Walking the Impermanence philosophy

Last-minute rush is a trademark of the Bhutanese people. And I am a real pro in this. One of my former bosses used to call me ‘the last minute genius’ because I would do most of my work at last minute and, more often than not, I would do it well.

As age caught up with me though I became a little wiser. “How about making my weakness into a strength?” I thought one day. I reversed the scenario. Instead for being pressed for time, I pressed the time. I did by doing things as if it were the last minute. I tried a few times and I found it was doing a lot good to my performance and output. For years now when I work or carry out an assignment I do as if it were another last minute assignment. Now I have made this hypothetical situation a habit. The habit has now become a philosophy. The philosophy is of course not new. It is rather an age-old theory and one of the core teachings of Buddhism – impermanence. Having said that I do make plans too and some of my plans are real long-term. My dictum has therefore become, “work as if it is your last day. Plan as if you will live forever.”

Remembering that everything is impermanent and thereby working as if there won’t be another day makes you achieve more and make the best of your time. It makes you passionate about what you are doing and you are focused to complete it rather than leave it for another day. Impermanence also makes you cherish every moment of your life and appreciate everything and everyone around you.

The impermanence feeling also humbles me. When I am upset with my colleagues, it helps me to be in total control. Because it could be your last day at work. When I have temptations for anything it reminds me of the transitory nature of events and objects. So might as well not crave for it.

The law of impermanence has also been the basis of many simple actions in our society. For example, while in the West, cups and plates (cups especially) are stored in the kitchen cabinet facing up, in traditional Bhutanese homes cups are washed and kept facing down. This practice comes from Tibet where Buddhist masters would go to bed saying their last prayers every night. They would carefully clean the cup and place it facing down. You never know if you would wake up to use it the next day.

The law of impermanence also detaches you from things that are real temporary – like power and position. Talking to a group of young reporters in one of the newspapers, I was showered with praises for being very approachable and they hoped that I would remain the same. “Don’t worry,” I told them, “I have to realise that I won’t be in this position forever." They smiled. I contiuned, "One day we all leave this World anyway”. They all laughed. But that is the absolute truth. A former ambassador to Kuwait once told me that there is a beautiful saying inscribed in gold on the gate of the presidential palace there – one of the most luxurious residences of one of the world’s most powerful people. “If power was permanent it wouldn’t have come to you”.

So the law of impermanence is divine. You can only find different ways to walk it.

In His Majesty's Service

I am often asked by friends and by people I meet as to what is it like to be in the service of His Majesty the King. What does it really take to be there? It is a question that may be lingering in the minds of many people.

To answer it in simple terms, job is a job – except that out here you have to do it well and you have to give your best. But then, ideally, in life that’s how it’s supposed to be in every other job, task or responsibility one is assigned to. Whether one is an elected leader, a civil servant, a private sector employee or even a private citizen one is supposed to do one’s best.

Getting deeper, however, there are few more differences. First and foremost, His Majesty works all the time. That implies that people around him have to work, be at work or think of work, all the time. There is no such thing as off-duty hours or holidays unless you take one specifically. Anything can happen anywhere and we have to be ready to start up our laptops, call up people here and there or fire-up the engines of our cars. And for many of us, especially for my colleagues in the office of Gyalpoi Zimpoen, they have to get moving at any time – day or night. If we were computers, our default mode would be “powered on”. Sometimes we could be on “standby” but we are never “switched off” from our duty. Neither can we (to stay with the technological metaphor) be even “temporarily disconnected”. Now that comes at a cost - in terms of your family life and your circle of friends. Our spouses get fed-up of us (my wife calls me unrecoverable) and our friends have long given up on us - making the circle smaller and smaller. But I guess on the positive note - there lies the true test of friendship or marriage.

