Bhutan, 18,182 square miles, is a hidden and protected paradise in the Himalayas and is also the last remaining Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas -- a stronghold, in more ways than religion alone. Bhutan only opened its doors to tourism in 1974; however, in order to minimize the negative effects of tourism on its fragile environment and culture, only a small number of people every year are welcome (last year fewer than 8,000 people visited Bhutan). Thus, travel to Bhutan is regulated by the Government-- pre-paid at approximately $200.00 per day and regulated through an authorized Bhutanese agent, which includes hotel, accommodations, a guide and administrative services to obtain visas. The size of Switzerland, Bhutan has 750,000 people. The languages spoken are Dzogkha, English, Nepali and Sharchopha. In contrast, nearby Nepal is the size of two Switzerlands and has a population of 23 million. The difference between Nepal and Bhutan can certainly be seen from the air. The mountainsides of Bhutan are so thick with trees that they look black. But the hills of Nepal have been scalped for farm fields and terraces, and every rise of land except the snow peaks has a house -- or two or three -- on top.
Part of the great fortune of Bhutan can be creditied to its monarch, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, the youngest ruling monarch in the world at 50 years of age, who cares deeply about his people and has the authority to put policy where his heart is. He is a one-man amalgam of the progressive and the traditional. Educated in England, he has four wives who are sisters, and the national newspaper, the Kuensel, always refers to them as Their Majesties the Queens. On the throne since he was 17, the king is known for living simply, riding around in a four-wheel-drive instead of a limo and doing the right thing. Among his more memorable quotations: "I care less about the gross national product and more about the gross national happiness." Admirably, the people of Bhutan love, respect and revere their monarchy who believe that the royal family members are reincarnated Bodhisattvas whose purpose is to serve their people. Unlike the United States and many other countries, where we elect a President or other official and then run popularity polls that vary from day to day, the Bhutanese people do not waver in their devotion to the King and the royal family; however, although the king is revered, Buddhism teaches that each person is living out his or her karma in this world, so you are who you are supposed to be; consequently, Western celebrity doesn’t exist, and celebrities who visit Bhutan will not hear, “Can I have your autograph?” Yes, you can be admired in Bhutan for doing something exemplary, but for simply doing the job your karma gave you, no. For example, Michael Jordan’s job is being Michael Jordan.
Because King Wangchuk is a visionary, he became concerned that Bhutan would lose its culture the way other small countries have; thus, several years ago the king issued a series of protective decrees, which includes a decree that the Bhutanese people still wear their traditional dress. Bhutan is famous for its textiles, and regions have their own particular specialty: raw silk in the east, brocades from Kurtoe and woolen cloth from Bumthang. The dyes are usually made from plants or minerals by the weavers themselves, and everything is done manually, from dyeing the skeins to weaving the cloth itself. Men wear a woven gho and women, a woven kira. I wouldn’t have believed it unless I saw it. The men’s gho, brought by the Shabdrung from Tibet, is part kilt and part kimono and difficult to put on properly. The robe is wrapped around the body with an inverted pleat in the back and cinched up at the waist with a special belt, resulting in a chest pouch where belongings can be carried. The length of the gho used indicate one's status, with only the King wearing his gho below the knee while others have exposed knee socks and nice shoes. The women’s kira is beautiful--a full-length piece of cloth composed of 3 woven panels stitched together that is wrapped around the body and attached at the shoulders with a pair of silver brooches. A blouse is worn underneath, and a short silk jacket is usually worn over it with solid-color cuffs turned back. Most women will have 3-5 kiras, with at least one of those being reserved for special occasions. The various color combinations of woven cloth have names, such as the red and gold pattern or the gold and white on a plain field. The women wear horizontal-striped patterns and men wear the vertical-striped patterns; however, because of the variety of weaves and silk they don't appear to be "in uniform."
Preserving the Bhutanese tradition is also why students must be fluent in Dzongkha, Bhutan's official language, even though all other instruction is in English. Throughout this pilgrimage, several people have asked me to assist them with their English, which they seem to take quite seriously. Maggy has often called on me for clarification of an English word, also, such as when we were in a monastery viewing masks that were made for lama dancing. One very special deer mask, after the face was carved, spontaneously grew its "horns." Maggy asked me if the word "horns" was correct so I told her that the word was "antlers" but she thought that no one would know what she meant if she said "antlers" so she proceeded to say, "horns--antlers.":-) (Note: the word symbolical is actually symbolic.)
