In the West, the reasons for the Bali bombings in 2002 soon became clear: Islamic extremists killing non-Muslim Westerners, as in the World Trade Centre attacks, except this time — shockingly for Australia — the terrorists were Indonesian. But there exists a very different view, held by many Balinese, that would surprise most Westerners.

Many Balinese blamed themselves for what they now refer to as “bom Bali”. They believed this evil act occurred when and where it did because Bali had lost its way; the balance between spirituality and materialism had been lost. Kuta, with its chaotic crassness, lust for the dollar and non-stop good times, was the epicentre of the imbalance.

To someone from a country where people look for someone to sue when they fall over drunk, such utterly stoic acceptance of responsibility is arresting. No, it’s staggering, given neither the perpetrators nor the intended targets of the bombing were the Balinese themselves.

More than 92 per cent of Balinese are Hindu, which makes their collective character, behaviour, outlook and way of life vastly different from the rest of mostly Muslim Indonesia. In the face of many invasions by outsiders, whether colonisers or tourists, it’s the devout practice of Hinduism that has kept the core values and Balinese way of life more or less the same for centuries, perhaps more so now than before the bomb. Perhaps because of the bomb.

Over the centuries, many have wanted to claim this island paradise as their own. Even tourists and expats have always liked to think they “discovered” it. In the 1930s, Western artists and intellectuals flocked to Bali to paint the tropical landscapes and terraced rice paddies — not to mention the bare-breasted women. In the 1960s, surfers safaried to Bali’s wave havens. At the same time, the educated hippie nomads who were into cultural tourism and cheap travel put it on their Sydney-London route.

The common factor they all found was beauty: in the landscape, in the people and in the culture.

The world is not short of island paradises; we have more than our share in Australia, with arguably better beaches, more temperate weather and equally lush vegetation. So what is it about Bali that makes it so special?

For some it’s suntans, shopping and cheap massage, but for most it’s the culture, deeply rooted in Bali’s unique version of Hinduism and influencing every aspect of daily life. The vibrant visuals of Balinese spirituality are as pervasive as the humid air, from lavishly decorated temple celebrations, to the ubiquitous offerings, to the tiny floral decorations of life’s most humble necessities.

The Balinese impulse to make everything beautiful and harmonious has a solid spiritual basis: everything in the human world either pleases or displeases God above the mountains and the demons below the earth and the sea. The Balinese invest a lot of effort daily, and much expense at times, in trying to maintain the balance between the forces of good and evil.

Offerings

The outward expression of the desire to please God and placate the demons is not a once-a-week or special-occasion affair with the Balinese, but rather daily observance, first and foremost through offerings and prayer.

There are countless styles of offerings ranging from the simple canang you see everywhere every day, on the ground in front of homes and shops, on shrines, perched on cash registers and counters, on the dashboards of taxis and even on the beach (it’s believed the sea is inhabited by demons).