The silent way

Imagine the day, where no one steps out of the house, when all lights are off, no computer, no TV, no radio, no sound of motorcycles, buses, taxis, when shops are all closed, airport is halted and beaches are deserted. All daily activities you can think of, stop. Silence. Almost total silence surrounds you. All that's left is nature's voices, the sounds of dogs barking, birds chirping, water running in the stream, mechanical clock ticking. Oh no, this is not doomsday, no I am Legend, or Resident Evil scenarios here. This is 21st century Bali, this is Nyepi. Day of Silence. A day to contemplate and reflect on yourself. To stop, and think.


Picture yourself living this day in your city. Hoards of people and vehicles overpowering the streets are gone. Apartments stand as if their residents abandoned them. The polluting sound produced when your subway train streaks across the city, stops. Constant chatter in your local neighborhood cafe turns into silence. All electrical plugs in your house are off. Picture ourselves living this day, in our cities. From the morning, since you wake up, stop, and contemplate. It's almost like meditation on the outside, only we got to find a way to switch off our brain chatter.

Balinese have observed Nyepi for centuries and the tradition is still going strong today. All I can say is: Is this Heaven?!