Black Sorcery

Balian and Balinese : Black Sorcery Done by Balian Pengiwa

According to Balinese, Balian is not only known to help and overcome a problem of Balinese. However, sometimes there is also a Balian who likes disturbing and hurting people of Bali. This is usually done by Balian Pengiwa. Generally he does Black Sorcery against those whom they do not like. Here is an example of the story about black sorcery.

Luh Putu, a woman from Badung, had experienced strange illness three times. The first time was when she was 25 years old. She often got headache which was unbearable pain. She thought it was only a normal headache, so that she took headache pills only. However, the pain was really disturbing her, especially when she was at work. Even after consulting to some doctors, it seemed still not healed at all. One day, she followed her friend’s suggestion to check it up to a Balian (healer). The Balian told her that she got pepasangan (magic things that cause people sick). When the Balian took the pepasangan out of her body, something weird in the form of golden flower obviously appeared from her shoulders which was making her shocked. Since then, she was healed and  it was a miracle.

The second time happened when she was 27. She got an extreme fever. After going to the doctor and checking up in the lab, she was diagnosed typhoid and should be hospitalized. After about 4 days being hospitalized, the doctor allowed her to go home and outpatient care. However, she had the fever back once she reached home. Then she decided to see a doctor again and re-checked up in  the lab, but again the result turned out that there was no problem with her health. Although the doctor had given her fever-lowering medicine, it still didn't help her much and not effective. She then realized when her boyfriend, Mangku Lanang (her husband now) entered the hospital room, her fever subsided, but when he went out to take something, she felt the fever back again. It was continuously like that and made her suspicious and finally asked for help to a friend who was also a psychic. When he told her the result, she got shocked because again somebody put pepasangan in her body. Then Mangku Lnaang could neutralize it because he is ngiring (chosen by holy spirit to help people) Ida Ratu Mas Sakti. At that time She still didn't understand the main reason of the matter and tended to blame the person who put the pepasangan.

The third incident happened after she got married. It was night time and she got fever and diarrhea up to ten times. It was worse than the second incident when she was 27. However, her husband, Mangku Lanang was always there to heal her and neutralized the bad spirit that disturbed her. The three incidents that she experienced made her realize to be more aware about the surroundings and changed the way she thinks about the life.

This is how the concept of Rwa Binedha exists. Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa (The main God of Hindu believers in Bali) made two things, good and bad. God was the cause of good and bad.

The pain that we receive, both the sekala (humans’ world) or niskala (unseen world) diseases come from God. The diseases occur not because of others’ fault but our own. It is because we often neglect to maintain our health and forget of doing good things in our lives. Don't we often hear when people meluasang (asking Balian or healer about something or solutions) regarding the causes of the diseases? The answer that often comes out from them is that it is caused by the mistakes of ourselves, whether it relates to something religious aspect like the lack of offering on a certain ceremony or our lack of awareness to do good things in our lives.