My Initiation Into Hinduism

[Shivani Devi]

Namaste

As I lay here in my insomnia, trying to get to sleep (and trying too hard), enjoyable scenes from my early life keep on replaying in my mind.

I was 18, in Bali and in love with the son of a local shaman. He was, still is and forever will be my 'soul mate'. One evening, we were sitting on the beach at Kuta enjoying a memorable sunset when he said to me; "you trust me, right?" and I was like "only with my life...why ask me such a silly question?"

Then he said "I have a surprise waiting for you, but you are not to ask me what it is. Meet me here at sunrise and wear that long skirt which covers your ankles and a long-sleeved blouse". I thought this was a very strange request, but I already admitted that I trusted him implicitly, so I said "okay, I can do that" and he bade me farewell with a kiss.

I arrived on the beach next morning attired as requested and he took my hand and led me to his mororbike parked on the road and told me to sit side-saddle on it...now, I had never done this before and trying to sit side-saddle on a motorbike was a very weird experience, but the curiosity was killing me and I was like "so, what's going on? what's this all about then?" and he just said "shhh...you'll see".

We drove for about an hour and a half from Kuta Beach up to a small, beautiful town called Mengwi. The scenery was so picturesque like a postcard. He parked the bike and we walked out onto a jetty on Mengwi Lake and sat down inside a floating pavillion surrounded by lotus flowers. Then he took my hands in his, looked me in the eyes and said "Do you really want to become a Hindu?" I was like "more than anything else in the world" and then he said "well then, get up and follow me".

He led me to a small temple nearby and we took off our shoes. Then, a young boy came out with a bucket of water, soap and a towel and we washed our feet, hands and face before making our way inside the temple. As soon as I arrived inside, a lady came up to me, smiled, nodded and proceeded to tie a black and white checker-board pattern sarong around my waist and placed a white mantilla scarf over my head, tying it around my neck.

I was then given a banana leaf prayer basket with some raw rice and frangipanni flowers inside it and my love requested I put some money in there too, so I reached into my purse and took out a 10,000 Rupiah note (about $10 back then) and he said "yeah, that will do" and he reached into his pocket, took out a few clove cigarettes and placed them in the prayer basket along with the money and motioned towards another man who brought over a small bottle of local rice wine and gave it to me.

After about 10-15 minutes, a priest entered the temple and summoned me to him. I immediately went up, offered the prayer basket with the wine and bowed at his feet. He caressed my head and shoulders a few times before asking me to sit up comfortably. He produced a small bowl of water from somewhere behind him, took a frangipanni flower out from the prayer basket, dipped it into the bowl and showered me with the water whilst chanting some prayers in Sanskrit. He then took the raw rice out of the prayer basket, sprinkled it over me, chanting more Sanskrit mantras before affixing three grains of rice to my forehead and placing the frangipanni flower behind my right ear.

After this, he took out a spool of yellow cotton from his pocket, wound it around his hand and elbow three times before breaking it off, tying it in a knot...and with some more Sanskrit mantras, he draped it over my head and under my left arm. Tears were rolling down my cheeks at this stage and he said "the light of Ciwa so strong in you" and then he took another frangipanni flower out of the prayer basket and sprinkled me with water once more. After that, he poured some rice wine into a cup and lit a cigarette. He took a sip and a puff and then handed both items to me and I did likewise before handing both back to him again.

He concluded with a few more mantras and then bade me to rise and exit the temple through a different door. As soon as I arrived outside, followed by my male companion, he congratulated me and we hugged...I broke down in tears, just sobbing hysterically into his arms and he basically had to carry me back to the motorbike and we made our way back to Kuta, where we both sat on the beach for hours in meditative silence.

Aum Namah Shivaya

[Nature Grows]

Thats a nice story to share Necro.