NYEPI
The realization of ability “to be an angel” for any one
Nyepi, Bali’s Day of Silence – Nyepi 2007 –
take place March, 18-20, 2007.
There is a curfew during every New Year’s celebration on Bali.
All evil spirits shall be irritated by the means of this “Day of Silence”.
Every religion or culture all over the world has their own way to define and celebrate their new year. For example, the Chinese have the Imlek year and to celebrate it, have, as they called it in their own language, “Gong Xi Fat Choy”. The Moslem societies have their Muharam year, and any of the people over the world using the Gregorian calendar, celebrate the New Year on January 1st.
The same thing also occurs in Bali, however the Balinese use many different calendar systems. They have adopted the Gregorian calendar for business and government purposes. But for the endless procession of holy days, temple anniversaries, celebrations, sacred dances, building houses, wedding ceremonies, death and cremation processes and other activities that define Balinese life, they have two calendar systems. The first is the Pawukon (from the word Wuku which means week) and Sasih (which is means month). Wuku consists of 30 items starting from Sinta, the first Wuku and end up with the Watugunung the last one. The Pawukon, a 210-day ritual calendar brought over from Java in the 14th century, is a complex cycle of numerological conjunctions that provides the basic schedule for ritual activities on Bali. Sasih, a parallel system of Indian origin, is a twelve month lunar calendar that starts with the vernal equinox and is equally important in determining when to pay respect to the Gods.
Westerners open the New Year in revelry, however, in contrast, the Balinese open their New Year in silence. This is called Nyepi Day, the Balinese day of Silence, which falls on the day following the dark moon of the spring equinox, and opens a new year of the Saka Hindu era which began in 78 A.D.
Nyepi is a day to make and keep the balance of nature. It is based on the story of when King Kaniska I of India was chosen in 78 A.D. The King was famous for his wisdom and tolerance for the Hinduism and Buddhism societies. In that age, Aji Saka did Dharma Yatra (the missionary tour to promote and spread Hinduism) to Indonesia and introduce the Saka year.
The lead up to Nyepi day is as follows:
Melasti or Mekiyis or Melis (three days before Nyepi)_Melasti is meant to clean the pratima or arca or pralingga (statue), with symbols that help to concentrate the mind in order to become closer to God. The ceremony is aimed to clean all nature and its content, and also to take the Amerta (the source for eternal life) from the ocean or other water resources (ie lake, river, etc). Three days before Nyepi, all the effigies of the Gods from all the village temples are taken to the river in long and colourful ceremonies. There, they have are bathed by the Neptune of the Balinese Lord, the God Baruna, before being taken back home to their shrines.
Tawur Kesanga (the day before Nyepi)_Exactly one day before Nyepi, all villages in Bali hold a large exorcism ceremony at the main village cross road, the meeting place of demons. They usually make Ogoh-ogoh (the fantastic monsters or evil spirits or the Butha Kala made of bamboo) for carnival purposes. The Ogoh-ogoh monsters symbolize the evil spirits surrounding our environment which have to be got rid of from our lives . The carnivals themselves are held all over Bali following sunset. Bleganjur, a Balinese gamelan music accompanies the procession. Some are giants taken from classical Balinese lore. All have fangs, bulging eyes and scary hair and are illuminated by torches.The procession is usually organised by the Seka Teruna, the youth organisation of Banjar. When Ogoh-ogoh is being played by the Seka Teruna, everyone enjoys the carnival. In order to make a harmonic relation between human being and God, human and human, and human and their environments, Tawur Kesanga is performed in every level of society, from the people’s house. In the evening, the Hindus celebrating Ngerupuk, start making noises and light burning torches and set fire to the Ogoh-ogoh in order to get the Bhuta Kala, evil spirits, out of our lives.
