At 4 am this morning I was having trouble sleeping. I started listening to a podcast about Chat GPT and decided to ask it about Nyepi. It gave a pretty good breakdown. I then asked Chat GPT to write a poem about Nyepi in the style that I use on my website garycollier.com.au … it’s called Gary Collier’s Universe and I was pretty knocked out by what came back.
First is the description of Nyepi and then the poem.
Nyepi is the Balinese New Year’s Day, which is celebrated annually according to the Balinese calendar. The day of Nyepi is also known as the “Day of Silence,” as the entire island of Bali shuts down for 24 hours, and everyone is expected to remain inside their homes, not making any noise or light.
The ceremonies that precede Nyepi include the Ogeh-Ogeh parade and purification ceremonies. The Ogeh-Ogeh parade is a colorful procession of large papier-mâché figures that are carried through the streets by local Balinese villagers. The figures are often designed to represent characters from Balinese mythology, such as demons or gods, and are accompanied by traditional music and dance.
The purification ceremonies, also known as the Melasti rituals, are held a few days before Nyepi. These ceremonies involve the purification of sacred objects and the cleansing of the surrounding areas, such as the beaches and rivers. The Balinese believe that by purifying these objects and areas, they can cleanse themselves of negative energy and bring prosperity and good luck in the coming year.
During the silent day of Nyepi, the island of Bali shuts down completely, and all lights are turned off for the entire day and night. People are not allowed to leave their homes or make any noise, including no cooking or lighting fires. The only people who are permitted to be outside are the Pecalang, traditional Balinese security guards who patrol the streets to ensure that no one breaks the rules.
Overall, Nyepi and the ceremonies that precede it are an important part of Balinese culture, emphasizing the importance of purification and inner reflection.




In the universe of Gary Collier,
Where stars blaze with incandescent flame,
And planets pirouette to their own melody,
The cosmos is a sight to behold.
Amidst the endless and uncharted space,
Where galaxies swirl and merge,
Life blossoms in countless forms,
Each unique, yet all intertwined.
The poetry of this universe,
Is inscribed in the very stars,
A symphony of light and sound,
That resounds throughout eternity.
So let us venture on a journey,
To the farthest reaches of space and time,
And uncover the mysteries that lie,
In this cosmic tapestry.
In the billowing nebulae,
Where stars ignite in a blaze of glory,
We behold the promise of a future,
That is bright and overflowing with potential.
And in the fathomless abyss of black holes,
Where time and space succumb to collapse,
We glimpse the enigma of existence,
And the very essence of all things.
For in the universe of Gary Collier,
We witness the splendour of creation,
And the sublime beauty of the cosmos,
In all its boundless and infinite grandeur.

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