National Memorial Chorten –abode of meeting people

According to the sources; Chorten or Stupa is earliest form of the Buddha image to commemorate major event in his life. To mark the sacred places where these event occurred. Stupa built as memorial and contains relics and offerings. In Bhutan it is also built as land mark.

One early in the morning, I went to National Memorial Chorten to make some circumambulations. I took a majestic walk along with some people who were on the way to Chorten for the same reason. As soon as I reach near hospital campus, I stopped for a very short span of time. I saw a big group walking magnificently towards chorten. I just stand on road side. They went ahead of me talking in their own languages, something about the chorten and a day’s program. They walked on smiling at me and talking within themselves. I smiled too and stand side by the road little more.

Another group came and went off. I still wait there and went on following our senior citizens. Amongst all, the majority were women. As and when I reach below hospital arcs, I saw people coming from different directions intending to circumambulate the National Memorial Chorten. I joined the group and walked to the chorten. They entered the courtyard of Chorten where I still wait outside to read the information and see around to know more about it.

Before I enter the chorten, I saw a giant board depicting the history and reasons for constructing the chorten. History says that chorten was built on the commemoration of late 3^rd Dragon King of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, who is referred to as ‘Father of Modern Bhutan’. He was born in 1928 and passed away in 1972. His mother late Gyalyum Azhi Phuntsho Choden sponsor the construction of the chorten in order to fulfill late His Majesty’s one of the three wishes. This chorten was built in 1974 after Kyabje Dejom Rinpoche visualized and architectural drawing was done by His Holiness, Kyabje Dungsi Rinpoche.

It is located in the heart of the Capital City of Bhutan, Thimphu. It is built in the crossed junction of the city road, the Doebum Lam and Chorten Lam which passes through Hospital to the Swimming pool complex and main town to the hospital respectively.

On top of the arc of the Chorten, slate curving Rigsum Gonpo is installed. The Rigsum Gonpo consists of Chenrayzig (Avalokestesvara) in the Centre, Jampelyang (Manjushri) on right and Chana Dorji (Vajrapani) on left. The Rigsum Gonpo is trinity of three main Bodhisattvas. It is mainly found in the main entrance of the Dzongs, temples and chortens.

Chenray Zig is the Bodhisattva of Compassion or is god of compassion; Jampelyang is the Bodhisattva of Wisdom or is god of wisdom or knowledge or intelligence, and Chana Dorji is Bodhisattva of Power and is god of power.

The gate or arch is fully in traditional of Bhutan. On top of the gate or arc from inside is the Nirmakaya, which consists of present Buddha Shacha Thukpa (Sakyamuni), Guru Rimpoche (the Tantric Master) and Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel (the Unifier of Bhutan). Three of them are Trulkus. So it would be Nirmakayas.

When I looked around, I saw our senior citizens chanting mantras, pulling and pushing the Prayer wheels (Mani Dungkhor) in prayer wheel house. I went there and asked some few people about the importance of chanting mantras. One of the senior citizens steadily answered my questions and I got moral ideas of chanting mantras. I was taught how to pull and push the prayer wheels. I thanked them and request them to offer prayers for wellbeing of all sentient beings as they did prior to. I enjoyed being with them for few minutes chatting and gossiping.

I walked towards chorten where the Good Angel statue is situated in octagon shaped house. The good angel is offering the water to chorten and its internal shrine and relics. Offering of water has many reasons. The very reason for offering the water dates back to era of Buddha. In this universe, each and every one of us is not gifted with same wealth and fortunes. Water is the cheapest and easiest way to offer to the god. So, therefore, it is good to offer clean water to the god to gain merits.

After that I went around the chorten. I saw butter lamp offerings are done outside the Chorten. Hundreds and thousands of butter lamps are offered in the butter lamp house near the chorten. The importance of offering butter lamp is to gain merits and fortunes in our life. The holy smoke or Sang is also offered to gain merits. North to the chorten is Kuenray where rituals are conducted.

Before completing a round, I saw many people prostrating towards the chorten from east direction. The importance of prostration is to wash way sins that we accumulated in our past and present life. The processes, methods or steps to offer prostrations are as follows:

“Bring hands together on our heart. Take it up on the head and bring down below chin or Jaw, then to the heart. Then we bend down the knees and put our knees and hands on the ground and also the forehead. Putting down the knees, hands and forehead signifies pinning down the five poisons on the ground. The numbers of the prostrations differs from person to person.”

