Bali's mountains, seen from the North-East

Bali. There is nowhere like it on Earth.

It’s no coincidence that many spiritual temples in the world are located on mountain tops. High spiritual presences need physical anchorage to land here on Earth, and the solidity of mountain rock provides the perfect substratum. Volcanic mountains with their subterranean fire, are even better.

The topography of Bali is exceptionally well suited to this, with a magnificent chain of volcanic mountains stretching across the centre of the island from east to west.

Many hundreds of years ago, men of great vision arrived in Bali and founded temples on the slopes of these mountains. Four temples were built on the main compass points, four temples on the mid-compass points, and a huge Mother temple at the centre with shrines connected to all the other temples. If you see these Sad Khayangan temples on a map you’ll find that the temple locations are energetically rather than geographically precise, but if you visit the temples, you can really feel the way they hold the energy of the whole island.

Balinese temple shrines

Over time this has evolved into a matrix of over 20,000 temples, covering the entire island, and a huge extended matrix of smaller temples in family homes, containing shrines linked to the village temples, which are connected to the major temples, which in turn are connected to the Mother temple. It is through this matrix system that each Balinese person has direct access on a daily basis to high spiritual presences that most westerners never encounter in their entire lifetime, and it is this tangible relationship with the gods that gives the Balinese their uniquely spiritual way of life.

You can see it in everything they do, from the way they eat (all food is offered to the gods before consuming it) to the way they sleep (they all sleep with their heads pointing in the direction of the sacred mountains). Through an endless procession of daily rituals and annual ceremonies, a constant devotional dialogue with the presences is maintained.

And it works. Even though they have few material possessions and many live at subsistence level, never knowing where their next meal is coming from, there is a joy that shines out of the hearts of Balinese people that can be seen in their eyes, their laughter and their smiles. This joy comes from the deep level of spiritual connection that every person has, from young to old, from peasant to prince.

Balinese children

Visiting Bali is like walking into a paradise where a highly developed spiritual way of life can be found right alongside all the western technologies and creature comforts of luxury hotels. There is no spiritual community on Earth that is so accessible or so welcoming to westerners than this.

I have spent the last 16 years there, learning how to access high levels of spiritual connection in my own life, and how to take this beyond Bali to the West. Even spending a short time in this remarkable culture is a totally revitalizing experience. It awakens a part of us that remembers how life can be.

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