Managing Turbulent Hearts: A Balinese Formula for Living

378 Pages·1990·30.48 MB·English

by  Unni Wikan

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A Balinese Formula for Living

Unni Wikan

‘The University of Chicago Press © Chicayo ant Loudon
Unni Wika is profesor of social anthropoingy athe Uriveraity of Osa. Her books in
English are Lfcamang ihe Poor in Ceizound Beindthe Vein Arabia: Women in Oman.

‘The Univesiy of Chicago Prats, Cheago 60857
‘The Univer of Chicago Pest tc, Leadon
(© 19) by The Unversity of Chicapo

All sigs reserved, Putished 190

Prine nthe Und Sees of Americx
DN 95 94H SASIE

itary of Congress Callen in- Publication Dat
‘Wikan, Uni, 1981

‘Mining buen beat: 4 Balxe Frm /Uasi
‘Wika,

Includes hiblinpraphicalwelerences and index
ISBN 226980781 feat —
1. Bale inden peopl)—ooca! i> and aston
2, Dainese (Indonesian pople)Soial conditons. 3. Pilsophy,
Balinese (densi people). Tit.
saa? ROSWSS. 1600
Ms 57820 soins
cr

© The paper wd in a pbicaion neste miner requtemenb ofthe Anescan
aio Sune for nermaton Scercer Permanence of Paper fr Pine Litary
Matera, ANSE 230481084
For
Balinese friends
and for
Kim and Suriati
Indeed, I do not forget that my voice is but one voice,
my experience a mere drop in the sea,
my knowledge ro greater than the visual field in a microscope,
ny mind's eye a mirror that reflects a small commer of the world,
and my idees—a subjective confession.

Cam JUNG
CONTENTS

‘Acknowledgments
Introduction; Beyond Speciacle aad Bright Face

Part One: Experience and Its Interpretation
1 Grate, Gatery, AND LAUGETER
2 INTERPRETING EVERYDAY PRACTICE

Part Two: Bridgings, and Cares Carried Across
3) HIDDEN HEARTS AND BRIGHT Faces

4) Movenee in Social Space

3 Covi Prove See... ALL Wout Peas reum Foi
© MANAGING THE HeART—To PLEASE AS VIRTUE PLEASES

Part Three: Feeling-Thoughts, Morality, and Health
7) PEELING-THOUGHTS AND THEIR INTERPRETATION
8 Lavoirer, SapNess, AND Dearit RECONSIDERED
9 Viraury AND HEALTE

Part Four: Coping with the Suffering Life Inevitably Brings
10 Finvina « Way Our oF SADNESS
LL Powe, « FIGHT FoR FREEDOM, AND CoveRr Viot ENCE

ix

ot

9
2
m

195
210

12° Artur Bauian's: Scekin ReLinr ror Lire’s STRAINS AND.

STRESSES
18 Tur Power tm Heat

Part Five: Culture and Translation
14 GOING BEYOND tHE WouDS: A PLEA +k RESONANCE

230
249

267

285
317
327
337
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

‘The tim: has come to thank all who helped make this book possible.
First and foremos:, friends and acquaintances in Dali. Without you, 1
‘would have found ao point of entry, 10 way & an understanding, wor
‘would I have enjoyed—as indeed I have—tie sheer werk of doing this
‘book. Your generosity and friendships have beer invaluable and have
adited new and vita! dimensions to n'y life,

‘This book is intended ae a countergift | hope you will feel it repays
some of my deb:s ard that it may add to Western understandings in
‘way you can appreciate and accept. I hope my text resenates with you,
‘as you would have it resonate with foreigners, And “if I have spoken
‘wrongly, may I be forgiven.”

‘Some of those who Fave been mest important to me I cannot name,
singe they figure in the book and [ nzed :© protect their identities. You
will know how indebted 1 arn, Others may be mentioned.

Drs. { Gusti Pte Amara, I Gusti Ayu Suesti Anta, Ari Malar
‘and Didik provided our first point of contact and our first home in Sing
raja. Through the years, they have heen a consian: source of frien¢
‘hyp, genemeity, and help. For this, and for intrnducing us to family and

ds in Pengastulan. we express our deeptelt thanks
Bepak Mohamed Anwac, B.A., Ibu Asiah, and their extensive fam-
ily of twelve children, forte child, grandmother, and aunt provided our
second home and a marvelous working base, Our gratefulness, to Ibu in
particular for being an inimitable “Foster” mother fer our son, Kim, is
inexpressible. But everyone in this extraordiary family—Mol, Tt,
Au

and all—deserves individual than
Bapak Abdul Rahman Alawi and Ibu Husiya Abdul Rahman were
‘equally forthcoming and gencious in their effocts to belp us in every
way. For this and era precious iendship, deepfel hans.
1Gust, Pau Mangku Chandi and his wife and family offered as a
‘home at any time anc bore our presence at not always convenient hours
Acknowledga vents

wich he brightest bright face und thovglful care and concern. For his
and for their friendship and generosity: heartfelt thanks.

