Bali Studio VISA 2270 JASMINE LAING. The abundance of happiness in the Balinese culture

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1 Bali Studio VISA 2270 JASMINE LAING The abundance of happiness in the Balinese culture Title Unbought happiness Three local girls outside Pura Maosopahit temple eager to say hello. Location: Pura Maosopahit temple, Denpasar January 2018 University of Western Australia

2 What is happiness? Is it an ideal state of being, something that can be achieved, or a state of mind that only some are able to reach? Living in the 21 st century in a Westernised country I ve come to notice that despite all the luxuries and opportunities that surround us, the level of happiness or, at least at face value, still seems rather low. I was pleasantly surprised however, to arrive in a country where despite its people having so little, they had so much to give. The array of happiness and contentment in the atmosphere felt twice as much as what I d ever felt before, wherever you went people genuinely seemed to want to help you and give you what they could without a price. The story of a lady named Rusmini really confirmed these feelings for me. One afternoon we were walking along JL. Veteran road and happened to notice a lady so consumed and content in the offerings she was making at her small, humble stall. We went over to say hello and test out our sketchy Bahasa, and before we had decided that she would be the ideal person to give the university T-shirt to she had already made us each a small offering and handed us a flower to take back with us. This act of kindness was something that had taken us all off guard, being so used to not expecting any gifts from strangers back at home we were touched to have received this small, yet such beautiful gift of love. Title Good things happen when we least expect them to Rusmini peacefully making offerings at her stall to sell Location: JL. Veteran road, Denpasar Title - It s the small things that matter most Image has been sharpened and given brightness for better contrast and resolution Throughout the trip I heard many stories from the other students of similar experiences that had happened to them, and this only kept reconfirming my ongoing thoughts about the Balinese people and their way of life. This general gift to give and not expect anything in return was apparent from all ages young to old. The curiosity and excitement in the young s eyes made them light up and sparkle brighter than the starry skies over Indonesia. One little girl in particular stood out to me. Her name, Agung Bulan or Great Moon reflected in her actions. Her young and innocent outlook to life still seemed so untainted and pure. There was shyness in her demeanour, but her eagerness to want to please us, and show us everything she knew about the art of Balinese dance, made her inner beauty illuminate through. 2

3 Title Young dancer in the making Agung Wulan smiling with excitement and modesty from our recent applause for her traditional dance moves. Location: Jeroan Lanang Yang Batu, Jln. Gambuh No 10c, Br. Panti Gede, Denpasar Title- A face of innocence, clean from any sin Image has been sharpened and given brightness for better contrast and resolution The excitement didn t end there. On our trip to SDN 1 elementary school, seeing the children s enjoyment of the simple things reminded us of the beauty of childhood. From the moment we walked through the gates, huge beams of sunlight from every angle of our vision embraced us with welcoming arms. These children didn t regularly get guests at their school, and we could feel the immense joy that our presence brought. Shyness wasn t an issue here, and the warm greetings really took me aback as it was such a different environment to our schools back at home. If there was such a thing as feeling like a celebrity, then this was the closet I had got, receiving friendly questions about my name, age and family, along with touching compliments. Naturally I felt obliged to respond with kindness, but these children didn t expect anything at all, you could tell they were just happy to be in our presence and enjoy the moment for what it was. Their enjoyment was also evident through their love for music and dance. The array of battered instruments scattered along the rubble paths, were soon producing sounds of incredible intensity and joy, complemented by the grinning beams and giggles of the children that surrounded them. It was an infectious environment to be in, a smile was hard to remove and we left with tender jaws and happy memories that will never leave us. Title Smiles of pure joy Two school girls happy on our arrival at their school Location: SDN 1 Elementary school, Baturiti, Tabanan, 3

4 To look at what our group did in Bali from a western perspective, may be interpreted as a type of intrusion. Walking into sacred places that held such importance to its people and documenting their most precious spots. Or encountering a complete stranger on the street and asking to take a photograph that we would then post later on in the group for us all to see. However, most significant to me, was witnessing the life changing process of the work of the John Fawcett Foundation s Giving the Gift of Sight program (John Fawcett Foundation 2017). From getting so up and personal with the patients to the point where they had nothing to hide nothing to lose. We were frequently reminded however, that what we were doing was in fact appreciated and encouraged by the Balinese. And if those words weren t convincing enough, we witnessed it ourselves with the positive responses from the locals and general pleasing feedback from the greater community. It made me realise that this intrusion was nothing of the sort. If anything it was intimacy. It was a game for two players in which one was prepared to document the beautiful truth and the other willing to place all their cards out on the table and trust the other, in the hope that good deeds would be returned. This was beautifully explained to me in the words of Agung Partha, who said in an interview on 25 January 2018 via May the concept of Tat Twamasi you is me we try to treat others good if we want to be treated good. Balinese always try to make balance Dharma (God), Artha (Food), and Kama (happiness), is the goal of living (Agung Partha 2018, pers. comm., 25 Jan). Title Spoken from the heart Agung Partha sharing his compassionate knowledge on the royal palace Location: Puri Agung Jro Kuta, Title - He sees beauty in the forgotten Image has been sharpened and given brightness for better contrast and resolution Title - Angles of elation, reachable to them Image has been sharpened and given brightness for better contrast and resolution 4