The new construction in Bhutan must be traditional-style, which is why modern concrete factories are being Bhutan-ized with white-wash and ornate wooden eaves. New development is spread out across the country so rural people won't be so tempted to leave the land. Environmental protection is taken so seriously that "all trees belong to the state, even the ones in your garden." Women have equal rights; old people are admired; schooling and health care are free, and family planning is a priority. Monasteries also do not need sponsors for funding because the government provides for them. The average size family in Bhutan is 2-3 children, and I have never seen such happy, radiant people. The most enjoyable part of traveling on the roads in Bhutan is waving to children from the front seat of the bus I am sitting in as they walk to and from school (sometimes miles) or as younger children stand with their mothers by the side of the road. The children gleefully wave with the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen, and those smiles come from the heart. After hours of waving, one would think that I would grow tired of it—but I don't because it is just too much fun. I took many pictures of smiling, waving children on the road. Because the winding roads are so dangerously narrow (1 1/2 lanes wide) through the mountains, there are slogans written along the way that we enoyed reading; i.e.:
Drinking whiskey makes driving risky
This is a highway not a runway
Watch your nerves in the curves
If you're married divorce speed
This is not a rally. Enjoy the valley.
Speed thrills but kills
I asked one of our guides if there are frequent accidents on the roads (which the Indian government developed), and he said, "Yes--about 50 to 60 a year." Believe me, the drop off is so great that I cannot imagine people surviving if they go off the road. The superb driving skills of our drivers continue to amaze me, and I inquired about their training. They obtain a learner's permit for 6 months and then have to take a test that very few of them can pass.
On our drive to Bhutan through India, I was in a jeep with my new dear friends from Bulgaria: Elka LLieva and Nikolay. As we were ready to depart via jeep, a young man from Hungary, Gabor, who now lives in Moscow, asked if he could ride with us. He sat between Nikolay and myself in the back seat and was very sick with a high fever. I had been so determined not to get sick on this trip, faithfully channeling Reiki and utilizing my therapeutic grade essential oils. Suddenly this very sick man had his head on my shoulder and was asleep so I reached for my Thieves essential oil spray and started spraying. He jumped up and exclaimed, "You must be an American!!!! Only Americans do shings (things) like this!!!!" We just about died laughing.
Day 10 - Phuentsholing, Bhutan to Thimphu, Bhutan
Maggy led us walking across the border from India to Phuentsholing, Bhutan, which was a lot of fun. There is a very distinctive line between India and Bhutan. No longer is there the highly populated India and the many signs of poverty, particularly garbage on the streets where littering is the norm. It is unbelievable that two countries next to each other could appear so radically different. Bhutan is beautiful beyond words.
After we ate a wonderful lunch in Phuentsholing, it wasn't surprising to notice the fanfare of an archery competition. Since time immemorial the Bhutanese have been passionate about their national sport of Dha (archery), and it is as important in Bhutan as the Super Bowl winner at home. They also have their own astrologer. They won a silver medal at the last Olympic Games and are hoping for a gold at the next Olympic games. Their competitions in Bhutan are a riot of color and excitement, with two teams in traditional dress shooting at small wooden targets placed 140m apart (Olympic standard is 50m). The distance is so great that team members gather dangerously close to the target to yell back how good the archer's aim was, often accompanied by chanting, howls, encouragement and jokes. When the archers hit their target they perform a little jig that is like the dance of the black-ncecked cranes. For major tournaments each team brings its own cheerleading section of girls decked out in the finest clothes. They perform dances in between play, and during the shooting they try to interfere with the opposing team's performance by shouting disparaging commnets; however, the women are not allowed to touch an archer's bow, nor can the men see a woman the night before a competition. I must say that I have never seen people who are so physically fit and lean---no body fat whatsoever. However, their diet includes the best vegetables and fruit I have ever eaten, and of course, they are all organically grown. Dessert is not served after meals, but rather, hot tea. Thus, it is not surprising that they are not challeneged with some of the diseases that we see in the West. While on the topic of food, I must mention that I brought several bags of sunflower seeds for the trip, and whenever I would pass a bag of them around the bus, it struck the Europeans quite funny that I would be eating them. I remember Preben asking, "Do you want us to turn into canaries?"
Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan and is famous for its one traffic light in the city that was removed within days because it was found to be unsightly; thus, currently, a policeman does quite an eloquent job of directing traffic all day. The dzong I remember the most is the Tashi Chhoe Dzong in Trimphu. I took many pictures of its beautifully preserved structures. The Thimphu Dzong I will never forget. The ornate windows, colors and paintings even in the courtyards are breathtaking. Bhutanese art is quite exquisite and distinctive. The first monastery was built by the King of Bhutan, and the third, by the Queen Mother.
