As the Dragon King bid farewell to the Land of Kangaroos, thousands of Bhutanese diasporas were left in tears. The much-anticipated royal audience came to an end swiftly, like a short, sweet dream! It was a moment filled with joy and tears. Moments come and go; memories remain indelible in our hearts—the words and wisdom, the dreams and aspirations.

While the insights from the royal address are vast like an ocean, there is still a fair share of food for thought that we can carry on with us. As Bhutanese, our core values of tha-dam-tse (མཐའ་དམ་ཚིག) and lay-ju-dey (ལས་རྒྱུ་འབྲས), the preservation and promotion of our unique culture and traditions, and our contributions to nation-building are among them.

The Bhutanese Values

Tha-Dam-Tse refers to loyalty, integrity, and honouring sacred commitments to others or the nation, emphasising sincerity and respect in fulfilling one’s duties. The dam-tse between the king and the people, parents and children, teachers and students, superiors and subordinates, and so on, is deeply rooted in the bloodline of the Bhutanese, irrespective of where they reside. The recent royal visit to Australia and the limitless happiness among Bhutanese residing here testify to the unbreakable dam-tse between the king and the people.

Similarly, lay-ju-dey is the law of cause and effect, stressing that actions have consequences. Throughout generations, these values have guided the thoughts, speech, and deeds of drukpas. They form a crucial part of our moral and ethical foundation, making them invaluable.

Unfortunately, for children born and raised in western societies like Australia, there is a notable disconnect from our core values. The experience of our timeless values, unique culture and traditions, faith in the triple gem (དཀོན་མཆོག་གསུམ), and driglam namzha (Bhutan’s Code of Etiquette) is few and far between. They eat far more burgers than emadatse, wear pants and skirts than gho or kira, and communicate primarily in English rather than Dzongkha.

But this is not the end of the world. As Bhutanese parents living abroad, we have even greater responsibility to pass down these values to our children. Being Bhutanese begins with zacha drosum (བཟའ་བཅའ་འགྲོ་གསུམ)—the manners of eating, chewing, and walking at home. Small actions, like having meals together and keeping up with Dzongkha news bulletin as much as possible can make a significant difference. Additionally, ensuring that children attend community functions and religious programs helps them stay connected with Bhutanese traditions.

Gelephu

Mindfulness City

The Gelephu Mindfulness City is an embodiment of His Majesty’s boundless love and care for his people. It is a vision that will serve as a gateway, connecting Bhutan to the world and the future. It represents a dream, a hope, and an aspiration. It is a place and path for Bhutanese diasporas who have yet to find their way back home. Not long from now, when the sun shines brighter over the southern foothills, we too can return to the place where we belong to. We can contribute significantly to building this nation—a better place to think about and live in.

As His Majesty has repeatedly mentioned in his addresses, our time in countries like Australia is one of the greatest forms of investment. The skills we gain, ranging from a janitor to a senator, will become invaluable back home. For cities like Gelephu, we need technology skills, business and management skills, creative skills, healthcare expertise, educational skills, and more. As we work and study in some of the top cities in the world, we must seize this opportunity to acquire as many skills as possible. Taking back a skill that is in demand in Bhutan today and for the future is one of the best ways to serve the tsa-wa-sum (རྩ་བ་གསུམ་) – the King, the country, and the people.

Moreover, people like us (working in foreign countries) can help maintain foreign currency reserves. For a landlocked country like Bhutan, which has unique economic circumstances and relies heavily on imports, foreign currency reserves are extremely important. This has become even more crucial for Bhutan with projects like the GMC. While the government and citizens work tirelessly to acquire foreign currency, we can contribute by sending remittances whenever possible. For us, it may feel like merely shifting money from one hand to the other, but back home, it makes a world of difference. In the grand scheme of things, every little bit helps, and we can play our part in making ends meet.

In addition, with the development of GMC, many investment opportunities are emerging. Discussions are underway regarding the Druk Green Power Corporation Limited bonds and hydroelectricity shares.

As the vision of His Majesty transforms into reality, if we have even a penny to invest, let’s do it back home. Let us be a part of this progress.

All in all, while we are away from our motherland, let us never lose sight of our Bhutanese identity. Let us raise our children to be proud Bhutanese. One day, when we are ready to return home, let us do so as Bhutanese, carrying the torch of our core values of tha-dam-tse and lay-ju-dey. Let us do our part in building our nation. May we never again have to witness the pain of tears in His Majesty’s eyes!

Sangay Phuntsho Brisbane, Australia