The Bible states that man doesn’t live by bread alone. Omar Khayyam, in his Rubaiyat, added a book of verse, a jug of wine and a beloved to the list for human well-being.
It was the former king of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who declared that ‘Gross National Happiness (GNH)’ was more important than Gross Domestic Product. This royal edict turned out to be the most enduring gift to his kingdom; it was also a clever identity builder for the tiny country. Since then, happiness has taken centre-stage in Bhutan and in the global market, with books, songs, conferences and apps insisting on its non-negotiable value.
In 2012, the UN convened a high-level meeting on ‘Well-being and happiness: defining a new economic paradigm’ to encourage the spread of Bhutan’s philosophy. When the first World Happiness Report was published that year, Bhutan ranked only 95th among the 156 nations surveyed. The newly elected government in the Himalayan nation decided to do its own survey. The GNH Survey was conducted by the Centre for Bhutan Studies in 2015; and found that 91.2% of Bhutanese reported being happy and 43.4% deeply happy. That’s a lot of happiness. Tourists flock to pay $200 a day to visit an idyllic land that embodies the king’s vision of low-volume, high-quality tourism. And Lonely Planet ranks Bhutan as the No.1 place to visit in 2020, calling it a “tiny piece of Himalayan paradise” and “A real-life Shangri-La”.
Perhaps, the Rubaiyat needs an update with an Instagrammable post from the kingdom?
The author-photographer is a teacher based in Sydney and a compulsive wanderer.
Gross Nation Happiness surveys in Bhutan found a direct correlation between education and happiness. Only 32% of those without formal schooling claimed ‘deep’ happiness compared with 60% of those with a high school education. A significant number of older Bhutanese who has never attended school are literate thanks to monastic and other non-formal means of education.
Health and living standards are key domains of the GNH. Average life expectancy in Bhutan has risen dramatically from 35 in 1960 to above 70 in 2016. From the year 2000, infant mortality has halved and GDP has grown at an average of 7.8%
Monks were not included in the GNH survey, though they make up one-tenth of the population and spirituality is listed as a key measure affecting psychological well-being.
‘May the teachings of the Enlightened One flourish, May the sun of peace and happiness shine over all people,’ goes the national anthem of Bhutan. The nation’s idea of happiness is entrenched in a Buddhist framework to include compassion and spirituality and distinguishes itself from western models.
A lot has changed in Bhutan in the past 20 years, from the introduction of television, the Internet and mobile phones to the abdication of their beloved king in 2006. The government, in the name of culture, has invented a few ‘traditions’ such as a public dress code, while the GNH points to an unhappier youth.
The GNH survey found farmers the least happy of all professional classes in Bhutan. Despite rapid economic growth and sustained development efforts, half the country continue on subsistence farming and more than a quarter live below the poverty line.
A monk bathes in the Po Chhu river in the Punakha Valley. Monks join the monastery as boys of five and six, with most families sending at least one son to monasteries. Bhutanese culture is rooted in the Vajrayana tradition of Mahayana Buddhism with strong veins of Tibetan shamanistic practices.
As many as 30% of Bhutanese women are married before the legal age of 18 and polygamy continues in pockets, ironical for a matrilineal society. A quarter of married women believe that their partner has a right to beat them if they refuse to have sex or if they burn the food. The GNH survey, predictably, found Bhutanese men happier than its women.
