burnt down, our local guide told us, people would celebrate their good fortune if any part of it were spared by the fire. Such contentment is what leads the islanders through life in their peculiar happy-go-lucky manner.
Once at nightfall, when passing the swimming-pool at my hotel, I caught sight of some Balinese dancers in ethnic costumes getting ready for their performance. With delicate care, the girls picked their head adornments from the flower-bed and fixed the blossoms on to their hair. What grows in Nature comes natural to them as the need arises.
Presumably, flowers bloom from Heaven and leaves sprout from Man's heart. To the accompaniment of the jingling lutes and babbling brooks, they embellish this world for the Balinese, and lend wings to their imagination for an even sweeter next world.
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