The first Guru Rinpoche monastery we visited was Dechen Podrang Monastery in Thimphu where Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche’s body laid for a week after he died in a Bangkok hospital. (Interestingly, Rinpoche was born on the same day as Guru Rinpoche and also died on the same day, and his specialty transmission was Guru Rinpoche.) Maggy said that as the plane entered Bhutan that carried his body, a rainbow formed around the sun and remained there for the entire week. Upon the plane’s departure back to Kathmandu, it started to thunder and rain. The monastery was absolutely breathtaking, particularly since a puja was in progress, and Je Khenpo, Bhutan’s spiritual head of Buddhism, was there. Maggy found this to be absolutely unbelievable. As Maggy introduced us to him one by one by name and what country we were from, he gave every single one of us an individual blessing and a blessing string. There were three tulku children with him. One of the children was Tulku Tenzin Rabaye Rinpoche who was identified as a reincarnation at the age of 2. He had built the monastery at Paro in his previous life, and at age 2 in a remote village, he began to speak of Bhutanese history that his parents were unaware of, but rather, history that occurred during the time of his grandparents. The story is nothing short of phenomenal.
I will say that we Westerners have been observed before blessings have been offered to us, and I have lost track of how many blessings I have received not only from these highly realized and enlightened spiritual beings but also with sacred and powerful objects that some of them held, such as original texts of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgygal at Dechung Phodrung, "the place of highest bliss" and a terma (hidden treasure discovered by a a terton, an enlightened treasure discoverer) at Kyichu Lhakhang, that were touched to my head as blessings were given. The next day, at one of Guru Rinpoche's monasteries, Kurjey Lhakhang, and at the entrance of the cave where he had meditated prior to subduing the demons in that area (where he also left the imprint of his body on a rock), a high ranking Nyingma Rinpoche from Tibet, Wessel Dorje Rinpoche, was on the throne practicing (in retreat for 30 days). He talked with Maggy at length in Tibetan; he marveled at how perfect her Tibetan was and commented that for us to be there was an indication that we had accumulated much positive merit. He gave each one of us an individual blessing, and again blessed our personal items.
We spent some time at the National Memorial Chorten in Thimphu, often called the "King's Stupa", built in 1974 to honor the memory of the third King, Jime Dorji Wangchuck. The memorial chorten is highly visible, and we saw many people visiting there for their daily worship, circumambulating the chorten and praying at a small shrine inside the gate. The painting and artwork inside and on the building, especially surrounding a long row of prayer wheels, is beautiful and so characteristic of Bhutanese art. The paths are lined with trees whose appearance are unlike anything I've ever seen--similar to a groomed topiary tree but the top is shaped like a pyramid. I took several pictures of people and children, dressed in their traditional Bhutanese attire.
My main purchase in Bhutan, however, has been Bhutanese Incense, which is rare and hard to find. Bhutanese incense is a very special offering incense, made to propitiate the protective deities, the formulation prescribed by Pema Karpo, the great Yogi of the Druukpa School of Buddhism and Minling Terchen, the Treasurer Discoverer of the Mindroling Monastery. It is a blend of about one hundred precious aromatic substances like giwang (bezoar), clove, nutmeg, safron, red and white sandalwood and other medicinal materials, which has been hand manufactured with utmost care and in strict compliance with an old age traditional method at Thimphu by Nado.
We had to be prepared to go from the bus to a hotel to meet with the Princess of Bhutan, Ashi Sonoma; thus, Maggy instructed us to have dress clothes with us because we would not be able to access our luggage. I literally changed clothes on the bus while others found spots in the hotel. We met in a large reception room and waited a few minutes for the Princess of Bhutan to arrive with her 12 year old son and 4 year old daughter. She was radiant, gracious, and genuinely thrilled at the sight of all of us, and would not accept just a general introduction. She insisted that she walk around and meet each and every one of us individually, holding our hand as Maggy told her our name and the country we were from. We were then served tea and cookies. This meeting with the Princess of Bhutan was another miracle. Members of the Royal Family are very busy, and especially now because Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche was a member of the Royal Family of Bhutan (he was the Uncle to the Queen). Because her young daughter was with her, she told us that when she expecting her, Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche meditated for ten minutes and then said, "Your daughter's name is--and then proceeded to give her her daughter's name, which means Goddess of Music, which promotes wisdom. Her daughter now does play a musical instrument but the point is that this is just another indication of Rinpoche's clairvoyance. The Royal Family is also preparing for his funeral ceremonies in Kathmandu. We then arrived, late, to remain at the Swiss Guest House in Bumthang, Bhutan, which meant being able to wash some of our clothes.
