BRAVING THE ODDS AND BREAKING THE BARRIERS

Way back in 2005 when I was attending one of the trainings in Italy, I came across a group of delegates from Africa. One of the delegates from Botswana told me that out of every 10 people in Botswana, almost five of them were HIV positive. She also told me that people died on streets like flies with no one to care for them. School going youth struggled with HIV and ….the stories were endless. But most of the delegates who were present there agreed that AIDS virus were developed in laboratory of rich country and spread in streets of poor country. They refused to believe that it happened from sexual intercourse with affected people or from any other medium because even the most conservative tribes like Masai herders of Tanzania were affected. They also believed that rich country like USA used AIDS as a means to make some country dependent upon them or also as a political tool. The belief makes sense because the patent right for some of the drugs used at AIDS victim were owned and sold at exorbitant rates by the countries who had access to technology. It is being said that Thailand had developed cures for AIDS many years ago but they could not mass produce it mainly because of issues related to patents. So judging from the experiences of many nations in Africa and Asia, it sounds reasonable to believe that HIV virus are manufactured in laboratory of rich countries and medicines sold at sky high price so much so that those who own patent rights are sucking the blood out of poor victims.
When BBS telecast live the interviews of five Bhutanese AIDS victims, I was skeptic in the beginning because I was of the opinion that they were exposing themselves to “OSTRACISATION” but I think they had done the right thing by coming forward because they had suppressed their feelings for so long. Today there are just over 270 AIDS victims in our country and each of them have their own story to tell. But what I admire most about these five brave people is that, they broke all social, cultural and psychological barriers. The people who wanted to undervalue these victims have been rebuked in media. No amount of education will ever match the words that they spoke in the TV and above all, they have braved all mental trauma to educate people like us. So I have all the respect for these gentlemen and Tshering Choden. I hope they will live their lives to celebrate at least this lifetime.

Mermaid’s Daughter –in-law

Many stories are being told about the wealth, fame, strength and influence that Buli Ponpo had so much so that it became a source of contention for even the central government at that point of time to wage a war against him. Even to these days, many people continue to respect their nobilities. The descendants are often referred to as Buli Ponpo(s) or Buli Ashi(s).

Legend speaks of a mermaid who had escaped from a lake situated near present day Zhemgang Dzong. People who stayed nearby had contaminated the lake by shitting around, rearing pigs and washing clothes. It became so unbearable that the mermaid had to run away.

So she metamorphosed as an old woman and sought shelter at the house of one of the three Tibetan brothers living in Buli. The three Tibetan brothers had come all the way from Tibet hunting for wild boars. When they reached Buli, they were overjoyed with the place. So they decided to settle down there.

The mermaid in disguise requested the host to accommodate her in the ground floor of their house . She told him that she would be expecting her friends in the night to join her and not to disturb them. The request was quite unusual but nevertheless, he agreed to her request.

However, in the night, lot of queer sounds were heard from the ground floor, which aroused curiosity of the host. The host peeped through a crack on the door and saw that there were many reptiles lurking around in his house.

When the dawn broke, the old woman left the house and as she left, she chided the host for peeping. Interestingly, after this incident, it is being said that the daughter of the host started to frequently disappear from the house. This arose suspicion of the father.

Like in the story of ancient Greek story of Minotor, the father tied one end of the thread ball to the daughter’s kira and kept the thread ball which he slowly allowed to undo. Following the thread ball, father is known to have reached the lake in the jungles of Buli. He saw his daughter disappear into the lake. It is being said that the daughter had been taken by the mermaid as her daughter-in-law.

He also saw that there were many copper pots floating on the surface of the lake but one particular copper pot with broken rim caught his attention. When he touched it, all the rest disappeared except for the one he touched. It is being said that he was given the copper pot as compensation for his daughter who was taken as a bride for his son. Had he not peeped during her stay at his house, it is said that he would have got pot with unbroken rim.

He brought the broken rimmed copper pot to his home. Ever since then, he became rich, famous and powerful so much so that he was elevated to the nobility of Ponpo by the local people and was known as Buli Ponpo.

The rising popularity of the ordinary man, who had been a poor hunter before invited suspicion among the officials in the central government in Punakha. The central government sent officials and armies to crush the Ponpo but to no avail.

However, much later in history, it is being believed that the Buli Ponpo’s desendant Drongseb Singye Namgyel inherited the pot. After he was killed during a battle with Gongsa Ugyen Wangchuk, the pot arrived at Punakha Dzong and it continues to remain there.

I haven’t seen the pot myself…just heard the story. Hope someone at Punakha and Wangdi will send me a picture of the pot so that I will have a glance too at one piece of history.

Changyul bumo Galem

During one of my travels from Thimphu to Phuentsholing, I had a travelling companion who told me stories about many places. One of the stories related to Dungkar at Wang Sisina.

The story went on to say that there were many Sinpos and Sinmos who lived along the cliffs facing Wang Sisina. These Sinpos and Sinmos preyed on unsuspecting and weary travellers. One big house below the road, which stands even today, belonged to one rich man whose name I cannot recollect. Since he was religious and generous, he was known to have been blessed by one lama with many treasures. Out of many treasures, there were two conches and a religious scripture which helped him keep away the menancing Sinpos and Sinmos.

One day, when a monk was reading scriptures, he felt very shitty (hahahahaha) so he went to relieve himself in the bush nearby. While he was gone, it is said that the servant of the house, who was a dumbo, stumbled on the floor while bringing some tea and snacks for the monk. As he stumbled, he knocked Choktsi and the leaves of the scriptures were strewn all over. Wooooooooo!!!! the hell broke loose. The sinpos and sinmos came rushing towards the house. The monk, who was still relieving himself leisurely saw the sinpos and sinmos rushing. So he hurried back inside the house and threw one dungkar towards the cliff. As soon as it was hurled at the cliff, the sinpos and sinmos fled back. Once all the sinpos and sinmos were inside the cliff, it got sealed with Dungkar as it got stuck on it. So the people still belive that dungkar exist on the cliff face and some people in fact claim to have seen it.