In the service of His Majesty the King, there is no room for error. That is because of the large implications that your blunder could possibly cause. So you give your best in any assignment. There is no big or small assignment. All assignments have to be treated as important – and most of the time as emergency. We don’t just do the extra mile. I f time and circumstances permit, we go for another full length of the marathon. We have to check and crosscheck, think and rethink of all the ramifications of our actions, decisions, thoughts and intentions. So unless one puts one’s heart and soul and time and energy there is no way one could get things done well – and on time. Having said that one cannot again shy away from tasks and assignments. As for me since failure is not an option anyway, I have long stopped thinking I would fail in any assignment I am given. This sure helps, more often than not, to get it right.

Again, it is not enough to be available or give your best or get it right. One should be selfless and be loyal and also have the mental bandwidth to deal with all kinds of people – rich and poor, young and old, smart and dumb, powerful and the humble. This is, of course, the easier part. The trickier side is, in trying to get your job done, you have to strike a fine balance between being humble and maintaining your status or between being accommodative and being able to reject – depending on cases and circumstances. If you are incapable of finding this balance, you easily become the soft target of criticism and gossips. At worst you won't be be able to get anything done.

Having said all the above though, for me being in the service of His Majesty the King is a wonderful journey – a journey full of discoveries and self-discoveries. A journey where you discover yourself as a person and as human being. It is a discovery of the fundamentals of life, work and responsibility – and of duty, dedication, altruism and patience. It is also a discovery of your full potentials – mental and physical. It is a discovery of the best and the worst in our Bhutanese people. It is a discovery, or a rediscovery, of things that we Bhutanese have more and more made lip services of - love, compassion, values, integrity, patriotism, hard work, culture, tradition and impermanence.

Above all, it a journey of humility. Seeing the King at work humbles you and often one finds it difficult to control one's emotions. Coming across thousands of people struggling with life makes you rethink of your greed, desires and ambitions. Being in great places with great people are great emotional experiences. Living the historic moments directly makes you cherish every moment of your life. And above all, the trust, confidence and the opportunities that His Majesty gives you makes you not just humble - it helps you be a better human being.

The Tiger and the Rabbit

As the year of the Tiger gives way to the year of the rabbit, I sit and reflect on what has really been the year for us - as individuals and as Bhutanese. For, it is such reflections of the immediate past that can help us to move confidently into the future.

2010 started off well. The Bhutan Media Foundation was launched with a royal decree on His Majesty's Birthday in February. The foundation took some time to take off and is now well on track. Hopefully it would contribute towards a vibrant media in the country - so essential to our nascent democracy.

The royal tour in April that took us to some of the remotest corners in Mongar, Pema Gatsel and Samdrup Jongkhar will remain etched in my memory for a long time. Walking for 10 days at a stretch through some of the most difficult terrain (and I was doing that only once) made me develop a tremendous respect for the people who were actually there living and doing that all the time. The journey simply humbled me and made me even feel guilty of all the luxuries I often pursued. It also taught me to cherish who we are and what we have because what I saw there put things into perspective.

Despite all misgivings, the successful hosting of the first SAARC Summit came as no surprise. We are a country of last-minute geniuses. We relax and gossip all the time but when there is something big at stake, a national pride, a common goal or a collective desire there is nothing that can beat us. Some of our civil servants assigned to different delegations’ houses actually took their own crockery, vacuum cleaners, microwave oven and even mops and brooms so as to do their job better.

Being a part of the royal entourage to Kolkata in October not only brought back fond childhood memories, I also got to know our Indo-Bhutan friendship better. The Central and the State government did everything to make the visit perfect. Despite downpours and durga puja rush, and the traffic being stopped for our convoy, people turned out in droves to wave and greet as His Majesty moved through the City. Then when His Majesty spoke at the Calcutta University convocation, the packed auditorium of young and old, humble and powerful, academics and businessmen all went to pin-drop silence.

New Delhi came right after Kolkata - in the same month of October. Again the hospitality from the Indian government was that accorded to a special friend of India. How much warmth is held for Bhutan and our King was evident as "Bhutan is our best neighbor and friend" came in echo from all sections of the Indian society.

