The Dried Rose

The morning awfully calm and quiet,

Mind filled with boredom and anxiety-

Sunk in intense worries and tensions,

Drowned my weak memory in depth

I took a solitary walk that morning.

On the way to an idly walk I took,

Encountered a dried rose lying on the ground

To be trodden underfoot, nobody cared of it.

I picked up gently and gazed at it

It was ruled by harmony once in its life,

Admired, cared, and kissed by all-

But now it has lost in time and space.

                                               Nothing would be remained forever

Everything has its own day to be ruined.

The Fair Weather Son

Karma is from a very humble family where he had finished his schooling with great sufferings. His only mother had worked hard to send him to school. Every single coin mother earned had been spent on Karma’s education thinking that she doesn't want her son to suffer like her. As same fate as she suffered.  Mother worked in the field under any sort of weather. She worked in heavy downpours, under scorching sun and she never gave up working in strong wind because she thought she want to suffer for his only son.

Though she wore cloths, she always sent the best cloths for her son. She thought her son’s happiness was more important than her own and she never failed her responsibility to shower happiness on him, too. She loved her son very much. She liked to go and meet her son at the school but she thought that her son’s friends might look down her son as a son of poor widow and never went to meet.

After many years of suffering, Karma got a decent job. It was a great relief for mother. She dreamed of a comfortable life, she imagined a life away from her field to devote herself to the god because she had committed lots of sin for the well-fare of them.

However, the dream never went as far the dreamed. Karma was completely changed physically and mentally after getting a job. He even got married and he hardly sent money to his mother. He never went village to meet his mother and he didn't bother his mother who had suffered for his education. One day mother called him,

“Karma, I am your mother.”

“Yes, what made you call me?”

“I just wanted to ask……” she hesitated to complete the sentence. After sometime she got strength and resumed.

“I wanted to ask….if you could come to village to meet me and if you don’t mind please…… send me some amount.”

“Why I have to come to meet you? Don’t you know that I am working here? Who will give money if I come to meet you? I've sent the money last time and again you want?”

“I know you work there but I want to meet you since it has been few years we haven’t met. The money you have sent was two years ago and it’s almost finished. Now I cannot work in the field like before, I have to buy everything from shops to feed me.”Mother told him with her shivering soft voice.

“I’m sorry mother, you don’t know how hard the life in Thimphu. I have to buy fancy car like my friends and I have to look after my family. You old granny will never understand.” He barked back to his mother.

The words hit her heart like a razor sharp. She hung up the phone and sobbed like a child out of despair.

One day Karma sat on a couch and was reading a news paper, his phone rang and he got the news of his mother’s demise.

A Valuable Lesson

Unconditional love of  a mother

My journey to Phuntsholing by bus was worthwhile. 

When I just crossed Gedu, there were few monkeys on roadside. Amongst them, I saw two little baby monkeys crawling just behind their mothers. Bus driver halted for a while. Many fellow passengers were giving some fruits and sweets to those monkeys.

I too hastily got off from the bus and tried to take pictures of those two small monkeys, but their mothers were so protective of them didn't allow those baby monkeys to stay away from them. They felt insecure for their babies. I landed up taking the pictures of four of them finally.

I learnt many lessons after witnessing their love and affection towards their babies. As a mother, she has unconditional love who can sacrifice everything for their offspring. No mother would like to keep one’s offspring away from them. She would always want to assure safety and comfort of her baby.

If animals can be of affectionate and compassionate to one’s offspring, we are better than them in many aspects. Therefore, I request all parents to assure love, guidance and support to one’s own children. If they get needed attention and love of their parents, no kids would opt for unproductive activities. As a result, all would enjoy peace and happiness.

A Humble Prayer for our Dharma Kings

We all should be proud and grateful for being a Bhutanese under the glorious reign of the Wangchuck Dynasty with continued peace and happiness. While year 2015 ended with grand celebration and longevity prayers on 60^th Birth Anniversary of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, 2016 had a grand beginning.

With the Royal Birth of His Royal Highness the Gyalsey, 2016 began with such an auspiciousness which only few are fortunate to witness. Happiness knew no bound for all citizens of Bhutan when they heard news of the Royal Birth on 5 February 2016, a historic day which will be remembered throughout by all. We all had the rare opportunity to share our prayer for the good health and longevity of His Majesty the King, Her Majesty the Gyaltsuen and His Royal Highness the Gyalsey.