The other story related to the house at Wang Sisina is a continuation of celebrated love story of Gasa Lamai Singye. It is being said that Singye, the servant of Gasa’s Lama and Galem of Changyul have ended in that house actually and not at the cremation ground in Punakha. Of course everybody knows the story of Gasa Lamai Singye. But for the sake of those readers from outside, the story is summarised as under:

Galem, a local beauty of Changyul, who was in love with Singye was being offered a marriage proposal by the Dzongpon of Punakha. In the meantime, Singye, who was then working for the Dzongpon was sent away as Gasa Lama’s attendant.

However, Galem, who was expecting a child from Singye, refused the marriage proposal of Dzongpon. Her father, fearing wrath from Dzongpon, tried to force Galem to accept Dzongpon’s proposal. In desparation, he even used force to make her agree to Dzongpon’s proposal.

Galem was desperate too. With Singye gone to Gasa, she didn’t know what to do. As she drowned herself in dilemma, she saw a traveller going elsewhere. However, she requested him to pass on the message about her prediament and to return to her as soon as possible.

Singye took leave from Lama and hurried back as soon as he got the message. However,before he could reach, she had died. It is said that he met her spirit who had come to meet him on the way with food and wine. While he was offering prayers before food, she suddenly disappeared. Suspecting that something may have gone wrong, he walked faster only to find that people were about to cremate her body.

Not being able to bear the loss, he jumped into the pyre with her and ended his life.

Now, thats the story most Bhutanese know. But it is said that their love story didn’t end there. Months later, they were known to have been reborn as banana trees near the cremation site but it is said that some family members of Galem uprooted it and threw it away.

Soon after, they were reborn as cats. The tom cat was killed by a dog. Then they were reborn as a rooster and a hen. Hen got eaten by a fox. After that they were reborn as cow and bull. Oppsss!!! the owner sold away the bull to faraway place and they were separated again.

I really don’t know how many but I guess it took series of other births before they were reborn again as human beings. It was a case of unrequitted love- each time they took rebirth, they were divided by circumstances fueled by their previous Karma.

Finally, it is said that Galem was reborn as a daughter of one of the decendants of the rich man of Wang Sisina while Singye was born as a son of a poor potter in Genekha.

One day, he happened to reach the house at Wang Sisina to sell his clay pots.During the course of bargain and deal, Galem felt very familiar about him and excited. As she thought about it, the memories of countless lives came flooding in and she fainted.

Her mother, who was nearby, thought that the poor potter was responsible for making her faint. So she asked her servants to chase away the potter while she attended to her.

When Galem regained her consciousness, she asked for the potter. When she was told that he was chased away she became furious with her mother and the servants. She then followed him to next village where he was selling pots again to the people there.

When she finally caught up with him, she reminded him of their past lives. That union brought them so much joy that they decided to live together again. Having worn-out bad karma through many lives, they were finally free and happy.

Isn’t it a nice story?

Good is the enemy of Great- Price of Great Education!!!

