Thursday, May 28, 2020

A conscious attempt to honor our oneness for Covid-19!


Spirituality and thinking about self-reflection come once in a blue moon to me. I am being honest in my time for spirituality and I appreciate the ones who do it religiously and hence the maxim-do it religiously.  Now that some professional work is at ease for now, we sneaked some time as suggested by Ata Apple to the Tango University of Buddhist Studies, Dordena for a special three-day ཚེ་དབང་། 

There, we had the opportunity to be in the audience of both the Je Khenpo and the Gyalsay Trulku. A blessing perhaps for some spiritual cleansing in these times., the Covid-19 times. I am sure people will make visits and remember folks today is Day One. Also, in attendance was one of the Four Lopens, pardon me I forgot which of the four.
Be mindful of the Druk Trace App and to maintain some physical distance as well because, the men in blue keep a close watch on the line, sanitizers and the gun- like digital Thermometer. The three-day long Tshe-Wang is presided over by…you knew it… (in the first sentence, 2nd paragraph!)


After the audience and after some prostrations, we went round the whole sanctum-sanctorum only to be met by this smiling girl. Tshering Pelden and she is one of the youngest bloggers in Bhutan. She blogs at www.peldenwrites.wordpress.comSo, just a reminder to those who seek spiritual solace to make a visit to the Dordena University and I am sure you will. Until then, stay-safe and wash your hands. I now see the hand washing trend diminishing than when it appeared first. Well, do make a visit as we consciously  attempt to honor the oneness of being uniquely Bhutanese to fight off the dreadful Covid-19 pandemic. 

Once again stay-safe folks.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Weekend Worthy of a Hike


Hello Everyone! I didn’t stop blogging or writing for that matter but took a year long vacation from writing. Just this weekend I paid a visit to a site where Guru Rimpoche is said to have meditated for some time. It is called Dom Tshang as in Taktshang. I hope the name’s correct.

I was there at the invitation of my friend Yeshi and family. I have been a Thimphu resident for 5 years now and I have never been to Bjemina except on one occasion to the hospital. I read about the stone quarry and brick factory mostly in the papers and that was it.

The way up!
Entrance to the Ney
Well, what am I doing here? I volunteered for the video lessons for e-learning and now that’s being done already, I and a couple of teachers are working for SIM-Self Instructional Materials. These are for the children who do not have access to BBS TV or the internet in these dreadful times. I mean these Covid-19 times. Amphan did severe damages in the Indian sub-continent as per the news and here, incessant rains made people stay indoors. We are about to wrap-up the SIM and works related to it are becoming lighter by the day-becoming lighter is an understatement though.

Yeshi and Family
Yeshi and his family had some pork curry made and after devouring a plateful of the sumptuous lunch we headed for the Ney. Here are some picture of the weekend made worthy of the hike.

Prayed for those 24 affected in the isolation room and also for those affected by Amphan. While climbing down, calls after calls from one like minded colleague made me reach my station in about 25 minutes. Waiting for me there was a bottle of Scotch and some beers. What an ending to a days fatigue?