We are so fortunate to have Bodhisattva and Dharma Kings of the past, present and the future amongst us. We are so lucky to be living among glorious lineages of Wangchuck dynasty in the form of Lord Buddha, Guru Padmasambhava and Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel. I am sure that no other nations will be lucky enough to witness the three generations of Dharma Kings with unwavering love and compassion for the people of Bhutan.

We are ever grateful to our farsightedness of our Kings who led Bhutan to 21 century without compromising our unique culture, traditions and social values. We gained affections from all corners of globe for our unique development philosophy Gross National Happiness and efficient management and conservation of our rich natural heritage. We pray and wish for continuous peace, prosperity and happiness under leadership of Dharma Kings for all times to come.

Bhutanese Song-This heart of flesh and blood

Female:

This heart of flesh and blood,

Though resides inside me;

Its beats are just for you

This foolish heart's gonna break for you!

****

Male:

I am becoming totally restless,

When you aren't around

Please don’t go out of my sight

Please don’t go out of my sight.

****

Female:

In the peaceful altar of my heart-

A faithful heart of yours

Can now offer a golden cup,

I will keep filled with love-scented water

****

Male:

This highly skilled-in-seeing eyes;

Though live just on my face

Whatever they see is just you,

Your image flickers even when closed

****

Female:

Don't tell this to me darling,

You are very lovely girl,

Please let me lean on your lap

****

Male:

My mind truly loves you- Karsang

A faithful heart of yours,

Can now draw a circle of dragon,

So that milk of our love can be kept in it.

****

******

Dzongkha Version. Click on the photo to make it more legible

Let's Pledge Today!

“We eat anything with legs except the table, and anything with wings except the plane.”

It is very difficult to obtain free and well-favored human realm, yet we are fortunate enough to be born in this realm. We have opportunities to realize and make good use of full human potential for best. If we miss the chance, we shouldn't expect to find this rare chance again.

Our life is as transient as clouds and like a flash of lightning. When we finally have to leave this world, neither friends nor wealth can defend us and no one can accompany us. We must be proud that we are not born in lower realms where there are endless sufferings. Why can’t we use this rare chance to do good things which is beneficial for both self and others?

Let us celebrate auspicious first lunar month that only comes once in a year. It is during the first month Lord Buddha taught many teachings to his disciples and to all sentient beings. Buddha himself said that if we do good things, we will accumulate tremendous merits. He also said if we do bad things intentionally, we accumulate negative Karma.

The Royal Government of Bhutan banned meat during auspicious months throughout the country. It is a move by the government and our central monastic body. Although there aren't any available statistics to prove its effectiveness, more people are completely refraining from eating meat during these auspicious months.

There is also section of society who store meat during these banned months. Even if we can’t be vegetarian for entire life, why can’t we refrain at least during these holy months? I too am not a vegetarian, but I refrain from eating meat during holy months.

As there is no single being who haven’t been our parents in our previous lives, all animals should be respected. They all desire love, care, affection and respect. The only difference between human and them is they can’t express their feelings. If you love your parents unconditionally, why can’t we for those helpless animals?

Let us pledge to completely refrain meat today, for at least a month. It is Valentine’s Day, a day when we express our love and affection. Let’s also express our love to our fellow beings who have been our own parents at one of time.

Thank you

Dear MOM

Did you know that your only child out of three turns 26 today? On February 5, 1990, when you presented me to the entire world, I might have cried out of some uneasy circumstances but you were the one with great smile looking at me, wished and dreamt about me and had great expectation from me. You carried me in your womb with care for nine months. After birth you protected me from cold and heat, fed me with delicious food and made me grow up. Mom, I am very sorry for I woke you up in the middle of night. I made you to breast-feed in the middle of your works and letting you to wash those old diapers for uncountable times. I made you to upset by crying without any reasons and above all, you had little peaceful moment.

When it is time for me to thank you, you are nowhere to be seen. You left us too early. Did you know when you passed away; we were left like a chicken in a coop waiting for the mother bird to come back with mouth full of worms? When morning star strokes the western horizons, our eyes were full of tears, seeking for your return but in vain. As the time passed by, your younger son and daughter had to follow you. I, your only son out of three, had to face in this earth alone, treading the path less trodden. Mom, I know you had trust and faith on me; believed in me and loved me. You said and wished I become a Doctor and cure all the ailing patients. You also wished that I become an architect, a great teacher who teach values and knowledge to students. Sorry, Mom, I could not fulfill those dreams. Nevertheless, I stand on my own feet with your great prayers and wishes.

