Balinese (people living in Bali) manage to live in a great harmony with nature and each-other. Tri Hita Karana is the Balinese philosophy of life. It basically covers three relationships: person and God, person and person, and person with nature. All these relationships have to be maintained to achieve harmony and riches. The Balinese believe that all three are foundation for sustainable development.

Tri Hita Karana consists of three relations:

The first is Parhyangan, which talks about the relationship between a person and God. This is the basis for all the wonderful rituals held by the Balinese. God gives bounty to humans, and humans express their gratitude by honoring the Gods through various rituals. Though Bali is multi-religious, consisting of Christian, Muslim and Buddhist minorities, the predominant religion is Hinduism. Balinese Hinduism is called Agama Hindu Dharma, originated from Java and is a blend of Shivaism and Buddhism. Balinese work hard to connect themselves in agreement with their Gods through various prayers, mantra chanting, rituals and ceremonies.

The second is Pawongan, which talks about the relationship between human beings; with their neighbors, relatives, society at large. This is the foundation for the community in Bali, often represented by banjars or small villages. The smallest form of local government in Bali is the Banjar. It is basically a local community group who acts as a village government system and village council. It is independent from the police and takes care about the cultural and religious values of the village community. Every village has its own Banjar and members are the married men of the community. A harmonious relationship with fellow humans is essential for prosperity. We as humans can’t live on our own, we are social animals. Having good ties with other people is what makes society function appropriately. The spirit of Pawongan is manifested in activities such as helping each other out during ceremonies, in good and bad circumstances in life. Pawongan is a harmonious relationship between our fellow human neighbors. In this teaching, sincere and genuine communication through acts of kindness are seen as important for the Balinese people to live in society. The Balinese are not able to live without one another as social beings. By being together the Balinese is a community of one whole without division. This is the reason you will rarely see homeless Balinese living in the streets. It is a beautiful proof and vows to value one another, as if they all are a family.

Last but not least is Palemahan, which is the relationship between a person and nature. The last of the three relationships of the Balinese philosophy encompasses our responsibilities towards nature and teaches compassion towards lesser beings. It is a reminder that we are not alone on this planet; we are sharing it with nature. It’s such a beautiful thought. Palemahan has become the basis for sustainable development in Bali. As nature provides for humans, we humans must preserve nature in return. You might have heard of North Bali Reef Conservation which is a Non-Governmental Organization and volunteering program based in the small fishing village of Tianyar on the North East coast of Bali. Tianyar’s reef has potential to be a healthy and highly diverse coral reef but is currently in poor condition due to abusive and unsustainable actions in the past. Until the 1950s the Tianyar beach was a port for traders who used to anchor their ships on the reef. Before, it was also fashionable to harvest coral for it to be crushed into a fine white powder which used to show a family’s wealth when painted on the exterior of their houses.

In the recent years, the marine ecosystem is under pressure from plastic pollution choking marine life as well as pressure from few individuals using unsustainable fishing practices. An urgent need to protect and conserve the reef was identified and in July 2017 North Bali Reef Conservation was founded by I. Ketut De Sujana Mahartana, the founder of Volunteer in Bali Program and Zach Boakes, an undergraduate environmental scientist. The NGO works alongside to restore and conserve Tianyar’s coral reef, it also aims to provide an alternative, sustainable livelihood to the local people. North Bali Reef Conservation has since started several environmental and sustainability projects focusing on education, attitude of people etc. it works on strict vigil on the Marine Protection Area (MPA), pollution reduction, and the construction of artificial reef structures. This is the spirit of Palemahan! Even the simple act of watering plants and picking up litter is a great contribution helping to preserve nature.

These simple and honest people took few steps to protect coral reefs simply by leading a more sustainable lifestyle. They don’t cut down trees unnecessarily for construction of buildings and roads. They instead plant trees because they understand that trees reduce overflow into oceans, and in turn can damage coral reefs. They conserve water as far as possible. The farmers use organic fertilizer to avoid chemicals running into the ecosystem.

So, in this unique island of Bali where Hinduism is the major religion, the Tri Hita Karana philosophy instills a deep understanding to benefit all aspects of life. Even though tourism is its main business, this beautiful philosophy has nurtured the mindset of Balinese.  It is amazing to see even as each country in world is being pulled towards globalization, Bali has maintained harmony and unity as it’s the topmost priority. Parhyangan, Pawongan and Palemahan have made the Balinese forever happy!