Some four and half decades ago, a team of officials headed by Lopen Nado, a very renowned Bhutanese scholar came visiting our ancestral village. They were on tour of villages picking boys to study in schools. My grandmother hid my father, who was then a very young boy, inside a big bamboo container where they usually stored maize grains. However, Lopen Nado and his team found my father and got him enrolled in the school. My grandmother appealed to the team that there was no one to look after the cattle if they took away my father. She also tried bribing the team with some locally brewed alcohol, butter and cheese but to no avail. Finally, she had to let go of her son to school.
Sending my father to school was taxing for my grandparents as they had no one to look after the cattle in the first place and secondly, they had to reach food supply to school very often. And during those days, the road was under construction and there were hardly any car on the road. My grandfather used to walk about hundred kilometers to my father’s school to reach the food supply and then come back home. He complained a lot but there was nothing he could do about it. After having failed few times in the first grade, my father was able to complete class nine. Soon after, he was recruited into one of the Government Departments with some training. After that, he was transferred to a place called Sarpang. He started his life as a working man here and earned about Nu. 200 per month. After being employed, he went to meet my grandparents. He had saved enough to buy gifts for the relatives and family. Everyone was overjoyed. Most of the village people were envious of the dress my father wore and they would ask questions about the kind of life in the town. In fact, my father and few hundred others were among the earliest batches of students educated in modern schools in Bhutan. Those were difficult days for everyone. It was difficult for the authorities to convince the parents to send their children to school. So they had to resort to harsher measures of threatening the parents that they would be sent to prison or would be taxed heavily if they didn’t heed to them. In the school, my father and his friends were exposed to harsher world. They were required to learn foreign languages in the first place. The teachers were not very friendly either. Children were required to bring firewood, water and even vegetables for the teachers. And despite all hardships, they were often exposed to corporal punishments. In the night, they studied with the help of wood raisin. They used smoke soot for ink and sharpened bamboo stick for pen. Shoes were luxury that their parents could not afford and even if they could, there weren’t any around. The nearest market was Gu Dama, which was five days walk from my village. It was a border town near Assam.
During winter breaks, my father accompanied grandfather to Gu Dama. Here, they bartered oranges with yarns and vegetable dyes, cloth pieces and other household things. When they returned from Gu Dama, the border town, they were not allowed to enter their house directly because of fear of having brought malaria from warmer places which was a dreaded disease then. They were required to stay in the barns near the house for about a week. The families brought the food and kept at the barn door. Only after a week when those traveler(s) to Gu Dama did not show any symptom of malaria, were they allowed to enter the house. Or else, one was required to leave the village and go elsewhere. Otherwise the whole village condemned the family and blamed the household in case of any natural calamity. It was a survival tactic. Fortunately, my father’s family did not have to go through such social pressure.
Some 15 years later, it was my turn. The difference between my father’s time and mine was that, I had to be coaxed, threatened or dragged to school by my parents and others. School was not a nice place to be as they are today. As a restless but weaker student, I was subject to a fair share of stick judgment. Stick came in many brands; it could be treated cane, big bamboos, smelly Artemisia and thin weeping willow branches. I really don’t know how weeping willow got its name but I did weep quite a number of times. Well, I had accepted it as a part of school life. But when I graduated, I had some choices in the job world and I decided to join the corporate world.
Now its my son’s turn. Like me, he has to be coaxed too but now he has to join the race with thousand others within the classroom and outside of his school. In fact, even within the classroom, he has to compete to find space among the crowd. He has to compete among equals and unequals. When I went to school, at least I had some shoes to put on and some clothes to wear.
Over four decades, everything changed in the way education was delivered to children and the way the fruit of education are reaped by succeeding generations. I believe that we are able to realize through haze and through struggle, through eyes and experiences of many people and also having attained some height in education system what is wrong with our Bhutanese education system. Today, we are able to discuss and debate on the quality of education. Interestingly, many ideas and opinions has emerged.
Personally, I have always felt that there are many facet of education system. One such thing relates to material aspect which helps us to get job but education, unlike my time should teach us to think so that we will have knowledge and understanding. Only when we learn to think will we be able to know the differences between things that are worth thinking about and those not worthy ones and as a result, we will be able to put value to our lives. Thinking allow us to build our own sense of judgment which will give us reasonable place within the society because we are not concerned with trivial issues. Only when we have education are we able to understand other’s problem and also earn peace of mind when circumstances try us. Under pressure, educated people are able to cope with the situation and therefore, they are less distressed. This in turn contributes to building an individual’s capacity and understanding and also create ideals to follow.
Education also means exploring alternatives, finding better ways to do things and do better things better ways. Education helps us make decision that would contribute to individual happiness and when many individuals are happy, the community is happy and thereby the society is happy. When society is happy, we achieve what is Gross National Happiness, the country’s ideal. Isn’t that lovely?
All the natural resources, hydro power, forests and minerals would be meaningless without education and creativity of people. Bhutanese today need all the education and creativity because society is fast changing. Having to work for National Pension and Provident Fund where my organization provides education loan scheme to the members, I have come face to face with many parents who sacrifice major portion of their monthly salary just to see that their children complete at least college education. However, on the other hand, I was shocked to see many children, who go to study outside Bhutan indulge in things that their parents, family and the society wouldn’t have liked or could have afforded. Parents and families become forever indebted to the financial institutes but young people do not realize it.
Today, we live in constant crisis everyday at home or outside. At home, we come face to face with drunkard father, nagging mother, drug addicted brother and when we go outside, we see the same problem portrayed in someone’s family too. This is the reason why we need education. When we understand these, knowledge turns into wisdom.
We do not know what future has in store for us or our children because changes brought in by technology, medical sciences, night life culture, shrinking population brings in new challenges. Some two decades ago, we were worried about increasing population but I guess reverse is happening now. Some ten years ago, it was enough to graduate but now children are required to be a specialist in whatever profession they choose.
Therefore, we are saying that education has to be useful. Reading Gaser Laglen in School was really boring for me because I had to memorize it. That’s why I never did well in Dzongkha. Of course now when I recall the lines from it, it provides me immense wealth of wisdom but if only it was delivered in interesting way at right age.
Only when we are able to create ideas, provide possible solution to the problem, feed critical information, correlate it and make better judgment then can one be called an educated person. Finally when we are educated person, we know where we are now and where we are going and give us enough commitment, inspiration and energy to work towards our ideals at all times
When I was young, I used to wonder how so many songs came out of small box which my father called it radio. My father used to tell me that there were many small finger sized people who sang and danced inside the radio. My next question was, what did they eat? Obviously battery I guess because I saw my father buying new batteries when the old ones didn’t work. Then in high school, I was taught about wave lengths and radio waves. I still don’t know how radio works but I know that people in the street sell Sonny radio for Sony.
Many children during my father’s time and my time didn’t have any or extensive formal education but many learnt while they were at work. It is encouraging to see many people go to evening classes today.
Today, we are no longer required to be a farmer as our grandparents used to be. There are many attractive professions , businesses ventures and crafts that we never heard of when we went to school or college. How many of us would have imagined that mobile phones would be part of our lives? How many of us would have imagined that we would be involved in stock brokerage or become free lance legal service providers?
We have so much to learn even from mere insect like ant. It has not only got skills to find its food but also the principles of finding the food at right place and find right direction back home. Therefore, education without principles, would only lead us from one problem to another and not help us find our way through the uncertainty of tomorrow.

Learning a trade in vocational school is not enough. One also need to know what one wants to be in the long run. Learning trade helps direct hands and fingers but one need to advance higher and that’s when we need brain to think.
When one goes to university, one is required to acquire new knowledge and condition our mind to think. Education reduces the barriers that was known in the past and find new solution to the problems that are emerging. Education therefore let us travel beyond mere fact gathering. In fact, it helps us handle the information and provide better view.
What Bhutan need today is a blend of technical and academic education which combines the general education with the specific and the cultural with the practical. Today, we are talking of mobile society. Children are competing to get job not only in Bhutan but across the world. Therefore, the demand for miscellaneous kind of education has crept in.
Learning from the experiences of thousands of children, there is a need to make education interesting so that it will not end with school days. The school curriculum should be built in such a way that those children studying till class X or XII are able to get some sense of accomplishment when they leave school.
No matter what we do with methods and curricula, the entire success of education depends mostly upon the teacher. Bhutanese teachers do have high ability of delivering the product, it is just that they should be well compensated with incentives because high level of professional skill are required for teaching profession.
Everything that progresses takes time and education too, will move forward slowly, catering to the needs of the time but the most important thing to learn at this moment is to learn from the mistakes and correct as we progress.