I might have done mischievous things in my life, hurt others with harsh words, harmed other living beings unknowingly, and fought and quarreled due to my young blood that boils within a second. Today, I want to apologise my mom and promise that I won’t repeat any more. I am now a grown up and I will do whatever I encounter with the second thoughts. 

Lastly, to the Almighty, protector of sentient beings, I am neither learned nor experienced. I might make mistakes. I sing hymns at heaven’s gate with prayers to bless my Mom. Mom you are always in my heart. You would never cease to be my beloved Mom, even without your physical presence. I shall love you forever.

The Day Already Passed

Winter Season, 25/1/16

It is cold chilly winter,

The trees shed their leaves

Weather is quite cold and freezing

But we never feel the difference.

As soon as the day breaks,

I and playmates rush

In the middle of the woods,

Slip top to bottom on fallen leaves

Whole body dirty as of Tarzan.

Return home starved,

Get scolding from the parents,

And the childhood days passed.

When the season approaches,

Reflection occurs in my head,

The weather again feels no different.

It seems to last forever.

New Year (2016) Resolution

Every human being is born with different fates to do something in life and survive. Depending on one’s own fate everybody earns a living accepting the responsibility gifted by god in their life, believing it is granted and everyone works with dedication. In my case, I accept my life and the profession I am in because working environment and my routine caters to a needy and people in pain come to my place to get cured. My work gives me joy. Everybody is concerned about their own health and whenever they have any little pain and suffering, they come to avail medical services get rid of their pain. The greatest satisfaction of my work comes when I see people smiling and going back cured and all right after they came to hospital feeling unwell.

My ambition from pre-primary to middle secondary grades was to become a doctor to help the patients who come to hospital to get rid of their ailments. I thought doctors are kindhearted with pure heart donning a clean white coat. It is true that we wear white coat in hospital to indicate that health care providers are pure from internal and external without any bias between the patients. All of us are responsible to take care of the patient equally no matter what degree of ailments they come with to at the clinic. A patient has the right to get equal treatments at any medical service they choose and in Bhutan we are lucky to get free medical services. Therefore, such free services has to be utilized meaningfully.

When I reached higher secondary school, my ambition changed because the subjects I took was Mathematics. Mathematics students would not qualify to become a doctor and I had to change my ambition to become an engineer. We have to always aim at sky then only we could reach at least certain level of our life which will give us some satisfaction. Likewise, my aim was big - to become a doctor and an engineer but my karmic deeds and luck didn’t favor me to become what I wanted to be and everything got shattered.

It was a blessing in disguise for me after joining Khesar Gyalpo Universityof Health and Sciences of Bhutan. I got training for two years as a Medical Laboratory Technician and I work in Department of pathology and medical laboratory services. The department plays an important role in medical services as a diagnostic service of the patient’s illness. A patient comes to doctor with clinical signs and symptoms, doctor sends us the patient’s samples to diagnose the accurate pathogens causing the disease. If we are wrong, doctors are wrong and we need to be extra cautious on diagnosing the accurate pathogens.

The patients are reluctant to listen to what we request them to do in sampling their sample and dropping in the laboratory. They drop the inadequate samples and always expect excellent report which is unreasonable. Laboratory services are not robotic that can change the unwanted things into a useful thing. Please make a note that if you throw your waste, what you will see in the waste bin will be rubbish and not a clean thing. Therefore, I urge the patients to submit adequate samples to get accurate and best results. Let us start afresh as the New Year 2016 begins so that we make our works easier and more core competent.

Examining the patient’s sample through microscope gives me immense joy since I could see varieties of pathogens, different sizes, shapes, colour and wonderful environment. Such things cannot be seen by our naked eyes, credit goes to the discoverer who invented it. Looking through the microscope, enjoying in other world, identifying the pathogens, coming back to the real world and writing a report is my normal routine works that always gives me satisfaction at the end of the day.

As the year 2015 ends and the New Year 2016 begins, my resolution for the year would be to be punctual, creating pleasant environment, diagnosing right pathogens and release accurate and competent results to the patients as this profession is my bread and butter.

Thank you!