On Bhutan
The following is an article published in Today Newspaper, written by a Bhutanese Journalist, Kesang Dema. I couldnt'agree more with it.
As a Bhutanese visiting Singapore, I take uninhibited pride in being able to say that I come from the thunder dragon Kingdom of Bhutan. Almost all the time, I am greeted with curiosity, and they always shoot the obvious question: "Isn't Bhutan the country which adopted Gross National Happiness (GNH) as a development policy?"Before I can gather my thoughts to answer, I am bombarded with more questions: "Is everyone happy in Bhutan? Are you happy?" Such questions from people in Singapore, who have all the ingredients of a comfortable life, underscore the very essence of the concept: Is GNH a reality?As a prosperous, developed country, Singapore has everything to keep its over 4.4 million people happy. In the vibrant urban buzz, equipped with sophisticated gadgets and clothed in the latest designer fashion, Singaporeans can enjoy every fruit of modernisation.On the other end of the spectrum is Bhutan, where, forget the MRT and the elevators, even a simple traffic light device is absent. Comparatively, Bhutanese lead much simpler lives. Yet, they are just as happy.Bhutan does not claim to be able to guarantee happiness for its people. But at the individual level, the GNH concept conjures up feelings of idealism and interconnectedness. In Buddhism, happiness can only come from within the self. Thus, the idea that happiness is the ultimate value of life, and the importance of its sustainability has crept into the minds of fellow citizens.Around the world, while family values have collapsed and there is no social or emotional security, Bhutanese citizens continue the age-old tradition of an extended family, in which members support one another emotionally and financially. Cultural participation and identity have emerged as the strongest variables influencing happiness both in the rural and urban areas.Spiritual oneness is distinctly visible during festival celebrations, which are attended by the whole family, consisting of grandparents, parents and children attired in the national costume. An uncompromised ecosystem ensures that future generations will have access to the same natural environment as the older generations did.While the policy-makers continue to create the right environment for citizens to find happiness or contentment, challenges remain for the citizens to understand that it is up to them to translate this profound concept into reality.And as my country continues to shoulder this responsibility of making GNH the solution to problems that scourge the world today, I don't hesitate to answer that I am happy. Because I am assured that I have a green, unpolluted, mystical country and a caring family to go back to.
posted by xiangZ @ 4:31 AM
8 Comments:
I hate to burst your bubble, but Bhutan seems to be far from being a happy place. In the 1990s, there have been civil wars between the ethnic Nepalese and Bhutanese... with thousands of ethnic-Nepalese in Bhutan being denied of their citizenships and stuck at the borders. The whole concept of Gross National Happiness is also very problematic. Quite apart from the fact that is is not quantifiable, it is also based on narrow set of Buddhist values (of which, I don't think tolerance of other values is one of them). To the extent that one believes that human freedom is the prerequisite for happiness, the restrictive imposition of a particular set of values is unlikely to allow every single individual the freedom to realize his particular version of freedom. (Of course, you can make the argument that all of them are alike, of which ignorance is bliss). CS
Furthermore, there is something very wrong about the fact that Bhutan is a theocracy. History has never demonstrated a successful working model of theocracy, be it based on Christianity, Islam or Buddhism. It seems somewhat impossible that a Buddhist king (monk, Dalai Lama) can be enlightened-give up on worldly life- and engage with the brutal realities of political life. In any case, you have to believe in the particular branch of Buddhism (think it is Mahayana?) that you can save other human beings. My impression of Buddhism is that it started off as quite an "elitist" religiom only few people can have the wisdom to acquire enlightenment. CS
we can talk about it when i return to singpore and play mahjong with you! :)
CS
agreed that Bhutan has been embroiled in a series of inter-religion discrimatory troubles. However, what I agreed with the article is not that Bhutan is a great place with lots of happiness, but the close knitted family live, lush greenery as well as happiness that stems one oneself ideals that it preaches. anyhows, buddhism did not start off as an elitist religion, as it is founded on the concept of karma, which is a matter of causation. ah! but u r right! all this can be discussed over a game of mahjong. mahjong blurs the boundaries between seriousness and nonsense. so enjoyable!
hieeee! Sorry, did i tell you my blog address with an underscore? It's hyphen.. *wink* cheers
yt, haha. yes. that's the reason i asked u twice, but still to no avail. =p
sowwriee!
btw, are you liking going for your studies sooon??
i will be leaving singapore on 20 September.
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