A humble tribute to the Great Fourth His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck & his Eight Auspicious Manifestations

I was all of five years when I first ‘saw’ him in the headmaster’s tiny office, sitting above a simple wooden cupboard in the middle of a few bronze trophies and handwritten manuscripts. It was an old but clear black & white portrait of a young and divine-looking man. The young, innocent and handsome face was sporting a gogo hairstyle with luscious sideburns, and wearing a unique looking hat with a bird head at the top. Very soon, I was educated on the name & position of this handsome young man in the framed photograph. This was the day I came face to face with my destiny maker, the fourth Druk Gyalpo His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who had barely escaped his teens but was already holding the reins of our country, which was strung in the cross roads of tradition & culture, socio-economic development, environmental debate and international politics.

Since that day in the KG class, my life, as with most Bhutanese, have been a series of moments and events influenced, mentored and shaped by the direct and indirect will and blessings of this great leader. The past forty odd years have been a film-roll of events of both personal and professional journey, guided by the silent but unbroken wisdom and compassion from the golden throne.

I along with other fellow Bhutanese have been directed first hand by this noble being to awaken from the deep slumber of ignorance and encouraged to accomplish our own goals and help others to achieve theirs. Each and every Bhutanese have been reminded and encouraged by His Majesty through many forums to work hard, pursue selfless achievements and contribute to nation building. He manifested himself as the right coiled white conch (Dungkar) which is used as a horn, symbolising the deep, far reaching and melodious sound of the teachings, urging all disciples to awake from the slumber of ignorance to accomplish all beings' welfare.

Over the years of his reign and leadership, our nation, though small and insignificant, joined the countries of the world in international arena and acquired its own special place and name. The name of Bhutan is now synonymous with international agenda for peace & happiness. Gross national happiness is an international mantra and approach that has been adopted by the international community to achieve sustainable development. This mantra was born & cultured in the fertile mind of the Great Fourth. Therefore he represents the Bumpa (The Treasure vase) symbolising the endless rain of long life, wealth, and prosperity & all the benefits of the world and its liberation.

A most impressive character of the Great Fourth is his passion and emphasis on wholesome education for the Bhutanese boys and girls. From a rudimentary system of informal classes, Bhutan today has developed a suite of modern education system that is comparable to those of any developed country. Today, our country boasts of an educated society, learned population with compulsory schooling for all children of school going age. Without His Majesty’s vision & action on wholesome & mandatory education, the majority of us would still be ignorant & half-witted fools suffering the drudgery of illiteracy and stupidity. This compares him to the Khorlo (Dharma chakra): Just like the great Gautama Buddha achieved enlightenment and taught the wise sages, His Majesty taught us the language of education and meaning of wisdom.

The past century has seen unprecedented economic development all over the world. Together with such progress and achievements, mankind lost track of nurturing nature. Environment was seriously harmed in the process, which led to a slow but certain death of many natural wonders and loss of biodiversity. At this rate of environmental destruction, our only refuge in the whole Universe is bound to disintegrate very soon posing serious threats to the very existence of life. As a young king, His Majesty made a pledge for Bhutan to grow socio-economically, while maintaining the environmental diversity and respect for nature. His principle of Gross National Happiness is founded on his supreme respect for nature and our environment, besides social, culture, economic and people paradigms. Just like the divine Lotus (Padma) his action symbolises the complete purification of body, speech and mind, and the blossoming of wholesome deeds in liberation.

  

In our great country, the spiritual peace and compassion has grown steadily combining the great religions of Buddhism and Hinduism towards a pinnacle of harmony for all sentient beings. Religion and spiritual pursuits gained ground, great spiritual minds were born, and words of wisdom were made accessible for all men & women, along with religious & ecclesiastical services. Just like the Palbheu (endless knot) that has no beginning or end, which represents the infinite wisdom of the Buddha, and the union of compassion and wisdom, His Majesty promoted & strengthened the religious doctrine alongside secular affairs.

It is uncommon in the modern world to find a leader who will pose as a human shield and put himself in harm’s way for the sake of his people. His Majesty showed historical courage and valour in leading an armed operation to flush out Indian militants from the states of Assam & West Bengal, from Bhutanese soil. This heroic act and extreme personal sacrifice portrays the manifestation of the Gyaltsen (Victory Banner) which symbolises the victory of the Buddha's teachings over death, ignorance, disharmony and all the negativities of this world.   

The greatest act of selflessness starts with giving what you have. No matter how much a King loves his heir, he will never give away his throne to the heir as long as he lives. This has been the practice and tradition across all periods of history. In an unprecedented deviation from tradition, His Majesty handed over his golden throne and raven crown to his heir, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk when he himself was quite young, able and at the pinnacle of his reign. This symbolises the meaning of Dhug (Parasol) that embodies notions of wealth or royalty, for one has to be rich enough to possess such an item, and further, to have someone carry it. It points to the "royal ease" and power experienced in the Buddhist life of detachment. It also symbolises the wholesome activities to keep other beings from harmful forces & obstacles and the enjoyment of the results under its cool shade.

Buddhism highlights that the cause of all our suffering is attachment and pursuits of desire. The more material accumulation you have, the thirst to add more becomes severe and sickening. The Sernya (Golden fishes) represent good fortune in general, and symbolises that living beings who practice the dharma need have no fear to drown in the ocean of suffering. Similarly, the Great Fourth in a supreme act of selflessness bequeathed the reins and powers of governance to his beloved people. The institution of Monarchy, for the first time in human history, handed over its powers to the subjects.  

In Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism the eight auspicious symbols of good fortune or the Ashtamangala or the Tashi Tagye represent the great eight virtues. These are not only great attributes, but these energetic signatures, point to qualities of enlightened mind-stream and represent the offerings made by the gods to Shakyamuni Buddha immediately after he gained enlightenment.

His Majesty the fourth Druk Gyalpo possesses the supreme qualities of the Tashi Tagye and has bestowed upon the Bhutanese people the equivalent of the sacred teachings and empowerment of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, so that the Bhutanese people enjoy unprecedented peace, prosperity and happiness for all times to come.

To this great king, sublime leader, un-paralleled hero, father of our nation, and maker of our destiny, I prostrate and offer my humble salutations and prayers for his good health, long life and happiness. Happy 60^th birthday Your Majesty. Tashi Delek!