SEAToday.com, Jakarta - Life is a journey, and death is its inevitable destination. While the inevitability of death is a universal truth, not all cultures approach it with the same level of acceptance. For most, the loss of a loved one is a time of profound sorrow.

However, the Balinese people have a unique perspective. They believe that death is not the end but a transition to a higher state of being, or nirvana. This belief is reflected in their elaborate and often costly death ceremonies, known as Ngaben.

Bali, with its stunning natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, has long been a popular tourist destination. This image was carefully cultivated by the Dutch colonial government, which sought to promote the island as a tropical paradise. By highlighting the island's unique customs, such as the Ngaben ceremony, the Dutch created a romanticized image of Bali as a place where ancient traditions thrived.

Visitors to Bali have been drawn to the island's exotic culture and the opportunity to witness firsthand the grandeur of the Ngaben ceremony. These rituals, which involve cremating the deceased, are seen as a way to release the soul and help it reach nirvana.

As Michel Picard notes in his book "Kebalian: Konstruksi Dialogis Identitas Bali" (Kebalian: A Dialogical Construction of Balinese Identity), "Since the 1920s, Bali has been portrayed as a genuine Garden of Eden, a birthplace of a culture untouched by modernity and its changes, where the native people, endowed with extraordinary artistic talents, spend much of their time and wealth on staging elaborate ceremonies for their own pleasure and that of their gods."

Ngaben Tradition

The Ngaben tradition is a proof to the fact that death doesn't have to be solely a time of sorrow. For the Balinese, Ngaben is a celebration that offers a lighter perspective on death, growing a sense of community and joy.

Rooted in ancient Balinese beliefs, Ngaben is a ritual performed to liberate the soul of the deceased from the earthly realm and facilitate its journey to heaven, where it can be reborn.

Balinese cosmology posits that humans consist of three elements, namely a physical body, a subtle body, and a soul. When a person dies, only the physical body ceases to exist; the soul continues to exist. Ngaben is the process of releasing this soul so it can reunite with the divine. As Seno Joko Suyono explained in a Tempo magazine article, "Humans consist of three layers: the gross body (stula sarira), the subtle body (suksma sarira), and the soul (roh murni). Ngaben is essentially the process of freeing the soul so it can unite with the divine. To free the pure soul, it's like peeling a hard-boiled egg. First, we peel the shell (gross body) and then the white (subtle body)."

The cost of an Ngaben ceremony is often determined by the social status of the deceased, with elaborate rituals associated with higher social classes. The scale of the ceremony can range from small to large, with associated costs ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of rupiah.

The High Cost of Ngaben

Balinese people often go to great lengths to save money for a lavish Ngaben ceremony, even if it means delaying the cremation of their loved ones. This practice, while sometimes criticized as extravagant and burdensome, holds deep cultural significance for the Balinese.

Anthropologist Dimas Aryo Sumilih offers a different perspective. While acknowledging the high costs associated with large-scale Ngaben ceremonies, he argues that these expenses reflect the Balinese people's profound understanding of death as a sacred transition.

"Lavish Ngaben ceremonies are tied to social status and are deeply ingrained in Balinese culture. They also serve to maintain social cohesion and identity within the community," Dimas explained.

According to Dimas, the primary reasons for the high costs associated with Ngaben are:

• Collective identity: Large-scale ceremonies reinforce a sense of shared identity and belonging.
• Social cohesion: Ngaben ceremonies strengthen community bonds and social networks.
• Kinship status: The scale of the ceremony can reflect the family's social standing and prestige.

However, Dimas also emphasizes that it is possible to have a more affordable Ngaben ceremony. In recent years, mass Ngaben ceremonies have become more common, offering a way to simplify the ritual while still honoring traditional beliefs.

"Mass Ngaben ceremonies represent a form of cultural adaptation. They demonstrate how traditions can evolve to meet the needs of a changing society," Dimas suggests.

In conclusion, the high cost of Ngaben ceremonies is rooted in the deep cultural significance attached to this ritual. While it may seem extravagant to outsiders, for the Balinese people, Ngaben is a way to honor their ancestors, reinforce their community, and affirm their identity.