THE PARADOX OF OUR AGE

We have bigger houses but smaller families;

More conveniences, but less time;

We have more degrees, but less sense;

More knowledge, but less judgment;

More experts, but more problems;

More medicines, but less healthiness;

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back,

But have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.

We built more computers to hold more

Information to produce more copies than ever,

But have less communication;

We have become long on quantity,

But short on quality.

These are times of fast foods

But slow digestion;

Tall man but short character;

Steep profits but shallow relationships.

It’s a time when there is much in the window,

But nothing in the room.

H. H. The XIVth Dalai Lama.

New Year Eve

Tibetans celebrate New Year with the same enthusiasm as Westerners do for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and birthdays. However, New Year for Tibetans holds a deeper meaning than just the start of a new life. It signifies that we are moving closer towards death. There is a story that once in Tibet, people were celebrating New Year with lots of fun and joy. The streets and houses were festooned with colorful balloons, hydraulic lights, and decorations. But the spiritual Master Patrul Rinpoche was weeping at the corner of his room, which surprised and concerned the people. They asked Rinpoche what had happened, and he replied, "Another year is gone by, and so many people have come one year closer to death, still unprepared."

The New Year's Eve of 2013 was celebrated in Chautra, Maldi, Himachal Pradesh, India at one of the Tibetan inns. During the celebration, Nidup Dolker, a friend, drank wine and fell asleep before midnight. Another friend, Poy, also slumped and could not wait for the New Year. Nonetheless, Poy made a remarkable resolution to become a vegetarian for the year 2013.

During the two-month period when Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche presided over eight Buddhist religious teachings at his Sakya Institute in Chautra, Himachal Pradesh, thousands of devotees gathered to receive empowerment and transmission. At this time, many of us made religious-centered resolutions, such as my personal commitment to chanting mantras at least once a day to benefit all sentient beings.

Solitary life in 10 Storied Building

Listening music, watching movies, scribbling tales, reading books and surfing internet were only means of ruling the time. 

On the 5th of December 2012, the semester exams came to an end, bringing a sense of relief to everyone and freeing us from mental stress. As a result, most of the friends were busy leaving the university and returning to their home country, Bhutan, a beautiful and peaceful place. On that same evening, a group of friends left, leaving me alone.

When my friends asked me what I would do during the break, I didn't pay much attention to their questioning and instead, I let their words go in one ear and out the other. I found it odd that they were so focused on my plans instead of their own. Personally, I don't typically meddle in others' affairs, but my friends seemed to be quite invested in my situation. This led me to ponder why they were so concerned with my plans when they themselves seemed unsure of what they would do during the break. I noticed that some of them would talk about being great parents, loving spouses, and caring children, but it felt like these were just empty words meant to impress others and uphold their own image. In reality, their claims were often insincere and lacked substance.

My mind cannot be changed by anyone or anything other than itself. No one else shares my interests and ideology, and I have an unwavering plan and determination that cannot be deterred.

I believe that education only provides basic knowledge and must be transformed into wisdom through a comprehensive analysis of the whole. Many educated elites suffer from tunnel vision, lacking the ability to consider a broad perspective. Without the ability to identify individuals' true natures, one's words may not serve their intended purpose. To give good advice to others, one should first practice what they preach. Unless a person embodies total humanitarianism, their words will be empty and meaningless.

I spend my days in the room doing laundry, chatting, writing, and watching movies. By keeping myself occupied with these activities, I find that I hardly have time to feel lonely or bored. Many thoughts and feelings linger in my mind during this time, providing me with an opportunity to jot them down. It is also a great chance to revisit things I have learned before and clarify my understanding by surfing the internet, reading books, and referring to various sources.

12 - 12 - 2012, was a wonderful day as it coincided with the Haap and Parop Lomba festival. According to a news report by Rinzin Wangchuk in the KUENSEL, "tonight, the Haa valley will not sleep. It will be noisy as groups of boys wander around the village homes with a long stick and a basket hanging on one end. As they approach a home, they will hold out the stick and shout 'lo ley lo ley' until the owners come out and place a hoentoe in the basket for each member of the group."

