Useless Creature I am

I am useless creature. I am not able do anything special in my life. I just stay on this earth for the sack of mere survival. My daily schedules are very simple as any ordinary animal has. I eat, sleep and shit and nothing more.

This is 2013. I already attained 24 but little did I accomplish till this age. Nothing…nothing I could accomplish, in fact. Half of my life is ended with no achievement and satisfaction to myself……leave alone for the others. 

Till this age, I could not help my parents. Their love and care is beyond my mind to count. Even if I sacrifice my body for their sack, it will not suffice to repay their loyalty and care. All such gratitude, I know. But I don’t know the reason why i am not able to help them.

I am very much conscious that i should have to have a good mind. I must act for the benefit of all sentient beings to reap a good karma. But why? I am not able to practice this. 

Something is wrong in my mind set. I am really ignorant. I am pig…..sleeping, eating and shitting….useless creature i am. 

Mind and illusion

Our mind keeps on wandering: it plans for the future, dreams about something, thinks and concerns about someone constantly. We don’t have control over it unless we are able to identify its real nature….Buddha nature.

The uncontrolled mind is constantly driven into various dimensions of thought. So many illusionary wild thoughts arise in our mind. Mostly, we plan for the future, which is yet to be arisen, of precarious nature. This is really silly. No one can predict if we will rise up alive after a night’s sleep. We are just survived by air, which is inhaled and exhaled regularly. We are finished if we can’t breathe after a night’s sleep.

I am inspired by the story of ‘The Father of Dawa Drakpa’. This story is so inspiring that it helps introduce the path of reality.

Once there was a poor man.  After having a great deal of work, he had managed to acquire a sack full of grain. He was happy, and when he got home he strung the sack up with a rope from the ceiling of his house to keep it safe from rats and thieves. He left it hanging there, and slept beneath it for the night as an extra precaution.

Sleeping there, his thought began to wander: “I will sell off this grain in small quantities so that I can make big profit. With that I can buy some more grain, and do the same again, and soon I will become rich, and I will be famous in the community. Many beautiful girls will be after me. I will marry a beautiful woman, and soon I will have a child…..the child has to be a son…what name on earth we will call him?” Amid of such thought he fell his gaze upon the little window, through which he could see the moon rising.

“Oh how auspicious it is!” he thought. “Good sign! That’s really suitable and good name. I will call him as ‘Dawa Drakpa’…” 

While he had been carried away in this speculation, a rat had found its way up to the sack of grain and chewed through the rope. At that very moment the words “Dawa Drakpa” uttered from his lips, the bag of grain dropped from the ceiling and killed him instantly.

Like this story, planning seems useless. His son Dawa Drakpa was of course never born.

 

Equality of life

The world is impermanent. Everything is bound to perish. How much wealthy and muscular one may be, the death will not spare.

I don’t believe those who show off their wealth, muscles and power. What is there? How much worth are they? Do they have potential to stop death? No way…totally useless. Before the death, everyone is equal.

Nothing is as boring as being idle

Being grown up and stayed in the village I was fully engaged in many work. I didn’t have ample of leisure time and for many times I have been seeking for it. I was thinking that I would be very happy if I could get to stay free.

My father is very hard working farmer. He says he can’t get his time passed just like that. He feels he has lost something should he stay as idle. Being always engaged in some activities, he has now innate behavior of so called hard working. For him to get time passed, he has to do some works (not necessarily of economical importance).

It may sound ridiculous… If I invite my father to stay with me in Thimphu, he can’t stay more than a week simply because of having nothing to be done. He will always think about village or he will find some work to do so that he gets engaged.

I did not agree with my father’s aspect for long time. I totally objected the life of machine. When I say him to minimize his working time, he would smile and say, “It is just for my time pass. Don’t worry my dear.”

Now I feel I was wrong to have disagreed to him. The most boring thing in life is felt when I remain as idle. I have had not realized this until I got employed recently. I can’t spend my time idly. Like my father’s thought, I feel I have lost something if I remain as idle. I like to do something that is more worthy. I feel satisfied and accomplished only if something is done in a day.

I remember Ven. Dzongsar Khentse Rimpoche talked to Sherubtsean that to stay by doing nothing is the most difficult thing. It is very true. I feel very difficult to get my time passed having nothing to do. If my father stays in place of mine, I am sure he will have regretted.

