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Çiva Buddhism

Bali is known throughout the world as the "Island of the Gods". It is considered by the Balinese as the “Island of Bhakti”. The name “Bali” is derived from the Sanskrit words “wali” (ceremony) and “banten” (offerings). Bhakti is how the Balinese express their devotion to their gods and deities through beauty. Indeed art and beauty permeates the whole Balinese culture, from the way they dress and relate to one another, to their appreciation of their environment and their general attitude towards life.

The Balinese practise Çiva Buddhism, which is also practised in Nepal, the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Çiva Buddha, or Indonesian Vajrayana Buddhism, is a Hindu-Buddhist hybrid from the Sailendra Dynasty and Majapahit Empire and is unique to Bali. It was brought to Bali when the Majapahit Empire crumbled into warring sultanates with the spread of Islam, and the royal families, priest and warrior castes, intelligentsia and artists fled Java and established their kingdom in Bali in the 13th century.

Basically in Çiva Buddha, the Hindu aspect was taught to understand the cosmos, and Buddhist meditation was taught to realise full enlightenment.

Ratu's root Lama, the late Ratu Giri Mahatera, once explained that the principle difference between Hinduism and Buddhism is that Hinduism stresses yadnya (sacrificial rites), whereas Buddhism does not.

Ratu's skill as a teacher was to use the the four yogas taken from Çiva Hinduism as the Preparation Stage on the path to enlightenment, namely:

(1) Bhakti Yoga, the path of devotion to the gods, goddesses, gurus and deities through Pancha Yadnya or "five sacrifices"

(2) Jnana Yoga, the collective wisdom through meditation practice,

(3) Karma Yoga, putting practice into action, and

(4) Asana Yoga, maintaining one’s physical body and well being so one will have a long life in order to realise enlightenment in one lifetime.

In upcoming posts I will attempt to shed some light on these four yogas and how they relate to the Buddhist Path.