An Anatomy of Gross National Happiness- making some sense out of it

Melam was one of those many young people who completed university degree and looked forward to a happy life. However, she was caught between excitement, insecurity and reality. And like all Bhutanese people, she was also faced with a dilemma of finding the right definition for what brought her happiness and how it connected to Gross National Happiness.
Odyssey into the life of Gautama Buddha some 2500 years ago had taught her, as every young Bhutanese children goes through, to adhere to the laws of birth, old age, sickness and death . But that’s not how Melam wanted to begin her working life. If given a choice, she wanted to go so far away from death that no question of choosing how to die ever occurred.
If there ever appeared an occasion to choose the way to die, she wanted to make it a voluntary affairs: whether to hang in neighbour’s orchard, run off the cliff or to eat extra tranquilizers and sleep to eternity. But such options are not available in the best of democracies when it comes to choosing life. One is born as a product of parents’ enjoyment and is left on the road for stretches to ponder on the purposes until one is driven to clinical depression and have to make choices of death sometimes.
Interestingly, people in my village believes that if one commits suicide once, then it not only shortens one’s life now only but for five hundred lives that follow in the future. It is never sure how many lifetime one will live but it is believed to happen as many times as there are dust particles on the banks of river Ganges.
Woooo!!!! That’s pretty too much. I guess we are already bored with this one life itself. But for Melam, she believed that this is one life that offered her opportunities. And to someone like her, even the forests, villages, towns and places offered her chance to explore. With college degree, she was all set to prepare to test her dreams, hopes, fears and aspirations.
In search of happiness, her mind started to drift everywhere as she hoped to land at her vague dreams. And as she drifted aimlessly, along came small moments of pleasure which often appeased her desires. Interestingly, fulfillment of desires did not bring happiness to her. It only took her to higher level of desire. Therefore, she decided to plateau some of her desires upon attaining some level. In leveling her desire, she began to understand that good life actually brought her happiness and not the fulfillment of desires. It didn’t take long time for Melam to harp on things that brought her happiness.
Over colours of Spring, wonders of Summer, Monsoon haze and dusty Winter months, she was able to scribble many things that brought her happiness but in the end, she settled down for good health, good work, indulgence in one’s own interests, having good colleagues and friends and in following her own personal ideals.
Like Bhutan Government who sold the ideas to donors and tourists, Melam started selling her ideas of happiness to her friends who helped buy the things she wanted sometimes. everytime she talked of happiness, she made it very clear that all the components of individual happiness should be accomplished in unison and not in parts. She believed that happiness was in accomplishing something and that also in the right way.
Accomplishment to Melam was made up of many small events. For her, being happy need not necessarily mean that she had to achieve. She was fascinated with the idea of reaching the places she saw on movies and pictures but it never mattered even if she never reached. She believed that she could see rainbow but may never touch it but there was happiness in seeing it and trying to touch and feel it. So her happiness was born from trying to attain the things she wanted to be or see but never became or saw. Surprisingly, there were times when she was able to attain some of her ideals in small pieces. So the happiness was a natural result of good life she led and not the reward that was presented to her for having attained her ideals.
When Melam dissected her everyday life, there was nothing extra ordinary about it. It was in fact made up of many everyday events where she had work to do, something she was looking forward to and something she loved or admired. She was also able to enjoy every new experience that came along by being in contact with people around her.
A feeling of stability became a platform upon which all her happiness depended and that stability, sometimes depended upon oneself. Sometimes, it was important to create one’s own vision so that we could always strive for that. And based on the vision, Melam made plans so that she was not confused although at times she was forced to make quick adaptations without preparation or much consideration.
In following her ideals, she was able to create a zest of life and with it, an array of interests followed; - of love, care, competition and so many other forces. Competition is needed because there are so many kinds of people around and competition becomes a sting.
However, other people around Melam were mostly those who had minds and hopes for success, but without actually contributing in essence. One of the greatest misery that is abundant in Bhutan, which in some way contributed to not so happy society was a lack of whole-heartedness which in many cases, especially related to good work made up for lack of training and other abilities.
As a natural habit she cultivated, Melam was actively interested in everything that went around him and through it, she sought the beauty and excitement. So in many ways than one, she enjoyed every event that made up her life without actually counting the days in the calendar. She preferred being let down often than being rather bored with nothing to do.
So, Melam was able to progress in her life because she was willing to step away from the past. She had learnt in schools that history offered more burdens from the past. Therefore, it was important to be flexible and adaptive to have attributes of the happy life. It was important to create harmony within ourselves as we blend with the external conditions like Brokpas of the eastern Bhutan and Layaps of northern Bhutan, who have built their lives and culture in places which to us seems to be devoid of every comfort.
And also for that matter, she stood above the crowd and coped with unexpected things so well that she had no time to brood and waste time on issues that were trivial.
There was no mistaking to the fact that a happy life did not mean plethora of luxurious items. Rich people do become sick and need not necessarily be happy while poor people, who have just basic things still look content. Having a party is having a good time and it cannot be mistaken for happiness. Therefore, happiness, in many ways than one is made up of things that are big and small and all those attributes and purposes in an individual’s life.
Achievements are fragile and rest on principles. A principle provides sense of value to people. This sense of values is built gradually during our lifetime. Over the time, community, society and country progresses to higher sense of values and these values become part of our culture which in turn form the basis for other values to evolve and take roots. And every value evolve from individual’s character and this character is built by an individual himself.
Character allows an individual to make independent judgment with regards to events and thoughts. Interestingly, events do not affect us but the way we think about the event does and therefore, it becomes necessary.
At work, most people in Bhutan would like to spurn a responsibility or duty. They would like to do what they always like but Melam, who is in pursuit of happiness uses all her knowledge to do the best she can in every situation and accept responsibility for the consequences. She also leaves some room for other people so that there is a free flow of ideas and views without prejudice.
She was used to listening to all sides of arguments before making any judgments and in it, she showed a sign of maturity. She was also tolerant enough to bear when someone stepped on her toes and all these were processes of living.
In pursuing for happiness, Melam learnt that she should always be learning something everyday. More we learn, more we enjoy. It was also important to create intellectual curiosity about the places and people around her. In other words, it was important to appease intellectual appetite by enjoying adventures of the mind.
In enjoying the work and doing it right, she got the satisfaction of filling vital need and joy in meeting her obligations. In it she found self—assurance and validity.
Happiness concerns everyone. Interestingly, it is also not ushered at certain age. It started to grow year after year, little by little until Melam realized that she had it. So happiness was in building within us and not finding anywhere else.
Most Bhutanese home in urban areas are under pressure today. At least more than half of the Bhutanese youths hope to get married, have children, and enjoy a stable marriage ever after. Many Bhutanese believe that their parents, spouses and children are the most important thing in their lives. Given the fact that we are seeing both the parents going to work, it has become difficult for families to get along. With relatively high incidences of divorce and marital separations in Bhutan and so many couples feeling the need to go their separate ways, it has shown just how difficult it is for people to live together satisfactorily at the best of times today. Having come to experience divorce of her brother and his wife, it effected the normal lives in Melam’s family. This effect on the family had a direct bearings on the society and community nearby. When divorce started to become a normal event, it reflected of not a very healthy society. Where there is a peaceful family, there is a peaceful society. Household break ups, and in most cases, children are being raised by a single parent and children-rearing becomes difficult as burden to look after the children usually fall heavily on one shoulder.
The children come under pressures too as the parent have all the power to coerce the child physically, psychologically and materially.
It is within the family that all children first learn to live with human beings first. Then they learn to share things, feelings, hope and aspirations. In a family, they also learn to resolve their problems and understand each other’s pain, create mutual trust and companionship. So the basic issue of happiness are all entwined in a good family where the children learn at a very young age. These values and principles that they absorb at an early age go so much in reflecting the future of our children and the society. When society is effected, the country is effected. So, an upbringing of children necessarily means that we are building citizen of a country. A violent family produces violent children who later becomes violent citizen. A well groomed child becomes a source of happiness for a family, society and therefore, a well worth citizen and contributes to country’s happiness or Gross National Happiness.