5 Despite how intrusive we may have originally felt in Tabanan, it was warming to be reminded how important our company was in those two days. I was lucky enough to share a journey with a kind and humble woman named Wayan Tublen. I remember spotting her waiting in line before her surgery looking uptight and anxious. I wanted to comfort her so I went over and tried my best to string together a few sentences in Bahasa and try and take her mind off what was about to come. Although she could barely see me and was visibly very nervous, she conversed with me happily and held my hand. Title Anticipation of a better life Wayan Tublen waiting patiently, before going into surgery. Location: Baturiti, Tabanan The touching part was that the next day when the bandages were taken off she remembered me and held my hand to kiss it once more. It made me realise how much a gesture so small could do for a person there. Her gratitude and immense taste for a new life were overwhelming, and took me some time to let sink in. To give the gift of sight to anyone is an incredible thing to do, but to give it to someone who would never have dreamed of such a chance is something else. Giving back to people who give so much is better than many things in this world. We could definitely all feel this by the second day and happy tears were shed by most. Title - The first sight of a better life Image has been sharpened and given brightness for better contrast and resolution 5

6 To me throughout the journey, what captured this immense joy for life and gave the most truthful and honest depiction of the love and kindness these people shared was shown in their faces - they were beautiful. Sadly, the westernised ideal of beauty is a face free from blemishes and wrinkles, with big eyes, strong cheek bones and a big smile (Cunningham 1986). However, being in Bali as an artist with a thirst to draw, it wasn t those faces that I wanted, nor saw beauty in, instead it was the faces which were filled with lines and wrinkles, eyes squinting, and lips paper thin. It was these faces that told me stories, stories of Bali s past, and the true essence of life. To me that was more beautiful. Top right - Title - A face full of stories Old lady selling us her handmade Kamasan eggs. Location: Outside Kertha Gosa Pavilion, Klungkung Middle Title- What Middle: makes these people so happy? Image has been sharpened and given brightness for better contrast and resolution Title A stranger with a story Passer by with the look of peace and contentment in her eyes Location: Corner of JL. Veteran Road Yet despite being surrounded by all these happy and giving souls, I felt there had to be something that they all had in common. A link that could potentially explain this common peace and happiness shared by many. To my surprise, the answer had been there all along, in every corner, along every street and sometimes presented so monumentally in front of me I d been blind to have missed it before. Spirituality. What all these people shared was a common belief for the greater good. No matter where we went there was always an offering under our feet, or a ceremony in place. Title Kind blessings at the markets Kind lady with kinder words Location: Klungkung Markets 6

7 Title - A place with such importance Image has been sharpened and given brightness for better contrast and resolution Although it didn t seem like much to us at the start, these small offerings of love to the gods were a huge part of the Balinese people s way of life. If anything, you could say their lives evolved around their religion. Yet there was something quite beautiful and powerful about it all, something surreal. To watch, let alone be part of such personal practices of a religion I cannot lie created small uplifting quivers that ran down my spine. The first day we spent at the temple Pura Campuhan Windhu Segara, was probably the closest I d ever felt spiritually and it was divine. I can now see why so many of these people devote their lives to a religion - there is something quite soothing about knowing one s purpose and the bigger picture to life. Studies even support this notion that spirituality and religiosity contribute greatly to life satisfaction and wellbeing (Wills 2007; Kreitzer 2012). I came to Bali with little knowledge or understanding of the sort of life many of its people lived. Naïve you could say to what I was about to experience, like someone about to walk into their own surprise party. Overwhelmed by the generosity, kindness and love I received, I came away with a new outlook on life. To give is the purest form of happiness, to appreciate the simple things and let life slow down is essential, to live in the moment - for that moment may be your last, and to love the way you wished to be loved will make this world a happier place. Buddhism defines happiness as the state of mind that enjoys inner peace and is contented (Dorji 2013, p. 298). To me not a single person I met in Bali lacked this form of happiness, something quite incredible and unique I believe, and something I will never forget. Title Gifts to the Gods There is never too much you can give when it comes to happiness Location: JL. Veteran Road 7

8 References: Cunningham, M 1986, Measuring the Physical in Physical Attractiveness: Quasi- Experiments on the Sociobiology of Female Facial Beauty, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 50, no. 5, pp Available from: PsycARTICLES. [22 January 2018]. Dorji, G 2013, Spirituality and Happiness, Journal of International Philosophy, vol. 1, no. 2, pp Available from: toyo.ac.jp. [24 January 2018]. Kreitzer, M 2012, Spirituality and Well-being: Focussing on What Matters, Western Journal of Nursing Research, vol. 34, no. 6, pp Available from: Sage journals. [23 January 2018]. John Fawcett Foundation 2017, The John Fawcett Foundation Home page. Available from: [28 January 2018]. Wills, E 2007, Spirituality and subjective well-being: Evidence for a new domain in the personal well-being index, Journal of Happiness Studies, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 49. Available from: SpringerLink. [23 January 2018]. 8