Bhutan – GNH

In Bhutan, monks can rap.

We visited a monastery during prayer time, and a monk was having a go at the scriptures. Non-stop, with a beat, he was rapping.

GNH. Gross National Happiness.

The acronym GNH is flaunted everywhere. You are repeatedly told that, here, success is measured in terms of happiness. People in this land are happy… It’s true, they do seem to be.

A curse broken by polygamy

When the British came to India, Bhutan concluded an agreement with them; they had to impart a part of their land to the British and in return, received subsidies. After independence, India took up the role of the British, returned the land they had ceded and acted as a kind of big brother in their policy making processes. The role of India was subsequently clearly defined by the monarch and the Bhutanese government, and because of its active participation in their governmental affairs, the Indian tourist does not have to pay the mandatory 200 USD daily fee to visit the country.

Currently, the fifth monarch is ruling over the country. The fourth king transferred power to his son after marrying five times to break the curse placed by the founder of the Bhutanese state, Ngawang Namgyal, 1^st Zhadbrung Rinpoche, that no king would rule Bhutan after he turned 50 (All three previous kings died before they turned 50, as told to us by one of our taxi drivers).

The conceit of an internal struggle

Instead of inching towards 40, I feel like I’m galloping towards it at full speed behind a big garbage truck, and time is the stench slapped on my face by the wind carrying the odor of its wet waste.  Most of my friends are in their mid twenties and are part of the breed of young, fearless Indians, for whom, things come easy, and in case it doesn’t, it doesn’t matter, because there are a million things out there, and so, it’s easy to move on from one opportunity to the next, with aggressive intent and always confident. “Our mantra” - India is rising. It sure is. (A young Indian Muslim may differ in opinion).

Paradoxically, the more I try to distance myself from the virtual, the more I find it hard to connect on a personal level. As if I’m putting myself on a pedestal. “I am better than you, because I don’t need whatsapp”.

I choose to not want facebook because it makes me run and I don’t want to run.

Nowadays, sitting has to be constructive. Walking has to be constructive. We don’t sit for the sake of sitting or walk for the sake of walking anymore. We no longer romance. Or rather, I should say, we put a time limit on romancing and admiring our surroundings, just enough for it to be constructive. We allocate romance in our daily lives, like we allocate sitting or walking. It’s a tight timetable. Check. Check. And check. I’m so cool, I’ve done all that. I’m a nerd, I’m so cool. I’m so cool for not being cool. Check.

I am running.

I’m trying to keep up and I am looking to be part of this race. But then, I put limitations in my participation, and end up feeling conflicted. I want to be old school, but want to be accepted by the new as well… Neither here nor there - I am 37 years old and will turn 38 in less than two months.

Video killed the radio…

The television set entered Bhutan in the 90s. It overcame its last hurdle. All countries in the world finally had The TV.   

25 years later, all hotels have flat screens TVs, cable and wifi. On Sundays, in Timphu, in the main square, i.e. the Clock Tower Square, young people sing the latest American songs. All the roads connecting all the villages are under construction to speed up travel time between towns.

My travel mate kept saying, this country is about to change, it’s about to open up…  

At the same time, in a pharmacy, you are told that they only keep the most generic medicines; when you visit a travel agent, they honestly tell you that the best option is not to buy a package from them, but instead just go directly to the places that you want to visit. “In Bhutan, all we have is nature.  It is safe to walk and hike on your own wherever you go. Why do you want our help to arrange your travels? We are too expensive, it’s best for you to just take a taxi and go, you can do the same on your own”.

Bhutan is attempting to be the world’s first wholly organic nation.

Can joining the band-wagon late regulate the state of progress based on the study of other countries? Is it possible to strike a balance between the fast paced, the modern on one hand and the retention of culture, serenity and simply making time to just be? Is the possibility of a perfect combination achievable?

Or is fast paced the normal pace now, and all those of us that are lacking behind are simply too slow? Is our only option to catch up, or else, we’re left with nothing but crumbling and being alienated? Is the pace of the Golden State Warriors the normal pace now?

Is the intimacy that we create with ourselves and with others genuine or simply a well tested formula?

The people in Bhutan are honest and overtly nice. It appears to be inherent in them.

To the outsider, this niceness feels weird. It doesn’t fit with the world we live in. Things are not supposed to be this way. What’s wrong with them? They’re weird. Join the band-wagon. Cuba is joining in as well, you know… Castro is dying. Idealism is on its death bed.   

Curiosity did not kill the cat…

There are some people who emit beauty. They encompass intelligence, humility, kindness and grace. They emit grace in their mistakes too. But most of all, they possess a quality that is so very attractive… they appear more curious about the world and all of its little elements than most of us. Their curiosity is child like. It’s genuine and authentic. It makes them smile and it drives them. It makes them so alive.

A genuine smile is the most beautiful smile.

I love the world, and I love people. If I’m not galloping toward child like curiosity, I would at least like to inch and crawl towards it.

Everything looks better in hindsight. In hindsight, Bhutan was a great great trip.

Pictures – Beautiful Bhutan