The Latest Photos of My SON PEMA NIDUP at Thimphu recently

Words Fail Me

There are many speculative things that come to mind— Both for and against this life we lead. This is my short attempt at absolution about the future, And why I believe such a pain in the neck Is extremely likely.

 

I am looking at the voidness of the blue sky,
Wondering what our lives will be,

The clouded day high above
was nothing but space-
What future might I see?

Today will become Someday,

But that someday will be shoddier,

Worse than today’s abandonment.
I don’t think it will be caring,

I don’t think it will be loving.

Greed blinds the truth,

Wisdom is blinded by the willfulness of self.
Prayers are whispered for easy money.
Respect bleeds dry,
Love grows wary without money.


Our best will be valued only by Yama,

The lotd of death.I hope these answers are affirmative,
For then I know that we will see
A future filled with affliction-
One tgat should not be.

Now I hate how long it took to see
That life's joy is a closed book to me.

It is filled with hatred and spite.
All I've to say is: "spit!"

Bhutanese dance ....Boedra 2016...pema Tashi

Je Khenpo and the Blessing

Gedu Moelam Choemo

“To be blessed” means to be favored by God. Blessings, therefore, are directly associated with God and originate from the divine. In many spiritual traditions, a blessing is not merely a kind wish but a powerful transmission of grace that can purify the soul, heal the body, and restore spiritual balance.

A blessing is essential for removing negative influences from our souls and bodies. We live immersed in a culture saturated with negative attitudes, offensive language, violence, and insolence. The very air we breathe—shaped by the environment we inhabit and the judgments others cast upon us—can make us feel cursed or perpetually anxious that something will go wrong. False judgments against us function like actual curses; they can erode our health, weaken our immune systems, and even manifest as chronic fatigue or illness. The potentially devastating physical effects on people living under persistent false judgments are extraordinary.

Moreover, we are not only burdened by the judgments of others but also tend to harshly judge ourselves. When self-criticism becomes excessive, we must recognize it as a form of self-curse and break it with the authority of God. So when you consider how many people are bound by external and internal judgments, it becomes painfully clear how desperately we all need blessings. This is precisely what any lama would explain during a wang (empowerment) or blessing ceremony.

The Moelam Choemo in Gedu is a yearly religious congregation lasting one full week. The fact that it occurs only once a year underscores its profound importance. During this gathering, various schools traditionally sponsor offerings—such as food, tea, or ritual supplies. Last year, for example, Darla School provided a tokha (a ceremonial lunch) to the public and worshippers on October 18, 2016.

But this year, I was taken by surprise. The school was not given a day off to receive blessings. I learned that our own Je Khenpo (the chief abbot of Bhutan) would personally conduct the final Tshewang (long-life blessing) for the people. Distant schools like Arikha and Pashikha canceled classes for the day. Yet it was deeply disappointing that Darla School—located so near to Gedu—held classes as usual. To be honest, there were quiet grumbles, especially among our faithful students and devoted teachers.

That normal schedule did not stop many people from seeking the blessing. The head of the school called an informal meeting and said that any teacher willing to attend the wang could go. That turned into a real headache: almost all the teachers left, leaving only a handful of students behind in the classrooms. But even that did not deter the students. Nearly all of them left as well, saying their parents were waiting for them at the ceremony. As a result, the school descended into chaos—only a few teachers and students remained. It was utter pandemonium.

I truly wonder why our school was not given a holiday when others were. I also question whether we can genuinely promote our religion, traditions, and culture if important spiritual events like this take place and we are effectively barred from attending. I cannot help but wonder if this very disconnect—this failure to honor sacred occasions at the local institutional level—is one reason why the Darla community now has such a large number of Christians. Perhaps people are seeking elsewhere the blessings they feel denied within their own tradition.

Rigsar dance pema tashi 2016

A Dance practice for annual concert 27-9-2016

Global Hand washing Day

Reading Week 2016

Every year, Darla School observes Reading Week, and this year too, the Reading Week commenced from 12th to 17th September. The school organized a week-long series of activities to enhance reading and to help students understand its importance and the infinite benefits it facilitates in their academic growth as students and as better human beings in their individual and social lives. The theme of this year's Reading Week was "Dream Big, Read More."

During the week, special reading activities such as Readers' Theatre, Selected Reading, Random Reading, Mass Reading, etc., were initiated to provide opportunities for more students to participate in reading activities and thereby develop and inculcate an interest in reading. Some activities carried out as part of the Reading Week are described below:

Readers' Theatre
Readers' Theatre was conducted as a competition between the sections of grades PP–III. It was interesting to see the tiny tots of our school presenting themselves as little narrators and various fanciful characters in creative costumes and attire—as kings, queens, butterflies, birds, etc. Their babbling speeches and sing-song narrations created an effective ambiance and were appreciated by everyone. The presentations were evaluated based on creativity and coordination, and prizes were awarded accordingly.

Random Reading
This activity was conducted for students of classes VII–X to test their ability to read Dzongkha and English fluently, as well as their preparedness and confidence to speak before an audience. They were instructed beforehand to be ready with two passages (one in English and one in Dzongkha) and to read them out as the coordinator of the day randomly called their roll numbers in the assembly. The activity went as planned and achieved the desired results.

Selected Reading
This activity was for students of classes IV–VI. Some students identified by their teachers read out either pieces of news or interesting information they wanted to share with their fellow students in the assembly. This activity was also successful, though many students who came forward could not be permitted to present due to time constraints in the assembly.

Quiz
A mini-quiz of two questions related to books and reading was also conducted to evaluate students' awareness of popular books, writers, and some common literary terms. Prizes were awarded instantly to the winners.

Book Talk
As every Friday, two students presented reviews of an English and a Dzongkha book. These reviews help students become acquainted with interesting books in the library and arouse their curiosity to read them.

Mass Reading
To provide more time for general reading, an hour was created on Thursday by deducting five minutes from each period. After the instructional hours, all students and teachers came out to the open, settled in conducive places, and read books of their choice for an hour.

We are very happy to note that all the activities we envisaged went well, making this year's Reading Week a grand success. It is hoped that our plans for such activities in the future will also meet with the same grandeur and success. Below are some stills from the Reading Week.