Crisis Within

Jigme Choden is married to her long time sweetheart who is an Army Officer. Professionally, Jigme Choden completed her post graduation and became a teacher. Even as she worked, she got an opportunity to pursue her master’s degree and upon her return from studies, she got elevated as School’s Principal. She was ecstatic. As a young ambitious woman, she enjoyed the respect she earned from the locals, teachers and students. That’s one story.
But interestingly, she had to live another reality too. Her husband was one of the junior most officers in the place where they were posted. As a junior officer, her husband religiously followed the thumb rule of the army hierarchy. Unfortunately, Jigme Choden found herself caught in her husband’s lastman file rank frustrations and her own ambitious dreams. Wives of senior army officers, who were mostly uneducated, borrowed their husband’s rank and tried to create an aura in social gatherings while people like Jigme Choden were made to look very insignificant. There was an urge for her to find her own voice both at home and at work.
So many young people today in Bhutan are going through what is very agonizing, especially now, when most people have so many roles to play. We are all going through uncertainty of trying to find our own identity. Of course we do fill up official forms off and on and try to say we are this and we are that but deep inside, we all suffer from confusion which are related to our own identity. As modern Bhutanese societies are getting more complex, there is a need for everyone of us to go soul hunting for our own identity apart from being Bhutanese along from Citizenship Identity card.
Economic prosperity brings many problems but it is better to have problems related to economic development than having problem associated with poverty. Similarly, identity crisis poses the same problem. We would rather have new problems associated with ever-changing social values than to be associated with customs that are very very old and no more relevant like hierarchies of the army officers’ wives faced by Jigme Choden.
Thirty years ago, our parents and grandparents were all farmers. Today, we still have farmers but we also have parents and grandparents who come from all background. We are no more confined to one village or one town, one occupation or one religion. Just because my father was a farmer no more requires me to be farmer too. In fact, we may soon face the reality that our children would like to undergo sex change and that we are no more confined to one sex.
Therefore, modern Bhutan, and Bhutanese society would definitely go through a number of changes in identity. Most young people today spend more time as students, and try to be associated with school. They work for various organizations and move from one location to another. Someone born and raised in Trashigang later end up as Thimphu resident, giving some of his own individual trait to the community and also absorbing some from the community surrounding him.
Individual Identities, therefore, are largely self-created. A teacher can be a businessman and a businessman can be a good politician too. Therefore, people should be given opportunity to choose the things that they want to do and also to be. Although it comes as a mixed blessings, people eventually find their own way.
So, making sense of the individual identity may be the answer to looking at many evolving social problems of irresponsible teenagers. Many a times, we feel that we are not cut to do something and what we are doing do not suit us. As such, we have wasted half our lives. This often leads to alcohol or drug abuse. The painful situations are reality of many young people’s struggle to build identities distinct from their parents and siblings. That must be the reason why young people like have their hairs bleached or spiked and follow fashion. It may also be the reason why Jigme Choden wanted to find her own space and build upon her own influences.

Jarog Dongchen

Dust had just begun to settle after the first war was fought between the Tsang Desi of Tibet and Bhutanese troops near Paro Hungrel Dzong. The Tibetan troops had returned humiliated to their country but vowed to avenge it. Peace returned to the country and Zhabdrung Rinpoche had some time to rededicate himself to prayers and teachings.

However, the peace was short-lived because Lam Kha Nga, Kathogpas, Chazampas and other religious followers whose importance had diminished burned with jealously as Zhabdrung became popular among the local residents. They waged war against Zhabdrung to reclaim their past glories.

Preparation went on discreetly to wage war against Zhabdrung. Supporting Zhabdrung’s opponents were landlords of Thimphu, Punakha and Wangduephodrang. They too were not happy with Zhabdrung’s growing influences in their territories. In fact some of the representatives of these disgruntled religious figures had gone to Tibet to seek help from the Tsang Desi of Tibet. They knew that the Tsang Desi Karma Tenchong Wangpo would help them because the then Tsang Desi’s father was a bitter rival of Zhabdrung.

Zhabdrung was in Chari then when the war against Bhutan was declared. A total of four contingents of army arrived from Paro and Goen while one arrived from Bumthang. When Zhabdrung heard the news of arrival of the Tibetan armies from north and his Bhutanese rivals waging war from the south, Zhabdrung felt disturbed that the initial prophecy of Buddhism flourishing in Bhutan may not have been correct. In order to avoid bloodbath, Zhabdrung suggested to his most trusted official, Umze Tenzin Drugyel, who later became the first Druk Desi. To consider peaceful negotiations.However, he told Umze Tenzin Drugyel not to involve Zhabdrung and the deity Pal Yeshey Gonpo in the negotiation. Zhabdrung, however, had more important things to do than fight the battle. He had the responsibility to save the sacred treasures of Rangjung Khasarpani from the hands of the Tibetans. One of the reasons for the Tibetans to wage war against Zhabdrung was because Zhabdrung had brought many sacred treasures from Tibet which they wanted to take back. However, when Zhabdrung claimed his rights and refused to return the treasures, Tibetans found reasons to wage war against him.

So Zhabdrung left Thimphu along the ancient route and went towards the present day Jargang crossing over Khotokha and Jela. Along the way, he left some treasures in Wachina dzong and the rest he carried towards Jargang. His intention was to save the nangtens or the treasures at all cost.

When he reached Jalachongdragtsen, he was received by the people of that area with tea and other refreshments. After tea, Zhabdrung, wanted to confirm whether Buddhism could actually flourish in Bhutan given the frequency of war waged by the Tibetans and the existence of large number of rivals within Bhutan itself. His initial prophecy was confirmed. He also left his footprint in a pit at a place called Shong which still exists between Jargang and Aula.

