Nalanda Monastery, Punakha

I had not known that there was a Nalanda monastery here in Bhutan. I thought that there was only one - the famous Buddhist monastery/University of the past which was in Bihar, India. 

So while in Punakha, I took the opportunity to visit the Nalanda monastery of Bhutan. Located just below Talo Monastery and about 15 km away from Punakha town, the monastery is situated on a sunny slope overlooking the Punakha valley and the highway leading down from Dochula.

The upper temple of Nalanda, Punakha

 So here, for the knowledge and information of any who may be interested, I take the opportunity to share with you the history and interesting information I obtained from the notice board about the Nalanda monastery in Bhutan.

History about the Nalanda monastery in Punakha

In 1757 the 9^th Je Khenpo Shakya Rinchen, considered to be a reincarnation of Rechungpa (one of the two extraordinary disciples of Milarepa in Kagye Buddhist lineage), founded the Nalanda Monastery in Punkaha.

At the time when this monastery was built, the ancient Nalanda University in India was a very holy and sacred place. Bhutanese people made great efforts to visit this special holy place at least once in their lifetime. There were no roads and people had to walk to India. As a result the journey was very unsafe and people were at risk to be robbed or even worse. Once in India, people from Bhutan faced many difficulties including dealing with differences in food, culture, and language as well as being in an unfamiliar place. As a way of accommodating people’s desire to visit Nalanda, Gyalwa Shakya Rinchen Rinpoche built this monastery in Bhutan and named it after the Nalanda University in India.

Gyalwang Shakya Rinchen had completed the building of Phajoding in the monastery above Thimphu valley. Upon its completion he was wondering where the next site to build the next monastery. The monk body was moving their residence from Thimphu to Punakha, as was the traditional way to spend months in Punakha. When he was walking over Dochula mountain pass he saw eight vultures flying to a specific area that has now become the present Nalanda monastery. He through that maybe these vultures were the eight original scholars (pandits) from the Nalanda University in India. After seeing it he asked for a confirmation in a dream. Consequently the eight scholars appeared in his dream and gave a teaching to him. Based on seeing of the vulture choosing this site and the dream of the eight scholars, this site was chosen as the area in which to build Nalanda monastery.

During Gyalwang Shakya Rinchen’s lifetime, Nalanda monastery in Bhutan was a thriving Buddhist teaching institution with a renowned reputation. After Gyalwang Shakya Rinchen’s final thugham or Maha Samadhi, slowly the teachings stopped and the great institute lay dormant. Nalanda Monastery was restarted several times with different eachers but after the teachers departed the monastery would again be less inhabited with monks.

Eventually the uncle of His Majesty, the Fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, Lopen Yoenten Gyaltsen requested permission from the King to open an official Buddhist Shedra (institute). In 1991 His Majesty gave permission for Nalanda Monastery to become a Shedra. Then in 1992 two lopens (teachers) began the Shedra with 20 monks. Over time the number of lopens and students increased. In 2014 there are 6 lopens and 125 students that range from 8 to 28 years old.                                                

                                                                    Mural of Lord Buddha

There are eight statues made of clay inside the lower shrine room of the upper temple (lhakhang). Here is their story:

The Eight Disappearing Indians

While constructing the original temple of Nalanda in Bhutan, Gyalwang Shakya Rinchen Rinpoche saw eight Indians from India in an adjacent valley to the building site. He soon realised that these eight Indians must be the eight scholars (pandits) of the original Nalanda University in India. When he went to find them to see if it was true, they had disappeared. The disappearance of the Indians, led to the confirmation that these indeed where the eight great scholars of Nalanda University. In order to praise and honour them for their auspicious appearance, he built eight clay statues. These statues can be seen inside the lower shrine room of the upper temple (lhakhang).

Late afternoon view of Punakha valley from Nalanda monastery

 

Making a difference

We live a brief span of time on this earth and during this time I am sure that we would like to meaningfully touch the lives of the people around us. We would each want to make a difference.

I used to think - I am only just one person, what can I do? When there are millions of people suffering around the world and thousands around us with little to eat or clothes to wear – what difference can I, as one individual, make?

Then I think about the quote by Helen Keller:

“I am only one
but still I am one
I cannot do everything
but still I can do something
I will not refuse to do
something I can do.”

