Bhutanese Literature

The folk story my partner and I focused on for this project is a tale from rural Bhutan. It's from a book titled "Tales from rural Bhutan" by Kinley Wangmo, a Bhutanese author.

Prayers for wealth

There once lived a very rich couple in a certain village. They were firm believers of the Buddha’s word and practiced the teachings of the dharma * with the utmost devotion everyday. They were married for a long time and were old but unfortunately they did not have any children which made them very sad.
Just when they had lost all hope of ever having a baby, the old woman gave birth to a baby girl more beautiful than anything else in the world. The baby grew up miraculously fast, unlike any other baby they had ever seen. Her growth in a day equaled the growth of other children in an entire month. In about a month, she grew as much as other children did in a year.
In this way, the old man said to his wife, “We have grown old yet we cannot die in peace until we have married off our daughter to a good man.”
To this, the old lady replied that the green Chenresig (Avalokiteshwarya, god of compassion), had always taken care of them. Chenresig would also help them find a good husband for their daughter. Maybe the image of the Chenresig itself would speak; maybe they would see some sign in a dream.
They decided to consult the image of Chenresig about the matter on a sacred, full moon night.
But a beggar who had come to their door looking for food accidentally heard them and he sensed their urgency. An evil plan began to take form in his mind. Secretly entering their house, he made a hollow behind the image of Chenresig and hid there a day before the full moon. The following night, the old man and his wife came to the image and said: “Lord, you have always come to our aid whenever we needed your guidance. We call on you again to help us choose a good husband for our daughter. Where ever he is, please bring him to us.”
Speaking from within the statue, the beggar said: “Your daughter’s chosen husband will be the first man who comes to your doorstep tomorrow morning.” The couple was filled with joy.
Early next morning the beggar knocked at their door and the old man and his wife welcomed him warmly into their home and took the special mat out for him to sit on. Then they served him tea, wine and the best food in the house. Finally, they asked him to marry their daughter. The beggar, of course agreed.
After some days the newly wed couple decided to go and visit the beggar’s parents. The bride wore her best clothes and all her finery. Then they set off with provisions for the journey and some gifts for his parents.
But when they neared the village, the beggar made his wife hide in one of the wooden boxes they were carrying. He told her to wait in there while he went ahead to find out if his parents were home or not. Then he camouflaged the box with some sand and went into the village.
In the village he announced to his neighbours that he was going to perform special prayers that would make him a wealthy man. No one should come to the house and disturb him, he said. Even his doors and windows would have to remain closed for the duration of the ceremony. He informed the people of his village that they might also hear strange sounds and cries from within the house. But once again he repeated, no one should try to interrupt his special prayers.
Meanwhile the king and his attendants had arrived for a hunt at the spot where the beggar had hidden his wife in a wooden box. One of the king’s arrows found its way to the concealed box.
The king dispatched his attendants to bring back the royal arrow, and when they saw that it had lodged itself on a wooden box; they opened the lid and saw the beautiful girl. When the king saw her he was smitten.
He asked her to be his queen and she agreed on the condition that the king would find a tiger and put it in the same box from which she had emerged. This the king did.
The beggar came back to retrieve the box and took it to the village. Once more, he reminded his neighbours that no one should be permitted near the house while he prayed for wealth. Then he hauled the box into the house and closed all the windows and doors, thinking the girl would try to escape. Then, with a sword in one hand he opened the box, his intention being to kill the girl and inherit her parents’ fabulous wealth. But as soon as he opened the box, the tiger pounced on him and began tearing him from limb to limb. He cried out for help, but no one came to his rescue because of his own specific instructions. In fact when they heard his cries, his neighbours observed that indeed the prayers for wealth sounded like none other than they had heard before.
Suddenly, all was quiet. When the people could not contain their curiosity any longer they peeped through the door and windows. To their utter surprise they saw much blood smeared all over the place and a tiger pacing wildly in the room.
Meanwhile the girl married the king. Her old parents came to live with her in the palace and she lived a very happy, prosperous life.