Nyepi_On Nyepi day itself, every street is quiet – there are nobody doing their normal daily activities. There is usually Pecalangs (traditional Balinese security man) who controls and checks for street security. Pecalang wear a black uniform and a Udeng or Destar (a Balinese traditional “hat” that is usually used in ceremony). The Pecalangs main task is not only to control the security of the street but also to stop any activities that disturb Nyepi. No traffic is allowed, not only cars but also people, who have to stay in their own houses. Light is kept to a minimum or not at all, the radio or TV is turned down and, of course, no one works. Even love making, this ultimate activity of all leisure times, is not supposed to take place, nor even attempted. The whole day is simply filled with the barking of a few dogs, the shrill of insect and is a simple long quiet day in the calendar of this otherwise hectic island. On Nyepi the world expected to be clean and everything starts anew, with Man showing his symbolic control over himself and the “force” of the World, hence the mandatory religious control.
Ngembak Geni (the day after Nyepi)_Ngembak is the day when Catur Berata Penyepian is over and Hindus societies usually visit to forgive each other and doing the Dharma Canthi. Dharma Canthi are activities of reading Sloka, Kekidung, Kekawin, etc.(ancient scripts containing songs and lyrics).
From the religious and philosophy point of view, Nyepi is meant to be a day of self introspection to decide on values, eg humanity, love, patience, kindness, etc., that should kept forever. Balinese Hindus have many kind of celebrations (some sacred days) but Nyepi is, perhaps the most important of the island’s religious days and the prohibitions are taken seriously, particularly in villages outside of Bali’s southern tourist belt. Hotels are exempt from Nyepi’s rigorous practices but streets outside will be closed to both pedestrians and vehicles (except for airport shuttles or emergency vehicles) and village wardens (Pecalang) will be posted to keep people off the beach. So wherever you happen to be staying on March19th in Bali, this will be a good day to spend indoors. Indeed Nyepi day has made Bali a unique island.The Visualisation of the Angel Being within the Human Being.
The Concept
° Performance-Artists worldwide will be invited to participate in the 24 hour event „Nyepi“.
There is two optional ways to participate:
a – The artists travel to Bali and will realize the event together with the artists from Indonesia and/or other present visitors and participants of the project at any chosen location there. It will be a lieu in the country because the whole city life will be completely disrupted. No production – no discussion – just be quiet and less in movements as possible.
b – Worldwide. The participating artists will realize this 24 hour happening in their home country, during a journey, at the place of their present being, alone or together with others. This can as well take place within any other project, while being on a vacation or in any other way. Thus any potential lieu worldwide, where the participating artist stays.
This event will and shall be isochronous.
For example 0:00 a.m. on the 19th of March in Bali equals 4 p.m. on the 18th of March in the UK and 11a.m. in New York on 18th of March.
° A website to document the event will be established. Only the names of the participating artist and names of the locations will be published there. No explanation, no depiction – simply the names and the place. This will be provided by ASA-European / E.P.I. Zentrum.
Philosophic Facts
° Man has only the choice between understanding and action, between insufferable truth and playful humbuggery, as long as he does not finalize, what he – with the help of his proud achievements hectically operates: the end of the historic process, that means his downfall, or if granted, the beginning of the past-historic era.“ Cioran
Slow down, renew, standstill, the quiescence worldwide during one single day, calm via slightest movement.
°John Cage: „The music that I focus on, does not have to be called music. Nothing exists within this music, that has to be remembered. No themes, just activity of tone and silence.”
° Charron noted down, that he recognized more brouhaha and turmoil in Florenz within the last ten years, then within the last 500 years in Graubünden, and concluded, that a polity can only endure, when it is possible, to “quiet and ease the spirit”.
° August 29th, in 1952, the American pianist David Tudor performed the world premiere of a new composition in New York. He sat down at the grand piano, closed the lid, persevered exactly 4 minutes and 33 seconds at his instrument and then opened the lid again.
Transformation of traditions – to become tradition.
That the idea and cultural traditions of „Nyepi“ shine from Bali all over the planet.
That this day shall be performed annually, representing the first intercultural day of all the peoples of the world.
Nyepi – 2007” shall be transformed from a genuine artistic project to a cultural project.
That all peoples of the world are invoked, to anchor and legitimate this day within their catalogue of constitutional laws
(or to anchor it under their various existing forms of written constitutional laws, etc..).
That individuals are found, who delve into the further development of this project in their countries.
With regards and big hope of participation
Boris Nieslony
E. P. I. Zentrum
Europäisches Performance Institut
More information please open http://www.asa.de/conferences/index.htm