The Spiritual Culture of Bali

Everything about the culture of Bali is so different from America that I’m not sure where to start. Spirituality is so very engrained in every day life. I didn’t really expect the people here to be so different from people I’m used to. I love that the people here take their spirituality and let it determine everything they do. From the offerings, to the family shrines, to just the overall mentality and friendliness, it’s so easy to tell how spiritual the people are. I find it so refreshing that people go all in when it comes to religion, and don’t pick and choose what is convenient to them. It’s so nice that they don’t shove their religion at anyone, they are just happy with it.

The most refreshing thing I’ve found about Bali is their attitude about life in general. They are happy with less. Their family temples and doors are absolutely beautiful, but their houses aren’t anything special, and sometimes are quite run-down. I love that they aren’t as focused on appearances and what they spend their money on. Again, it’s all about spirituality and keeping balance in the world. I love that the culture is so truly based around spirituality, and it shows in all aspects of life. It’s interesting how different influences have altered the culture. Like the professor was saying, the change from farming to basic, 9–5 jobs has changed the attitude of younger generations to be more focused on time, and that time is important and needs to be preserved. Before, time seemed to be controlled by the individual, but now there are deadlines that are out of an individual’s control. This has changed the idea of preservation of culture. That is the purpose of going to school to learn traditional dance to teach to the villages. There is a much more Western focus on preserving the culture and keeping it for themselves.