รายละเอียดกระทู้

by Luh De Suriyani http://www.thejakartapost.com/bali-daily/2013-08-28/disability-a-religious-and-customary-perspective.html Balinese society is being encouraged to stop viewing people with physical disabilities as cursed, a respected religious leader has stated. In a discussion on disability from a religious and customary perspective held in Denpasar on Monday, Ida Pandita Dukuh Acharya Dhaksa regretted that many families in Bali still considered children with physical disabilities as cuntaka, or a family disgrace. The one-day discussion was organized by Yayasan Peduli Kemanusiaan (YPK), an NGO focusing on rehabilitation for the physically disabled. In Bali, Ida Pandita commented that physical disabilities were seen mostly from a non-medical view. “People still refer to what a balian says. The balian may say that it is caused by another person’s curse on the target family. People must be smart enough to question opinions,” Ida Pandita said He went on to say that information delivered by any balian could stem from his own knowledge and understanding of the subject. “People should not immediately accept and acknowledge what a balian says. The level of religious knowledge of every balian is different. It also depends on his spiritual prowess,” he warned. Some balian, he said, advised families unwisely leading to familial and marital disputes. Ida Pandita explained that in the Hindu belief system, a disability could be caused by three reasons — karma, nature and forbidden marriage. Incest, or a marriage between siblings or between a child and a parent, was strictly prohibited. Marrying a step-sister or a step-brother was also forbidden, as the marriage could result in having a disabled offspring. For Hindus, he said, a physically disabled person was not viewed as cuntaka and was able to pray at temples and sacred places. Cuntaka refers to people considered temporarily unholy, including people grieving, women menstruating, people with a bad or evil mind (amano), bad speech (wakpurusya) or committing bad deeds (akarma). “When we face a problem of people with disabilities, we must first understand the medical cause and analyze it before we make any personal judgment or accuse other people who allegedly have made this happen,” Ida Panditaadvised. Such negative perspectives may also follow parents who have twin children, as twins are considered an incorrect birth. “That is an old tradition from ancient royalty.” Ida Pandita encouraged parents to take their children to visit places for disabled people. “It is good learning process for children to stimulate their compassion for those more unfortunate,” he said. Purnawan Budi Setia, director of YPK, said that the discussion was crucial to change mindsets and perspectives toward people with physical disabilities. “It is not a curse, it is a blessing for any family who has such a child.” YPK has been supporting 450 disabled people to receive training and various types of life skill knowledge.