Second Day
We began with meditation.
We sat together in a small monastery in the hills above Thimphu. For three minutes, we listened to our breathing; for three, we sat with our thoughts; for another three, we meditated with music.
We tried to calm our minds, turning them into clear, still water.
We practised shamatha, or “calm abiding”.
Buddhist philosophy is profound.
We were asked to remember three things:
1. Set an intention at the beginning, and let it always be a good one. 2. Focus. 3. Wish for everyone’s wellbeing.
We heard about the mental poisons encountered on the path to enlightenment: attachment or desire, jealousy, pride, anger and ignorance.
Colours have meaning again: blue, red, white, yellow and green.
An image of the Buddha’s journey with an elephant illustrates the process beautifully.
In the first picture, a black elephant leads a person holding its tail. As the path continues, the elephant gradually turns white, and the person moves from following it to walking in front.
The elephant represents our thoughts, our mind.
The journey is complete when we begin to guide it, instead of being guided by it.
Different kinds of meditation and yoga
We heard about many techniques.
Naropa’s Six Yogas — Naro Chödruk — are tantric practices.
Tummo — Inner Heat Yoga
Visualisation, breathing and bodily techniques are believed to create physical and psychic inner warmth. It is an advanced practice associated with the Himalayas’ harsh winters.
Gyulu — Illusory Body Yoga
One tries to perceive oneself and the world as a dreamlike illusion, freeing oneself from fear, attachment and a rigid sense of ego.
Milam — Dream Yoga
The aim is to maintain awareness even during sleep: to know that one is dreaming and be able to guide the dream.
Ösel / Osal — Clear Light Yoga
A practice aimed at recognising the mind’s natural “clear light” during deep, dreamless sleep or at death. It seeks to distinguish mind from thoughts and prepare a person for dying.
Bardo Yoga
Mental preparation for the intermediate state between death and rebirth.
Phowa — Transference of Consciousness
A practice directing consciousness towards a favourable rebirth or pure realm at death: in a sense, practising conscious dying.
Mahamudra — The Great Seal
Mahamudra is among the most advanced meditation systems, particularly within Tibetan Buddhism’s Kagyu tradition.
“Seal” refers to the idea that all phenomena bear the nature of emptiness and awareness.
It does not teach suppression of thoughts. Instead, it teaches us to see their nature.
Thoughts resemble waves in the ocean. Rather than fighting the waves, one tries to understand that they are simply water.
The stages:
1. Ngöndro — preparation: purifying karma and developing good intentions. 2. Shamatha: calming the mind. 3. Vipashyana: examining the mind’s nature through questions such as “Who is thinking?” and “Where is the mind?” 4. Mahamudra: sustaining this awareness throughout everyday life, beyond meditation.
The whole account seems to come down to this:
You do not try to eliminate thoughts. You prevent them from controlling you.
The history of Buddhism in Bhutan
Buddhism mainly reached Bhutan in the eighth century through Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, a central figure in the spread of tantric Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet.
Tibetan Buddhism later developed into different schools.
Nyingma is among the oldest and is generally known as the Red Hat tradition.
Within Kagyu, the Karmapa lineage and Black Hat tradition are important. The search for consciously reborn teachers, or tulkus, became institutionalised particularly early in the Karmapa lineage.
The Dalai Lama’s Gelug tradition is known as Yellow Hat.
Some enlightened masters are believed to leave clues about the region or family of their next birth.
After China took control of Tibet, these traditions also became politically complicated. Religious panels assess children believed to be reincarnations.
We then walk about six kilometres over two hours.
We are among forests and prayer flags.
It was a good idea to bring our walking poles.
The scenery is lovely, the weather wonderful and the air wonderfully clean. Little stupas, chortens and fluttering prayer flags surround us.
Thimphu looks like a fairytale town below.
We learn that red roofs are used on government buildings. A tiny capital squeezed into a valley.
After lunch, we visit the art school.
The state provides free education and basic healthcare in Bhutan.
It is still hard to believe there was no television or internet until 1999.
A closed society.
Perhaps part of the secret of their happiness lies there.
The Third King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, was one of modern Bhutan’s key reformers, accelerating the development of education, healthcare and state institutions.
He died in 1972, aged only 43.
Thimphu’s National Memorial Chorten was built in his memory.
As everywhere, photographs of the king and royal family are here too.
The Fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, succeeded his father in 1972 at just 16.
Bhutan lies between China and India, but sees India rather like a big brother.
The transition towards democracy began during his reign.
In 2006, he voluntarily abdicated in favour of his son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
The constitution was adopted in 2008, making Bhutan a democratic constitutional monarchy.
After a little shopping, we head to our hotel, Pemako Thimphu.
We even dress in local clothes and dance.