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Who is Zhabdrung, the Father of Bhutan?

By Tshering Yangdon. A large statue of a smiling bearded Lama with a red hat dominates the hall of every monastery in Bhutan. Who is the father of Bhutan? Zhabdrung Rinpoche was a brilliant Tibetan Lama of royal birth, named Ngawang Namgyal. Destined by dynastic lineage to be the spiritual-political head of state in Ralung, Tibet during the 17th century, he was forced out of Tibet due to power struggles and disputes over rightful succession to the throne. Invited to Bhutan, he eventually became a powerful force for spiritual and administrative unification, establishing peace and harmony in the face of…

We Visit the Buddha’s Birthplace in Lumbini, Nepal

We took a trip to Lumbini. It’s an eight-hour drive from Kathmandu. Yep, we left at 4am with the Lama, his daughter Baby, myself, and Lama’s trusted driver Manbadhur. I didn’t know what to expect. It was an amazingly beautiful and surprising trip. Yep, it was 8-hours to Lumbini and 8-hours back. Fortunately Manbadur’s car is comfortable, and he’s an excellent driver. The drive through the Nepal countryside was dusty and dirty. Finally we reached the gate to Lumbini, also dusty and dirty. But once we entered the arches into the site of the Buddha’s birthplace at Lumbini, it was…

The Five Kings of Bhutan, and a Sixth in the Making

By Tshering Yangdon. Bhutan is a kingdom that follows a constitutional monarchy form of government. It is one of the happiest countries in the world where people live in harmony, led by the faithful and kind-hearted kings. Words cannot express the Bhutanese people’s love and respect for their kings. Bhutan’s king is known as Druk Gyalpo, meaning “King of the Dragon Kingdom”. First King, Ugyen Wangchuck The first king of Bhutan was born on June 11, 1862. He spent his boyhood mostly in eastern Bhutan. He ascended to the throne on December 17, 1907. This was the beginning of Bhutan’s hereditary monarchy.…

The Divine Madman of Bhutan, Drukpa Kunley

Who is Drukpa Kunley? It’s time for you to meet Drukpa Kunley, the Divine Madman, one of the most celebrated characters in Bhutan (1455–1529). He came from the Tibetan tradition of “crazy wisdom”. This is a rare and legitimate Buddhist path which embraces actions that may seem bizarre or “crazy”, but are in fact part of the practitioner’s descipline toward his or her own liberation, as well as that of others. Drukpa Kunley was born into that noble clan of the Ralung Monastery in western Tibet. Believing that the strict conventions kept people away from learning the true teachings of…

Meet the Blue Poppy, National Flower of Bhutan

No, it’s not an opium-producing poppy, but it is a mythical one. The mesmerizing and hypnotically bright blue poppy, Meconopsis gakyidiana, was once believed to be a legend, as it’s notoriously difficult to spot in the highest mountains. Many kinds of poppies grow in the world, but the bright BLUE Poppy grows only in Bhutan. Yep, the national flower of Bhutan grows in the highest altitude, above tree level. To find the Blue poppy, you’ll have to trek up in the mountains over tree level to 3,500 meters or 11,000 feet above sea level! Then if you’re lucky, you can…

Writing Books and Family Summer School in Paro

Getting settled in the house in Paro, our first week in the mountains was wonderfully quiet. Now Lama D has returned to Kathmandu on business. And the children have arrived! I meet his ex-wife and get to know my new family. His children Baby and Kunga have decided to spend their summer break here, so we’re planning our summer school. Lama D’s three children are cooking lunch for us. The family can’t bear for me to be alone. His children announced they are coming to live with me to “take care” of me during their summer break. I find this…

Breathing Clean Air in Paro, Bhutan

It was exciting to land in Paro on Sunday. The Paro airport happens to be one of the most hazardous airports in the world for landing. I’m told only 17 pilots in the world are authorized to land the Druk Airlines flights here. The descent is so steep the runway so short, and steep mountains surround the runway. You can see how beautiful the land is here. Bhutan is 70% forest. This is the Rinpung Dzong, the largest monastery in Paro, built in the 1400’s. Then in 1644 the father of Bhutan, Zhabdrung Rinpoche, dismantled it and build a new…

Good-bye Kathmandu, Hello Bhutan

Yep. My bags are packed to fly Sunday from Kathmandu to Paro. I’ve been living out of a suitcase now for almost a year. But it’s over! In Paro we have a house and a garden. It’s going to be rustic, real, and wonderful. Until the winter comes, that is. Then I’ll have to find another solution, as Bhutan homes have no heat. I’ll miss the Boudha and walking around it every day. And I can’t wait to get away from Kathmandu’s constant air and noise pollution. Paro, Bhutan is a pristine paradise in comparison. Our house is in the settlement…

The Wasp Sting

It’s been a quiet week in Paro. I’m writing books and guiding Lama D’s children with school projects. The exciting news is that I got stung by a wasp while taking out the garbage. On the ear. Yep. It was an amazing experience. These babies are tiny, generally peaceful, and powerful! At first the pain was overwhelming. After about two minutes it became an almost pleasurable warmth spreading across the right side of my cranium and face. The following six days my facial nerves have been tingling red and hot. The strangest thing is that a 5-year numbness in my…

I’m still in Kathmandu, How to Count to Ten

A change in Lama D’s schedule requires that we stay in Kathmandu for a few more weeks. I’m looking forward to moving back to Bhutan soon! In the meantime, I’m making the best of things, writing my books, walking every day, and learning to count! It turns out learning to count in Nepal and Bhutan is not that simple. The two countries use the same numbering system as ours, but the characters are written differently. The system we use in the West are called the Arabic or Hindu-Arabic numerals. This system is attributed to Indian mathematicians between the 1st and…