Let me share some facts with you about Indonesia:

• Indonesia is a singular nation-state made up of over 17,000 islands. It is one of the largest countries in the world, both by area and population.

• There are over 1,300 distinct ethnic groups and over 700 distinct languages.

• About 87% percent of the population is Muslim. About 10% is Christian, the remaining 3% is a variety of other religions, mostly Hindu.

• On the Island/Province of Bali, however, 87% of the population are Hindu.

As a way of embracing the multifaceted nature of Indonesian identity, the country has adopted the national motto “Unity in Diversity”. It is a simple declaration that - despite all the differences in its multicultural society - there is a unifying undercurrent binding these various groups into one people. I think this motto also beautifully captures the monotheistic approach to Balinese-Hinduism which contains both a central Supreme Being, and a large pantheon of gods and spirits all of which represent the various aspects of that one all-encompassing deity.

This evening’s event is a Balinese-Hindu temple ceremony, an event intended to maintain the natural balance of the universe. This sentiment is based in a philosophy that permeates Balinese culture: Rwa Bhineda, a phrase that essentially means “two opposites”, and is a philosophy of embracing both the positive and negative. The Balinese do not destroy the negative forces, but balance them in harmony with the positive. Sometimes this is symbolized in the temple itself by a pair of statues that sit alongside each other, Barong and Rangda. Barong is a mythical beast symbolizing positive energy, Rangda is the demon witch symbolizing the negative. Together, they represent the eternal struggle between the opposing forces of the universe, and through their struggle, we find balance. Remember, Balinese Hinduism is ultimately a monotheistic faith; these conflicting energies are part of the same supreme being, a single nature already complete and perfect - a unity in diversity.

I think this point is worth sitting with for a moment: the nature of this conflict between Barong and Rangda is not the eventual triumph of good over evil, but instead a harmonious balance between the two in all aspects of our lives. Rwa Bhineda is a practice of looking at life as it is, understanding that all things come in balance and that for every joy there is a sorrow, for every triumph a failure, and that to celebrate one state to excess ignores life’s natural ebb and flow.

I’ve worked as a musician in various churches over the last 10 years, but even the most open and inviting of them would likely balk at placing a statue of the Devil in their sanctuaries alongside the usual Christian iconography. And yet, there is something I find deeply calming about this holistic embrace of our entire human nature. Instead of getting caught in the push and pull of our multifaceted dualistic nature - the physical and the spiritual, the individual and collective, the inner and the outer, and a thousand other paradoxical aspects of who we are - we too might try embracing our own inner complexity, this personal unity in diversity.

The temple ceremony is about embracing both sides of these dualities and restoring balance and harmony. Specifically:

• Harmony between ourselves and the divine

• Harmony between ourselves and our environment

• Harmony between ourselves and each other

It is this last harmony, the one we establish as a community, where the practice of Gamelan seems to fit into the overarching philosophy of Rwa Bhineda.

What first attracted me to Gamelan is that it felt like sacred music, even though it’s not tied to any specific religious tradition. Maybe it’s the cyclical structure of the music, the hypnotic rhythm of the gongs or the rich, frenzied harmonics of the metallic instruments, whatever the reason, gamelan echoed the kind of ancient and timeless sentiment I associate with spiritual practice.

But in Bali, the line between what is sacred and secular isn’t so clear cut. Yes, gamelan is used in Islamic, Hindu, and even Catholic religious ceremonies, but it’s also part of nearly all celebrations including religious holidays and anniversaries, birth, marriage, death, and rights-of-passage, infusing all of them with an elevated sense of meaning and purpose.

Playing together also celebrates the community as a whole and there are opportunities for everyone to participate, from the amateur to professionals, and from children to the elderly. Every aspect of playing is a way to build and maintain mutual care, cooperation, and interdependence, primary social values in Bali that are inextricable from the spiritual values of group harmony. The very skills required to play Gamelan reflect these values. There is no star status in this music, it is inherently an ensemble activity and each part is necessary, making everyone equal. Through gamelan practice, we learn how to unite our thoughts and souls through mutual music making. Even moving these beautiful, but very heavy, instruments requires a coordinated community effort.

Gamelan itself becomes a metaphor of Unity in Diversity, narrowing the focus of a national idea to the level of the ensemble, allowing each individual to embrace their own role in the group while working together to create something no one person could achieve on their own. Perhaps the metaphor penetrates down to the individual level as well, helping us recognize and embrace our myriad nature as one being, already complete and perfect, in the unavoidable harmony of the universe.