thedawaring's blog

It's been over nine months that I did not write a blog piece. Logging into to blogger and writing these lines gives me a feeling of deja' vu. It feels like taking rebirth in the blogger's world. When we try to write after a gap of months, you notice that words don't flow easily from the creative parts of your heart. It is a sort of victory day today for me. Victory over procrastinating that I will write tomorrow.  In early spring of 2017, I was sitting outside a holiday resort in Paro, with my laptop open, my eyes scanning the picturesque Paro valley and surrounding mountains. It was the perfect place to write a poetic piece. The morning was afresh with thin mist of clouds hanging loosely in the opposite mountains, fresh pale green apple leaves growing on weather beaten, dry apple trees. First rays of the morning sun was kissing the otherwise dry paddy fields of Paro. Two huge old dogs from a nearby animal rescue shelter sat lazily near my table. Fresh va...

Supreme Blessing & Best Gift A life without a touch of illness would contradict the basic law of nature.  However, a life with minimal illness is what we all desire. To this effect, I believe a life without illness is the purest and supreme form of blessing. It is also, I think, the best gift a human being can ever get in his/her life. But do we really value our normal days:  when we don’t even have a mild headache, when our body feels ‘normal’, without any feeling of sickness? A normal day without sickness is a miracle in its full display: a silent miracle, a precious miracle which all of us fail to notice. Imagine you wake up one cold morning in December, when the brownish mountains are covered with snow, when the air is freezing cold; you pull the window curtains apart and make a move to get up and brew a steamy cup of coffee for yourself. You suddenly realize you no longer can move your legs. How will you feel? What will be your first reactions before you ...

I just completed Dr.Karma Phuntsho’s History of Bhutan last Sunday.  It is an auspicious moment by my reckoning, for we are left with just five days before we celebrate the 109 th National day of Bhutan. Reading the book provided me a broader perspective of our nation building. It gave me a deeper understanding of our origins, the hard works and sacrifices of our forefathers, the countless internal conflicts, the numerous negotiations and mediation by Je Khenpos between rival factions and so on. Nation building is a tiring process, especially if you view it from a scholarly point of view, by reading a well researched book on our history. It has taken centuries before we arrived at a point where our journey started with perpetual peace and happiness. Thanks to our wise elders, they made Sir Ugyen Wangchuck the first hereditary monarch of Bhutan on 17 th December 1907 in Punakha. This historic day would set the wheel of peace and harmony running in the Southern Land o...

17 May 2016.   9.11am  I t is a gloomy morning in late Spring in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. As I walked to my office, it was raining gently. I had to avoid vehicles from splashing muddy water on my gho by walking very carefully. Life is back in full force. Beautiful flowers are turning into tiny, delicate fruits. The brownish hue of hills and mountains surrounding Thimphu valley is getting back to its glorious green. Lots of tourists from India and China can be seen taking pictures around the memorial Chorten. As this month is a holy one for followers of Tibetan Buddhism, a lenthy Monlam is being organized at the memorial Chorten. The stupa built in late 90's is clad in colorful ceremonial scarfs. Surrounding it, elaborate offerings of flowers, scented water, sweet cakes and aromatic herbs are made. Melody of Buddhist musical instruments enhance the beauty of on a gloomy morning.  Many people have come here, on their way to office, like me, to make a pray...

Rice Farmer and Happiness Beautiful songs in praise of Lord Krishna playing from the old speaker hanging high near the village temple pervade every corner of this little beautiful town. The evening air is filled with aroma of incense sticks being offered nearby in the village temple. People are returning from their paddy fields. A group of children are playing happily in under the coconut trees. The sun is setting. It appears as if it is sinking in the vast plains. The sky towards west is a mesmerizing mix of orange and yellow color. A bright yellowish reflection of the last rays of the sun decorates the nearby river. As the soulful religious song changes to a more slow and heart-stirring one, the sky becomes darker. One by one, the brightest stars begin to appear. Happy families are cooking delicious meal. The gentle evening wind brings with it mouthwatering smell of vegetables being cooked in little huts made of bamboo. Sound of conch shell, chirping of evening insects,...

#Retrospectiva2015 is a twitter hash tag that is currently trending on the popular micro-blogging site. People all round the world are looking back at the year that is just coming to an end. In places like Goa, electronic dance music festivals are being organized to ring in the New Year. It is time to reflect on the failures and achievements, fun and sadness that took place in the year 2015. This pampering afternoon-sunlight pouring in through the dusty window panes and the melodious chime of a Buddhist prayer being played in the room next door and a faint aroma of Bio-Bhutan Lemon grass air spray accompanied by the noise of trucks and cars speeding on the highway below … this is how the last day of 2015 is gradually dragging to an end in Thimphu, Bhutan. Globally, 2015 was a nothing short of a roller coaster ride. From terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine to devastating earthquake in Nepal, from ISIS terror attack in the French Capital to migrant crisis i...

Shambala is a mythical Buddhist heaven known for peace and joy and long life. Seemingly useless and small thoughts and actions that we are carrying out now is for ever recorded in our memories. We do not realize the beauty and value of things as it happens. But when we look back few years afterwards, the same memories bring tears of joy and sorrow to our heart. So what is the secret behind this phenomenon? Why things like this happen to humans? Well, i don't have an answer either.  For instance, we do not bother to live each and every moment as it comes and happens. Sitting by the sea and watching a Fisherman take a nap in his small fishing boat, the boat gently made to dance by the gentle waves... it never was a sweet thing back then as it happened a few summers ago in the beautiful place of Goa, But now, as the day ends, as the sun begins to set and as a melancholic cry of birds squeeze by my office window, those old memories are far more sweeter than the presen...