Towards the east is the front of the chorten. In the vase or Bumpa, the statue of present Buddha, Shacha Thukpa or Sakyamuni is installed. The four Guardian Kings are also installed below it, in four directions. The Guardian King of East, Yulkhorsung or Dhritarashtra, Guardian King of South, Phagyelpo or Virudhaka, Guardian King of West, Chemizang or Virupaksha and Guardian King of North, Namthoese or Vaisravava. We can easily recognize the Four Guardian Kings through their complexions, the weapons they hold, throne they sit on, and other features.

Its outer appearance is the Draduel or Jangchub or Stupa of conquest and it’s purely based on Tibetan architecture. The Chorten is built to defeat the temptation of attack of host Mara under Bodhi tree, and built by King Bimbisara to mark the occasion. Have traditional four unadorned steps.

Whole structures of the chorten represents as five purified elements; square base or four cardinals and inter cardinal corners as ‘Earth’, hemispherical vase or dome as ‘Water’, conical sphere or thirteen umbrella as ‘Fire’, the lotus parasol and crescent moon as ‘Air’, and sun and dissolving point as ‘Space’. It is also explained as body of the Buddha; the throne, legs in lotus posture, torso, faces and eyes, ushnisha, and enlightenment respectively.

The four Snow lions from four directions holding the iron chain signify that the lons hold the chorten which is believed to be flying in the air. The snow lion has a youthful, vibrant energy of goodness and natural sense of delight, so they holds the chorten to stand still as it is.

Interior of the Chorten is designed as Temple which houses the King’s photo in a ceremonial dress adorns in ground floor along with Phurpa (Vajrakila Statues), Kagae Teaching in first floor and teaching of Lama Goongdu in second floor. Lama Goongdu teaching is the highest form of teaching in Tantric religion.

The murals paintings of Nyingma Traditions are depicted on the walls of chorten. There are uncountable paintings of Bodhisattvas, scholars and others in the chorten.

Over the years, National Memorial Chorten has become one of the best meeting points in the heart of capital city. Early in the morning on my visit to chorten, I saw numbers of Monks, Lay-Monks and Anims (Nuns) were waiting there. I wonder why they were waiting. But the best answer I could generate was they were waiting for the person who hired them to perform rituals at home. They chats and gossips within themselves.

After few minutes, cars parked in the parking lot, man came out from car, the group of 8 monks and lay-monks got in the car. They plied to their destination. Another group was also picked up from same place. Anims were also picked by from the same place.

Our senior citizens come there to meet their old friends apart from chanting mantras. One good example I saw is a man from East and Central Bhutan served in Army long time back. They met there after 23 years of their departure. They said that they always come to chorten to meet face to face and talk what not things about the past. They have been good friends in Dewathang before more than two decades ago.

In the evening I went back again to circumambulate the chorten. That time many people gathered there for the same reason. But some young boys and girls eagerly wait for their partners to come. They fix the meeting point at chorten and diverts to other places. The numbers of young boys and girls were sitting nearby chorten holding their cellular phones; replying wechat messages, receive calls, and make calls. In some incidences, boys and girls quarrel there as they fail to make on time to be at chorten.

The civil servants, corporate and private employees, job seekers and others meet there after long time. The house wives and unmarried circumambulates the chorten and go back in evening. This is how our National Memorial Chorten has significances and how it has become meeting point.

Smilling Cabbies have pathetic problems at home

This is Lungten Zampa (the Prophesied Bridge) where Lam Phajo Drugom Zhipo and Khando Sonam Pelki met. Today this bridge is most significant in the heart of capital city. Thousands of commuters use this bridge every day to travel across the country as the “Bus Terminal” that plies to every nook and corner of the country stands. The “Taxi Stand” is also located next to bus terminal where hundreds and thousands of people who take long journey congregate there and finally plies to any of the places.  

One interesting thing that we could notice there is the cabbies looking eagerly, walking here and there, shouting at people moving on bridge stating ‘Paro, Punakha, Wangdue, and other places’. Though it is interesting to me but sometimes it seems funny to hear such from old, middle and young aged Cabbies. 

As and when I reach the spot, one of the Cabbies hold my bag and asked me, “Where are you going, Paro?” It was eccentric for me but for them it’s their earning to make living. I answered, “Yes, I am going to Paro”. He took my bag and then loaded in his ‘Santro Cab’. There two men were waiting for other passengers. I was asked to sit there and wait for just five minutes politely. 

I agreed with his words and waited for last passenger to come, but it has been more than 10 minutes. Though, I don’t mind waiting even more, yet other passengers were just cursing cabbie for letting them wait for quite long. It was hot sunny. It had been more than 20 minutes waiting in hot sun. But my two friends were waiting for more than half an hour. No matter what, I just wait in the cab. 

