The day after the cremation ceremony, Smiling Buddha had a surprise for us: an invitation to another ceremony. This time the ceremony was closer to home. In fact, it was the ceremony to keep the evil spirits calm at his home and guesthouse.

See, the Balinese aren’t about vanquishing the evil in the world. They seek balance. Thus their purification rituals are aimed at scaring away evil spirits, bribing them or confusing them, not about exorcising them back to a hell. You’re going to have to live with evil spirits so you may as well make them happy.

Making them happy is what this ceremony is all about. Smiling Buddha called it Masageh 1 and talked about it primarily as feeding the evil spirits. And since it’s about feeding, this ceremony entails a lot of offerings.

Now, Smiling Buddha has a big personality. Performing the minimum ceremony holds no interest for him. “If I do the best, gods will give me the best. Evil spirits will give me the best.” To give a bit of an idea what this means: 35 chickens were sacrificed to the occasion. A huge group of his family came down from the region around Tirtha Gangga to participate and they were housed and fed.

It was a big deal.

The ceremony began with a feast for the participants. In this case we were sat in clusters of six with meat and rice and told to eat. This was a matter of pride for Smiling Buddha who, after noting we were stuffed but there was yet more food, admonished us “Food is for eating, not decoration!”. We ate sate (Balinese spelling of satay) of pork, chicken, pigs blood meal, chicken curry, Balinese salad. We ate all this in the parking lot, with out hands, on the ground. It was delicious.

Then the massive arsenal of offerings were laboriously purified. This was a two-priest job.

After the purification, prayers were said in six parts of the home compound. I got to attend the first of these. Melissa and I don’t have the stamina for the whole ceremony or even a slice and after the first prayers, we went snorkeling. Back to our tourism.

So we only attended a slice of the ceremony. We didn’t get up at 5 AM to cook the feast, nor were we up the previous nights cooking offering food. We didn’t get the full list of all the required offerings from a priest or a local elder. We didn’t pray in all the different locations until 6 PM.

But we did appreciate the vast scale of the operation. The surprising thing is that after the ceremony is complete, the offerings are fair game to eat. This is nice: it’s a little sad to think of all that food going to waste. Unfortunately, apart from the fruit and some of the baked goods, it’s clear that they don’t use their greatest skill in the preparation of offerings. In particular the chicken was tough as leather.

All this food is prepared for the offerings, then given away. Some of it to ants and chickens and other animals, but much of it goes to people. And the relatives are all fed. It’s another aspect of how the Balinese culture works to provide for everyone. You have these religious ceremonies compelling what amounts to a welfare program for the community. You feed the evil spirits and end up by also feeding your family and neighbors. A neat system.

Pre-Ceremony Feast

Before the ceremony, there is a traditional feast. In this case we were sat in clusters of six with meat and rice and told to eat. This was a matter of pride'for Smiling Buddha who, after noting we were stuffed bu there was yet more good, admonished us 'Food is for eating, not decoration!'. We ate sate of pork, chicken, pigs blood, chicken curry, Balinese salad. All in the parking lot, with out hands. It was delicious.

Before the ceremony, there is a traditional feast.

Offering Precession

The offerings are carried to the temple. This little girl led the way.

The offerings are carried to the temple. This little girl led the way.

Offering Precession Continues

Offering Precession Continues

Offerings Piled High

In one of the many offering stations throughout the compound, the offerings are piled high.

In one of the many offering stations throughout the compound, the offerings are piled high.

Offerings Blessed

A glimpse into the main family temple where the priest was busy purifying the offerings.

A glimpse into the main family temple where the priest was busy purifying the offerings.

One of the First Prayer Sessions

I join the family in prayer. I didn't get the fashion memo that it was all-white that day...

I join the family in prayer. I didn’t get the fashion memo that it was all-white that day…

Second Priest

The second priest purifies another set of offerings.

The second priest purifies another set of offerings.

After the Ceremony

The offerings are gathered up.

The offerings are gathered up.

Offerings Piled High

Now they're ready to be eaten...

Now they’re ready to be eaten…

1. My research efforts to find anything by this name, or even by description of the ceremony where in vain. It could be this is a local name for the ceremony, or that we transcribed the wrong thing.