The belief in reincarnation (samsara) provides Hindus with the incentive to act according to dharma and behave appropriately. Suffering either immeditaely or at some time in oneÕs future is the direct result of failing to consider the consequences of your actions. Ultimately the future form one takes after death will depend on how successful they have been in this quest, the cycle of death and new life continuing until eventually the soul is freed from desire and blends in with the universe in a state known as moksa.

Rituals are the vehicle for maintaining this order, and in Bali these rituals are particularly colourful and elaborate. There are numerous different rituals for a number of different purposes, but the main function of these rituals is to call down the gods and the ancestors and entertain and feed them.

The rituals which aim to protect the human body through each phase of life, or manusa yadnya, are the most prominent of these. These are rites of passage which follow through each phase of development, including birth, first teeth, puberty, and marriage. There are 13 different rites of passage in all, so Balinese communities are constantly involved in preparations for or participation in ceremonial celebrations of one form or another.

The rituals which are responsible for cleansing and exorcising demonic forces are know as the buta yadnya rituals. The small canang offerings placed on the ground at the doors to compounds and on busy intersections, for example, are designed to appease these demons and protect the inhabitants.

Those rituals which are directed to the gods are known as the dewa yadnya rituals. Temple festivals, or odalan, are the most prominant of these rituals. As there are a number of different types of temples - including household temples - the three temples standard to every village, regional temples, state temples, irrigation temples, and community organisation (banjar) temples - the number of temple festivals the Balinese participate in is significant.

Pitri yadnya rituals are ceremonies for the dead, preparing the body for cremation and the aftermath. These are particularly elaborate and colourful displays which invariably involve the whole village in the building of huge sarcophaguses and towers ready for the parade and final burning of the body.

Because the aim of Balinese Hinduism is to maintain the equilibrium between order and disorder, or good and evil - rather than simply aiming to wipe out evil forces and promote the good - the Balinese accept both the positive and negative as part of the whole, and the aim is to occupy the centre position. The three positions are reflected in every part of Balinese life, and are represented in all physical arrangements.

The mountain in the centre of the island, Mount Agung, is considered to be the Holy Mother and is central to Balinese Hinduism. Reaching into the spiritual world above, Mount Agung represents the upper spiritual level, while the earth itself represents the neutral ÒcentralÓ position, and the sea the profane world below.

The human body itself is thought to be a representation of these three levels, with the head representing the spiritual heavenly world (swah), the body representing the human world (buwah), and the feet representing the evil underworld (bhur). Many aspects of Balinese life are similarly patterned on these three levels, including the whole village organisation as well as the construction of temples and houses, with the spiritual rooves, neutral main structure and profane flooring.