‘We are also indebted to Subeldah Husnan with family. Sri Mpa Dwi
Tantra, Made Ante, Nyoman Darmi, Sri Darna Yanti, Made Surya
Soagianto, Jeo Mangku Sukascna, and lero Balian Nyoman Lentri with
their family, Bapak Drs. Nyoman Suweila, I Ketu: Armatha, Nene Guru
and her daughicrs, Lay, Ping, Ibu Trini Mayun, Sariari, and Ids Oka.

In addition I wish to thank everyone —also passing acquaintances—
whe helped usin ways large and stall

Professor Gusti Ngurah Bagus helped us generously in the initial
stage and provided valuable points of contact, Without tals we might
nor have known where to star and would surely have made many more
mistakes. We express our respectful thanks.

The chief of the Regency of Buleleng, Bupati Drs. INyoman Taster,
received us graciously and was surely always in the background under-
writing ou efforts without making his presence folt. Forth we are very
grateful.

[Except for permission from LIPI—the Indonesian Institute of the
Sciences—to conduct the research, none would have been done. Nor
‘would it have been possiole without the sponsorship ofthe University
‘of Udayana in Bali. To both these institutions we ackrowledge our
indettedness

T have left tl the ené two Halinese friends who have played very
special roles in the projet which eventuates here. Throughout the re-
search as wel as during the writing process I have drawn ceaselessly,
‘and with inestimable benefit, on their knowledge and erudition, Dr.
Socgianco Sastrediwiryo and 1 Made Bidja Arya Wang Bang Pinatih
have been crucial in affecting the shape end contcats ofthis book. Iam
also grief to members oftheir Kawisastra Mendala Foundation

Tn Jakarta, Salumah and Abdullah Pope provided me. with a home
on every occésion and with valuable friendship, for which Tam very
grateful

‘Next I turn to persons and institutions beyond Indonesis. The feld-
werk on which this book is based was generously funded by the
Norwegian Research Counc! for Ssience and the Humanities (NAVF),
and the Norwegian Courcil for Applied Social Science (NORAS). Tothe
latter Iam also indcbted for financial support toward typing and re-
typing, A particular thanks to Ellen Vollebak for sccing this project
tug) at cvery sage and offering zencicus practical help and advice.

“To the Insitute of Comparative Cultural Research Tamm grateful for
funding to enable a last revisit, in 1989.
Ackaculedgrnen's

Asne Tyeito typed the manascript in its several drafis, always with a
bright face, and suggested sensitive improvements in the process, But
for her, the work of revising wotld have been so much harder to do.

Lem grateful also to Lars Viki for his help in translating Suriat’s
poems: to Nancy Frank and Froycis Haugane. superb librarians for their
efforts to help me in numerous ways: to Paul Weimer and Lis Gerhardt
for assisting with the manuscrpt: 10 my copyeditor, India Cocper, fora
beautiful job; and to Devid Brent of the University of Chicago Press for
all his efforts on my part

“This book has taken me four years o do, and | am indebted to many
persons, frends and colleagues, who have sastained me by thei ith in
ittand their encouragement that what I had to say was werth seying, and
therefore worth laboring to say so it might be heard. At an early and
citical stage, Talal Asad, Mask Hobart, Arthur Kleinman, Genanath
‘Oheyesekere, lames Peacnek, and Rituard Schieffeln offered such in
estimable support. Vital in lending me confidence and encouragement
vere also Charles Leslie, Robert and Sarah LeVine, Byron Good and
Mary Jo Del Vecchio Good, Annette Weiner, Joan Kleinman, and mem-
bers of the Harvaid Social Medicine Seminar of spring 1987. in paticu-
lar Tom Chordas, Janis Jenkins, Paul Farmer, and Don Pollack. Also 1
‘ish to thank Paul Rosenblatt, Konalé Simons, Stephen Murray, Anre
Krogstad, Henvik Sinding Larsen, and Solruna Willksen Bakker.

‘Thanks also go to Stanley Tambiah for inviting me to presenta short
version of my main perspective to the Harvard Anthropology Seminar
of spring 1987. and to Naorai Quinn for her invitation to speak :0 the
Society for Cultural Anthropology meetings in spring 1989 The latter
offered re the incentive to develop the line of thought which, in a re-
‘worked fashion, now constittes the last chapter ofthis book.

I should also acknowledge my genuine respect and deb ic the person
‘who both stimulated the conception of this study and loomed large
through its entire course: Clifford Geertz. Withcut his knowledge and
‘without my asking, he has profoundly shapec both my thinking and my
polemics.

| wish to acknowledge three journels thet published articles derived
fom my research, Eihus, American Edwioxist. aud Culture. Medicine
and Psychiatry. The ealivor of these journals—Robert Paul, Shirley
Lindenbaum, and Byron Good—as well as several anonymous re-
viewers made important suggestions that critically helped me think
‘through and refine what I wanted to say and why. This book has bene-
fitted mach from thet. Pats of chapter one have appeared in Ethos 15,
tno. 4 Devznber 1987), 337-65, and pasts of chapter nine in American