The Bhutanese Behind A Mask.........Gross National Happiness
© 2012 Pallab Seth
Gross National Happiness
The Bhutanese grounding in Buddhist ideals suggests that beneficial development of human society takes place when material and spiritual development occur side by side to complement and reinforce each other. The term "gross national happiness", a concept of a quantitative measurement of well-being and happiness, was coined in 1972 by Bhutan's fourth Dragon King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who has opened Bhutan to the age of modernization. The four pillars of gross national happiness are the promotion of sustainable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of the natural environment, and establishment of good governance.
In a 2007 study from University of Leicester, Bhutan ranked eighth out of 178 countries in Subjective Well-Being, a metric of happiness that has been used by many psychologists. In fact, it is the only country in the top 20 "happiest" countries that has a very low GDP.
White, A. (2007). A Global Projection of Subjective Well-being: A Challenge to Positive Psychology? Psychtalk 56, 17-20.
data360.org/pdf/20071219073602.A%20Global%20Projection%20...
The Mask Culture Of Bhutan
The performance of mask dance is a deeply spiritual affair in Bhutan. Dancers wear masks which may represent fearsome male or female protective deities, animals, skulls, saints and sages, and legendary personages like the manifestations of Guru Rinpoche or just plain human beings.
In Bhutan, mask dances are numerous and have different names according to their types. In few important dzongs, two festivals take place every year: Dromchhoe, which is dedicated to Mahakala (Yeshe Goenpo) and Mahakali (Palden Lhamo) - Bhutan’s two principle protective deities and a Tshechu, the best known and most popular, that is dedicated to Guru.
Both the religious and secular dances prevalent in Bhutan have originated from Buddhism. Beside entertaining people, the dance performances reaffirm the devotion and commitment of human beings to leading morally sound and honest lives. At supreme or ultimate level, it is a spiritual exercise and helps human beings to acquire spiritual merit which serves as the cause for liberation from the earthly woes and gain final enlightenment.
Read More (written by Tshewang Gyalpo):
www.worldmask.org/english/sub5/sub1.asp?bseq=5&mode=v...
The Bhutanese Behind A Mask.........Gross National Happiness
© 2012 Pallab Seth
Gross National Happiness
The Bhutanese grounding in Buddhist ideals suggests that beneficial development of human society takes place when material and spiritual development occur side by side to complement and reinforce each other. The term "gross national happiness", a concept of a quantitative measurement of well-being and happiness, was coined in 1972 by Bhutan's fourth Dragon King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who has opened Bhutan to the age of modernization. The four pillars of gross national happiness are the promotion of sustainable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of the natural environment, and establishment of good governance.
In a 2007 study from University of Leicester, Bhutan ranked eighth out of 178 countries in Subjective Well-Being, a metric of happiness that has been used by many psychologists. In fact, it is the only country in the top 20 "happiest" countries that has a very low GDP.
White, A. (2007). A Global Projection of Subjective Well-being: A Challenge to Positive Psychology? Psychtalk 56, 17-20.
data360.org/pdf/20071219073602.A%20Global%20Projection%20...
The Mask Culture Of Bhutan
The performance of mask dance is a deeply spiritual affair in Bhutan. Dancers wear masks which may represent fearsome male or female protective deities, animals, skulls, saints and sages, and legendary personages like the manifestations of Guru Rinpoche or just plain human beings.
In Bhutan, mask dances are numerous and have different names according to their types. In few important dzongs, two festivals take place every year: Dromchhoe, which is dedicated to Mahakala (Yeshe Goenpo) and Mahakali (Palden Lhamo) - Bhutan’s two principle protective deities and a Tshechu, the best known and most popular, that is dedicated to Guru.
Both the religious and secular dances prevalent in Bhutan have originated from Buddhism. Beside entertaining people, the dance performances reaffirm the devotion and commitment of human beings to leading morally sound and honest lives. At supreme or ultimate level, it is a spiritual exercise and helps human beings to acquire spiritual merit which serves as the cause for liberation from the earthly woes and gain final enlightenment.
Read More (written by Tshewang Gyalpo):
www.worldmask.org/english/sub5/sub1.asp?bseq=5&mode=v...