Finding Happiness in Bhutan

Takstang Monastery behind us

Om Mane Padme Hum. I’m grateful to have visited this happy land-locked country in the Himalayas called Bhutan. This is the last standing Buddhist kingdom and ranked one of the happiest country in the world. This is the only country where the Gross National Happiness (GNH) is more important than Gross National Product and they have a Minister of Happiness to make sure that the people are happy.  

I've never heard of GNH before and don't know of any other country that measures it's value based on Happiness. The reigning monarchy has decreed that the well-being of its people is the priority, promoting the values of love, love of country, respect and protection of the environment over economic growth. Here's Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on TED Talk where he explains how Bhutan puts happiness first and how Bhutan has set a world standard for environmental preservation. 

 
Are the people happy? I asked our guide Namgyi and with a beaming smile, he said "definitely!" He said that health care and education is free and he works six months a year and the rest of the year he travels and explores other destinations and visits his son who studying in New York. He himself was given the opportunity to study in Austria to hone his skills in tourism. 
 
The visit for me is sublimely healing. 

All 13 of us at the entrance of Punakha Dzhong

We visited monasteries in Thimphu but the most engaging one was in Punakha. We were there for the opening of the three day Punakha Festival where the monks and townsfolk performed rituals and sacred dances in colorful, swirling costumers and elaborate headdresses, scarves, hats, gold crowns and head masks depicting animals. The festivalgoers were also colorful in their traditional garb, the Kira and Ghos.

The highlight was the Black Hat dance performed only by monks wearing heavy brocade gown with kimono-like sleeves. The dance is a ritual done on the first day to ward off evil spirits. 

It is said that watching  the sacred dances during a festival removes five obstacles, illnesses and secret delusions. Kenzing Namgay described this "The five outer obstacles are caused by the planet of the upper world, mountain Gods of the intermediate world, earth spirits, serpents and death spirits. The five illnesses arise from obstructions  in psychic nerves that transmit vital energies; the energy flow in the motions, breath, air and wind; the seed essence and the empty nature of energy. The five secret delusions are desire, anger, ignorance, pride and jealousy." 

The Black Hat dance

Mingling with the colorful festivalgoers at Punakha

From there we went to the Chimi Lhaklang village, which was adorned with phalluses all over - yes, phalluses! Our guide actually warned us not to be offended by these sightings. He said that the phallus is known as the "Thunderbold of Flaming Wisdom" a symbol of Lama Drukpa Kunley referred to as the "Divine Madman". The symbol represents both fertility and the power to bring enlightenment and to ward off evil to those who seek his teachings. 

Phallus symbols adorn the walls of this village

Spotted a lady with her offering

We hiked 20-minutes through the rice fields to the temple which is famous for blessing childless couples. When we got to the temple, we spotted a lady carrying a 20-inch wooden phallus with a white ribbon tied to it and was was walking around the temple three times.  

We went inside the temple and set our intentions. After which, the monk blessed us with a wooden phallus and a bow and arrow. The couple in our group refused to enter the temple since they are already blessed with three children aged 17, 9 and 1 years old. 

Connecting wtih nature
In Punakha, we were billeted in an ultra-modern resort called Dhensa in the mountains. It was so beautiful that we decided to do some yoga and meditation early the next day. I led a yin class and Karla led a gratitude circle to give thanks to everything that we have in our lives. After breakfast, we did a KQ dance called "opening the lotus of your aura" to clear our auric field of negativities, connect to the elements and connect with our surroundings.

Early morning yoga exercise to op;en the lotus of our aura

Blessed by Guru Rinpoche's Tiger's Nest.
The last day was special, the highlight of the trip. We hiked all the way up to the sacred Takstang (Tiger's Nest) monastery. I felt like I dissolved into the serenity and beauty of the monastery as it is fused to the sheer-rock cliff face, 900 meters off the ground. The climb was steep on a dirt trail surrounded by pine trees. 

The trail 

Communing with nature

The monastery was devoid of prayer flags. Our guide, Nam, explained that they no longer allow putting prayer flags after a Thai tourist fell off the cliff after taking a selfie. Apparently, the tourist leaned over the prayer flags thinking it was safe to do so. Now, there are railings in place.  I don’t mind not having the colorful flags fluttering with the wind as is typical in sacred grounds in the Himalayas. I prefer viewing the monastery in its natural environment, perched on a cliff of granite walls surrounded by the evergreen forest.

Tiger's Nest Monastery

To keep the place in its pristine state, we weren't allowed to take photos inside the monastery. We were able to sit and meditate in the same place where great Tibetan saints meditated including Milarepa. The monaster is where Guru Rinpoche is believed to have descended on a flying tiger in the 8th century bearing the Nyingma Tantric teachings.

My best takeaway in this beautiful country is all it takes is to live simply and be kind and respectful of ourselves, of others and especially of our environment. I'll be forever chanting the mantra of the mountains Om Mane Padme Hum which means 'Hail to the Jewel of the Lotus!'