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Buddhism: It,S Role and Importance in Bhutanese Culture

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Buddhism: It,S Role and Importance in Bhutanese Culture Mukt Shabd Journal ISSN NO : 2347-3150 Buddhism: it,s role and importance in Bhutanese culture Research Scholar Pankaj Kumar Department of Western History University of Lucknow Abstract Bhutan is situated along the southern slopes of the Great Himalaya range. It is bounded by the table-land of Tibet on the north ; the plains of jalpaiguri district of west Bengal and Goalpara , kamrup and Darrang districts of Assam in the south; the Chumbi valley ( Tibet) , Sikkim and Darjeeling district of west Bengal in the west ; and the kameng district of the Arunachal Pradesh on the east. Before the introduction of Buddhism in Bhutan, the prevalent religion was Bon. Some scholars assert that it was imported from Tibet and India, perhaps in the eighth century when Padmasambhava introduced his lineages of Vajrayana Buddhism into Tibet and the Himalayas. The history of Bhutan is mainly the history of spreading of Buddhism and it,s different sects those creates main bases for Bhutanese culture from ancient time to till now. Many famous monks such like Guru Padmasambhawa presented many religious rituals and symbols before Bhutanese people those became traditions and culture. Buddhism and Bhutanese culture are seems like mirror of each other. Bhutanese dresses, dances, festivals, rituals, paintings etc. directly follows Buddhism. Key word:- Bhutan, Buddhism, Culture, Padmasambhawa, Ngawang Namgyal, Driglamnamzha, Introduction Bhutan is situated along the southern slopes of the Great Himalaya range. It is bounded by the table-land of Tibet on the north ; the plains of jalpaiguri district of west Bengal and Goalpara , kamrup and Darrang districts of Assam in the south; the Chumbi valley ( Tibet) , Sikkim and Darjeeling district of west Bengal in the west ; and the kameng district of the Arunachal Pradesh on the east.1 Bhutan is situated 88 deg.45 min to 92 deg. 7 min. Longitude east and 26 deg. 5 min. to 28 deg. 5 latitude north ,in the lower Himalaya in the south.2 Volume IX, Issue IV, APRIL/2020 Page No : 2234 Mukt Shabd Journal ISSN NO : 2347-3150 Bhutan is located in the northern area of South Asia .The Republic of Nepal to the west, the People's Republic of Bangladesh to the south, and the Union of Myanmar to the southeast are other close neighbours; the former two are separated by only very small stretches of Indian territory. The Bhutanese call their country DrukYul, which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon. It takes its name from the Himalayan storms that rage through the region, sounding like the thunder of mighty dragons. Most Bhutanese refer to their homeland as Druk-yul,the original and still official name. Bhutan, the name given to the country by the British, is the name used for most official and international business and reference. The name Bhutan may be derived from the ancient Indian term "Bhotania," which means "end of the land of the Bhots" (Tibet). There are various theories put forward as to the derivative meaning of the name ‘Bhutan’. In the old Tibetan texts Bhutan was called ‘Land of the Mon’ (mon-yul) referring to the Monpa ,aboriginal inhabitants to the Himalayas , who had found a retreat innthe south-east of the country.on the based on Sanskrit Bhota -ant which means ‘end’ (ant) of Bhota (Tibet) indicative of the geographical location of Bhutan which is certainly at the end of the Tibet . This is , indeed , a significant derivative interpretation because it helps to depict a separate integrity of this area from Tibet although adjoining the Tibetan land and its culture. Another possible Sanskrit derivative could be Bhu-uttan standing for high land..3 Bon Religion Before the introduction of Buddhism in Bhutan, the prevalent religion was Bon. Some scholars assert that it was imported from Tibet and India, perhaps in the eighth century when Padmasambhava introduced his lineages of Vajrayana Buddhism into Tibet and the Himalayas. In ancient Bhutan each village had its own dialect, as a result different customs and culture patterns came in existence, which still exist in Bhutan. Bonism is mixed up with superstitious practices, worship of deities representing manifestations of nature—sun, moon, hills, trees, rivers and lakes, which the people worshiped. They also had a peculiar mode of worship of the good and evil spirits. Sorcery, magic, witchcraft played a predominant role in the rituals or Bonism. of the existence of the Bon religion in Mon-yul in prehistoric times we have copious references in earlier Bhutanese religious chronicles, which Volume IX, Issue IV, APRIL/2020 Page No : 2235 Mukt Shabd Journal ISSN NO : 2347-3150 laboriously frown upon its intrusion into the country, notwithstanding the fact that some of the practices of Bonism were allowed to infiltrate into the Tantric core of