Whither Bali?
| Author | Andrew M. Watson |
| Published date | 01 June 2000 |
| DOI | 10.1177/002070200005500210 |
| Date | 01 June 2000 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
ANDREW
M.
WATSON
Whither
Bali?
LYING
NEAR
THE
MIDDLE
OF
THE
VAST
INDONESIAN
ARCHIPELAGO,
which
from
east
to
west
extends
over
more
than 5000
kin,
the
island
of
Bali
also
finds
itself
in
the
midst
of
the
turmoils
that
have
plagued
the
Republic
of
Indonesia
for
the past three
years.
Yet
in
some
ways
Bali
is
removed
from
Indonesian
agonies,
and
it
might,
in
the not-too-distant
future,
draw
still
farther
away.
Tiny
Bali,
with
its
three
million
inhabitants
(compared
with
Indonesia's more
than
200m) and
its
land
mass
of
only
5,561
sq
km
(compared
with
Indonesia's nearly
2m
sq
km)
is
unique
in one
respect
amongst
the
13,600
or
so
islands
of
Indonesia -
in
its
religion.
Over
90
per
cent
of
the
population
are
Hindu,
most
of
whom,
including
the
young,
are
devout.
They
are
followers
of
Hindu
Dharma,
a
blend
of
Buddhism,
Hinduism,
and
animism,
which developed
in
eastern
Java
from
the
8th century
onwards
and
was
brought
by
migrants
to
Bali.
In
Bali,
unlike
Java,
it
has
been
resistant
to
Islam.
Preaching
the
harmony
of
God,
nature, and
man,
Hindu
Dharma
enjoins
participation
in
a
seemingly
endless
round
of
rituals
and
ceremonies,
which divert
much
labour
and
money
away
from
economically
productive
activities
but
offer
-
so
it
is
said
-
still
greater
spiritual
rewards,
both
now
and
later.
Music,
drama,
dance,
shadow
plays,
painting,
sculpture,
and
many
crafts
have been
fostered
by
this
religion,
producing
a
culture
that
is
deeply
ingrained
in
Balinese
people
of
all
ages.
Over
the
past
century,
this
has
attracted
a
steady
flow
of
Western
painters
and
musicians
such
as
Walter
Spies,
Rudolf
Bonnet,
Han
Snel,
Colin
McPhee,
and
Antonio
Blanco,
who
not
only
took
an
interest
in
Balinese
culture
but
Professor
Emeritus
of
Economics,
University
of
Toronto
INTERNATIONAL
JOURNAL
Spring
2000
To continue reading
Request your trial