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Desa kala patra place-time-context Diverse are the voices, energies, and perceptions, within and relating to performance, that Balinese people have shared with me. And, to be sure, ever more varied, even contradictory, are those which I have not experienced or witnessed. This book will suggest various ways of approaching the interconnectedness of spirit and acoustics, poetry in song, song in dance, dance in character, characters in myth/history, and myth/history in locale, ecology, and religion. A fluid sense oforientation and focus reflects my experience with many Balinese artists, whose ever-contextual mode of discourse and activity continually refers to the concept of desa kala patra 'place-time-context'. While these writings are "about" voices, energies, and perceptions (bayu sabda idep), they are also "about," as much as they are shaped by, this indigenous mode ofdiscourse itself. The concept of desa kala patra is essential to Balinese artists and is discussed in a philosophical way or in a very direct and practical manner just before beginning a performance. It is a way ofputting human activity into the context of the world and nature; a way of interacting with forces greater than the human. Desa kala patra gives a "sense ofplace" on both a social and a metaphysical level. Basically, if something is not in keeping with desa kala patra, it is out ofcontext, either socially, spiritually, or ecologically . Desa kala patra is where things come from, where meaning and life-forces are manifested. It is also applied to ethics and civil behavior, such as the use ofeveryday language to reflect status. In the Balinese language, the composite meaning of the phrase implies more than the sum ofits parts. When the phrase is disassembled, the meanings ofeach word are myriad, depending, always, upon the desa kala patra Desa kala patra I r of the discussion and interpretation at hand. The whole phrase could well be translated into English as "context," and we might be more accurate ascribing the definition "circumstance" or "situation" to patra. Ofthe many different ways that Balinese apply the phrase, desa can in itself refer to the immediate "place, time, and context" ofan event, the sense ofan overall organizing structure. In this case, patra would refer to the "activity'' or "energy '' and kala to a more transcendent aspect oftime. The way many people explain it, desa 'village' refers to locale, the character of a community and land. What kind of genealogical, family descent groups are therd Are there jero, members of the gentry related to the former palaces or members of the Brahmana lineage, traditionally delegated as priests, theologians and literati? Or is the community made up of jaba 'non-gentry', literally, "outsiders," who comprise more than 90 percent of the population? Similarly, some locales are characterized by their proximity to and connection with one of Bali's thousands of temples, sharing its history, spiritual energy, and connotations. Another aspect of desa 'place' refers to the land and its particular character, the quality of an area's ricefields or other agricultural staple. Or whether it is in a densely populated or forested area, by the mountains, by the sea, or in the hills in between those two extremes. The kaja-kelod axis, referring to north-south, but really toward the mountain as opposed to toward the sea, is a source of spiritual as well as geographical direction and orientation. Pura Besakih, the mother temple worshiped by all of Bali, sits by the side of the great mountain, Gunung Agung. Mountains are thought ofas the dwelling place ofgods and ancestors , and it is from there that the deities come for periodic visits, occasioning ceremonies and festivals. The sea is thought ofas spiritually dangerous, the source ofdemons and witchcraft, as well as sickness. So, beachfront villages are considered more vulnerable to black magic and ill health; their ceremonial and artistic activities reflect a need to deal with those forces. Rivers are thought ofas potentially dangerous from a spiritual point ofview. On the other hand, springs are often sacred spots, and holy springs have been the location of meditation caves through the ages. The patra 'context' aspect generally refers to the specific activity that needs to be performed, to be done in keeping with specifics of time and place. Particular group activities, ceremonies, and performances vary according to circumstances, need, and availability ofresources. And there are many times when nonhuman entities dictate patra's particular necessities. VOICES IN BALI/2 [18.119.104.238] Project MUSE (2024-04-25...

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