The World’s Most Isolated Kingdom: Inside Bhutan’s Ancient Secrets

For over 2,500 years, the great truth discovered by the Buddha has been passed down through the ages to become the wellspring of many philosophies and teachings seeking the road to enlightenment. But something has made the Buddha's teachings into a durable and eternal truth. Along a path of faith over many eons, how did Buddhists protect these teachings to endure until the present day? From India, the Buddha's teachings spread to Central Asia, then to East Asia and the Himalayas. Moving southwards to South Asia, Buddhism crossed the Indian Ocean to mainland Southeast Asia known as Suvarnabhumi. The holy scriptures they discovered are records that influence the lives of over a billion Buddhists around the world today. It is a compilation of precepts that unite all Buddhists together. A small kingdom hidden in the Himalayas, it is one of the countries with the strongest commitment to Buddhism. Traditional Vajrayana Buddhist thinking intertwines people and nature on high mountains. In this peaceful coexistence between them, there is only the sound of mantra echoing everywhere as if it never sleeps. In Namseling village to the south of Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, Khun Zang Tenzing, a 75-year-old Lam Manip, has recited one million prayers. The old man grew a tooth when he was about 70 years old. It seems unbelievable. In Bhutan, a land never without a prophet, such an extraordinary miracle is not unusual alongside thousands of legends told over and over from ancient times. Life in the shadow of the Himalayas means always facing the mountain's wrath and natural variability, influencing Bhutanese traditional beliefs in spiritual forces of evil like the Bonism doctrine. When Guru Rinpoche, the great and powerful Lama from Tibet, traveled to Bhutan and established Vajrayana Buddhism in the 8th century, he rode on the back of a tiger to the top of a mountain in Paro and built Taktsang Temple on a steep cliff. Legend has it that Guru Rinpoche vanquished evil spirits in the area which were trying to stop the building of the temple. These spirits became tutelary deities protecting and encouraging prosperity of Buddhism in Bhutan. Introducing Buddhism was not meant to overthrow traditional beliefs but to reinforce each other, to create a blend of Buddhism and nature and to coexist harmoniously. It is said that in Bhutan, every gust of wind has blown past prayer flags. Every stream has been blessed. Buildings over streams and rivers in Bhutan usually contain a wheel engraved with the six-syllable mantra. When water flows through, spinning the wheel one round, the stream has helped a round of mantra to be chanted. The stronger the water flows, the further the mantra spreads. These six sacred letters appear everywhere in Bhutan, in forests, villages and royal temples. It is the easiest mantra to chant as well as the heart of the Bhutanese way of life. OM MANI PADME HUM is the abbreviation which represents six realms in samsara or the transmigration of souls. Human, angel, monster, animal, ghost and hell. When read in one word, OM MANI PADME HUM also means jewels in the lotus which refers to Avalokiteshvara, a Bodhisattva who embodies compassion. OM MANI PADME HUM The journey of life does not end with one life. Buddhists in Bhutan believe that reciting MANI mantra ten thousand times will prevent them from being born in lower realms. LAM MA NIP KUN ZANG who recited MANI mantra one million times did not just for himself but also for remote village dwellers throughout the land. A LAM MA NIP is a lay person who spreads Dharma to communities like a bridge connecting villages and temples. To become LAM MA NIP, knowledge, talents, social skills and good health are necessary. The central monastery chooses those qualified to carry the TASHI GO MANG or portable shrine to villages. When they arrive in a village, a messenger will blow a horn to signal to villagers who gather in a circle to listen to Buddhist tales told by LAM MA NIP and chant OM MANI PADME HUM together. The origin of TASHI GO MANG is still unconfirmed. One of the Bhutanese versions claims that the TASHI GO MANG started at the confluence of the two color rivers in PUNAKHA, the former capital of Bhutan. ZABDRUNG NAWANG NAMGAL, a Tibetan Lama and the unifier of the Bhutanese nation asked a carpenter to build the DZONG or the fortress of PUNAKHA. After three sleepless nights, the carpenter dreamt of a Tibetan temple with beautiful stupas. This became the model for the DZONG and the TASHI GO MANG, a scaled-down stupa with 108 thumb-sized statues of the