We have the potential to make a difference in the lives of people around us. One of the biggest mistakes is to do nothing because you think you cannot make a difference. We can do big things or little things – sometimes even as little as a smile or a listening ear to a person in need. And while we cannot help everyone, we can help that one person – and our lives become more significant because of it.

I am also reminded of a beautiful story, I once read:-

A young man is walking along the ocean and sees a beach on which thousands and thousands of starfish have washed ashore. Further along he sees an old man, walking slowly and stooping often, picking up one starfish after another and tossing each one gently into the ocean.

“Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?,” he asks.

“Because the sun is up and the tide is going out and if I don’t throw them further in they will die.”

“But, old man, don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it! You can’t possibly save them all, you can’t even save one-tenth of them. In fact, even if you work all day, your efforts won’t make any difference at all."

The old man listened calmly and then bent down to pick up another starfish and threw it into the sea. "It made a difference to that one."

 

I hope that you are as inspired by this story as I am and that you will think of it the next time you feel that you cannot do much. Because you can really make a difference – to this one starfish – or to this one person – and that is all that truly matters.

Change

A human life seems like a long time.

If one lives to a good old age which now seems to be in the 70 years, we are talking about 900 months or 27,000 days or 648,000 hours or so. That seems like a long time. And as we go through it day by day, it appears that it is going slowly.

However, the minutes are ticking and our life is quickly passing us by - though often we don’t realize it. We look forward to our birthdays and new year – with joy and anticipation. We don’t think that with every birthday and every new year, we are moving quickly to middle age and old age and towards the inevitable.

That is not to say that it is a bad thing.

With age comes knowledge and wisdom. With age comes scrapbooks and photo albums filled with a lifetime of memories. And hopefully they are good memories. Hopefully we can look back, during the last leg of our lives, and say that ‘I am happy, my life has been well lived.’

 

We don’t often see the changes that take place, some small and some big, but changes nevertheless. In living our lives we sometimes get caught up in the small things and often forget about the larger picture. We often take for granted those who matter to us, assuming that they will always be there. It is only when children leave the homes to spread their wings and fly or new babies are born or people die that we realize that change is happening.

And that is fine – because change is inevitable.

The important thing is for us to realize that change is happening all the time and that life really is impermanent. It is important for us to sometimes take stock of our values, our expectations, of the people we hold dear, of the choices we make daily – and to see how we want to go from there. It is necessary to look to each day and see how we can make it worthwhile so that at the very end, we can truly say that our life has been worthwhile.

It has been a happy and well lived life.

The good Samaritan

Are people inherent good or inherent bad? That is a debate that many people down the centuries have been engaged in. Much of people’s thoughts and ideologies have been shaped by their personal experiences in their day to day lives.

I am not here to engage in this debate. Sometimes I feel that people are inherently good, and then there are times when I do see the dark side of human beings, that I am inclined to believe otherwise.

Regardless, I recently had an experience which I thought to share. I had parked my car near the hospital. When stepping outside, in my hurry, I had dropped my car keys and left without noticing it. When eventually I found it missing, I searched everywhere for it – looking under the car, around the car and generally tracing and retracing my steps everywhere.

Eventually with the key nowhere in sight, I got my spare key and started driving home, feeling rather unhappy and disgruntled. I drove slowly, a lot of things weighing on my mind. Two minutes later as I swerved around a roundabout, I suddenly heard the sound of something falling on the roadside.

 

I couldn’t believe it but with hope in my heart, I quickly stepped out to take a look. There right in the middle of the road was my car key – smooth and shiny. I can tell you, the sight of the key filled me with such warmth and gladness.

I had looked all over, but never thought to look on top of the car. Some good Samaritan had found my key near the car, and not knowing where to keep it or to find me, he/she had kept it on the top thinking it a logical place for me to look.

How grateful I am to that good person, who saved me so much work in making a spare key and in also filling me with hope. There are good people there, who are kind and ready to help. And it is these people who make the world a joyful place to live in.

Resolutions

Resolutions are important ingredients to success. Without them to guide or drive you, one may sometimes become complacent, relaxed and not so inclined to see them though. Often, the thought that something needs to be done may just flit though your mind like a breeze rippling through the leaves. Without something to retain that thought, it may breeze through and leave without a trace – the thought forgotten, the task undone.

However, upon capturing that thought, if you note it in your mind and say, “I will do this by ‘so and so’ day’ and you resolve to have it done, more often than not you will get it done.