Finally, Cabbie walks with great smiles where I was waiting. He carries a big bag. Following him a man was walking tirelessly. However, cabbie managed car full of passenger. We travelled to Paro gossiping about how hard cabbies to get passenger. He apologize us for keep waiting in hot sun. 

Back home, Cabbie says his family thinks that driving cab is easiest job, but isn’t. “I have been driving Cab for last 19 years after I resigned from civil service. I drive cab intending to make living and supporting my school going children,” shared Cabbie adding that he was working hard every day and almost half of the night. I then asked him how many children he has. His answer was quite uneasy. “I have 4 children, out of which 3 were daughter and a son. I have to support them with all sorts of facilities and fashionable clothes, forget about food and shelter. They never think of how hard I am to earn,” he said. 

His told us that his eldest daughter is studying in India on private funding; second eldest is son who is pursuing higher studies in private school in Paro. His two younger daughters are in classes 10 and 8 respectively. His wife earns nothing as she is chronic patient. 

However, on reaching Paro, he happily collects Nu. 200 from each of us which are rate every cabbies charge. He is cool and frank or straightforward. Nothing is easy to lead happy life. There are hundreds and thousands of Cabbies in the country who all work to earn something and make their living back at home. 

We could see how happy Cabbies are, but they have problems at home and even personal problems. However, they lead life not exactly extraordinary, but normal or ordinary.

A mix of tradition with modernity

Our culture is profoundly unique and beautiful. This is purely based on the tradition that inherited from our forefathers. The same tradition should be inbred to our young generations in the same manner. The houses are the most appreciated indicating the paramount importance of tradition while constructing houses.

The September 4, Kuensel issue had an exciting headline for one of the articles that was titled, ‘Towards purely Bhutanese buildings’. It states that MoWHS is drafting guideline. This is good to hear, as until now people did not follow the guideline that was drafted a decade ago. Will people follow the new guideline? I am not sure.

Thimphu is the capital city. Thousands of people from all parts of the country reside here. Next to Thimphu is Paro where we have International Airport.

Thousands of tourists visit the country every year. Now the fact is, the houses built in these two towns are fully modern and traditional aspect is almost missing. Nearly, 70 percent of the houses are modern and only 15 percent is traditional and 15 percent a mix of tradition and modern architecture. This is how our tradition losing its value.

For instance, in Thimphu houses exhibiting modern architectural designs are covered with glass, no traditional designs are incorporated but isn’t any action taken against it. There is a need for guidelines to be implemented strictly than keeping lenient. This would help preserve our tradition and pass on to our young ones.

Some houses along the Norzin Lam and Changlam are fully traditional in their appearance. With modernization, it is good to be equipped with modern facilities, which are acceptable in the society. These houses are preserved for a good cause. People who own these houses earns lesser than modern building owners.

In concrete buildings, the architectural design can be traditional like RMA office building as shown in article. If government agencies and other organizations or Private homes were built incorporating traditional methods, they look good and help preserve our traditional architecture. However, I am sure that the new guideline would work well and people would implement it wisely.

Go to Trashi Yangtse, 90 percent of the houses are in traditional structures. The houses look like altar (Choesham). This is why Trashi Yangtse town is said to be one of the beautiful towns in the country. However, in future there are chances of altering it with modernity.

Therefore, ‘Traditional Bhutanese architecture guideline’ is need for good cause.

Happy Birthday to H.E. Namkhai Nyingpo Rinpoche

Long live His Holiness

Birth Anniversary of Kyabjee Namkhai Nyingpo Rinpoche

འཇམ་དབྱངས་ཡེ་ཤེས་ཉིནབྱེད་ཐུགས་ལ་ཤར། །ཐོས་བསམ་སྒོམ་པའི་དཀྱིལ་འཁོར་ཡོངས་སུ་རྫོགས། །

མཁས་བཙུན་བཟང་པོའི་བསྟན་པའི་རྒྱལ་མཚན་འཛིན། །ཞབས་བརྟན་བཞེད་དོན་ལྷུན་གྱིས་འགྲུབ་པར་ཤོག །

Happy Birthday, Rinpoche

On the auspicious occasion of the 49^th Birth Anniversary of Kyabjee Namkhai Nyingpo Rinpoche, I wish His Holiness the very Happy Birthday. We the followers bestowed with Rinpoche’s empowerment, always enjoy the happy and prosperous life. May Rinpoche live long life and bless us with your intimate and unselfish intelligence to attain nirvana. We wish Kyabje Namkhai Nyingpo Rinpoche, a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

H.E. Kyabje Namkhai Nyingpo Rinpoche