Travel to the Kingdom of Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon, with Bryan Phillips, Ph.D. in Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies. Experience for yourself the last Himalayan Buddhist kingdom, where Gross National Happiness is encouraged by royal mandate. See spectacular monastic fortresses (dzong), gravity-defying temples and monasteries, and the living transmission of traditional arts education while staying in well appointed hotels in lovely natural surroundings. Celebrate with the locals their annual rites of purification and renewal in this unrivalled Asian paradise. Transport both body and mind!
Morning meditation practices are offered, but optional. Travel will be in comfortable sport utility vehicles or minibus. Total participants limited to 14.
Cliffside Monastery, Paro
Day 1 October 18: Arrive Paro, Explore
Overnight Paro
Look out the window on your flight into Bhutan and you will see the majesty of the mighty Himalayas. After a spiraling descent into the Paro Valley (2,280m), Amitabha will be there to greet you on arrival at Paro Airport. Drive to your hotel and freshen up before exploring the Paro valley. After lunch, we will take you sightseeing to some of the following places of historical importance:
Paro Dzong
tanding high over Paro valley, this fortress is a landmark in Bhutan. In 1644, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal initiated construction of this massive temple-fortress on the foundation of a monastery earlier built by Guru Rinpoche.
National Museum
The museum provides an excellent overview of Bhutanese history and culture. Shaped like a conch shell, it was completed in 1656. The museum holds the largest collection of artifacts, textiles and antiques in Bhutan.
Dungtse Lhakhang
This temple was built in 1433 by iron bridge builder, Drubthob Thangtong Gyalpo. The three floors represent hell, earth and heaven.
Kichu Lhakhang
This temple was built in 659 by decree of King Songtsen Gampo of Tibet. It holds down the left foot of an ogress whose body covers Bhutan and most of Eastern Tibet. This temple is one of the most ancient spiritual places in Bhutan..
Bhutanese Textiles
Day 2 October 19: Drive to Thimphu, Explore
Overnight Thimphu
After breakfast, we drive 2 hours to Thimphu (2,320m), the capital city of Bhutan. On the way to Thimphu, on the opposite side of the river, you will see a temple owned by the descendants of Drubthob Thangtong Gyalpo (the iron bridge builder). He was responsible for building numerous iron bridges throughout Bhutan.
After lunch visit some of the capital's attractions, according to the group's interests, or have your own time to explore the bustling downtown.
National Institute of Zorig Chusum
This institute was established to preserve and teach the 13 traditional arts in Bhutan, including painting, woodcarving and sculpting, etc.
National Institute of Traditional Medicine
Established in 1988, traditional herbal medicines are prepared here and distributed nationwide. There is a daily clinic where doctors diagnose patients and prescribe appropriate traditional medicine or treatments.
National Textile Museum
Opened in June 2001, this facility is worth a leisurely visit to get to know the living national art of weaving. Changing exhibitions introduce the major weaving techniques, styles of local dress and textiles woven by women and men.
Changangkha Lhakhang
perched on a ridge above Thimphu valley, this temple and monastic school was established in the 12th century on a site chosen by Lama Phajo Drukgom Shigpo, who came from Ralung, Tibet. The central statue is Chenrezi, an 11-headed manifestation of Avalokiteshvara.
Trashichodzong
located on the banks of the Wang Chu (river) is Bhutan's administrative and religious centre. It houses the throne room of His Majesty the King of Bhutan, government ministries, the nation's largest monastery and headquarters of His Holiness the Je Khenpo (the chief abbot) and the central monk body.
Memorial Chorten
Located in the heart of Thimphu, this most famous chorten was built in 1974 in memory of the third King of Bhutan, His Majesty King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. The deities depicted inside are of the Nyingmapa tradition of Buddhism and the teachings of Vajrayana (Tantric) Buddhism. It is a nice place to join the locals for circumambulation in the late afternoon.
Sakyamuni Buddha structure:
A project of the Dordenma organization.
Punakha
Day 3 October 20: Drive to Punakha, Explore
Overnight Punhakha
After breakfast in Thimphu, drive over the high Dochula pass (3,140m/10,205ft) marked by a large array of prayer flags and 108 Druk Wangyel Chortens. We'll get a view of the massive Himalayan chain of peaks that makes up Bhutan's northern border with Tibet. On top of Dochula Pass on the way to the town of Punakha we will stop and hang prayer flags. After hanging our prayer flags in the sea of fluttering flags on the summit of the pass, we drive down into the green valley of Punakha (1,250m).
Punakha Dzong
The site of this massive and stunning fortress was foretold by Guru Rinpoche. He predicted that “a person named Namgyal will arrive at a hill that looks like an Elephant.” Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal visited Punakha and chose the tip of the trunk of the sleeping elephant, at the confluence of the Mo Chu (Female River) and Pho Chu (Male River), as the place to build the dzong. It was named "Pungthang Dechen Phodrang" (Palace of Great Happiness). This was the former capital of Bhutan and is also the winter residence of the central monk body. The dzong contains the most visually stunning temples in all of Bhutan.
