My Love for Maroon or White Apron dress- Purity of life

My Love for Maroon or White Apron dress- Purity of life

Remembering the times when immature mind admires the maroon dress was only a lifelong haunt that give me a chilly breath today.  This dreaming was only an innocent dream that I feel cherishing it to my death. Yet another big turn of life took me to nowhere than to confused life as of now.

Many ambitions came into my knowing after schooling despite being the cow herder for many years in the village.

Till the age, I don’t remember becoming someone else in life like a great people did , but after my class 12 graduation only I have liked the job of becoming a neurosurgeon to wear the white apron and understand the functioning of the brain. But it didn’t happen rather it was too late for my goals setting in life.

Man  in red to question the mission of life(Thinley Dorji)

I was reflecting on the conduct of my everyday living and thinking. To my age and knowledge of this life, I get only two answers to define myself.  I am Nima who is living without any goals for marriage, wealth and power but for learning quest for age.

Another definition of my life is the way I have lived. Till the age of 20th, I have wished to grow fast and be the man and take up the hardship of life but it didn’t happen. I didn’t grow well with my age. I have learnt to be adult when I was small simply I adorned the role of adults.

I would have become Dorji Lopen by this age if I was taken by the Dzongkhag lama Neten. Once I was asked to become monk but my inner conscience and the merit didn’t meet the criteria of becoming it. I would have taken all my sentient beings into my heart and head so that my livings embody the love and compassion.

 Sudden twisting and turning of life-I didn’t opt for teacher as my career rather I became accidentally, as I supposed. I have learnt to teach my students based on their learning and I am happy for meeting the different faces and minds today. I am surviving because of my students; I am discovering the hardship of teaching yet so many learning and transformation that are shaping my every day conduct and attitude of my life.

 Becoming surgeon was my dream for a while for the love of people. I didn’t want to become anyone rather than chasing the dream of wearing maroon dress. I would be operating my mind with Buddha’s wisdom sword that would give me the godly satisfaction.

My love for maroon dress didn’t die after passing of many years of course my innocent mind is getting lost with the time. I have learnt the art of survival in an adult age where people practice corruptions, nepotism and bureaucratic tyranny in the offices. However, I am not into it; I try to guide my living with compassion into action and mindfulness into integration to weigh my morale stand for my life. I don’t have to impress anyone in life not my teachers, parents and friends but to myself without involving to above practices.

The reason for the love of maroon dress was neither on reputation nor for earning a respect or to stay above man. My core reason is to understand the truth of life and suffering as Buddha did. Another reason is to understand my own mind. I really like the concept of this ‘universe is in mind’.

By wearing the maroon, I want to exercise my living on the concept like Guru Devotion, compassion, and nature of mind but I feel sorry for myself for not wearing even at this age. Now, like an old dog I will sit in corner thinking and admiring the dress, because, I didn’t have enough merit to wear it than admiring it.

Often I am questioning to myself, do I really need to wear it if I inherit the minds of Buddha. I concluded that wearing and not wearing of it doesn’t make sense to the mind if the essence is known to my ordinary mind.  But I am promising that I shall respect and revere those who are wearing it . However, I take the words of great masters that simply wearing  maroon and following the masters doesn’t make you enlighten. All the heart teaching of the master should be experienced by follower himself, rather now I should endure for it.

Finally, my love for maroon dress will help me towards the spiritual  seeking of life. 

Note; Written for literary explorations from lock and key diary.

My pleasure on election Duty and its Challenge

My Pleasure on Election Duty and its Challenge

This time, I was for second time on election duty at Tsebar Lss as assistant Presiding officer.

The beauty of being on election duty is, we experience a new, unique, odd and new outlook of every village life. Often, I hear from my friend as " Zhungi Phap" on such duties, we see old friends and get good time to eat and sleep despite the high risk involvement if the service wasn't free and fair.

 

Common view of Tsebar Village and the way of livelihood- surrounded by cultivatable lands.

Particularly, Tsebar Village has got many religious monuments to meet your spiritual thirst,to name few, Jangchub chorten near the Japanese tunnel connecting Nganglam high way road. Just above the tunnel, there is a unique structural Chorten. Above Chorten magnificent Zangdokpleri stands offering with a strategic views to the people.Adjacent to this village there stands a beautiful Khawar Gonpa, where people come together to do their annual rituals and Drubchens.

