What is it?
In many religious ceremonies, animal sacrifice is still practiced. Our blog post will focus solely on the sacrifice of dogs where dogs are used as an offering to higher powers.
Why is it practiced?
The sacrifices on the island of Bali serve as an offering to the gods or to appease the evil spirits and demons of the underworld.
In the Hindu religion, people with clean minds and a cleansed soul are able to sacrifice the animals, but also have the option to choose herbs and plants in the place of animals. The beings sacrificed are believed to appeal the demons and will be reborn into a higher life, as will the people who perform the sacrifice itself. While the caru (animal sacrifice) is sacred, BARC has reported that many younger Balinese generations aren’t aware of the religious or spiritual meanings behind these sacrifices, but continue the practice.
The Balang Bungkem:
The Resi Gana, or ‘Bhuta Yadnya’, is an offering to the Butha to preserve the harmony between nature and humans. This ceremony often involves the sacrifice of a very specific type of Bali Dog. It must have a red, brown, or tan body with a black nose and snout. This specific dog is referred to as “the balang bungkem.”
Our rescue puppy Oscar is an example of the Balang Bungkem dog. Some dogs may appear more red, but the principal components are the black snout and brown fur.
These dogs are highly coveted and therefore, if you adopt a dog with this coloring in Bali, you have to be very careful that they aren’t stolen or taken into the wrong hands.
How can the dogs be kept safe?
If you rescue a Balang Bungkem dog, it is important to screen adopters thoroughly and make sure that they will live a long, prosperous life in a loving home. It is important that they are not free-roaming and never get out without supervision. Even if the dog is in the yard, it is not unheard of for someone to jump the fence and take the pup, so please make sure you do not leave the dogs alone outside if nobody is home. By adopting a dog with these markings, you can truly help them by ensuring that they will be in good hands with your family.
Conclusion
The goal of this article is to provide information and a deeper understanding of the ceremony as well as a precaution to those caring for dogs with this color on the island. We highly respect the Balinese culture even if we personally choose to not partake in this ceremony. We hope that with time the animal sacrifices can be replaced with nonviolence (ahimsa) and can be practiced with herbs and plants instead. This is not our place to make decisions or implement our own personal beliefs on to other cultures.
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