The Peaceful means of Tri Hita Karana in Balinese culture

Abstract

Balinese-Hinduism culture consists of many philosophical brands that originated from the teaching of peace. Tri Hita Karana is one of the teachings that undisputedly fit in these criteria. Tri Hita Karana brings us three causes of happiness (Tri = three, Hita = happiness, Karana = causes) in human’s life which involving the relations between human and God (Parahyangan), human and fellow human beings (Pawongan), and human and nature (Palemahan). These three kinds of relations reflects the cosmology oh Hinduism in Bali that underlines the relations between microcosm (human and society itself) with macrocosm (God and nature). In sum, human must seek balance between these three relations in their daily lives to bringing peace into their lives. This article will try to capture the influence of Tri Hita Karana philosophy of peace in Balinese culture. This article will use the peace studies concepts and cultural approach to analyze the peaceful means of Tri Hita Karana. The peace studies concepts which developed by Johan Galtung seeks to portray the fundamental causes of peace in human society. He introduced the structural and cultural forms of violence to complete the more traditional approach of direct/physical violence. Peace studies approach will try to seek a bigger picture in analyzing conflict by finding the root causes of conflict in the society from the value and beliefs which they practiced in daily lives. Conflict, thus, can be seen as consequences from the disruption in their values and beliefs. In sum, the disruption in Tri Hita Karana can be an alarming guide to preventing conflicts in Bali.