At the heart of Balinese Hinduism is Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa, the one supreme God from whom all gods are understood to emanate. Balinese often describe the countless deities honored in temples as manifestations of this single divine source rather than separate beings. The idea is central to how the faith is taught today and to every prayer, which begins by addressing God through the sacred syllable Om.
Sang Hyang Widhi is also called Acintya, a Sanskrit word meaning the inconceivable, which is why the highest shrine, the padmasana, is crowned with an empty throne. God's three great functions are personified in the Trimurti: Brahma the creator, Wisnu the preserver and Siwa the dissolver. In the Balinese scheme of nine directional deities, Brahma is linked with the south and the color red, Wisnu with the north and black, and Siwa with the center.
Visitors meet the Trimurti everywhere once they know where to look. The three village temples each honor one of them, and the three-chambered family shrine is dedicated to God as Brahma, Wisnu and Siwa. Where a padmasana stands, the back of the throne often carries a gilded figure of Acintya surrounded by flames. The colors red, black and white recur in offerings, cloths and threads, quietly pointing back to the same idea.
Highlights
- The empty throne of the padmasana
- Gilded Acintya figures on temple shrines
- Brahma, Wisnu and Siwa in the village temples
- Directional colors in offerings and flags
Good to know
- Look up at the back of a padmasana throne to find the small golden Acintya figure.
- Ask a temple priest which deity each shrine honors; most are glad to explain.
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