Buddha. If people cannot come to the temple, we bring the temple to the people. These portable shrines have become the important tool for spreading Buddhism to remote villages all over the country. Lam Manip carried the TASHI GO MANG to the back country on foot in the time when there was no single road in Bhutan. The 20 kg weight of the TASHI GO MANG on his shoulder seems to be light compared to the honor and responsibility of guarding 108 statues of the Buddha and perfectly propagating his teachings. It is increasingly difficult to find young people willing to accept this heavy burden. Development of roads and changing lifestyles have diminished the role of the TASHI GO MANG, making it more like a legend of the past. After the Bhutanese writer and journalist Shering Tashi became interested in researching the subject, the story of the TASHI GO MANG was brought back to life again. So last year, under Her Majesty the Royal Grandmother Haji Kezang Chojan Ongchuk, we set up a TASHI GO MANG project and through the project we were able to do many things. And one of them was to do inventory. The first survey of TASHI GO MANG in Bhutan and I'm very happy to announce that there are 36 TASHI GO MANGs in Bhutan. Most of them were sealed, either sealed or they were locked and all kept in the corner of the room. Many of them were in very bad condition. So under the project, the other thing we achieved was the conservation of the TASHI GO MANG. So we brought many of these TASHI GO MANGs to Thimphu where the government and also the monk restorers we got together and they did beautiful work with conservation. So we managed to find at least six of these Khozai monks who were interested and who were strong, talented, who could sing and who were also knowledgeable in Buddhism. And Lam Manip Kunzang is now 73 years old. He helped train his apprentice. Knowledge and skills needed to become a Lam Manip are mostly handed down in families. Although Lam Manip Kunzang has a son, it is still not easy for his son to take on the task, especially when dreams and opportunities for the new generations differ from those of the past. Kinle Shering, the youngest son of Manip Kunzang, opens a small tailor shop in central Thimphu. Over the past decade, Thimphu, the capital city, has developed and expanded at a rapid pace. Modern buildings have popped up in all corners of the city to meet demands of young people moving to work in the heart of this mountainous country. The career path of Kinle differs from that of his father, but that does not mean that his faith is any less strong. Three p.m., it's time for Lam Manip Kunzang to dress up and head outside. Apart from praying, Lam Manip has other essential daily tasks to perform for his family. When no Tashi Gomang is on his back, Lam Manip Kunzang is just another grandfather taking his grandchildren home. For this family, evenings are the time to be together. This morning, Lam Manip Kunzang offers seven cups of water to the Lord Buddha as a daily task. Water is one of the five elements which are abundant in Himalayan countries like Bhutan. The water is a source of good health, Seven cups of pure water are free and found everywhere. This agrees with the principle of Dana, giving with the aim of reducing attachment and selfishness. However, Dana should be done from a benevolent heart and does not cause hardship to the giver. Nature has always played a key role in determining the Bhutanese beliefs and ways of thinking. Coexisting peacefully with nature today is increasingly difficult. Like how the national development has brought a quarry to this peaceful city. Bhutan's commitment to environmental policies is serious, but stone mining is inevitable in the capital where construction is happening everywhere. Since the quarry began operation, villagers have experienced natural disasters such as rainstorms and landslides. They view such anomalies as the wrath of nature taking revenge on erring humanity. A small pavilion was built on a hill behind the village as a sacred place for deities to dwell. Lammanip Kunzang must visit here each morning as requested by the mine's caretaker. He dedicates a ritual to the tutelary gods hoping that their anger against the village will lessen. I am a small villager. I have been here for many years, but I have never seen such a peaceful place. I have a small village. I am a native of the village. I was born in this village. The amount of iron will be reduced and we have to stop consuming meat. When we won't have any meat, we have to stop buying meat, and we cannot stop buying meat. Therefore we have to stop buying meat because it is bad for