 

"Today, on the 29th day of the 10th month of the Bhutanese calendar, the people of Haa and Paro valleys celebrate lomba, their traditional New Year. For the Haap community, the hoentoe is an essential part of the festivities. This popular buckwheat dumpling is a steamed momo-like dish made from a mixture of dried spinach, turnip, and chili, prepared with fermented cheese and wrapped in dough made from buckwheat flour. The preparation of hoentoe, which is characterized by a distinct aroma, begins the day before the festival"

According to CNN Headline News, "December 12, 2012, or 12/12/12, is a date that you can't ignore. It's the last triple-digit date of the century. Couples around the world will flock to tie the knot, while others will look for a magic moment on this special date.

Join us in celebrating 12/12/12 by taking a photo of a dozen items arranged neatly. While it may seem a little silly, it's a fun and creative way to commemorate a date that might otherwise go unnoticed.

And, if you submit your photo, we might showcase it on CNN along with other top entries from around the world. So, take a moment to find 12 items to organize, grab your camera, and let's have some fun. Happy 12/12/12!"

Last year, 11-11-2011, we celebrated the birth anniversary of our beloved king, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck. I celebrated this special day within the circle of my heart and found it to be very joyful and enthralling. Such a day is unlikely to repeat in this generation, and therefore, it is a memory that I will cherish and keep in my diary of memorable events.

The National Day in Bhutan is celebrated on December 17th, and it is a moment of great joy for all Bhutanese, regardless of their location, occupation, or circumstances. This day must be celebrated with utmost enthusiasm and reverence as it is a time to pay homage and show gratitude to our forefathers who fought for the sovereignty and protection of our nation. Bhutan, although a small country situated between two larger ones, has amazed the world with its diverse culture, unique customs, moral values, beliefs, and traditional methods of societal progress, achieved within a short period of time.

The Bhutanese people pay homage to their hereditary kings for their unparalleled contributions towards positive transformation, which has resulted in Bhutan being widely regarded as a "Heaven on Earth".

The Paradoxical Age of Wisdom and Stupidity

The amalgamation of different emotions, such as happiness, shame, anxiety, pressure, struggles, grief, care, insincerity, dictatorship, and injustice, creates a captivating tapestry of life, interwoven with diverse creatures. However, the present era highlights the emergence of both wisdom and foolishness, which dominates the 21st century.

The Age of Wisdom

In this age of technological advancement and digitalization, people's lives have become much easier, with everything at their fingertips. No one is considered to be ignorant, innocent, or unaware due to the vast amount of information available. Everyone is navigating through the overwhelming abundance of information, knowledge, astuteness, and wisdom.

In the past, people struggled with a lack of information due to a lack of global connectivity. Communication had to be done through personal contact or written correspondence. Nowadays, people are facing the opposite problem of information overload. New information is constantly being generated, leading to confusion and overwhelm. However, the benefits of technological advancements are undeniable. Learning has become more accessible, food more delicious, sleep more comfortable, social interaction more global, travel more convenient, and darkness has been illuminated. Empowerment through information is now available to all.

The Age of Stupidity

The world has undergone a significant shift, where reality has been replaced by virtuality, practicality has given way to theory, sameness has been replaced with diversity, and kindness has been replaced by unkindness. People have become more impatient and rude, and individualism has replaced togetherness. The concept of love has transformed from being genuine and heartfelt to fake and insincere. The idea of true friendship has been replaced by virtual friendships, and the true essence of love has been replaced by superficiality and lip service.

Despite the advancements in technology and development, inequalities still exist between different groups such as the rich and poor, rural and urban, male and female, young and old, and leaders and servants. While technology has transformed the way we live, social interaction remains a fundamental part of human activity. However, the landscape of social interaction has changed, with virtual communities becoming more popular than actual ones. People spend hours in online chat rooms and neglect their actual friends, families, and children. Some even engage in online relationships while neglecting their spouses at home. This has widened the generation gap as younger generations adopt different lifestyles, fashion, customs, and beliefs from the older generations.

The 21st century has seen a significant shift in people's values and priorities. Many now place more importance on their virtual relationships and friends, often spending large sums of money on them, while neglecting their own families. This has led to a rise in social issues such as domestic violence, divorce, child abuse, drug addiction, suicide, and social isolationism. The traditional meaning of love has been replaced with a more superficial infatuation driven by sexual gratification and sensual pleasure, which is contributing to the erosion of healthy relationships and values.