The Foreign Service Journal, October 2003

with the balance being appointed by the king from among his ministers and representatives of the monastic com- munity. Essentially, its mission has been to advise the monarch on issues of national concern. The king has worked prudently but steadily toward democratization. In 1981 he decentralized development planning to the district level and 10 years later to the village level. In 1998 he disbanded an entrenched Cabinet, introduced elected terms for his new Ministers, and transferred executive power to them. He gave the National Assembly the authority to remove the monarch with a two-thirds vote. Last year, the secret ballot franchise was extended to all Bhutanese citizens and, in October, over 200 village headmen representing hamlets across the coun- try were elected by secret ballot. For the first time, a public interest suit was filed before the High Court. By the end of 2002, a constitution had been drafted for consideration in the National Assembly and by grass- roots bodies. The Buddhist Tradition Buddhism underlies every aspect of Bhutanese culture. Law, medicine, communications, education, history, and art are some of the fields perme- ated with its teachings. While these disciplines are changing rapidly, the monastic community clings more tenaciously to tradition. At 5 a.m. wood smoke begins to rise from cooking fires in Thimphu’s houses. A morning constitutional to the chorten (Buddhist shrine), com- missioned by the mother of the third king in memory of her son, is a popu- lar way to start the day. Older people especially are here, circumambulating the gilt-domed structure, spinning prayer wheels, prostrating themselves. Worshippers fairly power-walk their way around it, as though speed were a factor in their devotions. Even at this early hour, Thimphu residents are out jogging, and military cadets practice their kickboxing. Bird sounds — spar- row tweets, pigeon coos, and raven caws — greet the day. Spent from a hard night’s howling, the town’s stray dogs arrange themselves for the day’s sleep. Civic leaders’ efforts to control Thimphu’s exploding dog population have, so far, been defeated by resis- tance from the monastic community that opposes taking any life. Karma and his 2-year-old son Mila accompanied me on a hike to a local monastery. We drove north from Thimphu along the river valley, past a rock face painted with a 50-foot image of 8th-century saint Guru Rinpoche, until the road halted at the mountain to which Tango Monastery clings by sheer faith. Karma said the monks here recently discovered a young boy in eastern Bhutan who was the rein- carnation of this monastery’s founder. He’d just arrived, which might have accounted for the dozen or so people we encountered on our two-hour zigzag up this alarming incline. It was arduous work but, as Karma reminded me, a pilgrimage must be difficult to be meaningful. At last we reached the base of the monastery and paused to circle the chorten and take in the view before unpacking our picnic lunch. Its pota- to chips, egg salad sandwiches, and apple juice seemed the most delicious food I’d ever eaten. We offered — with hands extended, heads lowered — potato chips to passing monks. They accepted them with dignified bows. Entering the monastery, Karma and Mila presented incense and prayed. A monk poured holy water into our hands. We drank it, then touched our heads with our wet hands. Purified, we were ready for our journey down. Challenges Ahead Bhutan has a difficult pilgrimage ahead of it as well. Her leaders observed what unregulated develop- ment under autocratic governments achieved in neighboring Nepal and Bangladesh. They saw Ladakh and Sikkim absorbed into India, Tibet merged with China. India and China are the elephant and dragon at the gates. So far, a happy conjunction of severe geography and fierce spirit has maintained Bhutanese independence, but that may change as infrastructure and communication improve and ten- sions between the two Asian giants wax and wane. Nepali immigrants present anoth- er, perhaps more pressing challenge. Since the early 1900s, they have 62 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 3 An architectural detail of the Tango Monastery outside Thimphu. Commemorative stamp marking the 25th anniversary of the king’s enthronement.