Literature Analysis

An Examination of Bhutanese Literature & Culture

Bhutan is a small, isolated kingdom set in the majestic Himalayan Mountains. Bordered by both India and China, Bhutan has developed a unique culture that centers on Buddhist faith. In Bhutan, Buddhism is so significant that the religious head of the nation shares the same platform as the king, and everyday life for the Bhutanese usually includes rituals like offerings and prayers to the gods for the well being of the people. Bhutanese literature reflects the peoples’ religious devotion and traditional Buddhist values manifest in the stories. One such piece of literature is Prayers for Wealth, a Bhutanese folk tale from a book titled Tales from Rural Bhutan by Kinley Wangmo. This story is about an old couple, firmly devoted to Buddhist teachings, whose prayers for a child are one day answered. The old woman miraculously gives birth to a beautiful girl who matures at an unusually quick rate. As time goes by, the old couple grows anxious to find the right husband for her, so they once again put their faith in the god of compassion (Avalokiteshwarya) to find a suitor. However, a passing beggar tricks the old couple into believing he is the appropriate husband Avalokiteshwarya chose, and the blindly faithful couple marries off their daughter. From the start, the beggar has ill intentions and plots to kill his wife and run off with her family’s money, but a twist in fate leads to his death.

In Prayers for Wealth, the influence of Buddhism is seen in the story’s message: if you harm others, you end up harming yourself, so one ought to practice the golden rule. Traditional values reflected in Prayers for Wealth are those of compassion and devotion. In the tale, the beggar who poses as the voice of Avalokiteshwarya disrespects elders, greedily seeks material fortune, and plots to kill an innocent young woman; however, karma catches up to him and he is punished justly (devoured by a tiger). The moral of the story is simple: do unto others what you would have them do unto you, or express compassion. Another important aspect of this story is the fervent devotion the old couple shows. Most Bhutanese Buddhists believe that if you pray to the gods in times of trouble then you will actually get answers, therefore it is no surprise that the old couple looked to Avalokiteshwarya to help them find a good husband for their daughter. Because the story reveals that the old man and woman “were firm believers of the Buddha’s word and practiced the teachings of the dharma with utmost devotion everyday,” one can infer from the happy ending that the message conveyed to readers emphasizes that those who are faithful and do good deeds with true intentions will prosper.

Prayers for Wealth tells of a time when it was not unusual for Bhutanese people to practice absolute faith because rationality did not significantly affect their reasoning. In the story, the old couple’s complete faith and trust in the god of compassion leads them to invite an unfamiliar man into their home and ask him to marry their daughter. However, nowadays blind faith is usually only practiced by religious fundamentalists, communities living in nearly complete isolation, or certain uneducated individuals. The inevitable proliferation of Western influence and the ideals of reason and rationality have brought about what can be called a dilution of absolute faith for many people living in modern times. This simply means that people do not express such unwavering faith that they will completely suppress their ability to think for themselves or reason logically. No longer would parents living in modern Bhutan marry off their daughter to a complete stranger on the basis of a talking idol’s advice. In many respects, however, Bhutanese still maintain strong faith that is similar to the old couple’s in this folk tale. For example, childless couples in Bhutan will often visit a monastery (Chimey Lhkhang) were they firmly believe that paying reverence to the local deity will allow for successful conception (as supported by living examples).

Examining Bhutanese literature such as Prayer’s for Wealth sheds light on one reason why the country has strived to preserve their cultural values by maintaining isolation from the outside world. Looking around the globe, there are countless communities that illustrate the tendency for heavily isolated peoples to show complete faith and uphold traditional values (i.e. remote tribes in Africa). In addition, there are also many places where a great number of individuals are exposed to diverse perspectives and religious theories (i.e. parts of America), and this knowledge, coupled with other facets of modernized living, can lead to the erosion of devotion and a decreasing respect for traditional values. Understanding that Western influence may threaten the preservation of Bhutanese culture (including religious devotion), Bhutan continues to make efforts to keep with tradition and remain isolated. As my Bhutanese partner Sonam Palden explains,
“For the Bhutanese, our culture is our biggest strength...Bhutan is a very small country, and economically also we are not a rich country...so there is every chance that the country might fall into the abyss of global culture and we just might end up with a culture that is an amalgamation of many cultures and have nothing to define us with who we are.”

Final Thoughts

The simple fact that Bhutan has remained isolated even in modern times has essentially driven this project. Through my examination of the literature and discussions with Sonam, I have tried to discover why this country so heavily values the protection of its culture from outside influence. With a class visit from Krishna, a Bhutanese native, and the thoughts of my partner Sonam, I have gained insight into the forces that shape life in Bhutan, including faith, compassion, and respect for tradition.