Tri Hita Karana is a Balinese philosophy often translated as the three causes of well-being. It teaches that a good life comes from harmony in three relationships: between people and God, among people themselves, and between people and the natural world. It is one of the most useful ideas for understanding Bali, because it explains why temples, communities and landscapes are so carefully tended.
The three parts are known as parahyangan, harmony with the divine; pawongan, harmony among people; and palemahan, harmony with the environment. The idea finds its clearest expression in the subak, the cooperative system that manages irrigation water for the rice terraces through water temples and shared decisions. In 2012 UNESCO inscribed the Cultural Landscape of Bali Province, the subak system as a manifestation of the Tri Hita Karana philosophy, as a World Heritage Site.
Visitors encounter Tri Hita Karana without always realizing it. It is in the shrine placed at the edge of a rice field, the village meeting that decides on a ceremony, and the offerings left at a spring or a large tree. The philosophy is also widely cited in Bali today in discussions about tourism, development and the environment. Walking through the terraces of Jatiluwih is one of the best ways to see it in practice.
Highlights
- Subak irrigation and water temples
- UNESCO-listed rice terraces of Jatiluwih
- Shrines in fields, at springs and in forests
Good to know
- Join a guided subak walk to learn how water is shared between fields.
- Stay on marked paths in rice terraces and avoid stepping on the narrow field walls.
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