Download PDF Preview - Wisdom Publications

BHUTAN
$29.95
Lyonpo Thinley Gyamtsho lives in
Bhutan, where he serves as the Minister
of Education of the Royal Government.
“This peaceful nation is emerging as a big draw, attracting those in search of a spiritual
journey, a hiking adventure—or just a chance to experience a place before the rest
of the world gets there. [Bhutan is] a Brigadoon of astonishing beauty.”
The New York Times, “Why Is Everyone Going to Bhutan?”
US$29.95
Berthold
ISBN 0-86171-282-X
land of the thunder dragon
John Berthold has lived, worked,
and traveled extensively throughout
Asia since 1994. His passionate interest
in Buddhism and Himalayan culture has
led him to visit Tibet, northern India,
and Nepal and take eight trips to Bhutan to research and photograph Bhutan:
Land of the Thunder Dragon. He has
hosted several gallery exhibitions of his
work and has had his photographs published in numerous newspapers and
magazines. He lives with his wife in
Portland, Oregon, USA.
R
BHUTAN
land of the thunder drag on
John Berthold
Wisdom Publications • Boston
www.wisdompubs.org
foreword by h. e. lyonpo thinley gyamtsho, minister of the royal government of bhutan
wisdom
egarded as the “crown jewel
of the Himalayas,” the Kingdom of Bhutan is the last
remaining independent country to
support Buddhism as the official state
religion. It is also where progress is
famously measured in terms of “Gross
National Happiness.” After coverage
on American television’s 60 Minutes
and in publications as varied as Conde
Nast Traveler, Yoga Journal, and The
Economist, Bhutan is the next big travel
destination. Yet few have seen it as photographer John Berthold has.
The photographs found here capture John Berthold’s uniquely intimate
experience of this vast and stunning
land and its people. Benefitting from
special authorization from the Bhutanese government, the photographer shot
over the course of three years at locales
normally off-limits to Western visitors.
The resulting images, collected here,
transport the reader to colorful festivals and religious traditions, and to
remote villages along the roof of the
world.
For the many who dream of making
the trip, Bhutan: Land of the Thunder
Dragon is truly the next best thing to
being there. And even those fortunate
few who have had the chance to visit
will find here a Bhutan full of surprises.
A Note from the Publisher
We hope you will enjoy this Wisdom book. For your convenience, this digital edition is delivered to you without “digital
rights management” (DRM). This makes it easier for you to
use across a variety of digital platforms, as well as preserve in
your personal library for future device migration.
Our nonprofit mission is to develop and deliver to you the very
highest quality books on Buddhism and mindful living. We
hope this book will be of benefit to you, and we sincerely appreciate your support of the author and Wisdom with your purchase. If you’d like to consider additional support of our
mission, please visit our website at wisdompubs.org.
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
BHUTAN
land of the thunder drag on
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
BHUTAN
land of the thunder drag on
Photographs and text by John Berthold
Foreword by His Excellency
Lyonpo Thinley Gyamtsho
Wisdom Publications • Boston
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
Author’s Note: Some photographs in this book are from
restricted areas of Bhutan, which remain officially closed
to tourists. Also, your careful handling and storing of this
book is greatly appreciated due to the sacred images and
artifacts in many of the photographs.
Wisdom Publications, Inc.
199 Elm Street
Somerville, MA 02144 USA
www.wisdompubs.org
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under the
copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored, or introduced into a retrieval system,
or transmitted, in any form or by any means including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise
without prior written permission of John Berthold, the
copyright owner.
© John Berthold, 2005
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Berthold, John, 1967Bhutan : land of the thunder dragon / photographs and text by John Berthold ; foreword by His
Excellency Lyonpo Thinley Gyamtsho.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-86171-282-X (hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-0-86171-960-0 (ebook)
1. Bhutan—Pictorial works. 2. Bhutan—Description and travel. I. Title.
DS491.42.B48 2005
954.98'0022'2—dc22
2005013740
Photographer’s note on cover image: A group of monks pose
by the Dagana Dzong dressing room prior to the final
dance and blessing of their annual tsechu festival. The monk
in the center is a smiling manifestation of the second Buddha, Padmasambhava, surrounded by two wrathful deities
and two peaceful disciples.
Looking back on my eight visits to Bhutan, the tsechu
festivals I attended left the strongest impressions and memories. For the Bhutanese, they are the most important of all
annual public events, attended by huge crowds of pious villagers. During a tsechu, many dances are performed to
honor Padmasambhava, and the highlight is on the last day
when all those in attendance may receive a blessing from a
lama dressed as Padmasambhava.
