Tri Hita Karana — The Foundation
The philosophical heart of Balinese Hinduism is the concept of Tri Hita Karana — literally "the three causes of well-being." It describes the three relationships that must be in harmony for life to succeed:
- Parahyangan — the relationship between humans and God (the divine)
- Pawongan — the relationship between humans and humans (the community)
- Palemahan — the relationship between humans and nature (the environment)
This triad principle determines everything in Bali: the architecture (every house has a home temple for Parahyangan, a living area for Pawongan, and a garden for Palemahan), the village structure (three temples per village), agriculture (the Subak irrigation system is lived Palemahan), and the daily rituals.
Tri Hita Karana was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage in 2012 — as part of the entry "Cultural Landscape of Bali Province: the Subak System as an Expression of the Tri Hita Karana Philosophy."