Day 4 – Tantric Buddhism

When I open the curtains this morning, I feel happy. Yesterday's fog has disappeared and the Himalayas proudly presentent themselves to us in full glory. It promises to be a beautiful day, although of course we are in the mountains and the weather remains unpredictable. There is always at least a mist, so we rarely, if ever, get to see really blue skies.

Today we start our exploration of Trashigang with a visit to the dzong which was traditionally built on a hill. A dzong is a fortified fortress built in strategic places and mainly for defense, but now has a double unrelated function: on the one hand an administrative function and on the other hand a religious one with the presence of a temple and a monastery.

The dzong of Trashigang was built in the 17th century and stands about 400 meters over the river.

What is special about this dzong is that, in contrast to the conventional way of building, it only has one courtyard. In that courtyard you have to watch out for the pigeons. The dove is a sacred animal in Buddhism, but that doesn't stop them from making the occasional unwelcome drop. And this really does not bring happiness according to the Buddhists 😀.

We are allowed to visit the temple where the monks pray up to seven times a day. We have to take off our shoes, taking pictures and filming is not allowed. The walls are beautifully painted with religious symbols such as the depiction of heaven and hell. Terms also known in Buddhism. About 300 monks live here. In Bhutan, so-called Tantric Buddhism is practiced, also called Tibetan Buddhism and actually the last stage in the long evolution of Buddhism.

It originated in India and the goal is to obtain Buddhahood in order to lead other believers to enlightenment, the so-called nirvana. Rituals and initiations full of occult and mystical elements play an important role.

It is sometimes called Tibetan Buddhism, but in Bhutan the Dalai Lama is not recognized as their spiritual leader. He is recognized as the reincarnation of the fourteenth buddha and thus a very important religious person.

Buddhism is the official state religion and is practiced by 80% of the population. There are also other relgions practiced :  Christianity (accounting for 15%) and Hinduism and Islam (accounting for the remaining 5%). Although Buddhism is the state religion, the king fulfills the role of protector of all religions. There is de facto freedom of religion.

After the visit to the dzong we take a walk through the city. Although it is the provincial capital and the most populous city in all of Bhutan, we would rather call it a small village. There is one main street with a few shops. In the middle of the square is a large prayer wheel. This consists of a vertical beautiful painted metal cylinder on a handle, which is rotated in a clockwise direction. This cylinder contains scrolls with mantras on printed or written papers. The most famous mantra is the saying 'Om Mani Padme Hum'. That mantra must be recited at the start of the spinning. One has to spin the reel at least three times and at the end repeat the mantra again. All this is to increase your karma (your life that is shaped by your actions). By spinning a prayer wheel, the spell goes up in the wind, so that eventually everyone can enjoy this good karma.

20 km outside the city is the temple of Gom Kora, beautifully situated in a valley next to a river. The temple is built against a black rock where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated. Guru Rinpoche is not the first best thing but being the actual founder of tantric buddhism and he is considered the second buddha.Buddhists walk around this rock to pray for the forgiveness of their sins. The temple is beautifully decorated with colored flags fluttering in the wind for the festival of Gompu Kora, where residents from all over eastern Bhutan gather to celebrate. They worship the past and commemorate their ancestors.

 Unfortunately for us, the festivities don't start until tomorrow. Yet it is already very busy. There are tent camps, dining tents, etc. Everything for a grand party. There is a lot of praying and turning of the little prayer wheels by monks as well as by mere mortals.

In the afternoon we stop in the village of Nakthang, where there is a monastery school. Our first real encounter with monks. Unfortunately, most monks left for the village for the rites of death. Yet there are still a few young students around who are only too happy to show us around. 

In the temple of the monastery, the attraction is the image of Guru Rinpoche in his eight manifestation

We drive a few kilometers to the highest point of today : the Kori-La, the top of which is at 2,450 m and where, by the way, there is a beautiful stupa and prayer wheel. One can burn a candle  at the stupa. Not a traditional candle as we know it, but a butter lamp, made from yak butter. In fact, throughout Bhutan, wax candles were replaced by yak butter lamps.

Today we were completely immersed in the religious aspect of Bhutan and the close connection of the Bhutanese to Buddhism. Do they draw their happiness from that belief?