This image was difficult yet rewarding to take. I had to
ask for permission to enter the dressing room area, had a
few brief seconds to get the shot, yet was pleased to see the
dancers pose on their own in a balanced and natural way. I
find this intimate moment during a boisterous event works
well to introduce the book, because it serves as a welcoming doorway for readers to look inside and learn about the
people and culture of Bhutan.
Photograph caption for page ii: Deki, 11, stands near the
entrance of her neighbors’ house in Bumthang.
Printed in Canada
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
To my mother, Kathleen Berthold
and my grandfather, Walter Laband
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
Padmasambhava statue, Ura Lhakhang
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
Contents
Map • ix
Foreword • xi
Introduction • 1
Buddhism and Monastic Life • 5
Tsechu and Dromche festivals • 41
Northern Frontier • 69
Brokpas of Sakteng • 95
Lhotshampas • 111
Central Highlands • 131
Acknowledgments • 157
Bibliography • 159
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
Shabdrung painting, Tashichhoe Dzong
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
FOREWORD
I am very pleased to introduce Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon, written and photographed
by my friend, John Berthold.
One of the most profound events in Bhutan’s history took place early in the eighth century, when
a renowned Buddhist saint named Guru Padmasambhava traveled throughout the Himalayas and
introduced the Bhutanese people to the teachings of Vajrayana Buddhism. These new teachings and
religious practices blended over time with local customs and traditions to form a distinctive
Bhutanese identity. Today, the people of Bhutan remain deeply influenced by Buddhism in nearly
every aspect of birth, life, and death.
In 1907, a unanimous vote crowned His Majesty Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuk as the first King of
Bhutan. Fifty-two years later, in 1959–60, Bhutan began to abandon its self-imposed policy of isolation and embarked on a multitude of development programs.
The arrival of the twenty-first century has ushered in an era of tremendous change for Bhutan. And
while many modern advances have greatly improved the lives of all Bhutanese, careful attention is
being paid to ensure that this progress does not dilute our rich cultural and religious heritage.
Having witnessed many of these modern changes myself, I have seen the far-reaching impact,
both positive and negative, of globalization on even the most distant villages in Bhutan. I am pleased
to see this book document some of the ways that the culture and lives of many Bhutanese people have
remained outside the scope of such influence and change.
If you have not had an opportunity to personally visit Bhutan, I would like to extend a warm
invitation for you to come to the Himalayas and experience the beauty and passion that endures
along the roof of the world.
Lyonpo Thinley Gyamtsho
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
Wangdi Phodrang Dzong
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
I ntroduction
Often called the “crown
jewel of the Himalayas,” the Kingdom of Bhutan is the last independent country in the region to
support Buddhism as the official
state religion. This independence has been fostered in
part by the perpetually snow-capped mountains in the
north and dense jungles in the south that have served
as natural barriers, protecting the country from outsiders for generations. In the heart of the country, a
seemingly endless maze of deep valleys has provided a
magnificent landscape upon which the Bhutanese
have carefully preserved their rich legacy of traditional
values and religious customs.
Numerous theories about the origin of the name
“Bhutan” abound. One suggestion is that it comes
from the Sanskrit word Bhotant, which means “the
end of Tibet.” Old British maps named the country
“Bootan” from the Sanskrit word Bhotia, which
means “Tibetan people.” Regardless of the Western
name for their country, the Bhutanese know their
home as Drukyul, “Land of the Thunder Dragon.”
In turn, they refer to themselves as Drukpas. The
names derive from a monastery in Tibet called Druk,
which was founded in 1189 on a hill where a legendary
dragon appeared. The Bhutanese continue to identify
themselves with the dragon symbol; it is proudly featured on the national flag and on various denominations of currency.
The origins of the mighty Himalayas can be traced
back sixty million years, when what is now Bhutan
was deep underwater in the ancient Tethys Sea. Over
thousands of years, the Indo-Australian land mass
slowly began to drift north and was pushed under the
Eurasian continent directly north of Bhutan. The
crust of the earth began to buckle and fold upward
from the tremendous tectonic forces, and over time
the sea was replaced with mountains, which continue
to rise higher to this day.
Little is known about the ancient history of Bhutan,
but recent archaeological evidence suggests that the
country was first inhabited during the Neolithic
Period between 1,500 and 2,000 b.c. Historians have
speculated that the Manas River, which cuts through
the country, was used during this time as an immigration route from India to Tibet.
