Bhutan
Our story with Bhutan
Ja’gyür and I are a married couple ordained in a non-monastic yogic Buddhist lineage that has its roots in the Himalayan countries of Tibet and Bhutan. We have been practising Vajrayana Buddhism since the 1990s, both in the same tradition, but Jagyür in Sweden and myself in the United Kingdom. In 2015 Ja’gyür moved to the UK to join me in teaching and studying.
It was also in 2015 that we first met Dr Ian Baker when we visited the Tibet’s Secret Temple Exhibition at the Wellcome Collection in London.
This exhibition was in part curated under the patronage of the Bhutanese royal family and it’s where our Bhutan story begins as Ian extended an invitation to speak at the first International Vajrayana Conference to be held in Thimphu in June 2016.
Our love affair with Bhutan began on this first visit, before we even landed in the country in fact as we avidly read the Druk Air inflight magazine. Although Buddhism is the religion of seven countries in Asia, Bhutan is the sole remaining country where the Vajrayana form of Buddhism is the state religion. That first inflight magazine contained articles on Vajrayana and for us it was like coming home.
That feeling of coming home, and of falling in love with the land and its people has never left us. That first visit remains one of the most important events of our lives as it set us on a course of a deepening connection and affection for everything Bhutanese.
2016 - Our first visit
We spoke on the first morning of the Tradition and Innovation in Vajrayana Buddhism - A Mandala of 21st Century Perspectives and over the ensuing days we enjoyed the presentations of the other speakers and the opportunity to meet many great academics and practitioners. Our paper was entitled “When a Return to Tradition Appears as Innovation“ and was later published in the book from the conference and online.
We met the current Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay at the inaugural dinner of the conference and were particularly fortunate in meeting Dr Tashi Zangmo.
Our conference visa allowed for a few days in the country after the conference concluded and we were lucky enough to be put in touch with Mr Karma Namgay from Mercury Bhutan Travel. Mr Karma immediately understood that our primary interest in the country was as pilgrims and practitioners and he set about ensuring we got to visit sites of particular practice interest for Vajrayana Buddhists.
This was the beginning of our connection with Mr Karma and Mercury Bhutan Travel – a relationship which has flourished over the years as they have become our partners in bringing groups to this extraordinary country.
In those few days after the first conference we packed in visits to sites in the valleys of Thimphu, Paro and Punakha.
2017 - Our first tour
When we left Bhutan in 2016 we knew that we would be back and with the help of Mercury Bhutan Travel we started organising our first group visit for the autumn of 2017. This would be a group of 25 international visitors primarily from Europe and North America and in April 2017 Mé-tsal visited with her adult son to finalise details of the impending pilgrimage.
This wonderful trip in autumn 2017 saw the whole group falling in love with Bhutan, and many of them have returned to the country on subsequent visits. We spent the weeks of this trip in Paro, Thimphu, Punakha and also Bumthang.
Just one of the many highlights of this trip was making a mandala offering during the great wang with the His Holiness Trulku Jigme Choedra, the 70th Je Khenpo of Bhutan at the remarkable Buddha Dordenma Statue at Buddha Point.
2018 - Second International Conference on Vajrayāna Buddhism, and our second tour
In the spring of 2018 we were again invited to speak at the Second International Conference on Vajrayāna Buddhism. Our presentation was on The History & Practice of Vajra Romance Relationships & Vajrayana Principles.
Again we made use of the days after the conference to spend time with Mr Karma at Mercury Bhutan Travel forging plans for our next pilgrimage group later in the year.
In the autumn of 2018 we brought a group of 20 visitors on a tour of Paro, Thimphu, Bumthang and Punakha.
The highlight of this tour was visiting Tang Monastery in Bumthang and taking part in the Ling Gesar dance.
2019 - Third International Vajrayana Conference and coming back with Ngak'chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen
In the spring of 2019 we were again selected to speak at the Third International Vajrayana Conference in Thimphu this time on Moving Being: History and Practice of Physical Exercise Systems from the Three Series of Dzogchen.
This time Ja’gyür and I stayed on after the conference to plan for a large and important group tour in the autumn.
With Mr Karma and Mercury Bhutan Travel we were able to extend our travel out East and visit Takila, Trashigang and Bartsham.
In October 2019 our pilgrimage tour was for an international group which included the Buddhist teachers and authors Ngak’chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen.
The itinerary for this tour included a few days in the east of Bhutan staying at Chador Lhakhang in Bartsham.
Other highlights of this trip were camping above Taktsang at Bumdrak and visiting Chumpu Ney.
2020 - 2022 - The Covid years
Although we had tours planned and booked for 2020 and 2021 they had to be postponed due to the restrictions of the pandemic but in 2022 as the country opened up to visitors, the 4th International Conference on Vajrayana Buddhism in Bhutan was held.
Mé-tsal was again invited to speak, this time on Promise and Process: contemporary application of Tantric Samayas.
2024 - Back to Bhutan to plan the next pilgrimage
We visited Bhutan for a week to spend time with Mr Karma and to prepare for our next international group tour which will be happening in November 2025 when we shall be visiting Paro, Thimphu, and Bumthang for the annual Ling Gésar cham at Tang Monastery.
We also continue to work with our partners Mercury BT to organise small group tours for individuals and couples.