We can Drive Now

It was then in 2010 when I first learned how to drive a car with my brother. It was a thrilling moment when the gear made a roaring sound and it started to move a bit, though not smooth. I still remember how the car hopped and had to start again and again.

I graduated in 2011 and it has been a long gap without having a single chance to drive until one of our friends bought a car early 2014. We looked for one driver and went to get a car and was kept idle for over one week without being driven because no one knows how to drive. All we knew was to start an engine and make a roaring sound and feel proud of ourselves. Then once the owner was being trained a bit by one of his relatives on basic driving skills,  in the following day we went with him and learned in the truck parking. Turn wise turn we used to make a round and round. It was very difficult for all of us to pick up form the rest. We knew the principle..."release the clutch and at the same time accelerate it..." but it was very difficult in practical. We kept on practicing and one by one and step by step we were able to move a car very smoothly. 

Now we could even drive car ourselves and we are now able to go for a drive very confidently. We can shift the gear, pick up and drive on a highway very confidently. All thanks to our friend who bought a car first and let us learn freely as our own car. Any time he let us use his car provided we drive well and soberly. 

A Donkey is not Happy - His Job ≠ His Reward

Mindula was on his way home with 10 kilograms load on his back. He was standing still to get some energy when his master shouted from behind "Mindula....josh..josh". 

It was uphill and he has to take rest every now and then but his master has been shouting every minute and he has to keep with his master's words. In the morning while going to town to fetch rice and salt, he was given dry straw and a pot of water. With that he has to carry 10 kgs load uphill. With much difficulty, he reached home and was a great relief for him when the loads were removed. He was very thirsty and hungry too. He wishes fresh maize grains and water for his lunch, but was tied up to a pole nearby. He moved and neighed several times asking for food and water but in vain. After sometime he was again fed with usual dried hay. Then he was let free to graze in an open field. 

He first went to the stream nearby and quenched his thirst. He went on grazing and after some time he came to App Dodo's house. When he reached there, he found crunchy wheat grains being dried in sun behind his house. Mindulla without giving a second thought went nearby and enjoyed his meal. Amid enjoying his meal, App Dodo came from nowhere and gave him a thud with a pole on his back. Mindulla at once neighed and ran down towards his own house. 

The news soon reached his master and Mindula was beaten many times. He could not get out as he was tied to a pole as usual. He was tied up without even single meal for next one day. The following day he was taken by App Dodo to carry fire woods from nearby forest as a punishment for what he has done the other day.

His body was becoming weaker day by day. While he go out for grazing, he could see some of his friends happily enjoying their sleep in the sun while he is busy looking for fresh grasses to fill his empty tummy. His friends were served well by their masters and let free. He always wished his master to be one such kind. 

Mindulla has to fetch water three times daily from a nearby stream (500 meters) and has to go shopping twice a week to a nearby town which is six kilometers away. Sometimes he has to go with other masters on hire to go shopping and to do many other jobs. But every time, twice a day he was being fed with dried straw and sometimes fodder grasses.

So he was not happy with his master. He would work so hard and his masters would keep all the stocks for their own consumption. He was the main worker, like a bread earner in a family but was rewarded poorly. He could not speak nor could he do anything than to serve quietly and only grumbling to himself. Poor Us. 

Positive Attitude Pays

It was spring but was still cold in Thimphu. As discussed over phone, I was waiting outside my friend's house to go for a usual evening walk. It was chilling cold and having to wait a bit longer, I could not keep on standing, so knelt down to ease pain.

I was looking at the busy traffic on the road below unconsciously counting the number of vehicles plying up and down. I felt something moving behind me. I did not see anyone or anything coming, it was so silent with only the sound of gearing engines. At one time I could not look back at once, and then I thought my friend might have come to scare me. So consciously I turned back and found no one. My heart beat raced, gave me goose bumps and suddenly got up to look back what it was. To my relief, there it was lying so helplessly and was looking at me so innocently. That look it gave me was like an orphan child, so invoking as if it was to ask me a favor. Then I bent down to touch it and was so happy that it wagged it is short tail and started to lick my hand. It looked hungry and was shivering as if drenched in rain. I patted gently and sat down to my usual position and waited patiently for my friend. 

