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.”