Bhutan

We are all moving to Bhutan, baby. Why wouldn't we? Don't you want to go?

Bhutan. Located in South Asia, bordered by India and China. Bhutan has a measurement, an indicator, whatever you want to call it, called Gross National Happiness. Along with GDP and GNP and all those boring financial indicators, they have GNH. Imagine a country that cares about the happiness of its people. We have those golden words "the pursuit of happiness" written into the Declaration of Independence like they mean something, but they don't. What they mean is you have the right to pursue happiness in America but nobody is going to help or encourage you and,even worse, corporations and the government are going to go out of their way to make it difficult.

GNH is designed to measure quality of life and social progress within a holistic and psychological framework. Bhutan culture is based on Buddhist spiritual values. The theory behind GNH is that beneficial development of human society takes place when material and spiritual development occur side by side to complement and reinforce each other. The four pillars of GNH are -  the promotion of sustainable development; preservation and promotion of cultural values; conservation of the natural environment; and establishment of good governance.

This is enlightened thinking, the kind that communicates with the human soul, resonates with the human spirit. Never happen in this country because we have created a harsh society, a competitive society, a society designed to suck the life out of peoples' souls in order to keep them in line, keep them down, keep them producing, keep them docile, afraid, broken and defenseless.

We care nothing about the soul in this country, we don't take into consideration what it means to be human, spiritual development is laughed at. Quality of life in this country is measured by income and income only, and the irony is that the powers that be make damn sure that you are not getting ahead financially. I think it is a major source of frustration for humans that the things they really want, really need, have to be suppressed. Love, respect, happiness. We bury these needs deep because they make us vulnerable in this vulture oriented society. And we suffer because of it; they cannot be denied, only ignored.

Remember when you laughed at John and Yoko? Running around doing oddball things to promote peace. They didn't mind people laughing at them if there was a chance they could get people thinking about peace. Such a simple concept and one we long for but would never admit. We want peace with one another, we don't want to fight with co-workers, friends, and relatives. We want a peaceful life and we do want a peaceful world free of war. You can't admit it because you will get laughed at. Because everybody knows there will never be peace, in the world or in your life. This is the point humanity has degenerated to.

The Beatles said all you need is love. They were criticized for being simplistic. People want love, they need it, they long for it. They know deep down that if all humans loved one another life would truly be the celebration that it should be. But nobody will ever admit that it is as simple as that because they know it will never happen.

It would be nice to think that promoting peace, promoting love, promoting a concept like Gross National Happiness would help to break through the barriers we have built between our lives and who we truly are. Most people who have heard about Bhutan probably laugh about it. Like they laughed at John and Yoko. Like they laughed at The Beatles. But if you listen closely you'll notice that it's a nervous laugh. Because they want a world like this, they truly do, but they have to work so hard to cover up that fact.
When I heard about Bhutan I thought what a very cool country, what a very cool concept. I didn't laugh at all. Never entered my mind. It makes me feel good that a tiny country like that exists that is hopefully making the lives of it's people a little happier. A few people getting help to be happy in this nasty world is a good thing.
I know it won't spread. I know it won't change the world. I'm just hoping that it is changing the lives of the people who live there. That makes me feel good.

Another thought just popped into my head. All I want is some truth. Gimme some truth. John Lennon. A wickedly direct song about hungering for truth. If we could all live in truth maybe things could improve. The truth of needing to be loved, to give love, to be happy, to live in peace. Truth is anathema to the power brokers. Our lives, this country, are built on lies, deception, deceit, distortion. It will never change. I hate that.

The hell with it. I'm moving to Bhutan.