High Priestess Ida Panditha Mpu Budha Maharsi Alit Parama Daksa

As much as I blog, and try and share this experience, there is really no way to explain what we are actually doing here. This journey has been an emotional, physical, and mental awakening. Yesterday was deep. Like, deep deep. Two thing happened, but today we will just focus on the first. Have any of you ever heard of the only High Priestess in Bali? No? Want to hear an incredible story? Get yourself some tea and a snack (preferably no sugar, non processed, organic snack), sit down, and read on. If you want the short version, scroll down past the big version.

Copied directly from her about on facebook (YEP, this girls on Facebook!

Ida Panditha Mpu Budha Maharsi Alit Parama Daksa Known as: "Ida Resi Alit."

On March 13th, 2007 a legend was born. A village girl of 21 years old was ordained as – not just the only, but the youngest – female High Priestess of Hindu Dharma, the traditional religion on the deeply spiritual island of Bali, Indonesia. On the day of her rebirth, this village girl became known as Ida Panditha Mpu Budha Maharesi Alit Parama Daksa, or simply "Ida Resi Alit". 

Historically, she was born on March 14th, 1986 to a modest Balinese family. Comprised of farming families surrounded by pastoral rice fields, their remote village is situated in the middle of the island. Her given name at that time was: "I Komang Wediantari." 

Like many other village girls just graduating from high school, she left her home near Gianyar in 2006 to seek a job in economics, her major in school. She landed on exotic Bintan Island off the coast of Singapore, known for its commerce, in hopes of finding a job that paid well; well enough to help support her family back home.

But she would soon discover that The Divine had a different plan for her. In her honest search for employment, all doors closed to her and she could not find work – not a single interview. After several months of disappointment she was forced to return home to Bali in November of 2006. 

Upon arrival in her village, I Komang Wediantari fell into a depression she could not overcome. Her kindly grandfather, the village priest Mangku Bawe, saw her distress and grew increasingly concerned about her health and well being. He began to gently instruct her in chakra meditation and yoga. These disciplines struck a deep chord within her and became her springboard to a spiritual awakening. 

With this awakening, The Divine reached out to her and a direct connection was opened wide, welcoming her into The Divine Fellowship Circle. She was summoned to become a conduit to The Divine in order to spread an important message to the world, and she heeded the call. 

Thus this young girl, who had neither an interest in spiritual matters nor previous religious training, began to have frequent out-of-body and near death experiences, understandably shocking those around her. It was during an encounter with one of these near death states that she received her Divine Instruction and was told of her preordained path. 

From that time, she displayed exceptional skill in pewedaan (speaking the mantras in Sanskrit and other ancient languages), mudras (the sacred hand movements), and further complex religious rites, including tantric dancing and chanting. She was suddenly so accomplished in these ancient spiritual arts that the High Priests were called to see for themselves her many gifts.

Eventually in February 2007, near Ubud, Bali, she found a Nabe, a High Priest designated as a Master Teacher, who was willing to recommend her to be ordained as a High Priestess. After a painstaking process of spiritual examination and rigorous physical tests by The National Board of Ordination of The Hindu Dharma Association, her ordination was finally approved and she was awarded the title of High Priestess of Hindu Dharma.

So, truly a legend was born. At the age of 21, without formal study or training, I Komang Wediantari was directly instructed by The Divine, she needed only 21 days practicing intense meditations and the noetic process (self knowing or interior knowledge) to master the stringent requirements for her ordination. The arduous procedure to become a High Hindu Priest or Priestess generally takes up to three years or more and requires extreme training under the guidance of a Master Teacher.

The position of High Priest or Priestess is traditionally bestowed upon those more mature in age and with greater empirical experience and demonstrated wisdom. Additionally, this high place in the religious hierarchy is dominated by men and few women are able to achieve equal standing. Passing through these fires of spiritual commitment and exactitude, Ida Resi Alit was born.

In a monumental decision of historic significance, the board of The Hindu Dharma Association took only 20 minutes to ordain Ida Resi Alit. Now they fully realized who had been sent to them.

Maharesi Alit is fulfilling her destiny of spiritual healing and cleansing. She currently presides over many of the profound religious ceremonies throughout the beloved island of Bali and is revered for her sacred wisdom, knowledge and blessings.

Short version. 19 year old girl is looking for work, but can't even get an interview. She gets depressed about her situation. Her uncle is worried so he teaches her meditation and yoga. In her meditation, she kept hearing, in her language, "The Healer". She told her uncle, who told her to ignore it, because she's a girl, blah blah blah. Then while meditating she died, and from what I heard around here, for five hours had no breath. They prayed, "What do we do? How can we bring her back?" The answer they got was to allow her to be a Healer. They agreed and she woke up. After awakening she knew all the rituals, languages, etc, that she needed to know, without ever taking one lesson. This takes priests years to learn. From the moment she wakes up, to the moment she goes to sleep, she's in constant servitude. She cannot get married or have children, which was hard for her, but she made the decision to listen to this calling. Crazy story!

Why am I telling you this? Because I went to her temple, had a water purification ceremony preformed on me, and got to meet her.

We arrived at the temple and waited for the ceremony of "letting go" to begin. After waiting for about 30 minutes, this small, young, Indonesian girl came around the corner. She wore a beautiful silk blouse with crocheted patterns on the bottoms of her sleeves and back, a green skirt, and a yellow sash at her waist. I didn't realize that this was the High Priestess I was looking at. She was just so small, and young! The High Priestess nodded her head at us, and then walked up to a high platform to bless the water. Out of respect, we had to wear clothes with our shoulders covered, a sarong to cover our legs, and a sash around the waist. We all sat on our meditation pillows and closed our eyes. She sang for a good 45 minutes, blessing the water, lighting candles, throwing water, and praying to all the Gods. I peeked of course, to see all of this. It was a long 45 minutes to sit straight, but it was beautiful. We were paired up before we got there. I was with a cool Australian girl, Jacqui, and we were 3rd to go. When the first pair went up, I had already started to cry. It's such an emotional and beautiful ceremony to witness. She sits up high on a platform, with her blessed water, and guides us with her perfect English. When it was mine and Jacqui's turn, she advised us to let go of anything that was holding us back or not servicing us anymore, while pouring water on our heads. She encouraged us to not hold onto our tears. I'm pretty sure she was talking directly to me, as I had that huge lump in my throat, trying so hard not to just wail. She wasn't having any of that. She put her hand on my head, and said "let it out!!" and so.... I did. I cried and cried, and stomped my feet (which she told me to do too). Becky was there to, and she held my back, so that I didn't stomp myself into a circle. Our eyes are closed the entire time, as water is just pouring over you, cleaning out the bad. The water was cold, refreshing, but it was in bucket fulls. It was hard to breath at times.

When everyone had gone, Monique, Jenni, and I, all went again. We still felt that we were holding onto things, so we went a second time. We stomped, shook our arms, some yelled. I felt that lump in my throat still, so I cried and cried, and then... it was gone. I could feel my heart opening up to the sky. My arms went back and it felt like I was opening my heart to let love in, and also showing the world that I'm ready to love fully. Didn't I say this was deep? I wasn't lying. 

After the ceremony, we went to another mediation area and sat to meditate with the High Priestess. She touched us, sang, guided us. To be honest, I couldn't really meditate. I was too tired, and ... well hungry, duh!

I got a picture with her and we said our goodbyes. 

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