Tri Hita Karana in Daily Life (1)
Meaning Becoming More Restricted

Expression of tri hita karana (THK) during 2003 is not slowing down. In several seminars, meetings, and discussions about Ajeg Bali (Sustainable of Bali) performed as a series of 55th Anniversary of Daily Bali Post, concept of THK always being a main topic. The more exciting is that in governor and vice governor candidate selection of 2003 – 2008 period, from 12 couple candidates (governor and vice governor) who deliver for vision and mission in front of Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah (DPRD) Bali – Legislative Board of Bali, all of them supply and discussed of THK concept as the anvil of development philosophy.
Does it mean that THK is already socialized and understood properly? Or even perhaps already implemented in daily life? Accurate answer and data, for sure, are not available yet!
However, certainly, from several discussions about THK concept is often heard a meaning constriction of Balinese society life philosophy and concept (Hindus). Some cites that THK consist of: (1) Worshipping/sacral site; (2) settlement site; (3) Agriculture land, including plantation, fishery, husbandry, and other beneficial business. Some also identify THK elements in a core family (Hindu) yard as: (1) Sacral site that called sanggah or merajan Kamulan; (2) Occupying area or house building location; (3) The backyard area that usually called teba.
A constriction often appears within THK implementation context. Some fells far away forward implemented THK because every day – more than once – go to the temple, or prayed in holy place, or for several times executed a great religious ceremony. In other part, some people admit as THK pioneer of daily life because they already doing a reforestation around their working place.
It is not wrong indeed, however it is not perfectly correct and comprehensive, because THK is totality in shape, comprehensive, holistic, and universal. THK including of the universe (macrocosm), which in Balinese (Hindu) usually called bhuwana agung. However, THK not collapse in meaning for a nation, country, island, province, traditional village (desa pekraman), household yard, even for human self.
Within human self, usually called bhuwana alit (microcosm), there are three elements of THK that can identified: (1) soul/spirit as human existence element, which is usually called atman or anta-karana sarira in tri sarisa (three elements inside human self); (2) power or energy that actively and actuate human, which is usually called sukma sarira; (3) human physical body that usually called stula sarira.
Within the universe, those three elements in THK consisting of: (1) Soul of universe /Brahman/God the Almighty (parhyangan); (2) Human who has voice, power, mind (sabda, bayu, idep) as the organizer and nature motivator (pawongan); (3) Natural physic as a raw universe’s body (palemahan).
Terminologically – as it explains several times in previous writing – tri mean three, hita (prosperous), and karana mean cause. If arranged, tri hita karana (THK) mean ‘the three causes of prosperousity/ happiness’. By then, THK is not only engaged with ritual activity, such as religious ceremony, praying in holy places, however, it get in touch with physical material and socio-cultural.
For example, in daily life, if there is a burning forest, it is not completely applying THK if only ‘washes’ it with a ritual ceremony wana kertih (religious ceremony for human being aimed at understanding of forest’ function). It should applying together with chasing, catch, and bring the doer to justice – do not act in apposite term, which is protect or even corporate with the suspect. The next step is doing the reforestation in burning area. A reward also important for a person or people who actively doing forest conservation.
Therefore, ritual aspect (spiritual environment), social aspect (social environment), and physical aspect (natural environment) touched simultaneously in one unit, which is: (1) Ritual activity worked as an evidence of human loyalty to God (parhyangan); (2) Social activity that is operated as an evidence of loving and serving each other (pawongan) – punishment for the guilty, and reward for the meritorious person is inherent (unseparated); (3) Physical activity (Reforestation) operated again as the evidence that human reborn to this world obligatory not to destroy the nature (palemahan). (THK Team)