In the month of September, I had resolved to write a number of blog entries – and with this resolution in mind, I actually succeeded in writing 8 blog posts (lesser than I had aspired to do but more than I had ever done – so an achievement nevertheless). I made no such resolution in October and hence, with the number of other competing priorities in my life, I am sad to say that I have not written a single post.

Hence I realize the importance of resolution to guide our mind, to manage our time – until one day that it becomes a habit and one doesn’t need resolutions to see them through.

 

Resolutions are an important life skill for our children to learn as they get older. They should learn to make their own resolutions, initially starting with small and simple ones. This will teach them how to manage their mind and control their ‘will power’ and this in the long run is a critical element of success.

With children let it start small – doable things, nothing ambitious to start with. Let them relish their small successes and in time they can make it work for them so that they can achieve the heights that they want to reach. There is a quote by Ann Landers, “It is not what you do for your children but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings” – and learning to make and keep resolutions is an important life skill that all children need to learn to become happy and successful individuals.

Communication and Relationship

It is not when you are fighting with each other that a relationship is at its worst. It is at its worst when people start to become indifferent to each other.

Because by that time you no longer want to put in the effort to make the relationship work.

By that time, you have given up.

You have stopped trying.

Good communication is the key to success. It is the important element that you need in order to live with others in a cooperative and understanding manner. As I have been told:

“Communication is the mother of relationship;
relationship is the mother of happiness
hence
communication is the mother of happiness.”

And yet, all around the world this is what you often see: People have stopped communicating with each other because it is not worth the effort.

In the land of GNH, it is important that we keep the communication going so that our relationships are strong and that we are happy.

Tolerance

The world today is rifted in strife. When one switches on the television or picks up the newspaper, one is always flooded with news about wars and calamities. Everywhere around the world - at all times, there is tension, there is conflict, and there is unhappiness.

One wonders why that is so. Ultimately, I think, it boils down to one thing.

Tolerance.

One simple word.  

One profound attitude.

Tolerance is the ability to accept or be patient with the beliefs, opinions or practices of others.

I believe that it is the lack of tolerance among most people that is the root of so much problems and tension in the world. When one believes that one is right and that one knows more and is better than the others – it often leads to intolerance for other people’s views and opinions. It does not leave space for people to be different, to be special each in their own way. It does not create a platform for people to co-exist in harmony.

In our personal relationships as well - if we cannot agree to disagree, if we cannot respect the views, thoughts and opinions of people around us, then there will be no true harmony.

Tolerance is a vital ingredient to every happy and healthy relationship. It is a core element of Buddhism – the willingness to allow others to hold different views from ourselves and to allow them to be different in their views and actions.

Tolerance is an important attitude that we each need to cultivate so that we can have happier relationships and live together harmonious in our one world.

The only thing certain about life is death ...

We go through life as though we will live forever, as though we are invincible. But the only thing that is certain about life is death. This is the truth for all people, no matter who they are and where they live.

And yet in our living, we rarely think about our own vulnerabilities or the fact that our last day, last moment, last breath may already be here.

We seldom take the time to appreciate the sunrise and acknowledge the joy of seeing another day. We do not think that this present moment that you are spending with your loved one, could in fact be the last one – here on this earth, and maybe forever.

We are often so caught up in our own lives, in our own problems and challenges, in our own belief systems and thought processes, in our own righteousness. We live our lives believing in our indestructability – or not even thinking about it at all. We rarely think of life as a gift – a blessing – and an opportunity to actually try and get out of the wheel of the samsara.

For those of us who have actually thought about death – I am sure that we would like to hope that when the time comes for us to pass, it will happen at a far off day, in a warm bed and surrounded by loved ones. We would like to believe that we are ready to go, that we have finished all our unfinished businesses. That we have lived a happy and satisfying life and we are ready for the ‘great move on’.

However, death can catch up with us at the most unexpected of times and places. It is not always the old who are the first to go. Accidents, natural calamities, health calamities such as heart attacks and strokes, boulders falling on people etc – are common occurrences and they do not differentiate between the young and the old. ‘Time and tide wait for no man’, so said Shakespeare – and many times it is also the young people who have to make the early exit.

And when it is time to go, you are alone. You cannot take the possessions you have accumulated over your lifespan. And despite the number of friends you may have made or the large extended family that you may have, when the time comes to walk across the realms – you have the make this journey by yourself.

