Prayer flags outside the Carpenters’ log house
Their knowledge on Bhutan’s culture could put the locals to shame. They have combed and trekked Bhutan 18 times in 11 years.
And this fall Russ and Blyth Carpenter from Oregon, United States, will be visiting Bhutan again to ‘focus on a Drukpa Kuenley project, and also understand the origins of Bhutan’s environment policyâ€.
| Home away home? A bout 30 miles away from Eugene city, amidst the woods of Douglas fir forest and the bank of River McKenzie, is a log-house that houses Buddhism. Visitors are greeted by a lu shrine, (small stupa constructed as a dedication to mermaid) and three prayer flags.“We brought a lubum (inner relic or sanctum), consecrated by a revered saint from eastern Bhutan, and placed inside the lu shrine,†said Russ, who added that, to construct the right size and design, they photographed a lu shrine in Bhutan and brought it to Oregon. “We hired a stone mason, who first made a model from wood and then used the model to build stone shrine beside the pond,†he said. It was constructed in 2005. About 10 years ago they erected three wooden poles prayer flags. It lasted only for a few years. “We replaced them with the aluminum poles, but the wooden poles reminded us of principle of impermanence,†said Russ. The log house also houses religious items like dung (horn), nga and trangti (drum), dranyen (guitar), kuthangs (scrolled) and handicrafts. “All these items were given to us as gifts by our Bhutanese friends and well wishers,†said Blyth Carpenter. They don’t however practise rituals or meditation. “We just want to study Buddhism,†she told Kuensel. The compound bow and arrows, which Russ had brought from Bhutan in early 2000, are also kept in a safe place. Russ had participated in archery tournaments in Paro, Thimphu and Mongar, where he hit 27 kareys in one day. “I was playing for Tangmachu |
The 68-year old couple has listed 51 places in Bhutan visited by Drukpa Kuenley in the 16th century when he came from Ralung in Tibet.
As a part of their study, they will go on a pilgrimage to retrace the steps of Drukpa Kuenley, starting from Kharchu (pass between Tibet and Bumthang) to Chandanang under Toebi gewog in Punakha, where Drukpa Kuenley’s arrow is supposed to have landed for his final destination.
“We want to work on a Drukpa Kuenley project because he clearly represents Bhutanese culture,†Russ told Kuensel. “We want to get more vivid understanding of his teachings by retracing his steps.â€
Russ said that he had read Drukpa Kuenley’s book “The Divine Madman†by Keith Dowman, and it would be a wonderful opportunity for them to publish a new book that interprets the world of Drukpa Kuenley.
Drukpa Kuenley (1455-1570) is remembered for the outrageous nature of his teachings, which were administered in the most unexpected ways, often with strong sexual connotations. It was because of this style that he was fondly named by his devotees as “The Divine Madmanâ€.
The other area of interest for the couple is to study the impact of the enlightened leadership of the monarchs and the impact of Bhutan’s religious tradition. “In your culture, your citizens were constantly aware of the relationship with the earth. For example, you understand the spiritual elements in the mountains, the rocks, the lakes, end even in the air,†said Russ. “In our culture, although many people love environment, they don’t sense the spiritual element of the environment.â€
What drew them to Bhutan? “We chose Bhutan because we wanted to study Buddhism and look for opportunities to contribute to public services,†said the couple, who followed Buddhism at the age of 20 when they were in college.
Their connection with Bhutan began with a trek and cultural tour in 1996. “On the last day of our first trip we volunteered to return and contribute public services and at the same time to study Bhutan’s unique culture and religion,†said Blyth Carpenter. She added that they made an agreement that when they reached the age of 50, they would stop their job and switch over to public service and work with same energy they had in their old job. Russ worked as a business attorney and management consultant, while Blyth was a teacher of Asian history in California.
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| The Carpenters |
Since then, they returned to Bhutan many times and quickly expanded into public services projects, ranging from assisting a desktop publishing for Druk Sherig press, and serving as the internet publishers for the Centre for Bhutan Studies, to promoting silk and wool textiles, and managing the construction and installation of radio communication system for 100 remote villages. They also led eight tours to Bhutan focusing on the remarkable culture and historical sites.
In 2002, they published a book titled “The Blessings of Bhutanâ€, based on extensive travel and interviews. Written in an accessible style, they blend narrative about Bhutan’s history, religion, arts, and governance with lively personal anecdotes. They donated their book to the university of Hawai.
After 18 visits to Bhutan, the main thing comes to their mind, according to Blyth, is the personal characteristic of the Bhutanese people, who are very thoughtful, have a great sense of humour, and honest. “We always hope to find new reasons to return to Bhutan,†she said. Source: Kuenselonline
