As I have written here before, the country of Bhutan adopted the principle of Gross National Happiness as both a product and a goal for the country. The idea is a radical one and originated with the 4th King of Bhutan (the Druk Gyalpo). The origins of the idea and how it developed can be found here: http://www.kuenselonline.com/the-origins-of-gnh/.
The Centre for Bhutan Studies sponsors conferences and speakers to further research on Bhutan, GNH, and Vajrayana Buddhism. My travels to Bhutan this summer (graciously supported by a partial grant from Sandia Preparatory School), include a conference on the influence of Vajrayana Buddhism on Science, Medicine, Culture, and even History. My participation in this conference coincides with my work on teaching and mindfulness in the classroom, as well as ways to incorporate cultural studies in the Modern World History and Global Studies program at Sandia Prep.
In addition, I will have the chance, courtesy of the Bhutan Tourism Bureau, to visit a number of cultural and historical sites for the upcoming student trip in June 2017. Our plan is to investigate the availability of home stays in Bhutan and to continue creating deeper connections with the people and places in this remarkable country. With the help of my friend and expert guide Namgay and his company Illuminating Tours http://www.illuminatingtoursbhutan.com, we will scout out the perfect trip for our students.
I will keep the blog updated, refreshed and hopefully interesting for those out there who read this kind of information. Details about the conference and sessions will be posted here each night (between July 1st and 3rd, as well as information about the future trip and new sites we plan to visit.
If you have read this far, wonderful…..be well, my friends.
gentryfunkblog 