What a Balinese Goddess Taught Me About Knowledge, Creativity, and Gratitude
- vasallophoto
- Sep 6
- 2 min read
Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending a Saraswati celebration in Bali. Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, wisdom, art, and creativity—and her day is marked with offerings of flowers, music, and dance.
Before going, a friend of mine—who was raised Catholic—wondered aloud if she would even attend something like this, since it wasn’t her religion. Her question reminded me of how different our approaches can be. For me, that curiosity and openness are exactly what draw me to experiences like this. When I first started dating my husband, I loved joining him for Jewish traditions out of the same desire—to learn, to explore, and to expand my perspective. Over the years, I’ve realized that I’ve been piecing together my own spiritual framework from many traditions, rather than following just one.
Here in Bali, that openness feels like a gift. Gratitude isn’t just a quiet thought before bed or a note in a journal—it’s everywhere, every day. Shrines line the streets. Offerings of flowers, incense, and rice appear each morning, even in the busiest corners of the city. It’s a visible, daily reminder of reverence—for the earth, for the sun, for ancestors, for life itself. And on Saraswati Day, that gratitude is directed toward knowledge and creativity: the very tools that help us grow, innovate, and make meaning in our lives.
What I loved most about the ceremony was how it blended the sacred with the everyday. Children danced. Women laid down flowers with laughter and devotion. We did blessings honoring not only divine wisdom but human learning, art, curiosity, the earth, the sun and nature. It reminded me that creativity itself is holy—that to learn and to express ourselves is a form of prayer.
Attending a tradition so different from the ones I knew growing up was also an exercise in courage. Courage to be open. Courage to question the boundaries of what I thought spirituality looked like. Courage to welcome wisdom from a path not my own. Because no single religion, culture, or practice holds all the truth. Wisdom is everywhere, waiting to be seen, honored, and shared.
And that’s the gift Saraswati offered me: a call to stay open. To celebrate gratitude not just in private thoughts but in public, joyful acts. And to see knowledge and creativity as blessings worthy of devotion.
It leaves me wondering: Where in your own life could you find the courage to open yourself to a tradition, practice, or perspective different from the one you were raised with—and allow it to expand your sense of gratitude, wisdom, and wonder?
