Tri Hita Karana is the Balinese Hindu philosophy of "Three Causes of Well-being"
Tri Hita Karana is the Balinese Hindu philosophy know as the three causes of well being to achieve balance in life. It teaches that true happiness comes from balancing three specific harmonies:
1. Parhyangan: Harmony with the Divine (spiritual life and gratitude)
2. Pawongan: Harmony with Fellow Humans (community, kindness, and cooperation).
3. Palemahan: Harmony with Nature (environmental respect and sustainability).
What we can learn from this concept?
Modern suffering happens because we have traded connection for consumption. Using Tri Hita Karana as a lens, here is why we feel out of balance:
1. Lost Spirit (Parhyangan): We focus on "having" instead of "being." We chase money and status but ignore our inner peace and purpose. This leads to burnout and a feeling of emptiness.
2. Lost Community (Pawongan): We have thousands of "followers" but fewer real friends. We’ve traded face-to-face community for screen-to-screen competition. Thus, we experience loneliness and social anxiety.
3. Lost Nature (Palemahan): We live in concrete boxes and stare at blue light instead of sunlight. We treat the Earth like a store rather than a home. We live a stressful and disconnected, "un-grounded" life.
We are suffering because we try to stand on one leg (individual success) instead of three (Spirit, People, and Nature). Without the balance of the three, the human spirit loses its balance.