PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT
“It’s quite a busy place,” remarked our guide Ugyen the first time we were in Thimphu. Four days ago, the city seemed rather provincial but passing it on our way back to Paro after visiting Punakha, I understood why. To the casual observer, Bhutan may look like a place stuck in the past. While there are pockets of underdevelopment, it is, in many ways, one of the most progressive and civilised places on earth. It is the first country in the world to completely ban smoking and the use of plastic bags, and the only nation to measure success in terms of gross national happiness, a metric that is not only holistic but visionary. Although nestled between superpowers China and India, this small country marches to its own beat—steadfast in preserving its rich heritage while facing the future on its own terms. Our kora was drawing to an end and we saved the most iconic journey for last: a whole day hike to Tiger’s Nest, a monastery that is on a jagged rock atop a towering peak. It took almost three hours plus a lot of sweat and determination to conquer the climb up the mountain, and even for a nonBuddhist like me, this felt like a spiritual pilgrimage. There is a Bhutanese proverb that says, “The temple may be ancient, but the meaning is always modern”. It couldn’t be truer in this case. Once you are in the temple, you are on top of the world—or at least precisely 3,120m high—you are reminded of what really matters: the here and the now. Buddhism teaches one to live in the present and the Bhutanese practise the mantra “Live simply. Leave only footprints and carry only your shadow”. After seeing how little we really need to lead a full life, I returned home with a treasure trove of memories, a new perspective, and teachings to enrich my daily life.