It slowly leaned against me, I could feel the warmth of its body. I could not shoo out as it always gave me that innocent look. It was sleeping so comfortably against me and stopped shivering too. The passersby would look at us and murmur and smile. I sat their indifferently. My friend would come anytime, and I have to walk away leaving by itself again, I thought. This would hurt my little friend. Then I called my friend who was supposed to get ready in five minutes and asked her to get some cookies for my little friend as I did not carry a penny in my pocket.   

Soon she came with a packet of cookies. I made it into small pieces and gave it to my little friend. There were bigger dogs around and I had to guard my little friend till it gave me a satisfactory look. This was my little friend and that was the look he gave me when we first met, so innocent. 

He has come to get himself warmed up by sleeping against me in that cold evening. He was not like the pets, he was not clean yet he was very much humble and innocent. He was very much sure that he can influence me by his innocent look and he was successful in doing that! I could not shoo… him away. While he was still busy with the cookies we left and I with the content heart looked back to see him walking back perhaps to a place where he came from.

Democracy in a Small Village

In one of the remotest parts of Eastern Bhutan, in a Small village called Gayul, Mr. Dorji along with her beloved Mrs. Samphelma, their two children and his old father lived happily in a small hut. There are about ten households in Gayul village and this community existed happily and peacefully helping each other. No road access, no electricity and no modern facilities like cell phones, television but few of them had radio through which they were connected to rest of the places. Despite not having the luxury to enjoy all those modern gadgets, people in this small community were happy and for the peace in the country, they were thankful to the far sighted rulers. 

After having completed all their farming works, they were much delighted to reap their harvests. Mr. Dorji was tuning on to his radio whilst looking after his few cattle. He heard of the great events of 2008, the 100 years of monarchy, the coronation of 5th King and the institution of democracy in Bhutan. It was then 2006 and he was much happier that Bhutan has successfully passed 100 years of happiness and new King will be crowned. But was bit confused on what would that "democracy" mean. Then in next few weeks they were called to attend meeting on democracy and were told that their beloved King has come all the way from capital city to guide and enlighten them with democracy and various clauses of the constitution of Bhutan. Much delighted because it was a great opportunity for them to have an audience with their beloved King. They attended and after much deliberation, they could understand that actually their King is gifting them with democracy where no leaders in the world could have done. They were bit saddened as they were already happy under the leadership of the beloved King. With many mixed feelings, Mr Dorji and his wife along with other people got back to their village. They even approached village head that they don't want power and they are happy with monarchy system. "But the King has a farsighted vision and thought that Bhutan has to change with time" this is what some thought and they waited patiently.

2008 came and they were called time and again to attend talks from different people who called themselves "...your representative for next five years and if you vote for me. I will....." and gave all their manifestos. Even people who called themselves as party representatives came door to door and explained them why they have to vote for their party. Different people came with different promises and Gayulpas were very much confused. They were also told that the vote must be confidential and that they are not allowed to share even to their family members. But many people in their small village joined different party and were now divided. Mr. Dorji recalled old days and was bit saddened by the way  people in the village take democracy. People felt, democracy means they can do anything and now they have the right to do anything they like. So when more and more talks went on about election, more and more people got divided. Finally all of them, young (above 18) and old cast their votes and results were declared. Some happy and some were not but the cohesiveness in that small community was destroyed. Mr. Dorji was not happy with that and tried to get all people together and accept democracy in a good way. 

