One sunny morning in Canggu when Mark and I were waiting for his surf instructor, a Balinese woman appeared in the open space next to us and began blessing her storefront with the day’s offerings. She laid out colorful woven baskets, filled with flowers, incense, and bits of rice. Curls of smoke danced through the air and tickled our noses. As she bowed her head in silence, I wondered what she was praying about. When she opened her eyes, she dipped a small bristled brush in holy water and sprinkled each offering three times. Mark turned to me and said: “She does it in threes. Once for each of...
The Three Gods
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