02/05/2024
Embracing the Bija: The Sacred Seed of Life in Rice Cultivation
During our visit to Mount Batu Karu, we had a fascinating encounter with Alit’s neighbor who was busy drying and storing her surplus rice harvest. Using sharpened bamboo poles, she skillfully hoisted the hand-tied rice bundles into her beautifully thatched rice barns known as Lumbungs.
These reserves aren’t just sustenance; they embody life’s profound teachings for many farmers. Dewi Sri, the goddess of rice and fertility, not only watches over the rice barns and fields but also symbolizes fertility, ensuring abundant harvests and protecting the rice-growing community.
In Balinese culture, the rice plant itself is revered as divine, embodying the essence of a respected female spirit. Farmers hold a deep reverence for this sacred crop, seeing it not only as a source of sustenance but also as a manifestation of spiritual connection and continuity. Dewi Sri’s presence is felt in every aspect of rice cultivation, guiding and nurturing the cycles of life and growth within the rice paddies.
It Really Makes you think about everything we eat and how many traditions and spiritual significances we overlook in our daily lives.
Food for thought.
masak
