Happiness in smile (Photo courtesy of Ngawang Tenzin)

Bao Tram: In a previous edition, we discussed the Gross National Happiness Index. After that edition, many listeners and I myself are curious about the secrets to a happy life in Bhutan?  

Rangjung Tenzin: So I’d like to talk about the secrets of happiness in Bhutan. Although there could be so many factors and it is so subjective, we cannot say exactly what the secrets are. In my view, there are two major factors which determine happiness in Bhutan. The first is culture and the second is environment. Let me talk about how culture affects happiness in Bhutan. In our culture, the prominent feature or the prominent element is community vitality. Whatever people have to do, they always try to consult, they always try to discuss in group, at the community level, at the social level, and after discussing, they do whatever they have to do and while doing that, the bond between people is taken to the next higher level and through this, peace is established and that's how happiness comes. And the second factor is environment. So when we have very good surroundings, when we have very good people around, we feel happy, isn't it? Yes, we do so. Likewise in Bhutan we depend on the environment solely. We also depend on the environment for our happiness I should say. So when we have good air to breathe and when we have good people surrounding us, that is happiness and these two factors are secrets to happiness, according to my view. There could be many more factors than these. But when we focus on these two factors, it doesn't mean that economic factors and other important factors are omitted. I simply mean that they are major factors.

Bao Tram:  That’s so interesting. I believe these secrets are also the reasons for Bhutan to be ranked as the happiest nation on the planet.

Rangjung Tenzin:  There could be many reasons beyond my thinking capacity, but as far as I know it is because of friendly people. Whenever foreigners visit or whenever people from other regions within Bhutan visit, people are always welcoming, smiling and embracing. And they're even ready to help you if you're in need. So I feel that this is the reason why the world thinks that Bhutan is the happiest country on the planet. If you visit Bhutan, you will see almost all the people are very much smiling, frank, open and ever ready to help you. This even happens within the Bhutanese people as well. So this creates a surrounding where people live so happily, respecting each other. This is the reason why Bhutan is considered the happiest country by foreigners and by Bhutanese people as well.

Bao Tram:  You said culture, environment, and friendly people make for a happy Bhutan. The Bhutanese lifestyle also contributes to national happiness, doesn’t it?  

Rangjung Tenzin:  I should say so, yes….. There are always connections between Bhutanese lifestyle and happiness. As I said earlier, culture is the main factor that affects Bhutanese happiness. When I say culture, it is almost really very much close to Buddhism. From whatever values Buddhism teaches, it is in our culture, and through that when we practice. As you know, Buddhism is all about peace. And more than that, our life, our lifestyle, is highly infused by Buddhist philosophy. In this way, I should say, in this way, this is how our lifestyle affects happiness.

Let the future generations enjoy their share of everything. (Photo courtesy of Ngawang Tenzin)

Bao Tram:  In our previous edition, when I mentioned Gross National Happiness, you touched upon environmental protection as one criteria for the index. I know that in Bhutan there is something called the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF). Tell us more about this fee. Is the fee only imposed on foreign visitors to Bhutan?

Rangjung Tenzin:  This question is very important for tourists to hear. Oh, this is a very interesting topic, I should say. Yes, we charge 50 USD a day for foreigners and, for regional tourists, we don't charge as much. But this is mainly to preserve our environment. If there are many people visiting the country, then  ultimately the environment will be destroyed and the beauty of environment could vanish. So in order to preserve that, we are trying to get less tourists, but with high volume. That way, we’ll have less impact on the environment and, at the same time, we’ll have good revenue. So this is how we try to manage.

Bao Tram:  What are you? What do you do every day to have a happy life?

Rangjung Tenzin: Interesting! We Bhutanese people do enjoy happiness. As I said earlier, the critical element is community vitality and it’s at the center of our culture. So when we are connected to our community, we feel happy. In my case, I do enjoy it. So whenever I go somewhere else, I'm always welcomed, I’m always respected, and those things really, really, really make me feel happy. And when I'm at the office, we share jokes, we share so many good stories, we all smile, and at the same time we try to love as much as we can. And this is how we enjoy happiness.

Bao Tram: Thank you, Tenzin, for spending time with us and telling us more about life in Bhutan and why it’s considered the happiest country in the world. 

Rangjung Tenzin: I’d like to sincerely thank you for giving me this opportunity and look forward to future opportunities, too. Thank you very much.