The padmasana: Balinese Lotus Throne

Balinese temples differ slightly in their layout, but retain many similar elements. The most important part of of the pura (temple) is the jeroan (inner courtyard). The most important shrine in the jeroan is the padmasana, or Lotus Throne. Balinese Hinduism has many Gods, with many incarnations for example Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva (the Creator, Protector and Destroyer). They also believe the Supreme Deity is Sanghyang Widi Wasa. During the Galungan festival, the most important festival of the year, the Gods, and souls of their ancestors come down to Earth to sit in the jeroan receiving worship. They must be honored with ceremony, music, offerings and dance.

Sanghyang Widi Wasa is given a stone seat (Lotus throne) atop a sculpted tower. This padmasana (tower) is always located in the kaja-kangin corner of the courtyard, which is the closest point to Gunung Agung. The whole tower is supported on the back of the Cosmic turtle, or Bedawang, which carries the world on its back. What a wonderful imagination the Balinese have! The Bedawang has 2 helpers in the form of snakes. These are Naga Basukih and Naga Anantaboga and are part of the Balinese creation myth. In the temple I checked out south of Ubud, they had a little golden figure of a man at the top of the tower, symbolizing fertility it seemed.

Speaking of Cosmic Turtles, a class I took years ago used this little story to illustrate the subject of recursion.

After a lecture on cosmology and structure of the solar system, William James was accosted by a little old lady who told him his view of Earth rotating around the Sun, was wrong.

“I’ve got a better theory.” said the little old lady. “And what is that madam?” inquired James politely. “That we live on a crust of Earth, which is on the back of a giant turtle.”

“If your theory is correct madam.” he asked, “what does this turtle stand on?” “You’re a very clever man, Mr. James, and that’s a very good question.” replied the little old lady. “But I have an answer to it.” “And it’s this: the first turtle stands on the back of a second larger turtle, who stands directly under him.”

“But what does this second turtle stand on?” persisted James. To this, the little old lady crowed triumphantly, “Its no use Mr. James, it’s turtles all the way down.”

Adapted from J.R. Ross (1967)

Maybe the little old lay had been to Bali.