The Island of a Thousand Temples (20)
Philosophy Sense of Kahyangan Tiga

Two significant and actual questions arise related with the philosophy and sense of existence of the Kahyangan Tiga Temple; (1) Why Mpu Kuturan suggests the Hindu member to build a worshiping site in the shape of Kahyangan Tiga in each desa pakraman (traditional village)?;(2), Why Mpu Kuturan do not recommended only one worshiping site just to adore God the Almighty?

The Holy Book Veda preached, ‘Ekam Sat Vipra bahuda vadanti’ (God is single, only the wise man praise Him with many names). Looks like Mpu Kuturan apprehended that honoring God is not merely praising Him. Honoring God is aimed to arouse the spiritual power within human itself. One non-physical element inside human spirit is tri guna (three essentials part that compose human characteristics)
The existence level of tri guna surely defines the diversity of human characteristics. This three essentials shaper of human characteristic also defines the good and evil side of human. And if the structure of tri guna applies in good way, human will lead a better and good life as well.
In the Holy Book Bhagawata Purana uttered, the God perched by manifesting becomes the deity that is called Guna Awatara. Guna Awatara means three holy light manifestations of God, which is Brahma, Wisnu (Vishnu), and Siwa (Siva). Brahma is God’s manifestation in His function to control the characteristic of rajas. Wisnu (Vishnu) as God’s manifestation to protect/cover guna satwam, whilst Siwa (Siva) as God’s manifestation to restrain the characteristic of tamas.
If guna satwam approves in human thought, then humans will be restrained by a good deed, honesty, and consist of better spiritual consciousness. Guna rajah will cause humans to become more courageous, strong, and anxious, whereas guna tamas will cause the laziness, to become a slow going person, and greedy.
If both guna satwam and rajas control within the mind, humans will always intend to be relevant in good deeds, whilst both guna sattwam and guna rajas strongly influences the human’s thought and mind, then humans will claim as a divine person, but the sense of divine power in society is totally diverge with its sense in the Holy Book Wrehaspati Tattwa.
In the Holy Book Wrehaspati Tattwa, it’s uttered ‘Sakti ngarania sang sarwa jnyana muang sang sarwa karya’ (the divine person is the person who has plenty of knowledge and does a lot of things applying it’s knowledge)
So, divine power is certainly a positive purpose. The concept of Siwa Tattwa doctrine in Wrehaspati Tattwa is become a basic reflection of Mpu Kuturan in order to make Hindu member become strong and blissful in reflecting Hindu’s doctrine. Thus, the existence purpose of Kahyangan Tiga Temple – Pura Puseh, Pura Desa (Bale Agung), Pura Dalem – is to guide the follower to control tri guna to become more powerful. That matter cause Pura Desa and Pura Puseh are commonly built in one area. Its different with Pura Dalem as a veneration media to adore God as Dewa Siwa (Siva) that generally separates with Pura Desa and Pura Puseh.
The composition of Kahyangan tiga appropriated with the establishment concept of tri guna according to Wrehaspati Tattwa. Pura Desa is the media to adore God in His manifestation as Dewa Brahma to control guna rajas, and Pura Puseh is the media to adore God in His manifestation as Dewa Wisnu (Vishnu), as the protector of guna sattwam. So, Pura Desa and Pura Puseh that site in one area are appropriate with what is uttered in Wrehaspati Tattwa.
By honoring God in His manifestation as Tri Murti (Brahma, Wisnu (Vishnu), Siwa (Siva)), humans plead for God’s guidance to control tri guna in good way. If tri guna is steered, then it can create a divine human, which means to compose a diligent human and enthusiastic in practicing/study the knowledge, and also of strong and authoritative to actualize the knowledge within daily life.
The function of Pura Kahyangan Tiga is to honor God in His manifestation as stuti/the creator (Dewa Brahma), as stiti/the protector (Dewa Wisnu) and as pralina/the destroyer (Desa Siwa). Pralina means every God’s creation will certainly die, soon or latter. Thus, Siva (Dewa Siwa) or Dewa Pralina is said to be the destroyer, in order to terminate the existence of every God’s creation.
Pralina does not totally mean the destroyer. Thus, God veneration site in Kahyangan Tiga is to plead for to God in order that the human is born, lifes and dies naturally. To be born, live and die naturally is not at ease, thus human plead for God’s guidance in His manifestation as Dewa Tri Murti by adoring Him through Pura Kahyangan Tiga.
(Ketut Wiana and Berata Ashrama, editor)