Why Bhutan is called as the land of "Thunderbolt"
From wikiWHYfiles
[edit] Inroductory Note
The name Bhutan appears to drive from the ancient Indian Bhotanta which means end of the land of the Bhots.Bhot was the Sanskrit for Tibetans,thus Bhutan could mean the end of the land of Tibet. It could also extend from the Sanskrit word Bhu’uttan or high land.No one seens to be sure.Ancient Tibetan writes called their fertile neighbour Lho Mon on Mon Yul, paradish of the South or Land of the Monps. The Bhutanese themselves refer to their country as Druk Yul or the Land of the peaceful Dragon. Druk meaning dragon and extending from the predominant Drukpa school of Tibetan Buddhism.Bhutan’s history parallels Buddhism’s following in the Himalayas and to properly understand Bhuttan’s history one also needs to understand religion.
Mystery surrounds Bhutan’s distant past,as books and papers were and at lost in consecutive fires at the national printing works and at punakaha Dzong in 1828 and 1832.And then a massive earthquake in 1896 and a fire in paro Dzong destroyed all but a few of the records that outlasted the first disasters. Despite these setbacks, enough reliable information has been recorded to piece together a history which sets apart this small kingdom from others in its vicinity.
[edit] Reason
- Thunderbolt (Vajra) or Dorji (also known in Bhutan) is employed by Tantric Buddhism to dispel evil forces from the sacrificial enclosure, and hence came to symbolize spiritual forces and firmness of spirit. It also symbolizes the victorious power of knowledge over ignorance, of spirit over the passions; “the vajra symbolizes knowledge as the lotus flower symbolizes innate reason.” The thunderbolt is considered to annihilate spiritual poisons and to be an effective weapon against evil thoughts and desires.
- Bells are often in opposition or as a complement to the vajras in the representations of the esoteric deities. Like vajra it also serves as a ritual instrument. The bell symbolizes sound, the creative word; the vibration generated by the repetition of a mantra and thus has a creative, innovative function. It is also intended to call hearts to the awakening.When vajra and bell are combined, they represent the two great mandalas, the Vajradhatu and Garbhadhatu Mandalas. Since the sounds is generally very brief, the bell, through its tinkling, represents that everything is of short duration, that all is fleeting. The thunderbolt represents the masculine principles and the bell the feminine principles.
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- Bhutan is one of the only countries which has been independent throughout its history, never conquered, occupied, or governed by an outside power. Although there has been speculation that it was under the Kamarupa Kingdom or the Tibetan Empire in the 7th to 9th centuries, firm evidence is lacking. From the time historical records are clear, Bhutan has continuously and successfully defended its sovereignty.
- In 1907, Ugyen Wangchuck was elected as the hereditary ruler of Bhutan, crowned on December 17, 1907, and installed as the head of state Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King). In 1910, King Ugyen and the British signed the Treaty of Punakha which provided that British India would not interfere in the internal affairs of Bhutan if the country accepted external advice in its external relations. When Ugyen Wangchuck died in 1926, his son Jigme Wangchuck became the next ruler, and when India gained independence in 1947, the new Indian Government recognized Bhutan as an independent country. In 1949, India and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, which provided that India would not interfere in Bhutan's internal affairs but would be guided by India in its foreign policy. Succeeded in 1952 by his son Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, Bhutan began to slowly emerge from its isolation and began a program of planned development. Bhutan became a member of the United Nations in 1971, and the National Assembly was established and a new code of law, as well as the Royal Bhutanese Army and the High Court.
- The origin of Bhutan and its earlier history is unknown. Guru Padma Sambhava, an Indian saint made his legendary trip from Tibet to Bhutan at the end of eighth century.
- Known history of Bhutan commences with the arrival of Buddhism in the country. People of Bhutan followed Shaman traditions before advent of Buddhism. Padmasambhava, who became popular as Guru Rimpoche, is credited with bringing Buddhism to Bhutan. Between 8th and 17th century AD, several Buddhist monks arrived in Bhutan from Tibet and its birthplace India. The religion played an important role in bringing the people of the country together.