As it was promised, Gayul was connected with roads, got electricity and Gayulpas were very much thankful to democracy that their voices could be reached to the National Assembly and were deliberated thoroughly. 2013 came and people in Gayul were not so worried because they now have the experiences from 2008 and are ready to contribute for nation building by voting for the right party candidate. Not much of division as they have now learned that it is their right to vote for the one whom they think would bring positive changes to their community and country as a whole. They voted and results came and are now waiting for the changes they have promised to bring to this small and happy Gayul village. People in Gayul village are so optimist that their representatives will never let them down and soon they will experience the changes as promised.

Animal Vs Human

Human beings are modified animals. The cognizance and intelligence inherited by human brain is so large and the sheer civilization has made us fit to be called as human being. Civilization is led by certain ethics and conducts. And therefore, human are guided by these ethics but not are animals. Let me draw some comparisons between the life of human and animal. However, I cannot make conclusions on whose life is better.

Animals are free. They roam aimlessly, eat whatever comes into their mouth, share companionship, play each other, and engage sex whenever they desire, no matter even in the public. Sometimes they break into fight for trivial reason but who cares??? They are really free. There is no one at the top to scrutinize and throw bloody words to the bottom ones.

But there is no respect for each other, no proper care though mother cares the baby herself. Males impregnate females but they don't become fathers to care their baby. There is no knowledge of hesitation. A son has huge gut to sex his real own mother...This is really shit. They are carefree like a cloud and wind: no prohibition at all.  

However, unlike them, human are really bound and caged by conducts and duties. Can we run away from office in duty hours? Should we run what would be the consequences? We are really tensed. Despite freezing winter we can't lay down in the warm sunny lawn. Similarly, we get little time to relax in the shade during hot rainy summer. If duties failed what will be the result? What would our boss say? We have to do our work sincerely or they will terminate us from the organization, no choice for us. Thus, it's no wrong to be called as machine. 

Sex is biological need for all animals to continue their progeny. Therefore, all animals are vested with biological rights for continuation of offspring. But human are limited by certain threshold age and time for this indulgence. Sex is strictly prohibited in white day light, open area and below 18 years (under age deemed by the law). Failing these conditions would result the accused to land up in jail even for a minor attempt.

Such rules, conducts and law prohibit us doing bad things. So, we are called as civilized animal. But on the contrary are we really free human? Do we have all rights to do whatever we like?? Now, whose life is better???

 

"We are not only the one responsible for who we are"

It has become actually a human instinct to blame someone or look down on someone in the society. People often blame delinquents for their behavior in the society without even questioning what could be the reason behind such delinquencies.

We are like prism whose dazzling colors depend on the colors of the surrounding. It will sparkle red if placed in red environ and green or yellow depending on what color it receives. We grew up in one environment and have to face various range of environments as we move on with our lives. If we are in the good environment, where people living there are good and friends we associate with are good, then we definitely tends to grow good. But in later stage, if we are exposed to some other adverse surroundings, then we tend to act accordingly unless we are so influential to change the environment. People who are always or mostly brought up in good environment are always found to be successful. But on other hand, if people are exposed all the time or mostly to not so good environment, they are never improved and are not very successful in the society.

What we are or what we do also depends on the type of friends or people we associate with. Many say "he/she was actually good but his/her friends...", "this person is good but his/her peers..." The people we hang-out with are the ones who are really influential. Even in a group of bad boys, there will be one or two others who are not so bad as the other members but are being influenced or overpowered.  In this case, even if we are good, because we are with those not so good people, we are seen as bad. 

Other example could be family problems at home. If the problem is so bad at home, children especially the boys grow more delinquent. The lack of proper guidance, proper attention from parents could also cause a good child to become a bad one.

Everything we are exposed to will have some impacts on our daily life. The house we live in, the neighbors, the organization we work in, the boss or the subordinates we work with, the friends we hang out with and the society we face all the time always play a vital role in our life to shape who we are. These are like chisels which shape our life from all angles. Some shape us good and some bad. And the only blame or the compliment people make is to that person without even realizing the factors behind him/her that actually shaped the way he/she is.

from Buddha Point to Memorial Chorten

oops crane!