Our otherwise perfect visit to India was however diluted by a disturbing news from home. On 27th October, Chamkhar town in Bumthang nearly got wiped out by a devastating fire. But the news of our Fourth Druk Gyalpo, rushing to Bumthang calmed us down. The next day watching him on TV as he addressed the people in Bumthang I asked myself, with emotions overpowering me, "Will my grand children ever believe that there was such a man?" A man who would give up everything at the zenith of His career and reappear only once in a while as a simple “representative” of the King. As for His Majesty himself, only later did I realize that while we rested in our hotels, He was on the phone with government, local officials and zimpon office late into the night coordinating relief efforts from there.

Bumthang was sad and gloomy when we finally made it there, which was directly after we landed home. While His Majesty took time to console each and every victim, his main message was however that "There was nothing we could do about the disaster. We need to move on. We need to get them to smile again.” So while a team of dzongkhag engineers, professional changarps and zimpoen woms worked on the rebuilding plan, my team put together a group of entertainers from Thimphu. Four shows of laughter and songs later, the group captained by Phurba Thinley, made Bumthang smile again and see a light at the end of the tunnel. The presence of the King in their midst gave them hope and the much needed confidence to see a renewed future.

December was no better. A tragic air accident in Nepal killed 18 Bhutanese. The disaster brought in an unprecedented response team involving the Office of Gyalpoi Zimpon, the Cabinet Secretariat, the Police, Druk Air, Civil Aviation, Dratshang Lhentshog, the media and every other relevant agency. The whole nation came to a halt. And when we had barely finished cremating the air victims, a terrible road accident claimed another 9 lives and injured 27.

The year of the tiger, as such, was a tough one. True, we would all have been happier without all those tragedies that stunned our nation for over a fortnight. But then on hindsight, one realises that it is through such tragedies that we come together as a nation, displaying the true humane character of our people, the best in every Bhutanese. As consumerism and capitalism become part of our society, we can be confident that at least the values and characteristics that have defined us as a nation are still intact. The King-people bond, the zhung-miser damtsi, the concept of jampa dang ngingzhi (love and compassion). Above all, our pride as Bhutanese remains high. With such traits still running in our veins, neither an external threat nor an internal tragedy can really shake us. We will always find the strength to counter them and the courage to move on.

The year of the tiger was therefore not so bad after all. It gave us some valuable life lessons.

Welcome Year of the Rabbit

The longest Paro-Thimphu drive

Even the intense winter sun fails to warm our hearts. Instead the unprecedented chill only makes it worse. The aircraft carrying the coffins of the victims of the Nepal air crash makes the touchdown. Finally the long wait is over. Most of us (HMS staff) had neither slept well nor fed ourselves well since the tragedy – coordinating the relief works and providing information to a stunned nation.

The cargo door swings open and the conveyor belt starts rolling. We take our turns to receive them, according to the names of the victims we were assigned to. I wait for mine, joined by the only surviving family member - a monk. He lost his mother. The royal command was for us to be with the family throughout the cremation process and look into all their needs.

We drive out of Paro. And as luck would have it, I am penultimate in the convoy and the sight of sixteen bodies ahead of me makes my heart bleed. Unable to hold back my tears, I look out of the window aimlessly far into the horizon. But I am not alone. The entire Bondey town is out. The stern look on their faces says everything. Some women are sobbing away. Some men pray for the departed souls.

Although I try not to think of it, my mind is pulled back to imagine the face of the woman I had never met. The Paro-Thimphu drive seems unusually long. As the convoy snakes along the long and winding road, I enter into a serious contemplation. Is life really worth living? Especially the way we were living. Our dreams and our ambitions, our greed and our intrigues. Is everything worth vying for?

When we make our entry in to Thimphu we are greeted by the same horrified faces. Thousands of relatives and friends are waiting to receive the bodies at the duthroe. The next day, as the mass cremation moves on, everyone is asking, why so many tragedies? I only wish we had the answers. By late afternoon as the fires turn the bodies into ashes, I check with my family if there was anything they required. "What can I expect more?" The monk tells me. "Our King has taken care of all these and the Je Khenpo did the rest. I don't know whether to be happy or sad, but I am relieved. I am just a monk living in the mountains and my only worry was how I would be able to cremate my mother". I hug him and I promise to visit him in future - wherever he would be.

