Alaya Resort Ubud has proudly established a partnership with Pasraman Gurukula Foundation to make an ongoing sustainable contribution to a local school and community in Bali. Following a site visit to the ashram located in Bangli on 23rd August 2019, a sustainable CSR agreement between the resort and the foundation was signed. This document states that Alaya Resort Ubud will support Pasraman Gurukula Foundation on a monthly basis by providing food and learning materials for students and making a financial contribution towards teacher salaries.

Pasraman Gurukula Foundation is non-profit educational ashram established in 2005 that is based on the Vedic philosophy. The term Gurukula literally means “Family of Holy Teachers”. Therefore, the foundation enables students and teachers to live together communally as a family. The primary aim is to prepare children to become valued members of the community who abide by the Vedic concept, with the motto “VASUDHAIVA KUTUMBAKAM” that means the whole world is family.

Gurukula’s education system emphasizes embracing a simple lifestyle with an intelligent mindset, which is suitable for dealing with today’s modern society. This philosophy is able to overcome the gap between rich and poor communities and reduce discrimination caused by social status. The concept of nonviolence and brotherhood is taught and practiced in the Gurukula environment to encourage loving attitudes towards each other and to prepare the children to maintain peace within themselves and in the outside world.

These teachings also accentuate the need to be a physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually perfect person who is prepared to do good work in the world. The arrangement of the ashram space is solely based on the “Tri Hita Karana” concept. Therefore, an area of ​​two hectares has been carefully designed to a concise master plan. It adheres to the principles of spatial planning, which reflects a harmonious relationship between humans, God Almighty and the surrounding natural environment.

Alaya Resort Ubud’s visit to the Pasraman Gurukula Foundation began with a warm welcome being extended to everyone in attendance. This was followed by a speech and a short presentation about the foundation by Chairman, Mr. Wayan Arsada. A tour around the ashram was conducted and a group of students then demonstrated their skills with a performance of traditional Balinese dance and yoga. In an effort to seal this new affiliation, the Alaya Resort Ubud team was invited to enjoy lunch alongside teachers and staff members. This was an opportunity for direct engagement and the event proceeded with an informative question/answer session.

Having crated this sustainable partnership that is essentially all about giving back and supporting a local school, Alaya Hotels & Resorts now serves as a role model. This has all come about under the banner of the Alaya Care program with the aim to expand CSR opportunities for individuals or groups and accelerate the adoption of sustainability inclusion initiatives. The alliance allows Alaya Resort Ubud and Pasraman Gurukula Foundation to work together in new and innovative ways.

As a premier local brand, Alaya Resort Ubud hopes to inspire other like-minded entities within the hospitality sector to embrace similar programs. This collaboration is an opportunity to express gratitude for all of the blessings bestowed by God Almighty. It also reinforces the resort’s commitment to Tri Hita Karana, a Balinese Hindu lifestyle philosophy that is all about maintaining a harmonious balance between mankind (Pawongan), the environment (Palemahan) and God Almighty (Parahyangan).