Pemagatshelpa with unique names

One of the newly joined Dzongkha teachers was shocked when he heard my name. At one time he could not pronounce my name as ‘Lhaksam Chedrup’. Instead he said as ‘Laxman Chedrup’ which made whole class to laugh at him and me. At first time he thought that I was Nepali but after having rectified by my friends he was surprised. He said, “Wonderful name you have. To my surprise unique names are found in Pemagatshel.”

I agree him. People of Pemagatshel have unique names. The Lopen continued,  “In another section, there is one other student with unique name..”. He remembered, “…Ah ah Ya…..Yamtshen Chokden. This name is very unique and meaningful. I like it.”

The whole class started murmuring. They said that not only those two students, there were many such unique names. They said that whole of my family had unique name. But I was reluctant to name them. I was bit shy also. At the same time Lopen also didn’t want me to name each of them. Instead, I did not fail to mention my friend’s name in other section. I said, “Choelam Thabkhay and Kelzang Choeying are other unique names.”

Lopen was overwhelmed and said, “These names have very good meaning with religious significance. I have seen Pemagatshelpas with unique names that are difficult to pronounce.”

In my mind I thought that Lopen had known only good names. But there are also some unique names that are not religiously affiliated, which is made up of common local words. Some of these names are Serki, Pentang, Woorjay, Tsalo, Nakulung, Donjay, Proko, Proki, Preki, Praka, Brogpo, Woodra, Bonjay, and many more…. excuse me for not remembering all.  Had that Lopen heard these names, I am sure he would have burst into laugh.

Upon hearing good names people land up giving good compliments. But they laugh at funny names. I remember honorable Prime Minister was surprised and happy when he heard the name ‘Yamtshen Chokden’ who was his party worker (DPT) at village level during the time of campaign in early 2008. The prime Minister applauded Yamtshen Chokden for having very good name.

So, Pemagatshel has many people with unique names. Some of the names are very pleasing to hear and meaningful too. While some are very funny.

Memey Dungtsho in deprived of Medication

I have a neighbour called Memey Dungchuk. He is funny and interesting man. His body structure is huge and strong but he complains of his leg pain. He has a first class way of talking that marvels the people. Sometimes he is serious but most of the time not. He teases people irrespective of positions.

Many people in my village say that he was sent out of the hospital by the doctor who got infuriated by his joke. So, i tease him by calling Memey Dungtsho to him. Here goes the story of his incident in the hospital.

One day, he visits the hospital for having body complication and leg pain. He walks early in the morning fearing that he may not reach on time since he suffers from leg pain. With the help of walking stick, he goes to hospital. His pace is very slow…..hops gently. By afternoon he reaches to the hospital.

The doctor asks if he has any sickness.

He says that he suffers from many diseases.

“What are you suffering from?” Doctor asks.

He replies with mild smile, “I can’t name them. It is combination of many diseases. Sometimes I fear that I may die.”

“Oho…then I think you have serious disease. Tell me what the symptoms are?”

“I fear looking to my stool. I eat rice but my stool appears yellow. And it smells horribly,” utters spontaneously though he suffers from leg pain in reality.

Doctor could not say anything. The moment doctor hears such words, he becomes furious but does not interrupt the other describing the symptoms.

Dungchuk continues with mild smile on his face, “…I also suffer from urine problem. My urine is watery in nature and I get urine constipation. The smell itself is very bad…..I can’t smell it”

The doctor becomes so furious and says, “You bastard. How could you say such things? From now you will be deprived of medication from the hospital. Get out”

Poor Dungchuk goes out of the hospital. He does not show anger to doctor. Instead he happily leaves the hospital. However, he regrets on the way that how could he joke with Doctor. He is sad that his leg is not treated because of his joke.

Now, people say Memey Dunchuk is not entertained in the hospital. But I am not sure how far this is true. Whenever people see Dungchuk, he becomes the subject of joke. People jokingly call him Memey Dungtsho.

New look of Pemagatshel Dzong

The Pemagatshel Dzong will look like the picture aside after its completion of construction. Currently, construction work is at full swing. Denchi witnesses so many labours deployed.

Denchi is currently a remote village. But after administrative centre is shifted from Pemagatshel, Denchi will have become a town. The dzong will have looked gorgeous when construction is completed. The town is well planned as shown in the picture aside.

After all town facilities are installed, people will have good economic opportunities. Farmers will have good market for their products to be transacted. I guess pemagatshel will not remain as backward in all terms by then. I am waiting for Denchi Dzong to be completed at the earliest.

Snowfall in Thimphu

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There was heavy snowfall in Thimphu. This was the 2nd snowfall in the year. Children and family were seen playing outside.