IT was full moon in Pujungan on Wednesday two weeks ago. The temperature was 13o Centigrade. Only a star was visible in the broad sky. The air was mostly filled with jingling bells, incense smoke, flower scent and pervading mantra chants.

The night was Purnama Sada, in Balinese. It’s good for conducting ceremonies. After dusk, guests were gathering—about 200 of them—at Pasraman Dharmasastra Manikgeni, an ashram in Banjar Taman Sari, Pujung