And that is why I feel it is so important for everyone to occasionally reflect on life and on death. To try not take life for granted but rather to take stock of how you are living and to try and life in a way that you will have no regrets.

And for that you don’t need to make the dramatic changes – just try and live one day at a time  - be the best person that you can be - be good, be kind, be compassionate - so that every evening when you go to bed and you reflect on your day, you are satisfied with the way you have lived the day.

Cumulatively, these individual days will become a life well lived.

Two interesting landmarks between Samtse and Sibsoo

 Between Sibsoo and Samtse town, there are two landmarks that I found particularly interesting:

1. Some km away from Chengmari and nearer to Sibsoo, there is a lake barely 30 seconds walk above the main car road. It is not easily visible, so you will need to look out for a signboard above the road. With an area of 55.25 Ac - it is a nature conservation park under the Samtse Dzongkhag and overseen by DRED, Department of Forest and Park Services. During the dry months, the lake has very little water in it. When the monsoon sets in, the lake fills up with water. One can see the reflection of the trees on the murky green water. I was told that the  lake used to have lots of water in it in the past and was once a good water source for the tea gardens across the Indian border further below the road.

See the difference between Spring and after the rainy season:-

Lake in Spring 2014

Lake in September 2014

2. Halfway between Samtse and Sibsoo, there is an interesting gateway over the main road. It reminded me of the magnificent roads and bridges that once existed in different parts of the world during the Roman era. This particular gateway apparently used to be a water irrigation channel. The architecture is quite impressive and it would be interesting to see more of such innovations these days.

Irrigation Channel

"I wandered lonely as a cloud
that floats over vales and hills..."

were the words that came across my mind as I was driving towards Sibsoo from Samtse town. Emerald green were the terraced fields of rice and small were the houses with their open verandas. Dark green trees lined the sides of the gently winding road. The sky was clear and blue. Stray clouds  - soft white cotton puffs floating in the sky in isolation as though suspended in time and space.

And as I wandered lonely as a cloud over the hills and plains, I had the opportunity for some reflection on life. 

And it was liberating, it was joyful.

Surrounded by such beauty, I felt utmost blessed to be a born in this incredible nation of ours.

Life is a journey, not a destination

This is one advice my father often gives me. When I am rushing through life and trying to get everything done, he says life is a journey and not a destination. Try and enjoy the little moments – for it is ultimately these moments that we will remember and cherish.

Yesterday, some friends and I were on our way down to Phuentsholing from Thimphu and down the Chukha road, which I remember in my childhood calling the ‘snake road’ – due to the winding and never ending curves. Small waterfalls were flowing at the side of the road and further down the valley a number of mountains, greens of different shade, were rolling into each other, enveloped by soft white clouds.

We continued our journey, winding down the Thimphu-Phuentsholing highway through changing vegetation and passing by small landslides and fallen boulders. As we passed through Gedu the air became heavier and we were surrounded in mist. Thick shrouding mist – greyish white all around - we could barely see 10 feet ahead of us.

Just when I thought that our journey would be likewise gloomy all the way to Phuentsholing, we arrived at Jumja – the unstable stretch of land where landslides often obstructs the journey of many travellers. I have travelled on the highway many times, but it was my first time being awed by the magnificence and splendour of the scene.

The sky was serenely blue – stretching all the way across the plains where it seemed to shimmer and blend into the horizon. Below in the valley, a soft milk-white blanket of clouds covered the plains and puffed all the way into the distance. Blending with the blue, some clouds above were swirling and it was as though a whirlpool of white on a blue canvas.

I was above the clouds and I was below the clouds – I was in the clouds.



It was no longer important why I was going down to Phuentsholing. Or what I was leaving behind in Thimphu. It was just me and the wide expanse of the sky. Me and the embrace of the clouds. I felt free – simply enjoying the moment for what it was.

And in that moment I recalled the words of my father – that life is a journey and we must try and enjoy it to the fullest.

Eating green vegetables and fruits - for better health?

Anyone will tell you that for a well balanced diet, it is essential to eat lots of green vegetables and fruits. We are fortunate that in Bhutan a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that are grown. However what is grown is not sufficient for the population. Further due to the climatic conditions, there are seasons when there are fruits and vegetables in abundance and other seasons where we depend a lot on imports for our consumption.

