Rambut Sedhana Temple and Money

Rambut Sedhana Temple is located on the right side of road to Penataran Agung Besakih. Rambut Sedhana is the penataran temple of Goa Raja occurring on the slope of river leading to Goa Raja Temple. When you make a visit to Goa Raja, you will pass through the entrance gate of Rambut Sedhana Temple.

Before the three sanctuaries (Kahyangan Tiga) come into existence in the customary village, there were only Puncak (pinnacle), Penataran (lowland) and Segara (sea) Temple in Bali. These three temples, by and large, existed in every kingdom in Bali prior to the eleventh century of Common Era. Puncak Temple, as its name implies, occurs in close proximity to pinnacle of mountain, hill, or places considered to be the highest part of the village; Penataran temple on the lowland and Segara temple founded on the beach side.
The three temples above (Puncak, Penataran and Segara) represent three primary hierarchical divisions of the cosmos called Tri Loka. Hindu devotees believe that this universe can also be divided into three planes namely lower world or the physical plane (Bhur Loka), between world or the astral plane (Bhuvah Loka) and upper world or world of the Gods and highly evolved souls (Svah Loka) as media to venerate the Supreme Being abiding in the three planes. Each of the three is closely associated to one another. When the Bhur Loka is damaged can cause inconvenience to Bhuvah and Svah Loka and so is on the contrary.
The use of Freon or chlorofluorocarbon at Bhur Loka can inflict damage to the ozone layer that surrounds the sun. Quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) that exceed the tolerable limit on Bhur Loka can result in greenhouse effect in outer space. In general, Penataran Temple functions as representation of the coming down God’s blessing on the bhakti or devotion of human beings.
Likewise, Rambut Sedhana Temple constitutes an integrative unity with Goa Raja Temple. It is this temple that serves as the pinnacle of God’s blessing to those that can maintain the conservation of the three natural resources like earth, water and air that portrayed in the symbol of Goa Raja Temple. If earth, water and air can function proportionally without being badly affected by human activity, it will yield a variety of products just as the flourishing of hairs.
Products that analogised to hairs represent a means to attain prosperous life. In the veneration tradition of the Hindus in Bali lays a Rambut Sedhana shrine that commonly founded in the compound of Sanggah Pemerajan or family temple of the origin. This shrine is also called Sri Sedhana. In the South Kuta area, Badung Regency it is called Paku Rabi shrine.
The term Rambut Sedhana, Sri Sedhana and Paku Rabi have different meanings. However, behind those different meanings occur meaning having the same aim namely as medium to venerate God in his manifestation as the Gods of prosperity. The word rambut both in Balinese and Bahasa Indonesia means hair, while Sedhana means medium to realize the glorious objective. The Rambut Sedhana Temple is a symbol that portrays the meaning that will be obtained by those who are capable of cultivating earth, water and air as natural resources that should be synergised as delineated in Goa Raja Temple. The appropriate and proportional fusion of the three natural resources will give the meaning of endless flourishing just that of hair as means of human life.
The odalan or pawukon-based anniversary of the Rambut Sedhana Temple falls on Budha (Wednesday) Wage Wuku Klawu. Budha Wage in the tradition of the Hindus in Bali is believed as a financial day. On this festivity, the Hindus in Bali worship God as the God of money with the denomination Sang Hyang Rambut Sedhana. It is because the money can be used to develop prosperity of life. Therefore, Rambut Sedhana is manifestation of God who is worshipped as the Gods of money.
Why do Hindu’s have a special day to venerate God as the Gods of money? Because the money is just like a two-bladed knife. If it is used properly, the money will drive humans to attain secularly and spiritually prosperous life. On the contrary, it even leads humans to the depths of misery.
God’s veneration as Rambut Sedhana is meant to be prayers in order that humans can use money well and properly as means of establishing secularly and spiritually prosperous life. Thus, the Rambut Sedhana at Besakih Temple constitutes the central of Rambut Sedhana Temple at family temple of origin in Bali. Rambut Sedhana also stands for a medium to remind the Hindus in order they cultivate earth, water and air to make it everlasting and natural resources bringing forth money to establish prosperity of life in this world. (BTN/Kt. Wiana)