Buddhism later on.4 The early history of Bhutan, closely linked as it is with religion, is mainly chronicled by the advent and spread of Buddhism in the area. The first known reference to Buddhist influence in the country is in the reign of king Strongtsen Gampo of Tibet, who had proclaimed Buddhism as the state religion of Tibet and built many monasteries there and in the adjoining areas, including two in Bhutan – Kyichu in the Paro valley and Jmapa Lhakhang in the Bumthang valley. The next landmark of Buddhist influence in Bhutan relates to the early ninth century. The noted Indian saint Guru Padmasambhava, the “Lotus Born”, popularly rated as the real founder of Tibetan Buddhism (his particular school being known as the Nyingma), visited Bhutan twice.5 According to G N Mehra the first noteworthy movement of Tibetans into Bhutan, according to local legend, took place in the early part o f ninth century, when Tibetan troops entered Bhutan, by invitation of some Bhutanese, to drive out invaders from India. The Tibetans succeeded in their mission but they liked the country so well that they refused to go back. A further large influx from Tibet subsequently took place as a result of the persecution of Buddhist in Tibet by Bons in the same century. Till the seventeenth century, however, when Ngawang Namgyal established his effective rule in Bhutan, there were only minor incursions from across the Tibetan border, not leading to any temporal control of Bhutan by Tibetans. Yet this period witnessed a constant movements of Lamas from Tibet mostly to western and central Bhutan, to spread the message of Lord Buddha.6 Buddhism was first introduced in Bhutan by Guru Padmasambhava yet Bon cult predominated in the country. The five groups of Lamas entered in Bhutan from Tibet and integrated the practice of Bon into Buddhism and converted the people of Bhutan to the Buddhist faith. They were also known as the five groups of rival Lamas since they opposed the establishment of the Drukpa Kagyu School by Lama Phajo, Drugom Zhigpo (1208-1276) in Bhutan. The following were the five groups of Lamas who were popularly known as Lam Kha Nga: 1. Lama Lhagpa 2. Lama Barawa 3. Lama Kathogpa 4. Lama Nenyingpa Volume IX, Issue IV, APRIL/2020 Page No : 2236 Mukt Shabd Journal ISSN NO : 2347-3150 5.Lama Chazampa These five groups of rival Lamas were seriously opposed and defeated by Lama Phajo, Drugom Zhigpo who entered Bhutan after them.7 Subsequently, Lama Phajo, Drugom Zhingpo’s four sons started ruling this country after him and exercised the dual power of spiritual and temporal rule in Bhutan. Their descendants are still found in Bhutan who is known as Chhoje, a noble lineage. The Drukpa Kagyu tradition was further strengthened and propagated in Bhutan by the following series of Kagyu Lamas : 1. Ngawang Chhogyel(1465-1540) 2. Dubchhen Kunga Lepa,Better Known As Drukpa Kunlay (1455-1529) 3. Pal Ngagi Wanchuck(1517-1554) 4. Dungsay Mipham Chhogyal (1543-1606) 5. Dungsay Mipham Tenpi Nyima (1567-1619) These Lamas came to Bhutan from Tibet and built many monasteries all over country. Since the administration was guided by religion, the country prospered spiritually and the people were very happy. There was also a famous saying “ Gaton JIgten Diru-Yod” which means- Heaven is in this world. This signified the peace in the country during the reign of these Lamas of the Drukpa Kgypu tradition. This paved the way for The Zhabdrung, Ngawang Namgyel from their clan to finally bring Bhutan under one ruling power and control.8 The main sect of Buddhism was Drukpa kangyu in Bhutan but many other sects also were presented in many areas. During 10th and 11th century, Tibet was undergoing a political turmoil and Buddhism had almost disappeared there. However, with revival of Buddhism in Tibet during the 11th and 12th century, many learned spiritual personalities founded different schools according their believes and teachings. Many missionary activities turned toward Bhutan from Tibet during this also. So, revival of Buddhism in Tibet also led to birth of number of sects and schools of Buddhism in Bhutan like Sakyapa, Gelugpa, Kadampa, Kagyupa etc. because of arrival many religious teachers, monks, lamas of these sects from Tibet. When Zhabdrung arrived in Bhutan, there were already several other schools in western Bhutan like the Lhapa, the Barawa, the Chagzampa, the Nyenyingpa, the Kathogpa or Dzogchenpa, the Geden Shingtapa and the Volume IX, Issue IV, APRIL/2020 Page No : 2237 Mukt Shabd Journal ISSN NO : 2347-3150 Sakyapa- with their followers and several monastic centers existing varying degrees of political and social influence in various parts of the country. When the circulars were sent to submit to the Zhabdrung’s authority, the followers of some of these schools refused to submit him. They were jealous of his growing popularity and knew his campaigns of the Drukpa hegemony was a direct threat to their existence.
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