In meanwhile, the Tibetan armies which has arrived at Thimphu rampantly vandalized the present day Simtokha Dzong which then was known as Sanga Zhabden Phodrang. Umze Tenzin Drugyel’s attempt to negotiate had come to an utter failure and there was no option but to fight.

However, the resistance from handful of armies which were formed with the volunteers and loyal band of Zhabdrung’s patrons were no match for the Tibetan armies owing to their huge number. Further, the Tibetans were also supported by the Zhabdrung’s rivals in Bhutan.

The Tibetan armies captured Sanga Zhabden Phodrang, the present day Simtokha Dzong, and forcefully entered inside. While they were inside the dzong, they vandalized the dzong and also attempted to loot all the treasures left inside. It is being said that the Dzong caught fire and there was a huge explosion as the gun powder inside the Dzong caught fire. The explosion killed the Tibetan general, his officers and many of his men.

Those who stood guard outside were captured and the rest surrendered since the leaders had been killed when the Dzong collapsed. The armies of the rival leaders fled too but those who could not flee were captured.

Ever since the first war was fought with Tibetans, many inauspicious sign had occurred in Bhutan including the epidemic that followed which killed many people in Bhutan. However, the greatest loss suffered during the war was the collapse of the Simtokha dzong which was not even five years old then.

Meanwhile, Zhabdrung had reached the present day Jargang and was putting up at his old hostess Zompachugmo’s house. Although he was treated with grand hospitality, his mind wandered off to Tibetan War. He was even contemplating to leave for India with the treasure when Jarog Dongchen before Zhabdrung and informed him of the fate of the Tibetan armies and also that of his rivals. Upon hearing the news of his enemy’s defeat, Zhabdrung felt relieved. He named the small stream where he heard the good news as Deychu, the stream where he experienced relief. Jarog Dongchen is a personal deity of Zhabdrung who is usually seen in the form of raven. Jarog Dongchen also volunteered to protect the country from future wars from Tibetans and requested Zhabdrung to return to Chari for the benefit of all sentient beings. The stream and rock where Zhabdrung sat and heard the news still exists to this day.

Zhabdrung returned to his hostess’s house and sought permission to return to Chari when the hostess pleaded him to stay saying that her village does not have any religious figure who would teach them dharma. Zhabdrung although could not stay promised to send a representative and it is being said that when the first Penlop was appointed in the country, it was in Jargang. The name Jargang is the shortened version of the name Jarogang which Zhabdrung had given to the fields of his hostess Zompachugmo. It was a tribute to the deity Jarog Dongchen, the emanation of Pal Yeshey Gonpo.

Zhabdrung is believed to have made two statues which resembled him from the breakfast and tea he was served by his hostess. One of the statues flew away as soon as it was made and it is believed to have disappeared inside a tree at what is now Tsirangtoed. It is believed that the people of Tsirangtoed would be highly beneficial in helping dharma flourish in the area. People of those times in other neighbouring areas also believed that the good grain harvest in their place is because of this incident.

The other statue along with the gift of conch, drilbu (the bell) and a cymbal still exist in the Jargang Lhakhang. Zhabdrung is also known to have planted his walking stick to foresee whether he would be able to sustain in Bhutan or not. If the staff grew into tree, it was taken as good omen where he would flourish and if it died, it was taken as bad omen. However, the walking stick is known to have grown into cypress tree and it still exists today.

Some of the treasures left by the Zhabdrung for safe keeping in Jargang monastery was later brought to Wangduephodrang as sacred treasure for the Dzong and is believed to be kept at Lama Lhakhang.

Zhabdrung also planted a seed from the jackfruit, which was offered to him after lunch. He commanded his hostess that when the tree started bearing fruits, it should be sent to him wherever he would be. It became tradition for the family and the generations later to send jackfruit every year as an offering to Punakha whether Zhabdrung was there or not until recent past. The jackfruit tree still exist there (but I am not very sure if it bears fruit or not.)

Zhabdrung returned to Chari in Thimphu and as he was conducting prayers and rites for the dead soldiers in the war, he was also blessed with divination of Pal Yeshey Gonpo, his personal protective deity.

The crown worn by our monarchs today represents Jarog Dongchen, the deity. It protects our monarchs from all vices and enemies. This was first made and offered by Lama Jangchub Tshongru to Jigme Namgyel, the father of the first King Ugyen Wangchuk. Since then it has been associated with the Bhutanese crown. Lama Jangchub Tshongru was Jigme Namgyel’s root guru.


....WISHING HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY READERS...HOPE YOU ALL HAVE WONDERFUL TIME AHEAD

Pangzampa –the deity of Kangpara

Pangzampa is the local deity of Kangpara areas. He was believed to be a skilled blacksmith. It is being said that people could borrow pots and pans from Pangzampa. They only had to go near his citadel and ask for it and wait with their back towards the citadel. The things they asked would be there when they were about to return. People believe that the deities no longer provide such facilities now because people didn’t return the things that they took.

Similarly, Sakharpa, who lives at the foot of hills facing Udzorong in Trashigang also used to provide utensils and things to the people. He also stopped providing help obviously for the same reason that Pangzampa stopped providing help to the people of Kangpara.

Pangzampa used to have his abode in Wakhar under Nanong Gewog in Pema Gatshel. He afflicted people with diseases if people did not make offerings. He could only be appeased if live cattle and paddy was provided. This became too much for poor local people to bear. So they decided to chase him away by stopping offerings. Instead, they stationed the blacksmiths near his abode so that the sound of the hammer hitting the iron would disturb him. Locals also built their pig sty near the lake to pollute the lake and asked the women to wash the clothes, especially those worn during the menstruations time. It was too much for Pangzampa to bear. So he decided to relocate himself.

He first sent out his retinues-the giant toads, snakes and other reptiles and then he followed them. When the people saw him coming out in the form of a man, the people chased him- the blacksmiths with hammers, the women with hot waters and the children with hot ashes. One blacksmith hurled a hammer at him and it is said that it hit Pangzampa’s leg which made him limp with pain. Today, when Pangzampa afflicts people, they usually have leg pain. People know that it is Pangzampa that is affecting him or her and they make appeasements.

Pangzampa is said to have escaped to Bamshing, previously under Wamrong Dungkhag. There also he got the same treatment and was chased away. Finally he settled down in Kangpara.

It is here that he was subdued by Lama Dongrechen, who was the emanation of Guru Rinpoche.