 The view of Khawar Goenpa from my station

The most rewarding of all than receiving TADA,I get to learn many new things from the village. Of-course, Tsebar village is well know for craftsmanship of Duung and Jaalaing( religious instrument), this time I found skilled blacksmith on his work with a striking hammer and hot coal burning to make me a real sense.

The blacksmith at work,  Jaaling processing.

The village has around five hundred eligible voters and our duties are meant for their easy and convenient voting throughout the poll day. So, my team has ensured safe and secure voting to choose their right leader. However, everything didn't go well to new officials as expected because they need to become familiar with people and place. Many goes back with their own untold stories home for friends and family.

On my part not merely a big challenge but a learning new experience for the year.

I was only a vegetarian among our team and eating a non.veg curry was a challenge for me as well to the cooks.(police officials team did cooking) Neither I could ask them to prepare different veg.curry nor there was kitchen utensil and veg.to meet my need. I accepted the challenge and broke the promise of not eating dry fish at least on that particular meal. My level of hunger was high, so ate it. 

Another challenge was sleeping in Mph. My officials team arranged their bed on their choices and almost all occupied in four corners with a socket to recharge mobile battery. Luckily, I tried to manage my bed with my friend Sonam. Sleeping in a big room doesn't allow me a sound sleep because,their was an echoing of every sounds, phone calls,table moment or fan's moment. I am a Person who cannot sleep well, if fatty person snores like a Gypsum drill. 

My election duty officials.Venue: Tsebar LSS

Most irritating time was when dogs barks and cry on odd hours and housefly landing on my tip of nose. 

But those were little challenges but, other man's story could be worse even some didn't get a room for good accommodations.

Most interestingly, I had a good time being with my former Dzo.lopen. He taught me Dzo.during high school days. He was a presiding officer and his rich experience has been a blessings to our team. Overnight, we talked and shared our working experiences on politics, business and long legacy of people.

I also read few chapters on book called Think and become rich by Neoplolen Bill. I tired drawing the rough map of Khawar Gonpa view from my station.

On second day, our team was visited by police officers and his team. Briefed us to be aware of posting the photos on social media that are supposed to be sensitive to result in unfair voting or brain washing the public.

Most of our election duty days were spent on sleep and basking in a sun. It was a happy holiday from the school daily activities to re -energize person like me.

Finally, I learnt survival skills depending upon the good and worse situations. Yet it was fun experiencing the beauty of the village life.

Disclaimer: It's personal story and simple experiment on my writing. No further consequences is expected to arise.

Altar:Finding a spiritual spot inside the room

Altar –Finding a spiritual spot inside the room

Choeshum is a center of spiritual object of refuge seeking or that opens your mind and heart for the cause of Enlightenment. It is a special place that embodies the living truth of blessings from the great beings and the Buddha particularly in Buddhist traditions.

Going back to my childhood memories, moment I woke up from the bed, I could hear the morning chants and pouring of water in the seven lines of bowl in another room, that one who did was my grandmother. Her,morning prayers and worship was the very highlight of the days’ activities in our family. This an act of seeking the day's blessing was inherited by me to this age. I do in a similar way. Right after getting up from the bed, I clean the room that houses my Choeshum and make some offerings of light and water.

At my home, Choeshum is a must to house the statues of Guru Rimpochey and Lord Budhha. My grandmother would seek everyday blessings infront of  the altar and pray with open heart to help the beings. She also offers whatever she gets along the daily living and working in the village.

I feel, it was such a blessings to know the idea of setting up Choeshum and its significance at home. Having not imbibed in such rich cultural and spiritual energies, I would have resorted idolizing Salman Khan or Osama Binladen. But having brought up in the strong Buddhist believes and  culture, I know who is Guru Rimpochey and Lama Zhubdrung Rimpochey or Lama Drupa Kuenley and some of their doctrines to my age.

In one sense, Choeshum is a road map for one’s enlightenment and the greatest endeavor of this life. It reminds one pointed devotions amidst the worldly concerns and activities. It is an art, and we bring to it an artist’s delight and fertility of invention upon the wishes. In Buddhist approach of taking the devotions and meditations in heart, there are so many ways of making the approach to practice as joyful as possible. A home can be a temple and rooms can be the deity’s rooms. 

