Cremation is the most important rite of passage to the Balinese. It is the ceremony where the most amount of money is spent on decorations, and is the largest ceremony in a Balinese lifetime. It is the passage to the next beginning. For all Hindus, reincarnation is a fact of existence in the microcosm. The ceremony may be so large it can take years to plan and organize. The Balinese believe that when the body is burned the spirit is finally released into the above where it can wait to be reincarnated. After the body has been burned the ashes are taken to the ocean and let loose to drift in the sea. We were invited by our friend Katut to come and take part in the ceremony of his wife's mother at their family home. The ceremony began at 1 a.m. with worship in the family temple, although we didn't join them until 7 a.m., and continued through the day and night until midnight.

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