Important events chronicled in early Bhutanese history center largely on Buddhist saints and religious
leaders. Unfortunately, many precious texts on Bhutan’s history were lost in disastrous fires early in the
seventeenth century. The majority of what is known
today comes from the records of early British explorers, folklore, and a few books that survived.
Buddhism was brought to Bhutan in the seventh
century under the auspices of the Tibetan king,
Songtsen Gampo, who initiated the construction of
Kyichu Monastery in Paro and Jambay Monastery in
Bumthang. At the time the Bhutanese practiced a
shamanistic religion known as Bön, but the influence
from these two temples quickly spread and Bön
began to wane.
In the eighth century Buddhism developed further
when the enlightened tantric Buddhist master Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, visited
Bhutan on three separate occasions. Padmasambhava
is known to have traveled to many different parts of
the Himalayas to spread his teachings, subdue harmful demons, and meditate in auspicious caves. As a way
for future generations to continue his powerful legacy,
he left behind secret texts hidden in places that could
only be found by enlightened lamas known as tertons.
The years that followed saw a continual expansion
of Buddhism’s influence within the lives of the
Bhutanese people, punctuated by several important
events. In the thirteenth century the Drukpa Kagyu
lineage of Buddhism was introduced to the country
by a Tibetan lama named Phajo Drukgom Shigpo.
The following century, a famous terton named Pema
•
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
1•
Lingpa discovered many treasures left behind by Padmasambhava, including some at the bottom of a small
lake in Bumthang. In the seventeenth century another
Tibetan lama, Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, unified
the country under a central authority and declared
Drukpa Kagyu Buddhism as the official state religion, a
tradition that continues today.
December 17, 1907 marked the day when the country
began to shift from a Buddhist theocracy to a civilian
government with the crowning of the first Bhutanese
king, His Majesty Ugyen Wangchuck, who reigned until
his death in 1926. The second king, H.M. Jigme
Wangchuck, followed in his father’s footsteps and continued to modernize the country. His many accomplishments included the signing of a friendship and
cooperation treaty with India, which helped create a
prosperous and harmonious relationship for both countries that continues today. The third king, H.M. Jigme
Dorji Wangchuck, was crowned in 1952 and shortly
thereafter altered the structure of the government by
establishing the National Assembly the following year.
Still in place today, this vital forum provides local representatives from across the country an opportunity to
meet in the nation’s capital to debate and vote on the
best solutions for the problems at hand. Before his death,
H.M. Jigme Dorjie Wangchuck secured formal international recognition for Bhutan by joining the United
Nations in 1971.
The current king, known as the Druk Gyalpo, His
Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, became the youngest
monarch in the world when he was crowned in 1974 at
age nineteen. Respected and honored by all Bhutanese,
he has embraced a wide variety of development programs, as well as carefully preserving Bhutan’s cultural
and natural heritage. In 1998, he decided the National
Assembly, not the king, should bear the responsibility to
appoint the Council of Ministers. Another milestone
among his accomplishments was the appointment of a
representative group of religious and governmental figures to draft the first Bhutanese constitution.
•
Vast and sweeping changes have greatly improved the
lives of the Bhutanese people over the past thirty years.
Numerous roads have been built to provide better access
for villagers, free schools and health clinics are present
throughout the country, and modern telecommunication facilities link even the most remote villages. Yet
despite these and many other important advances, the
Bhutanese have been mindful to carefully preserve their
traditional culture, which is distinct from both Tibet and
India.
As Bhutan enters the twenty-first century, tremendous
signs of accomplishment are evident throughout the
country. Villages, farms, and towns are thriving and
expanding to meet the needs of all Bhutanese. Monasteries and temples are carefully maintained and repaired as
needed, providing a welcome sanctuary for monks, nuns,
and the Bhutanese public to connect with their long religious heritage. Between the mountain villages, the dense
forests are carefully managed to ensure biodiversity for a
wide range of flora and fauna.
Spared much of the world’s turbulence and the more
devastating aspects of globalization, the kingdom of
Bhutan is keenly admired by many societies who have
lost touch with their past in their rush to the future.
2•
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
Kesang, 13, Haa Dzong
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
Buddha Shakyamuni, Sakteng Lhakhang
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
Buddhism
É Monastic Life
The official state religion
of Bhutan, Drukpa Kagyu
Buddhism, traces its heritage back
to the northern Indian town of
Bodhgaya, where Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha around 500 b.c. After discovering a middle path between asceticism and sensory
gratification, Siddhartha overcame numerous inner obstacles to achieve Buddhahood, or full enlightenment.
