{"id":1339,"date":"2018-04-18T16:05:13","date_gmt":"2018-04-18T16:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yogadirectorycanada.com\/community\/?p=1339"},"modified":"2021-04-26T18:50:05","modified_gmt":"2021-04-26T18:50:05","slug":"meditation-in-bhutan-awakening-the-thunder-dragon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yogadirectorycanada.com\/community\/meditation-in-bhutan-awakening-the-thunder-dragon\/","title":{"rendered":"Meditation in Bhutan: Awakening the Thunder Dragon"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Leslie Smith<\/h3>\n

PUNAKHA, Bhutan\u2014Sitting in Punakha Dzong \u2014a temple and historically also an administrative centre and the former capital of this tiny mountain kingdom\u2014we are surrounded by golden statues of Buddha the atmosphere vibrated serenity and sheer joyous power.\u00a0 We meditate silently sitting on the ancient floor boards, absorbing centuries of ardent positive feelings. For half an hour I silently chant the revered Buddhist mantra, Om Mane Padme Hum, which adorns Bhutanese prayer wheels and is spun endlessly into the cosmos, offering prayers and blessings for the well-being of all living beings.\u00a0 I feel myself surrounded by a golden light, imperceptibly floating above the floor, enveloped in warmth, and totally happy.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s no wonder. Punakha Dzong is known as \u201cthe palace of great happiness or bliss\u201d\u00a0 It was built by Nagawang Namgyal, the first Zhabdrung Rinpoche in 1637 and is the second largest dzong in Bhutan housing many sacred remains of religious leaders or rinpoches. It lies at the foot of the \u201chill that looks like an elephant\u201d a site prophesied by the revered holy man Padmasambhava.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, dzongs were fortified buildings which housed a monastery and an administrative centre. It was the capital of\u00a0 Bhutan until 1955 when the government moved from this relatively low-lying, quasi-tropical valley (at a mere 1,200 metres above sea level), to Thimpu.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Group photo of an outdoor yoga class in Punakha, Bhutan (photo credit: Erin Bidlake)<\/p><\/div>\n

The dzong, at the confluence of the very holy Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu Rivers (known as the father and the mother) is tentatively listed for acknowledgement as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. River rafting has become popular on the rivers though this is considered by the Bhutanese to be sacrilegious. The jacaranda trees around the site bloom with a profusion of purple flowers each spring.<\/p>\n

Punakha is still considered the winter capital of Bhutan, known as the Land of the Thunder Dragon, and the country\u2019s head abbot along with his entourage of monks make the pilgrimage there on foot every year.<\/p>\n

The country\u2019s longest suspension bridge crosses the river and is linked to Chimi Lhakhang, the fertility temple dedicated to the naughty exploits of Drukpa Kunley, known as the Divine Madman.\u00a0 Crossing the bridge and passing through the rice fields, children hold up hand made book markers, written in English, declaring \u201cI Love Bhutan.\u201d The village at the foot of the temple is resplendent with phalluses, the symbol of fertility\u2014painted on walls, sculpted in a variety of sizes, they are on sale in many stores. Chimi Lkakhang is a pilgrimage site for couples seeking to conceive a child. While we were there, a young woman brought her baby to be blessed and our guide, himself named Chimi, was asked to do the honours of holding the baby and passing into the inner sanctum with mother and baby.<\/p>\n<\/div>