I hit the road for Paro again. I had fixed a coffee meeting with a visiting journalist at Aman. As my colleague negotiates the long and winding road, the picture of convoy of bodies plays vividly on my face. But this time the drive is much shorter. And as for life, I guess, we can only move on. And be good human beings while we are still alive.

My Calcutta

My memories of Kolkata go as far as 1977 when my father, who was a truck driver, took me along in one of his trips. Calcutta, as it was known then, was big and frightening. The traffic was bad, the noise was deafening and streams of people were rushing in every direction. But soon I got used to. Manoj Kumar’s Dus Numberi was still playing houseful and I even made my dad buy a tee shirt with No. 10 in case anybody back home had any doubts that I had seen the film. We slept in the truck, or under the truck, parked in the lawns of Bhutan House. And except for the mosquitoes that bothered me every now and then, I felt like in a wonderland. We ate in the dhabas and roadside restaurants. But my favorites were the chaiwalas whose ability to stretch the tea from one jug to another just amazed me and I would ask them to do it again and again for me.

So it was with some nostalgic anticipation that I looked forward to this last visit to Kolkata. But things obviously have changed in my life. From a poor boy whose father couldn’t afford a room, I was putting up in Hotel Taj Bengal. The 36-hour drive is replaced by less-than-an-hour flight on Druk Air. Chauffer driven cars with police escorts drove us all over the city. Fresh salmons, salames and sashimi came in place of coal-burnt chapattis and chicken curry.

Many official engagements and receptions later, including a dinner at the Raj Bhavan where I was seated next to the beautiful actress Debashree Roy (my childhood hero Mithun Chakraborty was also there), I felt I was still missing something - my Calcutta I had known as a child. So the moment I had a chance (I got to slip out for a meeting at the Telegraph) I grabbed the opportunity. Suddenly I realized the traffic has gone worse, noise level has gone up and many dhabas have disappeared and in their places lots of fancy malls have come up. Some things are same, of course. Streams of people were still rushing in every direction.

When I was done at the Telegraph, my host was rather embarrassed, “Sorry our canteen is closed.” “Take me to a chaiwala in the street,” I suggested instantly. “Are you sure?” He got back, scanning my Italian suit and a matching tie, to imply that the chaiwala place was not proper for someone of my stature.

In front of the Telegraph headquarters and among the typical chaos and commotions of Kolkata, there was a chaiwala still pulling a tea from one jug to another. As I seeped a masala tea from an earthen cup and watched him do that with a nostalgic delight, I also felt the familiar smell of coal, heat, dust and the damp all around us. For all the changes that we go through in life, there are things that you cherish forever. For me it is these chaiwalas. For a moment I am who I was and so was my Calcutta.

Leaving your comfort zone

I must say, I am truly blessed with a comfortable life. I have a job, a loving family, many friends and wonderful colleagues at work. And if we go by the trend, I could afford to drive around in luxury, vacation outside the country every now and then, but go party every evening or play golf during weekends. At work, I could stick to rules, play safe, avoid making mistakes, come and go on time and never step on anyone's toes. Lest someone question my being "true" Buddhist, I could invite monks to chant some prayers and play some drums and horns at my place. I could also be seen going around the Memorial Chorten every day.

Or else........ I could come out of my comfort zone. I could give some time and energy to some social works with those who are less fortunate, help some poor children complete their studies or pay for some addicts go to some rehabs. At work, I would not only "do my job", but also spend few hours more every day to do my work better, make an extra effort to help someone who doesn’t fit the criteria, take some initiatives to develop the system (after all the existing rules or business models were created by someone before you) and challenge the conventional wisdom - everything in good faith, of course.

Few days back I met a group of former addicts and alcoholics. I had met them some years earlier while I was researching on my film script. While I was happy to see them again, I was saddened to realise that many of them, despite being clean, have not moved on with their lives. The reasons were varied - a society refusing to accept them back, friends and families who have erased them from their lives, a system that has stereotyped them and public officials who throw them out of job interviews, etc.