The recent rupee issue has highlighted the importance and the necessity of enhancing domestic production of fruits and vegetables. According to a data collected by the Department of Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives (DAMC) in March 2012, a ‘majority of vegetable imports take place during winter and early spring. Furthermore during the lean season in Bhutan (November to April), vendors based at the Centenary Farmers Market in Thimphu import about 208 MT of assorted vegetables per week valued around Nu 3 million, which totals about 5,000 MT of vegetables valued at about Nu. 83 million’

This is a substantial amount of imports and a significant drain of our hard earned foreign currency (for the Rupee, as we are now very aware, is a foreign currency). While there would definitely be need for some import, it is important to now work towards actively promoting our own domestic production and towards the ultimate objective of self-reliance in this arena.

A recent kuensel article further compounded my concerns - albeit for a slightly different reason. According to the article called “Our source of all things green” the author takes us to a wholesale vegetable market some 80 km away from Phuensholing. A large thriving market, it appears that a substantial amount of vegetables and fruits from this market are purchased by Bhutanese vendors. What, however, concerns me is that the farmers appear to use pesticides on almost all vegetables and fruits. According to the article, pesticides are used for better yields, protection against infection, artificial ripening and faster growth of vegetables and fruits. It appears that synthetic fertilizer or pesticides are used excessively during cultivation and harvesting and lots of preservatives are used during processing, storage and transporting.

This is very disturbing given that much of our consumption of fruits and vegetables are from such areas and from people who may be more concerned about their own profits rather than the consumer’s health.

Numerous studies highlight the direct link between exposure to harmful toxins and our health. It is alarming to think about just how much toxins are being put into our bodies every day - all in the effort to eat well and live a long life. And to think that we tell our children that they must eat their greens to stay healthy.

(And that is only just for fruits and vegetables – I shudder to think of all the chemicals and growth hormones that may be injected into the meat.)

When I was growing up, I was always encouraged to eat lots of apples with the peel. The peel, I was told, was very nutritious and good for health. So I relished biting into the apple and eating it whole.

Nowadays, with all the chemicals and pesticides that are infused into fruits and vegetables to, we are advised not to eat the peel of the fruits such as apples as they have direct contact to pesticides to keep them from getting spoilt quickly. Imagine biting into an apple and instead of taking in nutrition, you are directly consuming something that has chemicals that will in the long run make you sick.

So in a way – the recent rupee situation has been quite an eye opener for us. It has made us realize just how important it is for us to enhance the domestic production of our fruits and vegetables. This will need to be done through a well strategized plan of action with support to farmers and producers and with the collaboration from many different stakeholders. It is no doubt a big task but one that is necessary and timely. I understand that efforts / studies are already being undertaken towards this at the national level (this is a subject that merits extensive discussions and not one that I wish to discuss here.)

In our own individual capacities, however, we also need to support our domestic producers by purchasing their products. First of all, by supporting our farmers we are encouraging more rural based employment and enhancement of rural income. With more demand for their products, they will be encouraged to expand, mechanize and collaborate with other farmers / cooperatives. In the long run through a proper and systematic network and linkages, the supply and prices can be stabilized and that is in the best interests of everyone concerned – the farmers, the consumers and also the country as a whole – for less imports means less demand on foreign currency.

Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that the Bhutanese products are more ‘organic’ in nature – simply because no / less pesticides are used. As such, organic products fetch a premium price in all countries where people have increasingly begun to understand its value. And so for the reasons that I have mentioned earlier, I feel that while Bhutanese products may be a little more expensive, in the long run it is an investment that is well worth it. Think how much you will ultimately save in medical bills alone.

Fireworks during the Royal Wedding (15 Oct 2011)

Under a crystal clear October sky
thousands are gathered
on the steps of the national stadium –
Changlimithang.

Strangers and friends
stand amidst mingled breaths
and joyful laughter
this clear frosty autumn night
waiting - in collective anticipation.

Then with a loud cracking sound
a fiery red flame shoots into the sky
and with a ‘pop’ bursts into a thousand stars. 

The second follow and then the third 
and soon the night is a splash of colors –
golden sparkles, streaming silver
crackling green and sparkling blue.

And with each ‘Phak pok Phak”
and every ‘Woosh’ and “crackle”,
there is  a vivid explosion in the night 
a brilliant shower of colors
Frizzling and streaming
spiraling and dreaming
cracking, flaming, dizzying…

Strangers become friends 

and adults become children.
For in this timeless moment

                                      everyone comes together in joyous harmony 
                                           as history is made in the Dragon nation
                                                 under one clear October sky.