It is a place where you lit a candle or a stick of incense, and transform the rooms into an intimate sacred space, into an environment where every day you come to the meeting with your true self with all the joy and appreciations. It emits the spiritual light for the members in a house and the outside viewers. It blinds you to nowness and forgets you questioning the origin and history of Choeshum.

Recently, my friend also afforded one new Choeshum costing twenty-five thousands. And after painting with rich sign and symbols of Buddhist images, it‘s total cost was around 45 thousands. To my surprise, he bought it for credits and I could make out how much he has yearned for it. Now it is his lifelong spiritual wealth and eye opener for his appreciation for the Buddhist cultures and practices.

In every house hold, rich or poor, man or woman would like owning a Choeshum to their higher respect and veneration.

Finally, it is a source of seeking blessings and venerating your devotions to the Buddhas, Boddhisatavas and the great beings. By the power of your devotions and blessings of those great  beings, you are never away from the path of enlightenment,because you have beautiful Choeshum in your heart and house.

Note:  Written for my writing pleasures.

Staring Rabbit: My Tribute to Gyalsey Jigme Namgyal Wangchuk

Staring Rabbit: My Tribute to Gyalsey Jigme Namgyal Wangchuk:   My Tribute to Gyalsey JigmeNamgyal Wangchuk “Tendril zang song tendrel zang, Gyalsey thrung wa tendril zang…” kept playing on the n...

Staring Rabbit: The way you see- an attitude

Staring Rabbit: The way you see- an attitude: The way you see- an Attitude Recently there was a sudden landing of the Bhutan Helicopter that provides an immediate medical service ...

The way you see- an attitude

The way you see- an Attitude

Recently there was a sudden landing of the Bhutan Helicopter that provides an immediate medical service on emergency delivery cases. Many villagers, health workers and student and the staff were gathered around the football ground to see unplanned landing of the helicopter.

Heavy smoke covered up the sky by burning the green cypress leave for the easy location of the ground. As the place was roared by the running engine, students inside the classroom were disturbed and all the students were found rushing to the ground to make a glance to the pilot and as monster to few .

In big excitement every one enjoyed watching the monster. It was a big gathering bringing the joy like a Tshechu while other one is suffering to dead.

In a remote place like ours seeing such a roaring machine was alarm call for the villagers to come together and see the smiles of each other. People don’t come to see the patient but came to see the machine that was noisy and letting them to be in wonder.

On other hand, patient supposed to refer was suffering intensely and time was too short for the immediate medical intervention. Pilot was quick enough to make safe landing in the short of times. He stopped the engine and made necessary comfort of the patient inside

Patient referring to General referral Hospital Thimphu on emergency case

with seat belt and bed.

Many eyes were to quickening pilot actions over limited time he had. Immediately after arranging passenger for the flight to Thimphu, he went under the tail of the helicopter and started to pee.

People broke into big laughter and some found reasons for  action. Some thought pilot was not ashamed of the gatherings. Some said he was foreigner and wanted to get the attentions!

 In  hours of suffering and  pain to  patient, she was deported from ambulance to another mode of transport, just in a minute it took off from the place.

Here many didn’t see the helicopter on the ground instead saw the busying doctor and health workers. Many remembers as of days to pass by, only the oddly peeing of the pilot under the parked helicopter. More than a laughter it brings, I have to convince my students that pilot has to make it fast for the safety of the patient rather than being embarrassed  to the gathering.

Perhaps, Antics of Atsara bring big laughter than the real dances and chaams.

Similarly, we are lost to finding our own ground as we wish to sit and stare further. To every activity learning and relearning doesn’t take root because we have failed to see through god’s eye view.

Finally I can conclude that the way you see is your own attitude.

Note: It is a Common among Bhutanese to gather for all scenes taking place in for a  time.  Of course some come with good intentions to help the needy ones but I found most just stand to give a glance and add the crowd . Whether it is of good happenings or bad people get bothered by incidents.On contrary, you don’t hear the cry and scream from neighbors and pretend that you don’t hear the quarrels and say- "Ah just leave it"

Declaration: NOT TO DEMEAN AND DEFAME ANYONE,ITS ONE MAN 'S OBSERVATION FOR PERSONAL LEARNING AND RESHAPING OF THE ATTITUDE.