Day 11 - To Punakha, Bhutan
We reached Douchu La Pass, a spectacular monument of stupas surrounded by hundreds of prayer flags that was only completed a couple of years ago in memory of a triumph in removing a rebellious Indian group that was based in Bhutan. It is situated at an elevation of 10,500 feet and has incredible views--a real Kodak stop. We then journeyed to Punakha, Bhutan on a narrow winding road and saw many Indian and Nepalese workers sweeping the road and breaking rocks (paid by piecework) and learned that they and their families live temporarily in the mountains so they can repair rockslides and washouts quickly. At one point we had to wait patiently while a cat scooped and removed rocks that were blocking the road. Once in Punakha, at 5,500 feet, we stayed at the wonderful hotel Zangto Pelri. There is a huge portrait of King Wangchuk in the lobby. It is common to see his picture throughout Bhutan. There is also a separate gift shop that has a wonderful selection of Bhutanese woven fabrics, an art that is truly exquisite.
We saw so many monasteries and dzongs in Bhutan that it’s going to take some effort for me to recall their names, especially since I decided to put my pen away and get out of my “academic” mode in order to better feel the experience of these powerful and holy places. We saw the oldest statues and shrines in Bhutan that date back to the 7th century, including the oldest Buddhist statue in the Himalayas, which is of Maitreya, the Buddha of the future. We stopped at Chimi Lhankhang, below Metshina, built in 1499 by Lama Drupka Kunley, one of Brutan's favorite saints. From the road, it's a 20 minute walk across rice fields to the tiny settlement of Pana and then follows a tiny stream downhill to Yoaka and across more fields before making a short climb to the temple (and on the return, we were in the dark, relying on a few flashlights). Known as "the divine madman", Lama Drupka Kunley traveled as a yogi using songs, humor and outrageous behavior to dramatize his teachings. His outrageous and sexual antics were a deliberate method of porvoking people to discard their preconceptions and is credited with having created Bhutan's strange animal, the takin, by combining the body of a cow with the head of a goat. He subdued the demoness of the Dochu La with his 'magic thuderbolt of wisdom'. A wooden effigy of the lama's thunderbolt is preserved in the lhakahng, and childless women from around the world go to the temple to receive a blessing from the saint. Because Maggy said that childless women really do conceive after visiting this monastery, I wrote the name of one of my students on a piece of paper and left it because she has had several miscarriages.
The Punakha Dzong, which contains 21 temples, was founded by Shabdrung Namgyal in 1637 and contains the country's central monk body. It was spectacular beyond words, beginning with our walk across one of those hand made hanging bridges (cantiliver bridge) that you have seen in the movies, located at the confluence of the Po and Mo Rivers; Po is male and mo is female; hence the name Pochu Mochu. Guru Rinpoche predicted the location of this dzong, mentioning the rivers and stating that "a man named Namgyal will arrive at a hill that looks like an elephant", the actual form of a nearby hill. As I walked across the bridge and as it swayed back and forth, I felt as though I had entered another time zone--a very enchanting and mystical one. Then I walked up very steep wooden steps, designed to be pulled up to protect against invasion. The heavy wooden front door is still closed at night. We passed prayer wheels and a bodhi tree in the courtyard, symbolic of the tree under which the Buddha reached enlightenment. We entered the dzong, which contains 21 temples and saw carvings and artwork that are not found elsewhere. What I enjoyed the most, however, was taking pictures of young monks, whose display of affection for each other was truly touching.
Maggy had reminded us of manners and protocol that are not appropriate in the east, i.e. “Do not put your hands in your pockets!!! If you put your hands in your pockets, the monks will notice!” It is also inappropriate to point at things.