Known in Bhutan as Shakyamuni, the Buddha traveled widely on the Indian subcontinent and preached
that because all beings are driven by selfish desires, a
cycle of suffering reincarnation cannot be broken unless
one follows the noble eightfold path of ethical behavior, deep meditation, and profound insight. According
to Bhutanese legend, Shakyamuni subdued and converted a powerful spirit named Yeshe Goenpo, who
then became the principal guardian deity of Bhutan.
Padmasambhava, or Guru Rinpoche, is often called
the second Buddha in Bhutan. He is said to have
miraculously emerged as an eight-year-old from a
blue lotus early in the eighth century. Padmasambhava became an enlightened master of the tantric, or
Vajrayana, branch of Buddhism and traveled extensively throughout the Himalayan region, spreading
the Buddhist teachings. Even though Buddhism had
slowly begun to supplant the shamanistic Bon faith
centuries before his three visits, Padmasambhava is
celebrated for cementing Buddhist ideology in
Bhutan and for heroic mediations in remote caves.
As a testament to his influence, nearly all temples and
monasteries today prominently feature Padmasambhava in the center of the altar.
After Padmasambhava’s time, Himalayan Buddhism,
which is also known as Tibetan Buddhism, continued
to grow and to evolve into the four primary lineages
we see today: Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug.
The Drukpa Kagyu Buddhism practiced in Bhutan is
one of several traditions within the Kagyu lineage,
which descends from Milarepa, Tibet’s famous hermit
saint. Today, Buddhism permeates nearly all aspects
of Bhutanese culture, and it is customary for one son
from each family to join the monastic community at
an early age. Even though it is not compulsory for
Bhutanese monks or nuns to remain as such, many
choose to do so, spending their lives in the pursuit of
study and meditation. At certain times of the year,
they may return to their parents’ homes to rest and to
help with the responsibilities of maintaining their families’ farms.
The central monk body, known as the Dratshang,
oversees all religious activity in the country and is led
by the highest-ranking lama in the country, His Holiness the Je Khenpo. All monasteries adhere to a strict
code that has remained unchanged for hundreds of
years. Rising long before dawn, monks and nuns
begin group prayers and book study at 4 a.m., continuing until 9 p.m. with breaks for two meals and specific religious duties.
Due to the tremendous complexity of the Drukpa
Kagyu beliefs and practices, decades of study are
required to master the diverse and extensive teachings. One of the most daunting challenges for monks
is a retreat that takes three years, three months, three
weeks, and three days during which they do not come
into contact with anyone. Once completed, monks
will often take a short break and then continue on for
an additional two retreats, totaling ten years of isolated meditation.
The Drukpa Kagyu pantheon of saints who have
attained enlightenment—Buddhas from the past and
future, compassionate guardians known as bodhisattvas, and terrifying protective deities—is both
extensive and diverse. Although temples, monasteries,
and unique holy sites throughout Bhutan differ
slightly in content and construction style, they are
bound together by the threads of a common religious
heritage.
•
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
5•
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
Lhuntsi Dzong was constructed in 1654 on a strategic spur overlooking the Kuri River Valley. Fortress monasteries, known as
dzongs, built in Bhutan during the seventeenth century needed to command a defensive position to protect the surrounding
villages from incursions by Tibetan armies.
Left: Monks from Dagana Dzong, built in 1655, recite their early morning prayers from large books printed on handmade
paper. The rigorous monastic schedule that has remained unchanged for generations begins at 3 a.m. when the monks first
wake up. Their day is spent studying religious books, participating in group prayers, and sharing the responsibilities of
maintaining their residence.
•
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
7•
Adjacent to the central prayer hall in Simtokha
Dzong is a massive 375-year-old statue of the
historic first Buddha, Shakyamuni. The Buddha
is flanked by several statues of bodhisattvas,
disciples who have developed the aspiration
to become Buddhas in order to relieve the
suffering of all beings.
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
The enticing smell of warm barley flour being molded by nuns from Namsaling Convent into torma offerings attracts a hungry
goat. Tormas are crafted from a wide variety of ingredients then placed on altars in temples and homes as offerings to Buddhist
deities. After a few days, the tormas are destroyed and new ones created.
Right: Nidup Zam, 60, an elderly nun, sits with Kinley Ohm, 11, to her left and Kezang Deki, 11, to her right. Although nuns
live in convents separate from monks, they follow a similar lifestyle of study and prayer.
•
10 •
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
Acquired at wisdompubs.org
Acquired at wisdompubs.org