The Kingdom Of Happiness
A man once said to Buddha, “I want happiness.” Buddha replied, “First, remove I — That’s ego. Then, remove Want — That’s desire. See, now you are left with only Happiness.”
Bhutan... The Kingdom of Happiness. It is a place unlike anything I have ever known before. The Fourth King of Bhutan once said, “The purpose of the government is to provide happiness to its people. If it cannot provide happiness, there is no reason for the government to exist.” It is happiness, principles, and foresight that are the driving forces behind how this country conscientiously and intelligently progresses. The Fourth King believed that the Gross National Happiness is more important than the Gross Domestic Product. He created Gross National Happiness, a collective measure and consensus of the well-being of the Bhutanese people, as a philosophy to thoughtfully navigate the government of Bhutan. There are four pillars to gauge the overall happiness of its people; sustainable socio-economic development, conservation of the environment, preservation of tradition and culture, and strong leadership.
The Bhutanese people appear to not be wearied or bogged down by life in any regard, even amongst the elderly. Deeply worn wrinkles rest beautifully across their skin, but their spirits are not worn. They wear colorfully embroidered clothes and vibrant smiles; the kind of smiles that spread across the entire face, especially settling in the eyes. They laugh without restraint, joy rising straight from their bellies. They are pure in their minds, their hearts and their spirits. Life seems truly purposeful and fulfilling here, with family and Buddhism and tradition as the heartbeat, and a deep appreciation is upheld and honored for their land and their people. I was thinking the other day that one of the saddest sights for me to see is a man jaded by the tides and trials of life. He is dead before he is really dead. But here, life is everywhere.
Bhutan is a small country, sheltered within the Himalayas, landlocked between China and India, with a population of less than a million. You can feel that pulsing through everything; the roads, the forests, the pollution, the sky, and the people. It is quiet and calm and peaceful and spiritual. I’m in my bed, in the town of Paro, and the night passes through with a gentle lull, with only the sound of rain and a few, barking dogs in the distance. There is no light pollution to shut out the stars, in fact, there’s no pollution here at all. Bhutan is the only country in the world that is entirely carbon-negative. By law, if a tree is cut down, a new one must be planted in its place. 72% of the land is blanketed by thick forests and hydropower is Bhutan’s largest export, mainly outsourced to India. They have a genuine and admirable respect for the conservation of their land, and for a moment, it feels as though we are not destroying our fragile earth. For a moment, everything feels as it should.
We hiked to Tiger’s Nest yesterday. It is a sacred temple built upon the sheer side of a mountain. The clouds hung in the crisp air, gradually sweeping past. We exhaled visible breath as we climbed, with the warmth of the sun landing down softly upon our backs. The clouds began to lift, and there it stood, a 17th century wonder, nestled on the steep slope of a monster of a rock face. The wind rushed through, tickling the edges of my ears, singing the calmest of tunes, and it was one of those times when words nor pictures can do it justice.
Bhutan is a marvel that words nor pictures can do it justice. It is a rare and special place, and it has profoundly impacted us in a way that we never, ever expected.
Cheers,
Tera