Day 12 - Bumthang, Bhutan
Bumthang is considered the spiritual heartland of Bhutan because Buddhism was first introduced here in the 7th century by Guru Rinpoche; thus, we saw the oldest statutes and shrines in Bhutan that date back to the 7th century. Apparently, there are 108 monasteries in Bhutan, and we first went to three monasteries known to be Guru Rinpoche’s. However, I need to clarify that most of the structures I have been referring to are actually not called monasteries but rather, Dzongs. A Dzong is an administrative fortress or castle, often situated on a strategic hilltop location. In Bhutan, this model was adopted during the 17th century by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, founder of the Bhutanese state, who combined both administrative and monastic institutions within his fortresses, somewhat along the lines of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, which was constructed during the same period by Dalai Lama V. (We saw many paintings and statues of Namgyel, and he is easily identified because of his pointed beard.) Although there were earlier fortresses in Bhutan, the Zhabdrug built most of the great dzongs that can be seen at the present day on strategic sites from which the countryside of his new kingdom could be controlled from hostile invasions. Over the centuries that followed, the dzongs of Bhutan consolidated themselves as centers of spiritual and secular power. They have also functioned as focal points for the country's artistic and intellectual heritage, and their construction, ornamentation and maintenance have absorbed much of the nation's wealth. Many of them have been damaged by armed assailants or by fires and earthquakes, and subsequently rebuilt. (However, this reminds me of one dzong we saw that had been subjected to water damage and had to be rebuilt; yet, the Buddha statue there had such a power field around it that the water did not touch the structure at all. It is estimated that the age of the statue is about 4,000 years old, having been constructed during a previous kalpa.) The high external walls of dzongs, which taper inwards, are made of compressed earth and stone, and then whitewashed, the wooden windows and balconies, all built without nails, are richly ornamented, and the roofs are either shingled or made of corrugated iron.
We journeyed to Jampa Lhakhang in Bumthang, believed to have been built in the year 659, where the oldest Buddhist statue in the Himalayas is located in the lhakhang--a statue of Maitreya, the Buddha of the future. The statue is protected by an iron chain mail that was made by Pema Lingpa. Guru Rinpoche visited there, leaving behind a footprint in an alcove where he meditated. It is also believed that under the lhakhang is a lake where Guru Rinpoche hid several terma. Inside the primary chapel are three stone steps representing ages; the first step represents the age of the Historical Buddha Sakyamuni, and it has descended into the ground and is covered with a wooden plank. The next step is the present, and the step is level with the floor. The top step represents a new age. We were told that when the step representing the present age sinks to ground level, the conditioned world as it is now will end. In the center of the courtyard was a building that houses a thousand butter lamps, away from the temple because of the risk of fire. Lighted butter lamps are typical to see, and the offering represents light and symbolizes bringing us out of ignorance. This monastery is also where Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche received his first initiations from the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, when the 16th Karmapa was only 17 years of age, and Rinpoche was 26 years of age. At that time, the general public only received long life initiations but Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche was able to receive other initiations because the second King’s sister was a student of the 16th Karmapa, and she sponsored Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche. In later years, Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche and the 16th Karmapa became very close friends.
Tamshing Gompa, also known as Tashing Lhendup Chholing, "Temple of the Good Message" (the most important Nyingma gompa in the region), was built by Pema Lingpa himself with the help of female celestial beings, khandroms, who made many of the statutes. Pema Lingpa (1450-1524) was was one of the five great tertons of Nyingma Buddhism, and the most important terton of Bhutan. The stories about the texts and artifacts he found are amazing, and the dances he composed and the art he produced are an important part of Bhutanese heritage. In the inner sanctuary of Tashing Gompa, there is an exquisite statute of Guru Rinpoche, without shoes, and his eyes are cast upward, following the khandroms in their flight of departure after creating the statue. To the left is the statue of Maitreya, and to the left, the Buddha Shakyamuni. Downstairs there is a suit of chain-mail armour made by Pema Lingpa, weighing about 50 pounds, and it is an auspicious (purifying all negative karma) to wear it while circumambulating around the sanctuary three times. It wasn’t an easy task, and very few of us had the opportunity, but I managed to bend over, get it on my hips, and and work it up to my shoulders. Preben, who wasn't aware of this exercise, saw me coming from around a dark corner, out of breath, and thus, exclaimed in disbelief, “Carol, what are you doing?” All I could whisper was, “can’t talk” but we later laughed at his reaction.
Kurjey Lhakhang temple is named after the jey (imprint) of his kur (body) that Guru Rinpoche left there in a cave, preserved inside the oldest of the three buildings on site in an upper floor sanctuary. (In other words, the building was constructed around the cave.) The room is spectacular. There are one thousand Guru Rinpoches: His Life and Times small statutes of Guru Rinpoche lined up against a wall, and three other statutes. The main statute is of Guru Rinpoche, flanked by his eight manifestations, 25 disciples and other figures. Kurjey Lhakhang is where Guru Rinpoche subdued the demons--a long but fascinating story. Just so you know--the imprints left by Guru Rinoche are for real. There is no way that they could have been imprinted in rock in any other way that was short of a miracle. In the courtyard we saw a very tall cypress tree that was said to originate from the walking stick of Guru Rinpoche. As Ngawayg Zangpo emphasizes in his book, Guru Rinpoche: His Life and Times, Guru Rinpoche was not an individual who followed a spiritual path until illumination. He was an enlightened being who appeared in different guises entirely as a manifestation to help others, including the guise of an individual who followed the spiritual path.
