That morning, Wednesday, January 21, 2026, the atmosphere was bright and serene, as reflected in the joyful faces of the devotees who were about to embark on a sacred journey. Preparations had been made to participate together in the Melasti procession—a purification ceremony for the pralinggam of Ida Bhatara at Tuluk Biyu Temple Batur, the symbol of God at Tirta Sah Temple—which would then continue with a sacred journey to Linjong Temple in the village of Muncan.
Throughout the journey, everyone was very enthusiastic, even though the rain had been pouring down for quite some time, leaving us all soaked to the bone. Everyone who took part in this journey thoroughly enjoyed it. The disciples, who had been rigorously trained by Gde/Jero Lanang, persevered and participated in the entire ceremony until the very end, undeterred by their wet clothes and the cold weather.
The traditional elders of Tuluk Biyu Temple are deeply grateful for the disciples’ participation and extend their appreciation to Gde/Jero Lanang for taking part in the ceremonial procession and this sacred journey.
After the entire procession at Linjong Temple was completed, we proceeded to the next part of the ceremony. We brought the pralinggam we had carried from Linjong Temple back to Muncan Ashram and continued with a ritual procession to visit the sacred sites within the ashram. We began with Hyang Begawan, Pelinggih Petirtan, Linggam Pu Daksa Yasena, Linggam Raksamukha, Tirta Sudhamala, and continued to the campuhan, Linggam Gajahmina.
But that wasn’t the end of it. At 1:00 a.m. WITA early Thursday morning, we continued our journey to the Buruan Ashram and installed the Pralinggam there, since the Buruan Ashram is also where we conduct our spiritual practices and shaking sessions together. The entire ceremony went smoothly and concluded at 3:30 a.m. WITA.
This was an absolutely amazing journey during which we didn’t feel cold, tired, or sleepy. It was all thanks to Ratu Bagus’s energy and Gde/Jero Lanang’s motivation. We’d also like to thank the Western disciples who joined us until the very end.
If we look closely, this is a form of harmonious relationship that must always be maintained in social life. The spiritual teachings of Ratu Bagus guide us to cultivate awareness and understand the essence of harmonious relationships with the Creator, humanity, and nature—much like the concept of Tri Hita Karana instilled by the Balinese ancestors.
It is through this shaking that spiritual wisdom—in the form of awareness—will emerge, not merely through words, but through its tangible implementation. This is what Gde/Jero Lanang always emphasizes in every discourse he delivers to his disciples. He goes on to say that this is a very opportune and excellent moment to demonstrate that our teachings are, in fact, about the essence of humanity, not about validating what we do.
In spiritual awareness, we no longer need recognition that we have done this or that; it is not merely about what we consider good, but rather about its usefulness. Gde/Jero Lanang explains the teachings on giving and receiving—how to ensure we neither give nor receive in the wrong way. People often forget that giving and receiving are things that must be consciously practiced, just like breathing: when we inhale oxygen released by plants—something we desperately need to survive—and the carbon dioxide we exhale is received and utilized by plants in the process of photosynthesis.
He added that, despite all that, we should remain focused on giving so that life becomes more meaningful.
Thank you, Maha Sadh Guru Ratu Bagus; thank you, Gde/Jero Lanang; thank you, friends, for this time together—we have learned so much through these truly extraordinary moments.
OSRB