us. So, we have to stop buying meat. The pine branches are burning in a small shed outside the pavilion. As with burning of frankincense for worship in other cultures, the Bhutanese believe that white smoke rising into the air will purge the surroundings of impurities as far as the smoke can reach. The burning pine scent is believed to lessen the sufferings of spirits and allow them to find inner and outer peace. The Bhutanese smoke offering serves not only to purify a place, but also to spread loving-kindness to all beings and remind humans of the existence of sentient beings in the six realms so that they do not mistake the world for theirs alone. Jomolali, the sacred mountain, can be seen clearly, as if heaven were moving a bit closer. This is the perfect point of communication for all beings in the six realms. Where nature moves is the best place to send merit along with it. Vajrayana Buddhism states that death is not the end of life. As long as one has not reached nirvana, one's spirit will arrive at a transition point from which it continues in another body to a realm fitting to its karmic accumulation. The state of transition is a sensitive and confusing time. Loved ones of the dead person place white prayer flags on high hills, which are believed to send mantras to help comfort the spirit and lead it to be reborn in a good realm. The more prayer flags become tattered, the more the mantras achieve their aim. On high mountains or where the wind blows past, prayer flags appear in five colors with written mantras. They were tied there for the wind to help spread loving-kindness to all beings. On an auspicious day at the mountain peak, monks and other Bhutanese have traveled to perform a sacred ritual. They put incense powder in the center then mix everything they have brought with the powder. This will become an offering sent to all beings in the six realms. This offering here has everything. Sometimes we even put gold dust, you know, little bit of gold, silver. If you are rich, you can even put a little bit of diamond also, you know. And all this, like brocades, beautiful ones, we put there. And food, whatever we eat, you know, the honey, you know, the wheat, that one, you see. Everything is there, rice, fruits, biscuits, everything is there. The monk is sculpting a round brown form from barley flour and butter. It is usually sculpted into shapes like a stupa for use during several Tibetan Buddhist rituals. When monks have finished preliminary prayers, it is time to throw the offering onto the fire. Like burning of pine branches, the mountain incense offering aims to purify the mind and chase darkness away from life. Traces of the Bon doctrine, Bhutan's traditional religion, are clearly shown in this ritual. Except that the ominous sacrifice has been replaced by spreading kind-hearted compassion to sentient beings. Smoke rising to the sky is believed to send food and other supplies to invisible realms. Once the smoke reaches the realm of the angels, the whole world will be blessed. Think of a dog. Can dog talk? No. Can the dog ask for food? No, you see. So that is why you offer food to the dogs, to the cow, to animals, you know, you give. If the dog comes to your door, as I said, you know, you will just kick him out or you will beat him and chase him out, you know. So that is why, see, animal realms, how much they suffer. They don't get food. They cannot ask for food. They are hungry, but they cannot ask, you know. This is because of all your karmic deeds that in the past you have not done a good job. You have not done something good, you know. So that is why you are born in the animal realm, you know. For example, horse, they carry loads. They cannot say, oh, the load is too much, please minus. They cannot say, no. The man will put so many loads. Struggle, no? Same like that. So we pray for all this, you know. Lives of all beings are intertwined, whether human, animal, ghost, god or even tree. No being can achieve happiness alone in this world. This is the idea behind the concept of interdependence Harvesting season has arrived. The weather is getting warmer in some areas. Rice farmers are starting to harvest. The Bhutanese rice cultivation is unique. If we close our eyes and listen carefully, the vivacity of life can be heard in this peaceful rice field. We are hungry. No agricultural pesticides are used in Bhutan. That is because the Bhutanese value all life, whether insect or farm animal, all are as valuable as human lives. Vajrayana Buddhism teachings conveyed along the journey of the Tashigomang are instilled in every stage of Bhutanese life. The Tashigomang will soon