Hindus believe that every soul is subjected to a transmigration process (samara). Each incarnation binds the soul to a body and during that time the soul is in a "hellish" condition. It is this hellish-ness that strives to interrupt and achieve the ultimate level of enlightenment or moksa. This state allows the body and soul to join their cosmic equivalents for good. Failure to achieve moska upon death means that the soul is still bound to the chain of incarnations.
These cosmic notions are maiiifested in the rites which accompany the soul during its journey through the cycle of life. The rites involved in the passage of birth to death are an important part of Balinese ritual. They make up the human life rites (manusa yadnya) and the rites of the dead (pitra yadnya). There are a further three rites which are those of the gods, mainly temple rites (dewa yadnya), rites of demonic forces (buta yadnya) and ordainment rites (rsi yadnya).
The Balinese believe that are Holy Place the mountains. The gods and defied ancestors live there and descend for occasional visits during temple ceremonies to be richly fed and entertained. The souls which did not achieve moska also live there temporarily, waiting to re­incarnate on earth. Ancestral souls which are re-incarnating are said to come straight out of the mouth of hell-or from its abode above the mountain.
The incarnation of the human soul is seen as a human and a cosmic process, starting from love. The union of a man and a woman is that of purusa and pradana, the male and female principle respectively, and the cosmic energy of Asmara the god of love and Ratih the goddess of the moon. In their sexual love unite the red and white ele­ments of desire (kamabang/kama petak), symbols of male sperm and female ovula. The eventual merging of the two kamas begets what is often called "The Godly Fetus" or sanhyang Jabang Bayi, as the soul originates from the heavenly world. A child is called "Dewa" or little god dur­ing their first years of life.
All the phases of existence, from pregnancy to birth and then from birth to death will be paralled by ritual stages. The purpose of these rituals are as follows; to fasten the soul in its body, before birth, to welcome it into the world, to take it harmoniously along the various stages of life and finally upon death, to help it cast away all earth­ly bonds and rejoin the old country of its origins. Here it can merge with the sublime soul of the world, paramatma of God.
The seventh month of pregnancy is the time for the housing of the soul of Megedong-Gedongan ceremony. This binds the soul within the womb. The birth is then celebrated through the penyamtan ceremonies. These are the t birth-rites. The catur sanak burying of four little siblings when the afterbirth is given a ri al burial in four different plawithin the family compound. the fifth or seventh day there i ceremony for the fall of the umb call cord, kepus pungsed. T twelfth day is the first otonan 35 day cycle ceremony, follow by the forty seventh day and fin fly the third month ceremony.
At three months the child now allowed to touch the group and given a name. The child
entered the earthly world and tab ceremonies are to welcome guide the child during their fi steps in life. This is how a chi attains full incarnation of hu status. Like any other being t! child will be subjected to the cy, of the Balinese calendar. They w have an otonan anniversary in family temple, with offering every 210 days (one cycle in Wuku year).