It was heart breaking and equally disturbing for a society that brags about jampa dang nyingzhi (love and compassion). But getting discouraged by what is not going right, or disheartened by people who live in their comfort zone, is not style. I tried to lift their spirits by saying that we were all born for a purpose and as long as we breathe there is hope. Of course, I empathized with their hardships. I know the unreasonable bureaucratic hats we wear in our official positions or when we are in positions of power – and all our contradictions and hypocrisies. Still this is a country with a bright future and a nation that can always hope in a functioning government and, above all, in a caring King.

Leaving one's comfort zone can be tough. One has to make sacrifices in terms of time and resources, be almost immune to public badmouthing and not be carried away by gossipmongers and cynics. However, as a human being you have one chance to do something good so that when it is time for you to leave this world, and you don't know when, you will at least leave feeling good that you made a difference in someone’s life.

Transcript (official) of His Majesty the King's address to the Parliament, 19 Nov. 2010

(watch video)

Since assuming Kingship in December 2006, I have travelled outside Bhutan four times - each time it has been to India. Indo-Bhutan friendship is of paramount importance and something we hold dear. We must always work to further strengthen and deepen it. In October this year, I visited Kolkata and New Delhi. I found in my meetings with the President, Prime Minister, Chairperson of the UPA, ministers, government officials and leader of the Opposition, a common heartfelt appreciation for Bhutan’s achievements as a nation, and a steadfast commitment and pledge to strengthen even further what they feel is a model partnership and bond between countries.

We are presently undertaking the mid-term review of the 10^th 5-year Plan. India’s assistance has been wholehearted and generous to the first development plan under our new democracy. On behalf of the people of Bhutan, I convey my deep appreciation to the Government and People of India.

Upon my return from India, I went directly to Bumthang to the site of the tragic fire in Chamkhar town. Already deeply saddened since hearing the news, it was even more painful to see that the fire had completely destroyed homes and belongings of over 79 families. Yet, in my absence, my father His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo accompanied by the minister for Works and Human Settlement, officials and members of Parliament visited the people from the very day of the fire, delivering semso and bringing much needed hope and reassurance to the people. On behalf of the people, I offer gratitude to my father, the Fourth Druk Gyalpo.

During my own stay in Bumthang I worked closely with the Prime Minister, Home Minister, Leader of the Opposition, members of Parliament, government officials to plan Kidu activities, the reconstruction of homes and setting up of a temporary township to help the people rebuild their lives. Upon returning to Thimphu to attend the winter session of parliament, I asked the Agriculture minister, members of Parliament of Bumthang, the dzongkhag administration and the armed forces to continue the reconstruction work. I thank all of these people and institutions as well as the Zhung Dratshang, goende, lams, students of Chumey Institute of Civil Engineering, Motion Picture Association of Bhutan, NGOs and individuals for their time and effort. I have found that this spirit of volunteerism and concern for each others’ welfare is an age old quality common among the people of our 20 dzongkhags. As King, this gives me even greater optimism and confidence about the future of our nation.

Now, as natural disasters become more frequent, and we continue to deliver Kidu so effectively and comprehensively to the people – not just today in Bumthang but in the past in Wamrong and in certain dzongkhags following the earthquake – there may be some people who will be concerned.

They might be concerned that due to the strength of the welfare and social support system, our people may become spoiled. I do not understand how people could be spoiled while seeking refuge in Kidu during times of immense suffering. To make people happy, to help them during times of distress, and to ensure that they do not suffer greatly – these are qualities of a country where there is genuine concern for the people on the part of the King and government; and where people share everything, happiness and sorrow. What should concern us is if there are people being bullied, mistreated and made victims of injustice. We should be concerned if instead of good deeds, the examples leaders set are of corruption and abuse of power – if our nation is without values and ethics.