The legend of Lama Dongrechen is equally appealing as the legend of Pangzampa himself. Lama Dongrechen was born to a widow in Chenla. Chenla is a high mountain pass and also was an ancient trade route from where the traders frequently traveled to India and brought back many things like betel leaves, areca nuts, dried fishes, cotton yarns and rice. Lama Dongrechen’s mother one day envied her neighbours who ate fishes and lamented that she could not even catch a fish from the river let alone buying a imported dried fish for her son.

The son told her mother that he would go to India and get everything she wanted. The very next day he left carrying some stale food for lunch. It usually took travelers about a week to go and come back but when her son returned on the same evening with all the things, which could last them for months, she grew suspicious. However, when he started showing miraculous powers, his mother and the people started having faith in him and believed that he must be the incarnation of some lamas.

The child grew up to be a very handsome young man. Those days Kangpara suffered from lack of water. They teased the young boy saying that a lama of his stature was useless if he could not take out water miraculously and benefit people. The young lama promised to help people. In presence of all the people, he plucked out a huge boulder shouting “ Shor…shor” and there rushed a huge volume of water, bigger than the river. The people were terrified. They begged the lama to return the water to its sources. It is being said that if the people had not begged the lama to return the water, Kangpara would have had abundant water which would have helped people in farming. They only have small source of water now.

Then one day, the people of Kangpara came to lama and appealed him to subdue the deity Pangzampa who was causing them much suffering. Lama Dongrechen agreed. When lama arrived at the abode of the Pangzampa, he was told that Pangzampa had gone out to hunt and would return very soon. So the lama waited near the abode.

Pangzampa arrived in the evening. He had a retinue of followers. Pangzampa himself rode a black steed. As soon as the steed arrived near the abode, it neighed twice. During the first neigh, the deity dismounted from the horse. When he dismounted, the whole earth trembled. During the second neigh, he turned into a giant serpent and disappeared into the cave, his abode.

The lama meditated at the head of the giant cave and forced the deity to come out. When he did, he had come out as human being and challenged the lama. Two of them fought until all the vegetations nearby were destroyed.

The deity took several forms of the animals but everytime he did that, lama changed himself into superior animal and finally he was subdued.

After he was subdued, he was made to take oath. Lama Dongrechen promised to give him the symbolic representations of the live animals and other offerings instead of the actual paddy field and animals. It is being said that the ritual cake for Pangzampa would consists of land like features with some twigs planted to represent the orchards and some dough kneaded to represent the cattle. Since then, Pangzampa also became the propitiator of the Buddha dharma.

Lama Dongrechen is also known to have met Guru Rinpoche in person and talked with him one day in Chenla. After they had talked, Lama Dongrechen appealed for some kind of proof to show the common people so that they could believe that he had met him. It is being said that Guru Rinpoche granted his wish by leaving a foot print on a stone slab to mark the meeting of Lama Dongrechen and Guru Rinpoche as a proof.

ZINNIA

A lone flower, be it zinnia, dahlia or china
Cannot give all the colors that the garden need
Nor can you fill up the vast expanse
Of another person’s life, how ever much you give.

It takes Sun, rain, earth, season and care
To make blossom the small seed into beautiful zinnia
And it takes many many teardrops
To bring up a child.

If you give your garden to someone you would die for
Where do you grow your flowers then?
Your garden in someone’s hand is not a garden at all…
You should give flowers to others and keep the garden for yourself

Many people give away their heart, and not the love it brings
And when they need it for themselves, they have only the hurts remaining
If there are many flowers in the garden…
Even when Zinnia dies, dahlia and china will still be there.
If your heart is big enough for all souls…
You have the strength of many hands
still around you
And the warmth and colours of many smiles
And the garden is forever yours to grow flowers in again and again.

Phola Mansang Chungdud – father deity of Haa valley

History of Haa valley would not be complete without reference of Phola Mansang Chungdud, the guardian deity of Haa. Although his name suggests that he is the deity of man and strength, all the natives of Haa and also some people from Paro nevertheless worship him for all other purposes also.

He is popularly known as Phola Mansang Chungdud or in short as Ap Chungdud. He is venerated for his strength, skills and bravery during the wars against Tibetans. He is also revered for his contribution in safeguarding the religion from negative forces. He is admired for his innocence and straightforwardness and dreaded for his temper.

He is compared to a very good father who keeps the priorities of his children above everything else. People believe that it is not a good idea to come in conflict with the people of Haa not only because of the temper which they believe is being inherited from Phola Mansang Chungdud but also because Phola Mansang Chungdud backs them up if such an event ever occurs. Like many deities, he is known as “Welfare Deity” in common man’s language but sometimes devoid of logic and reasons.

When Guru Rinpoche came to this part of the world sometimes in 8th century, he performed many rituals to tame the malignant spirits. Out of these rituals, one was the 5th series of Avalokitesvara’s Abhisekha ritual at the cave of Gyonyulpel. During this time, Phola Mansang Chungdud, along with many other deities who didn’t want Guru Rinpoche to come to Bhutan resisted by creating cyclones, forest fires, burning lakes, earthquakes, landslides, etc. Guru Rinpoche threw the golden Dorji (vajra) into the space and with its power knocked every deity unconscious on the ground. When they regained consciousness, they had learnt their lessons. So, they submitted themselves to Guru Rinpoche and vowed that they would never do such things in the future. Among them was Phola Mansang Chungdud, who woke up to his consciousness in the form of small timid boy wearing a dress called vajratira and looked green with fear. He bowed down and requested Guru Rinpoche to forgive him for his malice. He also requested Guru Rinpoche to accept him as his disciple and pledged to dedicate himself in protecting the doctrine of Buddhism. Guru Rinpoche was pleased with him and gladly accepted him as his subject and also blessed him. Guru gave him many Buddhist teachings and then appointed him as the guardian deity of Haa valley.

Phola Mansang Chungdud now had bigger and more challenging responsibility. However, many other smaller malignant spirits didn’t like the idea of Phola Mansang Chungdud becoming powerful. It is being said that one Dud who always appeared in the form of frog as big as yak always tormented people of Haa valley. The people invoked Phola Mansang Chungdud and requested him to save them from this Dud. Phola Mansang Chungdud took on the task of helping the people. As the Dud appeared from the lake, Phola Mansang Chungdud’s horse leapt on the back of the Dud and subdued him and turned him into a rock. This rock with a face of the frog and the hoof imprint of Phola Mansang Chungdud’s horse still exist today at Haa just near the Ugyen Dorji Higher Secondary School. Ever since then, people started offering their gratitude every year by conducting rituals.

