Religion in Bali by C. Hooykaas

16 Laymen
The repeated mentioning of different kinds of priests might have suggested that they only are the
active part of society in matters of religion and that the ordinary people, the laymen, are merely
passive. But this is far from reality. A good mother—and few Balinese girls escape motherhood
or would aspire to that situation—is aware of the kanda mpat as we have seen (c). Daily she has
to prepare her small plaited offerings, adorned with petals, substantiated by some grains of rice.
In most cases they are offered to the gods and therefore should be called bali or banten; the gods,
however, have only a limited time to enjoy the sari, essence, of the offering, for the pigeons are
used to time and place of edibles. Sometimes the offerings, not unfrequently consisting of some
fish or meat and accompanied by some drops of alcoholic drink, now called caru, are offered to
the netherworldly bhuta and kala, who equally must take the profit of a few seconds only, for
after that the ever hungry Balinese dogs enjoy their leavings (o 5). The trees in the courtyard get
their share, and probably more important but less visible are the offerings indoors for the images
of the Goddess Sri and her spouse Sadana, made of coins, who take care of the welfare of the
family (r). A few feet above a baby's cot is hung a nicely carved and brightly pictured small
contraption, made to contain offerings for the god Kumara, himself ever young, who bestows his
cares upon babies. Some spots in the domestic shrine have to be furnished with daily offerings,
but the trees only periodically are adorned with offerings.
But most offerings, perhaps, are needed for the irrigated rice fields (a, b 1). This staple food
requires constant care during the several stages of its growth, flowering, development of seed
and harvest; each stage needs its own offerings. Cool reasoning points to the importance of the
waterworks, for lack of water in due time means a diminished harvest or even no harvest at all,
so that waterdivisions and watershed receive their own offerings.