Returning from the realm of the dead in Bali

After an extended session of meditation, Ida grew cold, her skin turned pale, her heart stopped, her breath ceased, and it was only after 6 hours that she regained consciousness, becoming a revered spiritual guide, dedicated to spreading happiness to all.

Returning from the realm of the dead in Bali

Following the global success of Elizabeth Gilbert's work 'Eat, Pray & Love' in 2006, Ketut Liyer, the healer mentioned in the story, gained widespread fame. Travelers flocked to Bali, Indonesia, to visit Liyer's house in Ubud. However, Liyer passed away in June of this year.

Continuing Liyer's 'legacy' after his passing is Ida Panditha MpU Budha Maharsi Alit Parama Daksa, a renowned Hindu priest.

'I met Ida about 4 or 5 times, during periods when I faced challenges in life or personal emotions. On my last visit, I was able to forgive myself by finding a clear purpose in life. She transformed my life,' recounted Uday Rao, General Manager of the Four Seasons Resort in Ubud, when suggesting to journalist Ian Neubauer to write about Ida.

Rao adheres to the Hindu faith. He recounts that Ida assists people not out of belief in any particular religion or authority from above. Instead, she imparts hope and helps you find inner peace. This is also what the healer Liyer helped Gilberts with, as mentioned in the bestselling novel tracked by The New York Times for 187 weeks.

'It's a long story,' Ida said during an interview with journalist Ian. 'When I was young, all I wanted was to study for a career. But after graduating and looking for work in Bintan (an economic zone near Singapore), I found no opportunities. A few months later, out of money, I had to return to Bali to find work but still failed,' Ida recounts a desperate time.

Subsequently, Ida began to acquaint herself with meditation, feeling a strange sensation in her body at first, which was stomach pain. She also recited prayers in a language she didn't know, repeating chants that she couldn't recall saying. But for the first time since adulthood, Ida felt calm, incredibly comfortable, her mind always busy but truly serene.

During one meditation session, Ida remained still for a very long time. Her family worried, and upon checking her daughter's body, they found her cold, her skin turning white, her heart stopping. Everyone thought Ida had passed away as no breath was found. Only her uncle said he would make her a priestess if she woke up.

After 5-6 hours in a trance-like state, Ida's fingers began to move, and she slowly opened her eyes, but her mind remembered nothing of what she had experienced. In the following days, she refused to accept being someone who returned from the dead or even the title of saint.

Two weeks later, her uncle took the girl to meet the National Council of Ordained Sangha in Bali and underwent a mental examination. Some monks opposed Ida because they felt she was too young. However, most members of the Council supported her and began training Ida for a year.

When asked how priests can read others' pain, Ida said at that moment, all it takes is focus and no emotions. 'I simply do my duty,' she expressed.

Living in a temple, surrounded by lush rice fields at the foot of Mount Agung, about an hour's drive from Ubud. Here, dozens, even hundreds of tourists wait in line to participate in body purification ceremonies, typically starting at 10 a.m. Costing around $30 per person.

In this ceremony, the female priestess splashes water on people's heads and says, 'Feel free to express your emotions. Expand your heart and mind. Delve deep into yourself, you will find happiness, compassion, and humility within.'

At that ceremony, journalist Ian saw some people laughing, some crying. An Australian tourist said she felt nothing even though she had opened her mind. At that moment, priestess Ida laughed like a child and said softly, like cherry blossoms drifting in the wind: 'Happiness or sadness doesn't matter. Happiness is like the wind, it comes and goes. I'm the same, I still have my own discomforts. What's important is that you must learn to accept, accept yourself, and the world around us.'

Ubud - a town known to be as beautiful as a fairy tale set in the central region with Hindu and Buddhist temples, considered the soul of Bali.

In reality, Liyer was a street vendor who became wealthy by selling love potions and fortune-telling by looking at others' palms. According to many tourists, the love potions Liyer sold were 'nonsense,' and many locals in Ubud also called Liyer a 'liar' (a pun between the two words Liyer and Liar). Liyer claimed to be the 9th generation of a healer and passed away in June of this year.

Those who have met this famous figure say they also feel like they are being deceived: 'He pretended to look at my palm. Many people were read by Ketut in the past years and they knew he only spoke nonsense. He is blind, so how could he see others' palms to talk about the future or anything?'

According to Vnexpress

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Source: Travel handbook Mytour