Another offering ceremony happens on 15th of the 11th month every year. Numerous pawo, nejom and patrons gather together, in a spectacular scene, to observe rites under a particular pine tree (lhaydong) at the palace of Chundud in Haa Jangkhakha.

There were attempts to stop the yak sacrifice by substituting it by other offerings since yak sacrifice defeated the Buddist idealogy of not to kill any sentient beings. However, the idea didn’t take off because of the belief that Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel had given him as a gift after the Tibetans armies were crushed at battle in Jangkhangkha. Taking Phola Mansang Chungdud’s ancient root as dud, Zhabdrung had made exceptions to the rule of killings and had allowed yak sacrifice once a year since he was impressed by the valor of Phola Mansang Chungdud as warrior.

He is known to have made his intentions very clear through his oracle medium which is known as Phola Mansang Chungdud’s Powo when the yak sacrifice was nearly stopped. Locals also believed that since he has been granted a gift by the Zhabdrung, it should not be stopped. Stopping the sacrifice might invite his wrath.

Sometimes in 15th century, a Terton called Sherab Mebar happened to reach Haa from Kham in Tibet. He drank all the waters of the lake Nubtshonapatra and took out dung (trumpet), Nga (drum) and a pair of ramung (cymbals) from the lake bed. He also found a huge golden pillar and requested a carpenter to curve it into a pillar to be used for Paro Rinpung .The carpenter was told to take the shavings from the pillar as a remuneration for the work. However, the carpenter shaved too much from the pillar as his remunerations. As a result, the lake escaped from the mouth of the Terton and started chasing him. Terton ran for his life. While running away, he threw first the drum and then the drumsticks. He also threw away the trumpet and a one portion of the cymbals until Phola Mansang Chungdud appeared to rescue the Terton at a place called Labdza of Tshellutsho. Phola Mansang Chungdud negotiated the truce between the Terton and the angry deity of the lake. It was agreed that the Terton, his followers and his people would never set their foot in Haa Shongana. Similarly, the deity of the lake agreed not to cross Labdza. This cut out all links between the people of Haa Shongana and Paro Pangmisa where Labdza is located although the two places are known to be nearby. The other portion of the cymbal still exists today and is one of the main treasures of the Paro Rinpung Dzong. Once a year it is taken out of the Dzong during annual Paro Tshechu for public to get blessing.

This agreement was however, defied later by a young man from Haa Shongana who happened to marry a girl from Paro Pangmisa. It is being said that , while they were travelling to Haa Shongana, the couple lost their infant child when they were crossing a footbridge. The knot tying the baby wrapper is known to have loosened itself when they reached the middle of the bridge and the child was carried away by the river beneath. So the people started taking him very seriously, not to invite his wrath.

One of the popular stories that are being told and retold among the people of Haa is the story of war between the deity of Paro, Jowo Drake and Ap Chungdud concerning the water resources. The water resources were to be shared between Paro and Haa and as such, the deity ‘Od Dedpa is believed to have called Phola Mansang Chungdud and Jowo Drake. They were told upon arrival to come to the source of the water early in the morning since the water would be let out early the next morning before sunrise. Jowo Drake who was very clever and cunning and also knew Phola Mansang Chungdud’s weakness for local brews fed Phola Mansang Chungdud the local brew whole night so that Phola Mansang Chungdud could not wake up in the morning when the water was let out. When he woke up, he found that all the water had been diverted to Paro and nothing had been left for Haa. Phola Mansang Chungdud got so infuriated that he waged war against Jowo Drake. This war became so violent that people on both sides started to suffer. Therefore, the deity ‘Od Dedpa mediated a truce between the two deities. He asked Jowo Drake to compensate Phola Mansang Chungdud by making the offering every year with the fresh harvest. According to the terms of the arguments, the first grains of rice after each harvest was to reach Ap Chungdud as offering and this tradition is carried out till date. Every year, people of Paro come with offerings of fresh harvest for Phola Mansang Chungdud at Haa.

Stories are also being told of Phola Mansang Chungdud having affairs with many women. One such story relates with a woman of Paro. It is being said that Phola Mansang Chungdud used to travel to Paro and other bordering areas with a huge caravan of horses. He is also known to have traveled to Sikkim where he is considered the deity of Sikkim. During such travel, he had an affair with a girl from Paro who soon became pregnant. However, Phola Mansang Chungdud had asked the lady not to reveal him as the father of the child at all cost to other people for some reasons. Over the time, the parents of the girl started to question the father of the child. When she refused to disclose the identity, the girl’s father started beating her until she disclosed. When Phola Mansang Chungdud knew about his identity being disclosed, he became so angry and wrathful that the girl’s family died of fear.

The house is believed to exist till date but that no one is known to live there.

Phola Mansang Chungdud also fathered many other children. One of his children was called Penlop Haap who is known to have been gifted with many treasures, weapons and wealth. A story is being said of Penlop Haap wearing beautiful and expensive ghos in seven layers when other people could barely afford to wear one such gho in their lifetime. Each layer was more beautiful and expensive than the other. Within each layer were hidden knives- and each was more beautiful than the other and Penlop Haap is known to have showed each one of them to Zhabdrung during their casual meetings.

During a fight which ensued with one person during one of the festivals, Penlop Haap had refused to use his knife as everybody had expected. Instead people heard a sound of gunfire and his enemy had fallen on the ground. Some people speculated on the kind of weapon he used while many wondered what would have been his weapon since none had seen a gun before. Most people today believe that Penlop Haap must be the first person to have used gun in Bhutan and that it was gifted by Phola Mansang Chungdud.

Phola Mansang Chungdud is known to have been very generous with the people. He also served many important lamas including Thangthong Gyelpo. Phola Mansang Chungdud had gone all the way to Phari in Tibet and had requested Thangthong Gyelpo to come to Bhutan and teach Buddhism. He followed Thangthong Gyelpo and served him wherever he went. Thangthong Gyelpo who is also known as Chagzampa for having built many iron bridges is believed to have taught Phola Mansang Chungdud the art of making weapons out of the iron ores.