A piece of memory from the Blessed Rainy Day 2016

As Bhutan observed Thrue-bab or the Blessed Rainy Day yesterday, three of my visually impaired friends and their families joined me at my house for a simple meal. Keeping in mind the spiritual significance of the day, we all chose to have a simple vegetarian meal to join the nation in observing this year’s Thrue-bab. Although the Blessed Rainy Day is traditionally supposed to be a feasting day for the common people as it marks the end of the farming season and the beginning of the harvesting season, it is also believed to be an auspicious and holy occasion for Buddhists. On this day, it is believed that the rain will be blest with elixir and has the supernatural power to cleanse all our sins and bad karma if we take bath during the most auspicious hour specified by renowned astrologers. So since it is a holy occasion, even those friends of mine who were not vegetarians agreed to stay clean for at least this Thrue-bab yesterday.

How can we ensure free and fair election if we don't know ourcandidates?

As Bhutan gears up for the second Local Government Elections, those of us who have registered for postal ballots are having a tough time to decide our vote for the right candidate. In the absence of live coverage of the campaigns and public common forums on BBS Television and other mainstream media, it has been difficult for those of us who have been away from our villages for a while to personally know our candidates and understand their commitments for our communities. I am just wondering why the mainstream media are not giving as much importance to the local government elections as they usually give to the parliamentary elections. Since each vote can make a difference, it is important for us to have access to how each candidate in our Gewog/Chiwog is campaigning and what kind of future he/she is promising for our parents, grandparents and relatives in the village. This would also ensure fairer elections since we would be able to choose the right candidate for the right post without having to consult someone in the village.

Beware of internet hoaxes

Over the past few years, the internet has been flooded with various hoaxes that can be easily construed as true by gullible readers. In the modern era of information overload, it is increasingly becoming difficult for us to sort out the fake information from the hoaxes. Most of the internet hoaxes appearing on social media come from the fake or satirical news sites. The hoax sites usually do offer a disclaimer to indicate that the stories they publish are not to be taken seriously, and hence, it is very important to check out the disclaimer notes of the specific web site to determine the authenticity of the stories.

Trying to turn a new leaf in life

It has been almost one year since I seriously started considering to redefine my spiritual path. My religious root has been quite complicated. I was born Hindu but grew up in a Christian family. My uncle and his family had already been devout Christians when my father joined them in late 1990 after he suffered a stroke and became partially disabled. So with the hope of getting rid of his disability, he decided to turn to Jesus Christ for solace and blessings. When I joined them later, I was also persuaded to attend the church and join their congregation for prayers. I was told that I could regain my sight if I truly believed in the supernatural powers of Jesus Christ. So I also started going to the church and prayed with others. But the moment I was back in the school in Khaling, I forgot everything and attended the daily Buddhist prayers with the same kind of devotion and belief. So I think I should say that during the school days, I was a Buddhist and during the winter vacations, I was a Christian.