The Day of Silence: From Awareness to Covid-19

ANTARA FOTO/FIKRI YUSUF

Hindus attend the Melasti ceremony ahead of Nyepi Day, Saka Year 1943 at Kuta Beach, Bali, on Thursday (11/3/2021).

Nyepi (Day of Silence) this year is the second year in the row that people in Indonesia, specifically Balinese Hindus, will observe during the Covid-19 pandemic.

When Nyepi is meant and interpreted as a mass celebration, it provides values, norms, and actions to suppress and prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Nyepi provides inspiration for that. It gives awareness that in this world there are always good and bad things, rwabhineda, but with the awareness that humans are able to overcome them. Humans are naturally able to face challenges and overcome them.

Awareness

Traditionally, Balinese Hindu society views Nyepi as a value and a norm that must be adhered to. It is stated as amati geni (no open fires or flames), amati lelanguan (no pleasurable activities), amati karya (no work or labor) and amati lelungan (no journeys). From this conception it is then said that it should be a time for the community to remain silent, complete rest from all activities.

However, if it is explored in a modern context, Nyepi is actually a great resource to make people aware and drive all social activities. Nyepi can explore these resources when awareness can be achieved. Then, self-awareness will be done when we stop completely from all routine.

In essence, human life is trapped by social normality. Nyepi pauses this to give the body and mind a chance to do self-evaluation.

From this point, actually observing Nyepi should start from Pengerupukan, which falls the day before Nyepi. Pengerupukan has a significant role in guiding human introspection.

In the traditional understanding, Pengerupukan is interpreted as an effort to get rid of evil creatures that interfere with life. The Balinese Hindu community hits the kentongan (gong) or makes noise so that the evil force goes away.

In the modern context, Nyepi is a reminder that this world is full of disturbances, disease and dirt that must be removed.

The sound of kentongan or noise is a warning of our mistakes in managing ourselves and the environment, as well as a warning to others about the mistakes and the threats.

In connection with Nyepi, all the dirt must be removed every year to open a new clean page. Therefore, Pengerupukan serves as inspiration to start anew.

Or, you can say cleaning the dirt every hour so that the surrounding is always clean.

At the micro level, it can then be interpreted that we have to clean the dirt every evening so that every morning we can work properly again. Or, you can say cleaning the dirt every hour so that the surrounding is always clean.

If every social element had such awareness, the environment and its cleanliness could be preserved.

In the context of resources, the cleaning that is carried out on Pengerupukan day encourages maximum contemplation on Nyepi. In this context, Nyepi can be interpreted as inspiration.

Several years ago, the author once wrote that Nyepi as self-practice can take place every month, every day and even every hour. It means that people need time to evaluate themselves so that they can start something new with a better spirit.

The easiest example of Nyepi is when we are able to conduct mediation every hour, close our eyes for a moment to control our emotions, and then carry out a new activity at the next hour.

KOMPAS/AYU SULISTYOWATI

The streets look deserted in the North Kuta area, Badung Regency, Bali, at 16.30 WITA, Wednesday (25/3/2020). Hindus in the "Dewata Island" perform Chess Brata Panyepian on the Saka New Year 1942.

Here, not only awareness will be obtained, but also energy from a stronger consciousness.

Nyepi and Covid-19

As a methodical attitude, Nyepi should make a big contribution to the world.

From that context, the Covid-19 outbreak is the failure of the government, state, and mankind to deepen awareness: that this world, besides providing positive things, can also provide negative things if we fail to understand the meaning of reforms.

Covid-19 is said to have originated in a market in Wuhan, China, which according to news reports, is dirty, where various raw meats, even live poultry, are also traded in that place. There are also those who say the Covid-19 outbreak was caused by a failure in laboratory experiments.

The concept of Pengerupukan contributes to the idea that Covid-19 is dirt that must be removed.

In fact, Covid-19 spreads everywhere and the country which experienced the greatest casualties had failed to protect itself against the warning.

In the context of the Covid-19 outbreak, it also provides a concrete example in action.

Nyepi is not only about providing contemplative nuances for mankind to be aware of their mistakes. In the context of the Covid-19 outbreak, it also provides a concrete example in action.

In practice, Nyepi is observed by staying home. This is a lesson for the community to be disciplined at home.

Kompas/Bahana Patria Gupta

Hindus take body temperature measurements after participating in the Melasti Ceremony at Pentirtaan Jolotundo, Mojokerto Regency, East Java, on Sunday (22/3/2020).

If the community is able to practice seclusion and stay at home for only two weeks, this epidemic can be suppressed.

Two weeks is meaningless, if the safety and health of humans could be guaranteed for decades to come? The stock price would not have dropped if we all on earth refrain and not to go out, and of course we have to prepare all the supplies we need for those two-week period. Happy Nyepi Day, Saka New Year 1943.

GPB Suka Arjawa is the Dean of the Social and Political Sciences School, Udayana University

(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi).