The concept of Taksu is hard to describe or define. It involves the energy of the visible world and the blessings of the invisible.
Often it is confused with the Sakti, which is more of a type of supernatural energy often attributed to healers.
The Taksu can be described as the ‘talent’ that comes with lifelong training, coupled with the gift that comes from a higher place.
To acquire the Taksu you have to master the physical and material aspects of your art – Bayu; in addition, you must learn its mental and moral aspects – Sabba; and finally, you must understand its spiritual and magical aspects – Idep.
The presence of Taksu could be a teacher whose words inspire, a farmer whose products taste better because of the love he puts into growing them, a doctor whose diagnoses are accurate, an artist whose artwork reflects purity, truth and beauty.
On the one hand the Taksu comes from the mysterious, the extraordinary, whereas on the other hand it is related to attracting the attention of others by our determination to achieve excellence, to complete things.
Taksu is not only a quality attributed to human beings, professionals or artists but it can also inhabit the land. Commonly you hear that it is necessary to preserve the Taksu of the island of Bali.
The Taksu of the island of Bali, its magical attractive power, is now decreasing, sadly, due to a number of factors – (a) its modernisation resulting in physical changes; (b) losing its sacred places; (c) the mental weakening of some of the local people, who are shifting into an individual life style instead of retaining their traditional communal way of life; and (d) the erosion of the Balinese spiritual life. Whilst, spiritually, many of the Balinese people remain very strong, there is a growing tendency to turn the ancient rituals into a “show” to please tourists; moreover, other Balinese people are sacrificing their human values to earn money with minimal effort.
All this will eventually lead to killing the magical power of Bali, of its inhabitants.
My goal is to witness the Taksu through the feet of the women and men who have trampled this land since their birth, so that their history will live and extend the magical power of Bali.
Taksu is the life and soul of Bali and cannot be accomplished without unity.