Steps—steps--steps and more steps. If you are going to see a monastery or Dzong, be prepared for a steep climb. They were strategically built in remote places. And then there are the stupas (chortens) and more stupas--receptacles for offerings--and my increased, unfolding understanding of the arduous work that goes into their creation, and thus, the profound energy that they create. There are several different types of stupas contrary to most people’s impression that they all look the same; however, one might notice three steps at the base of a stupa, representing the past, the present and the future. The square or rectangular base represents the earth. The hemisherical dome symbolises water. The conical or pyramidal spire symbolizes fire, and the 13 step-like segments on the spire symbolizes the 13 steps leading to Buddhahood. On top is a crescent moon and a sun, symbolizing air, and a vertical spike symbolizes ether or the sacred light of the Buddha.
I must say that it is quite the miracle that I did not get sick on this trip. That night at the Swiss Guest House, I was freezing to death. I slept with so many blankets piled on me that the weight of them was uncomfortable, and I was even wrapped in my full length fleece coat. I was shaking and trembling like you wouldn't believe (it was 0 degrees, I was told), and I finally pulled the covers over my head for the night. Then, in the morning I reached to pull back the drapes, and I discovered that the window above my bed had been wide open all night (who would have ever dreamed?) At 4:00 am I needed to take a shower and wash my hair in a shower room that was outside with no heat (fortunately, most of the hotels had wonderful accomodations). Marion offered to let me wear her blue silk kimono with a Dragon on it that she purchased in Viet Nam but my black full length fleece coat seemed much more functional. I smiled thinking that my oldest daughter has always told me that it looks like a bathrobe! Ironically, the next night Marion started a fire in the iron stove that was in our room but it soon became so steaming hot that we had to open the window--another example of the extreme temperatures we were experiencing. If this sounds like slap stick comedy I must say that parts of this trip have been a true test of endurance but it has all been with lots of laughter.
Traveling through Bhutan is so wonderful. The country is beautiful and has a true, authentic identity. It is typical to see red chili drying on the rooftops of houses, and a white flag posted on the roof means that the house has been blessed and obstacles have been removed for the year. I’m still having so much fun waving at happy, waving children on the road who seem to be sincerely welcoming us westerners. The people are beautiful, kind, warm and attentive. We once passed a man standing on the road who had a slight motorcycle accident; our bus driver stopped to make sure that he was okay, and I noticed that no one would pass without stopping to see if they could help in some way. On the contrary, in the United States, if you want assurance that you will be helped when your car breaks down and you are stranded, you purchase a membership from the American Automobile Association (AAA); however, when I blew my car's transmission in Amarillo, Texas it took AAA hours to arrive after I had watched hundreds of vehicles zoom by--westerners in a hurry, of course.
Day 13 - Paro, Bhutan
Paro has some of the most exquisite monasteries, including the monastery where the movie “The Little Buddha” was filmed (I have watched the video dozens of times). After seeing Para Taktsang, which literally appears to be hanging onto a cliff, some of us decided not to make the “Tiger’s Nest” climb because it is a two hour trek, and one needs to be in top physical condition in order to accomplish the climb. My previous skiing accidents, which included my option not to replace an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) imposes some limitations for me but overall, I am thrilled. I have also always been plagued with motion sickness and jet lag--so to be traveling on winding roads for extended periods of time and not be throwing up sick with no jet lag is truly miraculous. Therefore, I am counting my blessings.
Because I collect currency from other countries, getting the currency straight on this trip has been a little challenging because the Indian rupee and the Nepalese rupee are both called "rupee" but the currency is different. In Bhutan the currency is ngultrum, and the one ngultrum silver coin is absolutely exquisite; after examining it with a magnifying glass I have decided to put it in a magnifying glass paperweight. One side of the coin has a grid with the 8 auspicious signs and a mantra in the center, and the other side has written in a circumference Royal Governemnt of Bhutan (and date) with the banner and then the spoke of a wheel in the center, which represents turning the wheel of the dharma.