be unveiled again during the coming Mask Dance Festival. The tenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar is a holy day on which Guru Rinpoche, founder of Tibetan Buddhism, revisits the human realm. Villagers hold an annual merit-making ceremony at the small village temple. The Lama has been specially invited to pray during the ceremony on this holy day. The place next to the Lama cannot be for anyone else but Lama Nipponzan. Although he is not a monk, his rank is considerably higher than low-ranking monks. Due to his seniority and virtue, the Lama Nipponzan is much respected. As the chanting continues, the atmosphere in the temple's kitchen grows lively. Villagers take turns serving unlimited meals and desserts continuously to ensure that no one suffers from hunger on this auspicious day. When the chanting ends, all villagers gather in the tabernacle for blessing. They hope this merit-making ceremony will bring bountiful high-yield crops and prosperity for the entire community. A white silk scarf adorns the ceremony's host. This year's vital task is complete. The host receives a blessing from the Lama. The white silk scarf is passed on to the person who will host the following year's ceremony. The scarf means a burden of duty that this girl will carry next year. Traditionally, to encourage the new host, everyone donates a small amount of money to a common fund to be spent on the annual ceremony. The community leader praises the goodness and virtue of the donors and to convey the donor's best wishes to the new host. Since he is among friends, a little humor is added. The lively atmosphere in outlying villages like this can be seen once a year. On this holy day, another important ceremony is held at the center of the capital, Thimphu. People arrive from all directions. They are dressed in their finest national costume to take part in the nation's most elaborate mask dance festival. It is said that one can attain Dhamma only by looking at the dance. During the dance of the judgment of the dead, animal masks appear in turn, showing the good and the bad the spirit has done to decide whether it should be sent to heaven or hell. The spirit harmed others and created only bad karma. It will be sent to hell. Through the three-day festival, everything that occurs at the court has profound, hidden meaning. The dancing pose of a perfect circle reminds the audience of the samsara, cyclic nature of life. Stepping back to a wider viewpoint, the circle in the court center is like a mandala, the universe where all life, human, animal, ghost or angel continues through the cycle of birth and death endlessly. On the last day of the mask dance festival, Lama Nip Khun Zang appears at the stupa, at the capital center. This will be the last chance this year for the faithful to see the Tashigomang. Layers of the miniature universe are revealed one by one. The old Lama Nip's chanting echoes through the court, casting a spell on listeners who are in a trance. Its power revives the story, which for some was mere legend. This Tashigomang was built during the 19th century in Chuang Sa, central Bhutan. On the inside of the doors at four cardinal directions there are paintings of the sanctuary guardians, Yogi and Yogini. At the center is enshrined Avalokiteshvara, surrounded by statues of the Buddha in different poses, placed in small windows. On top of the lotus is enshrined Guru Rinpoche, founder of Buddhism in Bhutan and the second Buddha, according to Vajrayana Buddhism. Elders who still remember the Tashigomang bow to express recognition for life's blessings. Notes inserted into the small windows will be donated to temples. This is the first time these children have seen the Tashigomang. Adults who saw it when they were young are still charmed by the timeless, exquisite fineness of the small windows. Through the years the Tashigomang's story may have varied. But the essence of Vajrayana Buddhism, as conveyed by the Tashigomang, passed down through generations, remains a defense against suffering and creates perennial contentment for all life in the land. The essence of life in the shadow of the Himalayas, in the fast-changing modern world, is living with compassion. Seeing human existence as only part of nature, not the owner of it, or of other lives. Learn to live together, be mutually dependent upon one another, live with sufficiency and compassion, and value lives of all sentient beings in the universe. No one knows when eternal happiness will arrive, or how many times one will die and be reborn, but compassion will lead the way to nirvana in life. The key is in their own purified mind.