The Amazing History of Yoga in Bali

Review by : Yuli SE., MM

Yoga comes from Sanskrit means “unification”, which means “union with nature” or “union with the Creator”. Yoga is one of the six teachings in Hindu philosophy, which focuses on meditation or what activity in which a person focuses their minds to control the five senses and the body as a whole.

Yoga (meditation) in Hindu Bali is the control of body and mind to achieve the ultimate goal of samadhi as one of the ways for Hindus to get closer to God Almighty, Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa. Here is the history of Yoga in Bali.

The origin of yoga

Ri Markandeya is a friend of Rsi Dadhici, who had taught Yoga to young Dewi Parwati and taught awareness of Cakra and Kundalini, to be able to reach Shiva. This proved that Markandeya’s Rsi was receiving Yoga teachings directly from Lord Shiva. At one point, Rsi Markandeya and Sapta Rsi faced the hermitage of Lord Shiva, because they saw the chaos of creatures and many humans misused Vedic teachings. Finally Lord Shiva gave Jnana Yoga lessons to Rsi Markandeya and Sapta Rsi.

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The spread of Yoga in Bali

In the Balinese chronicle / history, Bali and Seleparang (Lombok) are said to be floating. Seeing that very sad thing, in 89 AD, Hyang Pasupati, a great yogi from East Java, meditated for help from Bedawangnala (Giant Turtles), Naga Ananta Boga (Kundalini power by water), Naga Taksaka (Kundalini’s power from the Air) and Naga Basukih (the power of Kundalini from Fire) to move part of Mount Semeru to the island of Bali which is now Mount Agung and partly on the island of Lombok which is now Mount Rinjani .

In 109 AD, Hyang Pasupati ordered his three children to go to Bali, to maintain the balance and harmony of the island of Bali, namely: Betara Hyang Genijaya, who lives on Mount Lempuyang, now Pura Lempuyang; Betara Hyang Putranjaya, living in Mount Agung now Besakih; and Betari Hyang Dewi Danu lives on Hulun Lake Batur, now Pura Ulundanu Batur.

With the arrival of the three of them the situation of Bali began to gradually improve. Then followed by the arrival of the Hyang from Java, among others; Hyang Temuwuh lives in Batukaru Mountain, which is now Batukaru Temple; Betara Manik Gumawang lives on Mount Bratan Bedugul; Betara Manik Galang in Pejeng; and Betara Hyang Tugu on Mount Andakasa, now Andakasa Temple and narrated also Rsi Markandya meditating in the Demalung area around Mount Dieng.

From here he headed east and meditated on Mount Raung, East Java accompanied by 400 followers, then he went to Bali to save the island of Bali, he went straight to Mount Agung, but unfortunately all of his followers died of illness. Therefore he returned to Mount Raung, East Java, to recite again.

After that he got the whisperer back again by inviting his followers of 800 people to Bali to Tohlangkir, now called Besakih. In his meditation he received revelation, had to plant Panca Datu if all his followers were to be saved. Where Panca Datu is likened to an antenna that is planted to access the energy of the universe in order to be balanced, in Bali this culture continues to be carried out.

After performing this ritual, he continued his journey west towards the Ubad region which is now named Ubud. He was captivated by the atmosphere of this area, so that he chose this region as a place to start spreading his teachings. First as a symbol of his origin, in the Taro area north of Ubud he established a temple called Pura Gunung Raung, similar to a mountain in East Java. On the south side, he built a semadhi yoga place, in the Payogan area, called Pura Puncak Payogan, and in the Ubud area he founded Gunung Lebah Temple, the present area of conflict.