I must mention the birds of Bhutan because there are over 400 species of birds that are only found in Bhutan. Bhutan’s reverence for birds is even exhibited on the Royal Raven Crown of the Druk Gyalpo, where a raven's head symbolises the protective deity Mahakala. On the head of the raven are a sun and moon, together a symbol of longevity, steadfastness and enlightenment, and the Norbu, a sacred gem symbolising the fulfilment of right endeavor. The national bird is the Raven (interestingly, the Raven is one of my animal totems), and it was once a capital crime in Bhutan to kill one. They are known to nest in the walls of the monasteries and dzongs. Bhutan is an ecological paradise and some species exist that exist nowhere else, such as the snow leopard and the golden langur. The symbolism of animals intrigues me, and my favorites have to be the deer and the elephant. The elephant symbolizes peace and love because although they are the most powerful of animals, they will not kill another animal. In addition, Buddhists revere the elephant because when the Buddha Shakyamuni was born, his mother had a vision of a white elephant. A famous Bhutanese story that originated with the Bhudda Shakyamuni has to do with “the four friends” or companions--an elephant, rabbit, monkey (or ape) and peacock (or partridge). They are depicted in a painting seen throughout Bhutan, stacked on top of one another (I got an excellent picture at one of the monasteries). The story tells how the four friends worked, cooperatively, in the growing of a tree and thus, later enjoyed the fruit that it bore. The peacock planted the seed, the rabbit watered it, the monkey fertilized it and the elephant guarded it. When the fruit was ripe and the tree so high that they could not reach the top, the four animals made a tower by climbing on one another's backs.
The deer represents long life but also, there is great significance in the fact that the Buddha’s first teachings were at a deer park, and after a female and male deer appeared to him to receive teachings, deer became symbolic of his students. The deer mask is also worn for lama dancing. I must not forget to mention how eager I was to see a real, live yak. Yaks are endangered, have long black or black and white hair and live at an altitude of at least 10,000 feet. The first time I thought I saw one by the road while sitting on the bus, I just about jumped out of my seat, excitedly asking our driver, “Is that a yak?” He replied, “No—a cow.” Later, I asked, “Cow?” He replied, “Yak.” We had a few exchanges like that before I was confident in recognizing the difference between a cow and a yak—not to mention that my friends on the bus were amused by the dialogue.
Reiki? It is wonderful and refreshing to see Reiki books among books of Bhutan. Everyone in this part of the country, even in Kathmandu, seems to know about and appreciates Reiki! Some Westerners don't seem to understand that the transmission is given from teacher to student; isn't it so "western" to claim that transmissions are not necessary because we can do it ourselves? The next thing we'll hear about in the West is that lineage transmissions from great spiritual leaders are not necessary because we can do it without them. For more information about Reiki, see my website at www.carolwilson.org. I have to say that when people have asked me what I feel the biggest difference is between the east and the west, I have to say--respect. Between people having a true appreciation for Reiki here in the east and people asking me for English lessons (my first career in this life was teaching English to seventh, eighth and ninth grade students), I would be very, very busy if I lived in this part of the world!
Day 14 - From Paro, Bhutan to Phuentsholing, Bhutan
To the west of Paro, we visited Kyichu Lhakhang, a 2-temple complex surrounded by prayer wheels. One of the temples was one of the 108 temples built in 659 by King Songtsen Gampo of Tibet to hold down the ogress whose body is so large that it covers Bhutan and most of eastern Tibet (here it is pinning down her left foot). The original building was rebuilt after a fire with a large statue of the Buddha Sakyamuni as the central figure. Additional buildings were constructed in 1839 by the penlop of Paro and the 25th Je Khenpo. A golden roof and a large statue of Chenrezig with 11 heads and 1000 hands was added at that time. In 1968 the queen mother, Ashi Kesang, sponsored the construction of a new temple that contains a 5 m-high statute of Guru Rinpoche and another of Tara, who represents one of the wives of King Songsten Gampo. There is also a statue of the iron bridge builder Thangtong Gyalpo, an important terton of the Nyingma lineage, depicted as a stocky shirtless figure with a beard, curly hair and a topknot. There is another of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, a revered Nuingma Buddhist master and the root lama for the Dalai Lama, who died in 1992. I have memories of deeply felt experiences here: after watching me meditate for nearly half an hour, a very old lama, who was also meditating in front of the exquisite statute of Guru Rinpoche, patted his hand on the carpet he was sitting on, inviting me to sit next to him in meditation. Another lama did a ceremonial MO divination for me. I cleared my hands with burning incense, meditated on a question, and rolled 3 dice on a tray he was holding for an 11, which was Guru Rinpoche’s number; he told me that the answer was as if Guru Rinpoche gave it to me himself. I also had a wonderful discussion about incense with two young monks.
