To experience the happiness quotient in action, you need to do more than sight-see and trek in Bhutan; you need to interact closely with the wonderful Bhutanese people, writes NARAYANI GANESH
What makes the Bhutanese people so kind, compassionate and caring, so peaceful and gentle? “Are you like this because you are Buddhist?” I ask the lady doctor on duty at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital in Thimphu, where I was admitted with a lung infection, shortness of breath and plummeting oxygen levels. “I don’t know,” she responds. “Isn’t this the normal way of life? How else can one be,” she counter-questions, with a puzzled smile on her lips.
The group of 23 travellers — including myself — from Delhi, landed in Paro, drove to the capital city Thimphu and checked into a boutique hotel. The scenic route offered us a glimpse of the tall, green mountains, cypress trees, blue skies, white clouds, pristine glacial rivers, and pretty traditional homes and buildings and we were so looking forward to the eight-night nine-day holiday that would take us onward to Gangtey, Punakha, Paro, several trekking trails, and the famous Tiger’s Nest Monastery…
Since I was rushed to hospital on reaching Thimphu, and my lung infection and breathlessness had to be treated with antibiotics, oxygen and saline infusions, I spent seven nights and eight days in the hospital, first in the emergency ward and later in a room. Several tests were done including ECGs, Echo, chest X-rays, ultrasound, blood tests and so on. When I asked for the bill, I found that I was charged only a nominal room rent. Nothing else.
The revelatory experience put me in close touch with the wonderful people of Bhutan and allowed me to experience their kindness and care. The local travel agent would deliver food to me daily, after asking what I would like to eat that day. The hotel gave me a heavy discount since I was unwell and could not enjoy my hotel room. The CEO herself came visiting to the hospital bearing fruits, juices and biscuits. Nurses, attendants, doctors, all were friendly, efficient and strict, empathetic and kind. In this positive atmosphere, it was impossible not to feel happy and cared for, even looking forward to the medical staff’s frequent rounds and the routine of checking my vitals. This was experiential tourism, without a doubt!
The unexpected experience made me understand and experience the essence of Bhutan’s philosophy and their Gross National Happiness economic policy. GNH was mooted by the current king’s father, the fourth King of Bhutan, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, in 1972 when he declared, “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product.” He said sustainable development is the holistic approach to progress, so, equal importance should be given to non-monetary aspects of well-being — including living in sync with the natural environment, avoiding exploitation and respecting natural resources. When it was suggested to the king that Bhutan could go for extensive mining of minerals for export and become rich, the king is said to have asked, “And then what?” He opted instead for hydro-electric projects with some collaboration with India, that turned out to be a wise decision.
The website grossnationalhappiness.com says, “In creating the Gross National Happiness Index, Bhutan sought to create a measurement tool that would be useful for policymaking and create policy incentives for the government, NGOs and businesses of Bhutan to increase GNH. The GNH Index includes both traditional areas of socio-economic concern such as living standards, health and education and less traditional aspects of culture and psychological well-being. It is a holistic reflection of the general well-being of the Bhutanese population rather than a subjective psychological ranking of ‘happiness’ alone."
Another interesting aspect is that unlike in most cultures, the Bhutanese do not fear death; in fact, they see death as a chance to “reboot” to a new and perhaps better life as they believe in rebirth and karma. Hence, the Bhutanese style of life is infused with a spirit of acceptance and forgiveness, with compassion as the common thread that binds peoples together. ■
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