I Haven’t Told Mom

There are so many things to remember: I have lists that detail what needs doing, what needs bringing, who I need to contact, and at any given moment my unconscious mind busies itself with details. Since I made the decision to move to Bhutan there’s a thought that pops into my head every two or three days with a sort of panicked urgency—I haven’t told Mom—which is quickly followed by the mist of sadness that everyone who has lost their parents knows. Mom doesn’t know I’m off to Bhutan; she will never know. But my mind sometimes imagines she is aware of my plan; that somewhere far off where the perished and lost loved ones occasionally view the lives of those they left behind, my mother is sitting in a darkened cosmic cinema watching while I attend to all that needs attending to, and she’s thinking to herself, “garsh… isn’t that something.”

One day long ago my Mom confided in me some little worries she carried in regard to each of my sisters. At the end of it I asked her: What do you worry over for me? And I was surprised by the answer: “I never worry about you. Since you were little I always knew that you would be alright.” So, sometimes, when little doubts arise and catch me unaware, I try to remember my Mom and the off-hand and casual confidence she bore into me.

Gross National Happiness

Bhutan, as you might know, is a country that strives to practice and measure Gross National Happiness, with education being one of nine identified spheres that contributes to the collective goal of achieving happiness. Eight Canadian teachers are traveling to Bhutan (through the facility of The Bhutan Canada Foundation) to work with local educators to help facilitate the transition to a newly reformed, child-centred curriculum that stresses interactive teaching pedagogies.

I imagine that children in Bhutan have many venues in which to learn meditation, but I’m keen to teach meditation to students (as I understand it from 20 years of practice) at an age-appropriate level, and help them to apply the skills of attention and focus to their studies. I'm curious to discover if children in Bhutan are less afflicted with problems associated with "attention deficits" than are some of the children in the classrooms where I did my practice teaching in Toronto. I was encouraged to uncover a reference to teaching meditation in schools as a fundamental organ for increasing gross national happiness.† I suspect the fear of stirring up a religious hornet’s nest or—more likely—a non-appreciation of meditation practice has prevented western educators from perceiving the benefits of inner practice, whereas in Bhutan meditation would seem a natural fit. I'll let you know how / when / if this experiment proceeds!

†“Role of Meditation in Achieving Gross National Happiness” by Khenpo Phuntsok Tashi, a conference paper included in the Fourth International Conference on Gross National Happiness held in Thimphu, Bhutan presented by The Centre for Bhutan Studies in November, 2008. http://www.bhutanstudies.org.bt/admin/pubFiles/19.GNH4.pdf

See also: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Gross National Happiness held in Bhutan, November 24-26, 2008 http://www.bhutanstudies.org.bt/main/gnh4.php

Say Yes to Bhutan

© The Globe And Mail, January 2, 2010: "There was a time not too long ago when Bhutan had no currency, no phones and no electricity. Until 1972, outsiders weren't allowed into the tiny Himalayan kingdom. But times have changed, and despite its isolated locale and seemingly archaic practices, Bhutan is now welcoming foreigners in its own way. Measures are in place to avoid overcrowding and to attract the “right crowd”. This is not a place for budget travellers: Visitors have to pay a minimum of $200 U.S. per day, and sightseeing excursions are limited to guided visits to stunningly positioned Buddhist temples – the Tiger's Nest Monastery hangs on a sheer rock face – and mountain hikes like the Jhomolhari Trek, which passes through remote villages. In the end, it's a small price to pay to visit the happiest country in the world, where people value Gross National Happiness over Gross National Product."