A muddy encounter with the Priest...

Yesterday was one of my favorite days of the entire program so far. We had the honor of meeting with a Balinese Priest, Mangku Made Gina, to learn about his role in the Pengosekan village. He welcomed us into his home where we all sat on the tiled floor of the meeting platform, first listening to him explain what he does and then later asking questions to better understand the dynamic of the village.

His two main roles are to prepare and lead ceremonies in the village temple and also to control the farming activities and water distribution within the village. I find the whole system of irrigation in Bali to be fascinating; it's controlled by priests and has been successfully functioning for over 1000 years in a sustainable way. Mangku Made Gina is in charge of the social organization of farmers called the Subak which creates rules for farmers and controls the water distribution to each farm. There are rules for what farmers can plant, when they can plant it, and when each farm will recieve water. At first glance this system of rules and sanctions for breaking rules might appear to be overbearing, but in actuality it's a carefully calculated formula for mainting the precarious Balinese ecosystem and the economic livelihood of the people. By regulating the water distribution and farming activities, the priests ensure that each farm will get enough water and at the right time during the growing process. The Subak also helps to maximize harvests by controlling pests and diversifying crops. How amazing that people can live harmoniously with nature and it benefits the public health, economy and social lives of the community.

Despite the picture I just painted, there are certain challenges to the Subak system. Farmers might choose to use pesticides and tractors, which can deplete the fertility of the soil which the Subak system maintains. But at the same time these technologies can decrease the workload for farmers and allow them to yield a bigger harvest, in turn increasing their income. Would you continue to use traditional practices in your occupation even if newer techology existed that made your job easier and more fruitful? It's a tough question, especially considering all the factors that are affected by the answer.

After meeting with the priest we got a taste of what it's like to farm in Bali; we were given the chance to plant young rice in a padi outside of Mangku Made Gina's home! We watched as the farmer effortlessly plucked the perfect number of strands from the young plant and delicately but efficiently stuck them into the mud of the padi. It looked easy enough...but despite the fact that it rained while we were planting and this is supposed to be a blessing, our crooked rows and haphazard placement of the rice stalks was all too apparent in the end. It was very gracious of MMG to allow us to help plant the new padi and get a hands-on experience of the daily activities of a Balinese farmer. I thoroughly enjoyed getting knee deep in mud and planting the stalks which will someday feed someone in the Pengosekan village of Ubud...what an amazing day. :)

Jill