We once again traveled through Thimphu to our final night stay in Bhutan at the exquisite Lhaiki Hotel in Phuentsholing, which even had elevator access to our hotel rooms. (The previous four nights, there were many steps that needed to be climbed to our rooms.) Upon arrival, we sat in a very large lobby area and enjoyed tea and cookies prior to a dinner downstairs with a wonderful birthday cake for Birte, one of the women from Copenhagen; it was her 55th birthday, and so special for her. After dinner we gathered in Maggy’s suite to listen to Maggy tell the life story of Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche, which did not end until nearly 2:00 am. Fortunately, I taperecorded the story, which was so touching, and so revealing of Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche’s greatness. After his father’s death in Bhutan, when he was about 10 years of age, his mother, himself and his younger brother and sister, walked to Kathmandu (many, many days) in search of his uncle, Drupka Rinpoche Lama Sherab Dorje, who later became his teacher. Rinpoche carried his crying little sister the entire journey, and although he was cold and hungry, he never complained. In fact, Maggy never heard him complain or say anything negative about any one the entire time that she knew him, and gave examples of when it would have been justified. I have not been able to share all of Rinpoche's life story on this web log forum but hopefully, I have mentioned a few of the things that have portrayed what Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche represented. The way he lived was truly his teaching, and my heart goes out to Maggy who misses him so terribly that it is difficult at times for her to talk about him.
We realized that we needed to awaken by 5 am because we were scheduled to depart early for a long drive to Bhudapar. Although Maggy had purchased our plane tickets for an air departure from Paro, Bhutan to Kathmandu, believe it or not, our plane was sold. These kinds of unexpected things we do not see in the West; thus, nearly every day we received a lesson on “go with the flow without expectation and forget about adhering to a schedule.”
Day 15 - On The Roads of Bhutan
We made the all day drive back to the Bhadapur airport via jeeps to take the two small (21 passenger) Buddha Air airplanes, owned by Druk airlines, back to Kathmandu, Nepal. At the immigration departure point in Ranigunj, India, about 30 minutes from the airport, we knew we were pressed for time but we also had to enter immigration at Kakarwita, Nepal a couple of minutes down the road. Most of us had processed our information with the immigration officials; however, suddenly, Maggy came running outside yelling to us in the jeeps, “GO—GO—GO NOW. YOU HAVE TO GO NOW!!!” Our driver was being a little resistant, telling me about one piece of paper that had the names of all 7 jeeps on it; thus, as a result of that, we had to drive together; however, Maggy was insistent and again told him, “You have to go NOW.” The jeep was trapped in a line of other cars, and in trying to back out, he pinned a young kid between the jeep and another car (who managed to climb up and out, uninjured), and then once on the road, was driving about 90 miles an hour, honking the horn the entire time and swerving to miss cows, animals, people, bicycles and cars. He also abruptly stopped twice to ask for directions to the airport. I remember laughing and asking everyone, “Are we having fun yet?” The response I heard was, “disturbing emotions.”
Once we arrived at the airport, airport personnel were waiting for us, and several people were yelling, “Go here-go here” but pointing in sometimes opposite directions. It was mass chaos. Some boys started to weigh our bags but then realized there was no time so our luggage was being thrown into carts, untagged. Because we were receiving conflicting information, I became immobilized, not knowing what to do so Andre—one of the young men in our group—paid my airport tax, and I was handed a boarding pass and followed him to the plane that had its engine running. We took off and the other plane took off 10 minutes later. Maggy was still at immigration in Kakarwita with our passports and plane tickets so she had to return to Kathmandu the following day; however, the next day she saw that our experience was in the local newspaper: for the first time in Bhadpur airport history, a plane full of passengers departed with no plane tickets and no passports. Is that another miracle? I think so. I cannot tell you how much we laughed about all of that after it was all over. I’ve never seen anything like it---even in a movie. The plan is that when we arrive in Kathmandru, we will be meeting with and having dinner with Shangpa Rinpoche in his monastery in Kirtipur (just 20 minutes drive from Kathmandu), and we will receive from him some teachings and a Karma Pakshi initiation, which I received from His Holiness the 17th Karmapa several years ago.
Copyright c 2006 by Carol A. Wilson
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