Acintya

Introduction

In Indonesia, Acintya is regarded as the Supreme God, and he is usually worshipped in Bali due to the local culture’s tendency for monism. This deity is similar to Brahman in Indian Hinduism, and he is also featured in traditional wayang, or shadow puppet shows. In Hinduism, all living things are believed to be manifestations of the Acintya in Bali.

Physical Traits

The statues of Acintya feature phallus-like protrusions on the body, which imply that he is regarded as a fertility and sun god. The elegant shape of his body is said to be inspired by the dance form of Shiva. Due to the various vulnerable parts, such as the flaming or phallus shapes, these statues are incredibly hard to carve. In addition, Acintya, who is also referred to as a sun god, is often depicted undressed.

Family

Monism in Bali has led to the belief that there is only one supreme deity, and all other deities are merely manifestations of him. The name Acintya refers to the origin of the universe.

Other names

Acintya is also referred in Balinese to as “Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa”, meaning “The Divine Order”, and “Sang Hyang Tunggal”, translated to “The Divine Oneness”. The name is also often spelled as Achintya.

Powers and Abilities

Similar to Brahman in Indian Hinduism, Acintya is regarded as a deity in Bali. Although he is usually not offered to directly, offerings and prayers are usually made to his other manifestations. He is considered to be omnipotent and having ultimate powers over everything in the universe.

The creation of the Padmasana as a deity altar was the result of a movement carried out during the 16th century. During this time, when Islam was spreading across Java and the western part of Indonesia, Dang Hyang Nirartha established temples in Bali.

Modern Day Influence

Following the end of World War II, Indonesia adopted the Pancasila political philosophy, which allowed for the freedom of religion. However, the statute that governs the establishment of religion also requires that it be monotheistic. This system, which includes various other religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Protestantism, and Islam, has been recognized as a religion of universal importance.

To comply with the regulations, the Hindus of Bali had to reinforce the importance of the monotheistic component in their faith. To refer to Acintya, they called him Sang Hyang Widhi wasa, which literally means “God Almighty.” Although this term was used by Protestant missionaries during the 1930s to refer to the Christian god, it was regarded as an acceptable description of the Hindu deity.