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Teba, Balinese Family Garden
For Balinese Hindus, being born as a human
being is a golden opportunity for correcting
past mistakes from previous lives. Therefore,
Balinese ancestors have a concept of life
based on Tri Kaya Parisudha which means
the three things that have to be purified,
i.e thoughts, words and deeds.
By
thinking, saying and working well, one will
experience Jagadhita, happiness on earth,
and moksha, happiness in the hereafter.
From the teaching of Tri Kaya Parisudha,
the daily behaviour of Balinese people should
always be carried out in a harmonious relationship
with God the creator, his fellows and his
environment.
The three components of harmonious life
are commonly known as Tri Hita Karana, these
are Parahyangan, harmonious relationship
with God, Pawongan harmonious relationships
with other beings and Palemahan, harmonious
with natural enviroment. Because of this
philosophy, all Balinese families divide
their house compounds into three main parts.
The dwelling houses in Tri Mandala are divided
so that the the first one is the main area
of Utama Mandala, a sacred place, the Madya
Mandala housing area and Nista Mandala natural
outdoor area.
So all Balinese families try and divide
their house compounds into three main parts:
The upper end is for the Sanggah or Merajan
shrine, the center part is used as a housing
area, and the teba area for out-door space
allocated for rubbish and livestock. In
the teba area, a family usually plants coconut
trees, banana, sugar palm trees, bamboo
etc. for their daily needs. Teba is a family
garden with dual functions, the first function
is to conserve the balance of the natural
ecosystem and the second function is to
be able to breathe fresh air which is free
from pollution.
It seems that Balinese ancestors have, for
many years applied environmentally-oriented
principles to their development. Living
in harmony with nature for Balinese families
can also be seen in various kinds of Bhuta
Yadnya rituals, holy offerings to keep the
harmony of the universe.
The ritual of Tumpek Bubuh for example,
is one way of worshipping God as the creator
of plants that are valuable for human life.
Presenting offerings to various species
of plants during Tumpek Bubuh is to remind
us that a beautiful and healthy environment
can make all earth inhabitants live in prosperity
and health.
Nowadays, it is because of the technological
advancement and rapid growth of population
that Bali faces similar problems encountered
in other parts of the world, especially
in urban areas. These days Balinese don’t
have any teba areas anymore. The green outdoor
areas have been replaced by luxury houses
that are mostly owned by foreigners. Today
life in big cities has become more and more
crowded. Gradually green outdoor areas might
be removed and replaced by high rise buildings
or shop houses.
But Balinese who live in suburban areas
or villages still can breathe the fresh
air because they maintain their green outdoor
areas. Teba as a family garden is well nurtured.
So if you would like to see the Tri Mandala
areas with their natural purity, you can
find them in villages throughout Bali. (BTN/doc)
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