“Dhue Nam Mejur Mee-nam Jurwa Yen!” said the Great Vajra Master called Guru Rinpoche. It literally means, it is not the time that is changing but it’s we the people who are changing constantly. Absolute truth! We, our own selves are the living examples of the changing generation of people. We were not as same as now, before the touch of westernization and modernization.
It would be way intriguing to know what and how a (typical) Bhutanese is made! I will share my raw experiences and I subject to not generalize it though, respective of the differences in our upbringings.
“Om Ah Hung Baza Guru Padma Siddhi Hung…Om…Ah Hung…” (Mantra of Guru Rinpoche) as I hear the sweet soothing hums of my grandma’s prayers, I would assume the time must be around three or four in the morning and I fall back to sleep in ecstasy of the melody of their prayers. As a child, I used to not like my grandma waking up that early in the morning and disturbing my sleep but she used to sweetly and convincingly explain that those hours of morning are the ‘purest with less or no negative energy’ and it’s the best time to do any kind of work, which starts with prayers. Wonderful!
Those days, there were no watches or any medium of time to measure besides radio that too was not affordable by all. So, we woke up by the crocking sound of roosters. The afternoon time was measured by the position of sun over the head or by the cat’s eyes (if the balls of cat’s eye have become thin like a needle pin, then it used to by lunch time for sure), it sounds funnily interesting but that’s how it used to be in the past (thirty-forty years ago). The evening time was measured by the setting of the sun of course.
“Do not sleep so late or else your ears will rot!” that’s how our parents used to wake up us in the morning, earliest by six o’clock! The first thing, wake up early as possible, before the sun rise at least and say few words of prayers. Then wash our face and offer water bowls to ‘Kenchosum’ (Gods) in shrine. The offering of water bowls and incense MUST NOT be done without first sweeping the floor and then washing our face, hands and feet.
“Do not make sounds like pig while eating”, we used to get scolded if we ate food with our mouth wide open making too much sounds. Everyone has to present and sit in circles on floor, carrying our own ‘bangchung and phop’ (plates made from bamboos and wooden cups). We will have to sit proper without stretching our legs and do very less or no talking while eating. Standing up and leaving before all finishes eating used to be treated as ill manners, inviting another round of scolding or lion’s glare from the elders.
…to be continued….
Author: Yeshye Tshokyal, content creator
