“Give me one moment in time,” sang the late Whitney Houston – a song that reminds us of courage, pain, resilience, and finally the self-actualisation in one singular moment that would redefine us. The raising of the 108 stupas is that one moment in time for us, the Bhutanese people, and the culmination of courage and commitment and of confidence and a common purpose.
For many the 108 stupas project is a world record or a historic feat that parallels other religious monuments, such as the 108 temples in a single day by Dharma King Songsen Gonpo in the seventh century. For me it is a moment in time when we responded to the call of our king.
Not that it was anything easy either – especially at a time when the country is still reeling from the aftermath of the devastating pandemic, and where there is so much hopelessness in the world that is overwhelmed by factionalism and nationalism spurred by the economic downturn.
When I first heard of the idea of 108 stupas in one day, I was like, “Why not?” It was the best thing that could happen in our lifetime. Something like this was also necessary to give hope tohumanity while also boosting the much-needed confidence among the Bhutanese people against any misgivings around the Mindfulness City vision.
A dream. A heartbeat away.
The lyrics of Whitney’s song continue with,
“When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away
And the answers are all up to me.”
Ordinary people read history, but the extraordinary ones create and rewrite them, because every dream is just a heartbeat away for the courageous. And that courage was again displayed by our king, like all our previous kings who mounted many impossible missions. Adding to courage was compassion – cycling towards each of the 108 teams, checking on people and telling them to cover them from the sun. It was simply a teary moment too for us as Bhutanese.
And then, there was the call for people to witness that moment – to be part of, to volunteer to build them, or to simply come together in solidarity beside the river while the 108 Stupas were being raised. And in response almost a third of the country’s population turned up – making it perhaps the biggest gathering of the Bhutanese in one place ever.
As the prayers of a quarter million people resonated across the southern foothills and the plains of Gelephu and beyond, there was one moment that froze the time. It was when the golden pinnacle and the structure of the first of the 108 stupas showed up on the other side of the river. That moment will be etched in every heart of the Bhutanese and the foreign guests present at the event.
What was even more amazing was that it was raised through the raw strength of the Bhutanese men. There were no construction cranes or no hydraulic lifts to push up the heavy metal frames and the golden pinnacle of the stupa.
Feeling it up close.
On the day that the monument was opened to public viewing, I joined thousands of people to first take a bird’s-eye view from Aislip. On one hand it felt surreal, and on the other, I was in total awe.
I then drove down, and after taking a close look at one, I gave myself a moment to absorb the blessings and the energy by prostrating three times and sitting in silence to acknowledge everyone for making this happen – our King for having the vision and the courage, the hundreds of generous donors who put forward the resources, the thousands of volunteers who were trained for a few months, and the two hundred thousand Bhutanese who showed up in complete solidarity and togetherness.
While some external assistance was necessary, it was the inner strength and unity that were the main ingredients for this success. And only one person to be grateful for.
Almost every person who volunteered, and every Bhutanese who made the journey to Gelephu for the event I talked to, said, “I was drawn here by, and for our King.” My hopes and prayers at the 108 stupas were that the love and bond between the king and people endure for all time to come.
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
(Not written with AI 😁😁😁)