Trongsa
Day 4 October 21: Drive to Trongsa, Explore
Overnight Trongsa
The approach to the town of Trongsa involves a trip around Trongsa valley. A vantage point from the opposite side of the valley, still 14 kms from Trongsa, provides an exciting view of the dzong and the town. The secular and religious center, the dzong, dominates the valley, dwarfing the surrounding buildings. The royal family's ancestral home is Trongsa. Both his majesty king Ugyen Wangchuk, the Penlop of Trongsa, who was elected the country's first hereditary monarch, and his successor king Jigme Wangchuk, ruled the country from Trongsa's ancient dzong. The crown prince of Bhutan normally holds the position of the Trongsa Penlop prior to the ascending to the throne - the present king continued this tradition as he was appointed Trongsa Penlop before he ascended the Throne of Bhutan in 2008. Trongsa Dzong is an impregnable fortress. The Dzong itself is a labyrinth of temples, corridors and offices holding court over the local community. It is built on many levels into the side of the hill and can be seen from every approach to Trongsa, heralding its strength as a defensive stronghold. Trongsa can also be a good shopping stop. The local population weaves its own textiles from hand-dyed wool and the Tibetan-origin Bhutanese shopkeepers sell them at more competitive prices than those found in Thimphu. They also sell machine woven carpets in the traditional style.
Jambey Lhakhang, Bumthang
Day 5 October 22: Drive to Bumthang Valley, Explore
Overnight Jakar
The Bumthang valley lies at an altitude of 2600 metres. This valley is the religious heartland of Bhutan and home to some of the oldest Buddhist temples. Tales of Guru Padmasambhava and his reincarnates, known as Lingpas, still linger around Bumthang. Legend has it that when the Lamas assembled to decide on a site for Jakar Dzong, a big white bird rose suddenly in the air and settled on a spur of the hill and it was here that the “Castle of the White Bird” was built. The building itself is surrounded with an impressive wall approximately one mile in circumference, while at its center a tower soars nearly 150 feet into the air.
Jakar Dzong
Constructed in 1549 by the great grandfather of the first Shabdrung, the dzong was initially built as a monastery. It was upgraded in 1646, after the Shabdrung had firmly established his power. Jakar Dzong is now used as the administrative center for Bumthang valley, and also houses the regional monk body.
Kurje Lhakhang
Located further along the valley, Kurje Lhakhang comprises three temples. The one on the right was built in 1652 against the rock face where Guru Padmasambhava meditated in the 8th century. The middle temple is built on the site of a cave containing a rock with the imprint of the Guru’s body, and is therefore considered to be the most holy. The temple on the left was built in the 1990s by H.M. Ashi Kesang, the Queen Mother. These three temples are surrounded by 108 chorten walls.
Tamshing Lhakhang
Located across the river from Kurje Lhakhang, this temple was founded in 1501 by Terton Pema Lingpa, a re-incarnation of Guru Padmasambhava. There are very old religious paintings around the inner walls of the temple, which was restored at the end of the 19th century.
Mebartsho
Day 6 October 23: Full day in Bumthang: Mebartsho, Temples, Hike
Overnight Jakar
Mebartsho (“The Flaming Lake”)
is where Pema Lingpa found treasures hidden by Guru Rinpoche and thus became a terton (a discover of religious treasure). One day in the year 1475, when Pema Lingpa went to look for mushrooms in the forest, he met a stranger who said he had come to meet him, and gave him a scroll and disappeared. The scroll indicated that Pema Lingpa should go and fetch religious treasures hidden in the rock. So Pema Lingpa headed for the gorge, accompanied by his friends. Before arriving there, Pema Lingpa began to behave strangely. He then plunged into the river, retrieving a book from the watery depths. In the autumn of that same year, Pema Lingpa returned to the gorge and, in the presence of the large number of skeptical people, stood at edge of the river with a lighted lamp in his hand. He then spoke to them, saying, “If I am a charlatan, let me die! If I am the spiritual son of Guru Rinpoche, let this lamp not go out and let me find religious treasure!” With that he plunged into the river and came out with a statue of Lord Buddha and a skull sealed full of miraculous substances. And the lamp was still burning! This is the origin of how the place got the name Mebartsho.
Day 7 October 24: Jambay Lhakhang Drup
Overnight Jakar
Today and tomorrow we while attend a traditional Bhutanese festival, with masked dances and festive gatherings, at Jambey Lhakhang. This monastery was built in the 7th century by the Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo. It is another one of 108 monasteries he built to subdue evil spirits in the Himalayan region. Its present architectural appearance dates from the early 20th century.
It may also be possible to attend some of the Tsechu at the Prakhar monastery back to the east of Jakar. It was built at a residence for one of terton Pemalingpa’s sons. The monastery of Nimalung is a short walk away.
Guru Rinpoche
Day 8 October 25: Jambay Lhakhang Drup
Overnight Jakar
Another full day in Bumthang to enjoy the festivals.
Day 9 October 26: Return to Punakha
Overnight Punakha
Day 10 October 27: Return to Paro
Overnight Paro
Takstang
Day 11 October 28: Takstang
Overnight Paro
Taktsang is one of the holiest places in Bhutan. The monastery is perched on a high granite cliff overlooking the northern Paro valley. This place is especially venerated because of its association with Guru Rinpoche, who is said to have flown to Paro Taktsang in the form of Dorje Drolo, mounted on a flaming dakini-tigress, in the year 747 A.D.
Celebration Dinner
Day 12 October 29
Morning departure from Paro
Bryan Phillips teaches in the Department of Religious Studies and the School for Continuing & Professional Studies at the University of Virginia. He holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in world religions from Harvard Divinity School. He makes regular research trips to the Kingdom of Bhutan. Previously, he has taught courses on Asian Religions, Buddhism, Tantra, Tibetan Culture & Philosophy, and Buddhist Meditation at the University of Virginia.
October 18, 2010 - October 29, 2010
US $4995
This includes lodging, most meals, transportation and guides, entrance fees for monasteries and festivals, morning meditation program, and visa. Does NOT include international airfare to Paro, Bhutan, trip insurance, alcoholic and extra beverages, personal services, etc.
