Dorji Tenzin: Random Thoughts like Cries of a Clown

Every Bhutanese who visited Nepal probably never missed these two sites in Katmandu. One is Jarung Khasor and another is Phagma Singkuen which is locally known as Swayambunath located in the western Kathmandu. I consulted Google Rinpoche to know about this place. He told me that Stupa is dome shaped at the base above which is a cubical structure. The cubical structure is painted with eyes of Buddha looking in all four directions. I imagine that probably it is watching deeds of all citizens of Nepal while occasionally offering protection for those who come to seek it. I was told that there are two ways to each the stupa one via road and other via stairs from the base of the hill. While at the stairs, you will see local people either preparing to lit butter lamp or lighting the butter lamp. At first I mistook all of them for pious Buddhists trying to light their ways to the enlightenment. However, reality couldn’t be further as most of them are doing religious business to further their l...

  800 years ago, a man from Kham, Tibet named Dondup Gyeltshen came to Bhutan. He wedded two sisters from Thimphu. Elder sister gave him a son. Younger sister gave him seven sons probably from single pregnancy. When his younger wife was away, he threw all seven sons into the river. Four sons miraculously survived. That crazy man is none other than Phajo Drugom Zhigpo who propagated Drukpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism in Bhutan. An emanation of Boddhisattva of Compassion, he was instrumental in promoting both religious and temporal laws in Bhutan.  You can see this stone carving on the way to Chagri Monastery, Thimphu

  In the 16th century, the Divine Madman travelled from Babesa towards Paro. He passed through Tsew Gang (opposite side of Thimphu Namseling accross the Thimphu Chu). To see if he was prophesied to build a temple, he shouted, 'Lama Sangay, are you there?' Somebody answered, 'there is no Lama Sangay.' He again shouted, 'Nyerp Longchey, are you there?' Again somebody answered, 'there is no nyep Longchey.' He shouted for the third time, 'Tsem Damchoe, are you there?' Again someone answered, 'there is no Tsem Damchoe.' He realised he was not destined to establish his seat there. However, he extracted drupchu nearby to solve water scarcity which has dried up today. He visited second time there. He asked locals if they wanted to buy gold powder from him. All locals refused but plotted to steal at night. Lama replaced human defacation with gold powder which villagers stole. Lama exclaimed laughing, 'These people never wanted gold I offer ...

  Somewhere in 12th or 13th Century, I would like to imagine that Truku Sherab Gyeltshen meditated here. I would like to imagine that while taking break from his meditation, he reminisced about his previous life as Lama Shakya Gyeltshen and his dharmic romance with Azhi Nangsa Yoebum. In his reminiscence, he saw Azhi Nangsa levitating in the air along with him as her husband Prince Drakpa Samdrup showered rains of arrows upon them. Historically, this Goemba is said to be more than 300 years old believed to have been founded by Lam Ngawang Chogyal. Personally, I got first two blisters in my right foot after so many years while trekking up. Once you reached there, you can enjoy view of Thimphu Town and beautiful sunset especially if you start travelling up there in the afternoon. You can trek and it could take anywhere between one hour to three hours depending on how first your feet can carry from Simtokha, Thimphu. You can also drive on dirt road as of now.....

  A Deadly Pilgrimage Plan On 10th December 2021, I woke up as early as 4.30 A.M. In the cold of winter, with morning breeze piercing my bone, I rushed to Changlimithang with my close friend who booked the ticket. It was my first time booking a local tour bus to visit five sacred places in the Paro one of which was Neychen Dongkola. The old coaster bus rumbled and roared with occasional reluctance of clutch on the Thimphu Paro-Highway. Around 6.30 a.m, we crossed Shaba School in Paro and were just few kilometers below Drakarpo when clutch refused to cooperate while shifting gear. Our bus sled backwards and rear-ended into the drain saving us from being airlifted to Emergency Ward of Thimphu Hospital. With fear in mind for almost meeting death and relief of being escaped from near death, passengers booked taxi to visit the Great Sacred Buddhist Site Dongkorla. Accident or no accident, people seemed to have great faith in blessing of Neychen Dongkola. Journey Towards Dongkola Journ...

  When I was a teenager, people of the community and relatives advised me to study hard so that one day, I will be on the revolving chair ordering the things around. I studied hard and got to sit on the revolving chair. Nobody told me to be smart and cunning. Now with almost a decade in public service, I have realized that people who are smart are never on the revolving chairs. Most of the time, they will be out of office leaving the chair empty and table neat. The public will never meet the smart people in the office. They will be on tour, training and workshops and rightly so if they want to progress in the society. Nobody gives a damn if you are hardworking. Only reward will be more work. Now I understand why smart people are never sitting on the chair even receiving applause for not spoiling a chair a bit in five years. When you leave your own empty and sit on the chairs of star-rated hotels and conference rooms, you have mainly three advantages; free food, more money in the ...

In my brief career as HR personnel, I learnt few things about leadership. I think I am fortunate enough to work under various leaders. All leaders are different and most are great in their own unique ways. I find it quite hard to describe good leaders as they seem to be all different. I admire one leader for taking risks for sake of outcome but I find that quality in bad leader too. I just didn’t like how bad leader take that risks. I admire one leader for being strict and I didn’t like are also being strict. I like one leader for being frank but I didn’t like other leader though he was frank.  I can’t define good leaders but I somewhat know how bad leaders behave; 1.        Bad leader crave for attention and every work he/he does is for attention and reward. He wants to get attention of high profile people, wants to be heard in media but really doesn’t care about management of the affairs if it doesn’t suit him or her agenda. 2.   ...

