Modern Bhutan Strikes Sweet Harmony

Mark Jenkins reported in his article “Hidden Kingdom” for The Atlantic Monthly on his experience during a brief trip to Bhutan in 2007. Jenkins was confounded by the seemingly harmonious  coexistence of traditional Bhutanese culture and the rising Western influence.

He began his trip with a visit to the Chimi Lhakhang monastery in the Punakha Chhu valley in western Bhutan. The valley village was harvesting rice fields with scyths, dressed in the male traditional robe, a gho, and the women’s ankle-length kiru. Upon entering the monastery itself, the monk gave Jenkins a blessing while tapping him on the head with the phallus, which “is a cautionary symbol of the dangers of the male go” and a “talisman against evil spirits.”

However, valleys such as these are becoming less common since Bhutan opened its doors to TV and the Internet in 1999. In fact, change truly began in 1959, when King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck created an army, legal system, and a modern postal service in order to protect his vulnerable nation against China. His son, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, was crowned in 1972 and introduced tourism, hydroelectric plants, and the concept of Gross National Happiness. He later established the Royal Bhutan Polytechnic and joined the World Bank and the International Monetary-Fund. These developments have spawned significant improvements in the Bhutanese quality of life. Compared to the 1950 life expectancy of 36 years, the 2000 census reported a life expectancy of 66. Furthermore, Bhutan reported in 2005 that it had 29 district hospitals and 176 basic-healthcare clinics and that 96% of its population was either “happy” or “very happy.”

Bhutan is especially concerned with using modern approaches to conserving its environment. Before the arrival of invader Guru Rinpoche in 746 who introduced Tibetan Buddhism to the nation, the Bhutanese “practiced a nature-worshipping form of animism called Bon.” The combination of the novel Buddhist traditions and ancient Bon customs resulted in an environmental form of Buddhism that still dominates the culture today. Jenkins reports, “Environmentalists regard Wangchuck as the most progressive leader in the world. His government has banned mountaineering and clear-cut logging, and it strictly regulates mining and even flower picking…Unlike almost even-other place on the planet, Bhutan has increased its forest cover in the past 10 years to about 70% of its landmass.”

Clearly, Bhutan has achieved great success in integrating the influx of Western influences into its culture without sullying its traditions. This success is apparent in the apartment of Jenkin’s guide: “In one bedroom was an elaborate Buddhist shrine. The living room contained a boom box and a large television; Sonam and his family spend Sundays watching HBO.”