The mystical visions and mandate of Yellow Bamboo were received on 12th April 1983 during the 10th full moon, which is a particularly holy one, by the founder, Drs. Nyoman Serengen, originally a school teacher and Silat teacher. Pak Serengen was meditating in his garden on that day when his peace was disturbed by two yellow butterflies At first he did not pay attention to them. However, the butterflies keep surrounding him as if playing around to be caught, tempting him to chase and catch them, and annoying him. Being irritated, and chased them, but they escaped. When they returned again and interrupted his meditation he chased them with a stick and they flew away and hid in a hollow tree. As he chased them he began to shake and he heard a voice, “This is the beginning” “Be prepared to receive a mystery guest".
That night, anxious and a little frightened, Pak Nyoman Serengen locked the doors and windows of his room. He dreamt of a man with a huge body, who told him, “If you want my help just call my name”, but the dream ended without him giving his name. The next night, he returned in another dream and gave his name as Pendakar Loro Ijo (a great mystic and warrior who was the teacher of many Indonesian kings, princes and saints), instructing Pak Serengen “Call my name now to summon me”. When Pak Serengen called his name, a storm suddenly blew up and it began to pour with rain, and a strong wind blew the door of the house open. The big man who appeared in the dream came in through the flapping door .
Becoming scared Serengen told the man to go away, which he did.
By now confused as to whether he was awake or asleep Serengen set about
pinching himself to find out. When
convinced that he was awake, he called
the name of Loro Ijo again, with the
same result ending with him banishing the big man in fear. On the third time that he summoned him, he asked, “Why have you come to me?” The answer was “To give you something good”. “Go to
Written by John Chow, based mainly on articles by Paul Terrill
17 October 2004