19 January, 9
February, 19 February
The first
visit was a quest. Several contacts who might lead me there fell through, yet I
was determined to find this high priestess who was dedicated to water so I
decided to set out with a driver and a friend to find her small village
Demulih, which the Balinese tell me means "not welcome"—well, here we
come!
 |
| Found at last! Demulih slightly NW of Bangli |
When we
finally arrived, not only were we welcome, our timing was auspicious, though
unplanned. The high priestess was about to begin her mid-day prayers, and
graciously invited us to meditate while we waited. Afterward she would do the
water purification ceremony for us. We sat where she indicated, slightly behind
her, and meditated with eyes open so we could see her Hindu-Buddhist rituals
holding a vajra, ringing a bell, flicking water and flowers into the air, chanting for 20-30-40
minutes. We were entranced.
 |
| Ida Resi Alit, Balinese High Priestess |
She turned
toward us with a radiant smile, motioned us over and explained: we would be
completely wet with water and afterward we would change into dry clothes. Of
course, we didn't know, so brought none. When my turn came, I stepped up to the
high platform she sat on. Her young niece filled many water bowls. She asked
me to pray. I put my hands in front of my heart in the customary western way,
and bowed my head.
The water began to pour over me in cascades. I needed to
tilt my head down avoid breathing water. Down it came in gushes.
Next, she told
me to wipe my head. I brushed the water through my wet hair many times, felt
tension release, yield to water, and raised my hands high above my head, receptive,
receiving.
After several
minutes she told me to pray. This time I placed my hands near my forehead
Balinese style and felt an expansive wholeness words cannot describe.
Drink,
she said, and I cupped my hands right over left and drank the sacred water she
offered many times.
The next
visit, two young European women who were also drawn to the water ceremony came
along with my friend Yolanda from Mexico and I. This time, many Balinese families
were there also.
 |
| Encouragement to raise the energy up into the heart and lungs |
|
Many people
responded strongly, with motion, cries, and laughter releasing as the water
cascaded. Ida Resi sometimes gave instructions to help move the energy: stamp
your feet, breathe deeply, pull the energy up into your heart.
There we
were—Mexican, Belgian, Hungarian, Romanian, American, British and Balinese all
reveling in these moist moments, drinking in ineffable healing transmitted in
Ida Resi Alit’s own star language, the mother tongue we all shared.
Of all my
journeys in Bali, all the ceremonies that raised my spirit and awareness, these
water purification ceremonies are the ones that led me here because they affirm
the sacredness of water.
Through all our water woes and water wars, this is
the reason we struggle and fight—because water IS sacred. Most of us have
forgotten, but some still remember and offer water blessings to whoever appears
at her door.
After these three ceremonies,
I am moved to make
a vow:
To learn more
about healing water
to balance all
I’ve learned about water ills.
Mara
Asmara (my Indonesian name)
From "A Little Book on Ida Resi Alit:" Ida Panditha Mpu Budha Mahaseri Alit Parama Daksa, also known as Ida
Resi Alit, was born I Komang Widiantri on March 14, 1986, in a small
farming village in the central highlands of Bali. She lived as an
ordinary girl for the first twenty years of her life. At the age of 20,
due to external events, she fell into a deep depression. Ida Resi Alit’s
uncle, a village Mangku, concerned for her well being, introduced her to
meditation and yoga to soothe her. As she started practicing, the girl
who had no previous spiritual training or deep desire, began to have out
of body experiences and download information during her practice. She
was instructed to perform a special ceremony, the meaning of which she
did not understand. At the ceremony she fell into deep unconsciousness.
She stopped breathing and her pulse was gone. Her family wailed, crying
and reacting hysterically, scared that she had died. Ida Resi Alit has
no memory of this time. At 2am she started to regain consciousness, to
be able to blink but not to talk. Then she saw a laser, like a bolt of
lightning in the sky, and found herself able to fully return to her
body. She slept until the afternoon and when she had awakened
spiritually. She was able to recite mantras she had never been taught. High priests were called in to confirm this. Not only were the mantras valid, she knew many more that the priests had not yet learned. Soon after she was ordained by the highest authority, the
Hindu Dharma Council, and she became Bali’s youngest and only female High
Priestess.
Another article about her: http://www.i-mag-online.com/2012/09/bali%E2%80%99s-high-priestess/