When I say people I work in Human Resource Division, they give me dry smile and say ‘Hema Rangden Drub. ‘In this past that used to offend me but not anymore. Working few years in district made me accustomed to such things. In the district, Dzongkhag Education Officer (DEO) will be called Deadly Eating Officer. His assistant will be called Another Deadly Eating Officer (ADEO). Indeed, every officer would be known by initials of their posts. People would imagine funny full forms for the initials. ‘Hema Rangden Drub’ is what people really think we do while the truth is we exhaust ourselves fulfilling wishes of others and not getting opportunity to fulfil self-wish which is good in a way. If HR personnel has authority enough for ‘Rangden Drub’, it may spoil the whole mechanism of internal procedures( if not careful).  Recently, a business administration graduate came to my office for internship and in the course of conversation, she told me her wish was to be HR manager. On asking w...

In my heart, I still feel young. Immersed deep into daily technicalities of life, I felt like time hasn’t move forward. Those pains, joys and doubts just seemed like beats of heart. Those tears I shed as kids are still fresh in my mind. I still feel I am just starting my career. But the biological clock says I have used half of my time on the earth and probably I have other half only if nothing untoward happens. But I like to pretend to be young. Every morning I shave so that moustache, the symbol of maturity, is removed. Often I removed those white hair so that I look younger. If given the chance, I would love to be a kid once gain and start life fresh with all experiences and insights I gained in life as lesson.  While my heart is still young, biological clock is ticking which makes me realize how old I am. Few years ago, I had toothache and I ignored it. Few months ago, I couldn’t ignore anymore despite my longing to pretend to be a young man. It has to be extracted. Few year...

Around 3400 graduates sat for Preliminary Examination, the first part of three-step entry exercise to the Bhutan Civil Service in professional and management cadre which in other words is officer’s cadre. Those graduates might have different reasons for attempting to crack the exams. Some did this for mere employment. They might have realized that this process is most fair process in recruitment system of Bhutan. Some attempted it just to park themselves in civil service while waiting for better opportunities to come their ways. Some might have attempted as they genuinely want to serve in public service or some might have any other options. Whatever the reasons, they attempted to succeed. On August 22, when result was announced. Only 927 scored above 50 % which is eligible percentage to sit for next round of selection. Those thousands whose hopes are dashed would be trying to figure out what is next for them. Some may be drinking their frustration out in the bar while some may be ...

Civil servants come in many shades and forms. So does their nature of profession and budget of agencies. If you are a program officer in the ministry of health, your passport might be stamped at least twice a year and you will see VISA for at least two countries in a year. If you are a teacher in the Ministry of Education, chances are you may get your passport stamped once in a lifetime. The privileges of getting passport stamped depends on nature of your job, budget of your agency and your own competencies in whatever forms (its joke if people say training is not reward). Since I joined corporate service and latter civil service, I had a dream. I had a dream of getting my passport stamped by immigration officials of many countries. I had a dream of changing of passport documents many times as a result of never ending stamps. But my dream, couldn’t be materialized. All I could do was pressed like button in the Facebook. If I see my pictures of my friends in the Facebook doing circumam...

Meanwhile my contribution Every day is a journey through rough and smooth, plain and mountain and, difficult and memorable road of my life. Every day is an experience of regret and rejoice, of hard and easy and, pains and pleasure in phase of my life. Every day is learning and learning is a step towards progression and regression, construction and de-construction, and success and failure of my natural age. In journey of my life, my career is a small constituent of my entire process as a living being. Since changing my decision to become a civil servant from a corporate servant, I have an honour of meeting people of various attitudes and educations, profiles and positions and, values and backgrounds. Attending 4 th HR Conference at Gelephu was one such opportunity. I have an honour of hearing from five members of Royal Civil Service Commission. I have an opportunity to interact and learnt from all HR professionals of Bhutan ranging from position like myself to high position of Ch...

I have read about sorry state Bhutanese private media frequently. Media houses sprouted like grasses in the spring at one point. Then they wilted for want of monetary support or returns. On other hand, some of us, who are regular readers, lament quality and quantity of news content. We blame on incompetent and inexperienced reporters who joined private media as last resort to get themselves employed. We don’t care about financial situation of media houses. Once in its good time, when media houses were in height of its greatness, we really thought that private media could not only give alternate news but also give stiff competition to state owned media. But cruel rupee crisis nib the bud of bustling media. On other hand, media houses blame deteriorating state on lack of government support and profitability. The media houses were not able to pay employees on time or their salaries were slashed. Some media houses closed down. The lack of profitability has discouraged senior and experi...

On 25 th March 1864 A.D, Mr. Ashley Eden was made to sign agreement with Government of Bhutan drafted by Trongsa Penlop and his supporters. In 1863, Ashley Eden forced his ways into Bhutan when Bhutan was going through serious internal strife. Although Bhutanese never wanted to receive the mission, arrogant and stubborn forced his ways into Punakha despite repeatedly told to go back. Even Paro Penlop couldn’t stopped him at Paro. He was accompanied by Cheeboo Lama of Sikkim as the interpreter. During that time, situation in Bhutan was thus; 1.        Bhutan was undergoing internal strife due to which Jigme Namgyal of Trongsa emerged as the strongest leader 2.        Deb Raja was powerless and just a pawn in the hand of Trongsa Penlop 3.        Dharma Raja (Zhabdrung incarnate)was too young as well as too submissive 4.        Due to internal power struggle,...