The Sea and the Mountain

The Sea and the Mountain.

two places so sacred
gateway of peace and harmony

The traditions only the spirit knows,
the body just follows.


The Balinese believe that the mountain is the dwelling of all-benevolent spirit, the ancestors, the deities, and the Supreme Being; where as the sea is the place to cleanse impurities from inappropriate acts. For that reason, the concept of Nyagara-Gunung (Mountain and Sea) is adopted as the best destination for Spirit Journey, the sea being the place to absolve the negative karma and the mountain to bring us closer to the higher source.

The mountain is also linked to Shiva as the Lingga, manifested as benevolent and masculine energy. The sea is associated to Yoni or Shakti, where its power is feminine, gentle or passionate. This shows the Yin and Yang representation.

In Bali, there are many ancient Shiva sites with lingam and yoni stones. Most of the big temples in Bali have Shiva lingam and yoni stones inside the large shrines or meru (similar structure like the Pagoda). Or the stones are displayed on top of edifice.


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