To say that Bali is a very spiritual island is a bit of an understatement.  Whereas most of Indonesia is Muslim, Bali is comprised of 90% Hindu and Bali-Hinduism dominates the everyday lives of most Balinese.  The religion is a combination of elements from the Indian Shivaite and Buddhist traditions with older beliefs and practices originating from the archipelagic world of Indonesia.  Here, ancestors are deified, as are the fundamental forces of nature. 

In the eyes of the Balinese-Hindu, existence is a continuous cycle of life, death, and rebirth, until one attains moksa, when the body becomes one with the macrocosm.  Rituals at various stages of life on earth ensure individuals progress toward this desired state.

Rituals seek to maintain cosmic harmony among the three levels of the Hindu universe:  that of the gods above the mountain peaks, the demons below the earth and sea, and the human world in between.