Some people may say everyone has hardships in life. Why should some be given Kidu? To this I say, that life is filled with its share of hardships. Whether we are rich or poor, no one can escape life’s challenges. However, there is a great difference between facing life’s challenges and completely losing hope. As we journey through life, we overcome hardships in the knowledge that one day we may fulfill our hopes and aspirations. We know these hardships cannot be removed from our lives – so we seek to rise above them. However, for some people, there may come moments when in spite of all their efforts, their problems become insurmountable – when they reach the end of the road and see no options ahead. At such times, if we do not step in to help them find their way forward, they will despair and lose hope. This is something we must never tolerate in Bhutan. As King it is my duty to ensure that our people will always have hope.

Lastly, others may be concerned by the sustainability of such a strong system of Kidu - of providing comprehensive welfare to those who need it - as the population rises. Let me tell you what I said to our people in Chamkhar. I told them that there was nothing we could do about the fact that the fire had destroyed their homes and livelihoods. That we must accept the hardships, emotional turmoil and sadness for months to come. Yet, I pledged that even though our nation may be a small, landlocked country without the great wealth of others, in their moment of great suffering, the King and government would do everything to find the resources needed to alleviate their pain and restore happiness to their lives.

I have always said that Bhutanese are a unique people. When a neighbour, friend or even stranger is in need we share their suffering and take it as our duty to help them. We must preserve these age-old values and our unity and harmony as a people. Thus, it is the duty of the King and those in positions of responsibility to set the right examples of compassion and care. In other nations, with changing times, these precious qualities and values have been eroded and replaced by a self-centered outlook to life with little concern for those less fortunate. We must not allow this to happen in Bhutan.

In conclusion, I want to remind you, the members of Parliament, that our People and I have placed our complete faith in you. As King, I have seen that you have served the nation with dedication and commitment from the very first session of Parliament till today. During this session you will be deliberating many important bills and acts. In doing so, I must remind you that in focusing on the words and details of the laws and the needs of the present, do not be blinded to the future of our country and people – and the long-term objectives and priorities of our nation. Let us all, in doing our duties, keep the interest of our people and our future generations above all else.

Show must go on

Bumthang is one of my favourite places. It is also, undoubtedly, the most blissful spot on Earth. The gentle slopes surrounding every valley are in sharp contrast to the high mountains and deep valleys that characterise much of the landscape of my country. Bumthang was blessed by Guru Padma Sambawa in the eighth century when he introduced Buddhism. Guru actually came to Bumthang to rescue the soul of a local king that was kidnapped by a serpent-demon. The Guru subdued the demon. And on the spot now stands Kurjey Lhakhang – one of the most sacred places in Bhutan.

Another rescue mission is on again. Getting back the souls of thousands of people who have been traumatised by a fire tragedy of 26^th October 2010. The fire nearly wiped out the entire Chamkhar town rendering 77 families homeless and 2 deaths and nearly killing the soul of the people who were celebrating the last day of the famous Jambay Lhakhang festival.

On 30^th October as we drove in to Chamkhar my heart sank. I hate destructions, violence, deaths, and anything that makes people suffer. At such times I wish I had all the magical power. The next day when we met the affected people, who were gathered in a large tent, it was more shocking. To see people who were once prosperous lined up for food and dole, was heart-breaking. That evening as the King visited them in their shelters in freezing temperature, He came up with a revolutionary idea. The mood was cold and gloomy. They should smile. They should laugh, gather their strength and the confidence and move on. Whatever happened has happened - life must go on. I was tasked to put together a group from the entertainment industry. I started making some calls. The next day 13 singers and comedians rushed to Bumthang and straight to the venue.

The first night was tough even for the comedians. But as expected Phurba Thinley broke the ice. “I am sad for myself,” he opened the show. “Because Bumthang is our biggest market for filmmakers. Now my income will be down.” The crowd suddenly burst into laughter. The show began. But singing in front of lifeless face was still difficult. One singer nearly broke down in the middle of the song.

On 4^th November we had the fourth and the final show. Over 4,000 people came from all over Bumthang. People laughed and jeered. They even howled and whistled. The climax was a duet between Rinchen Namgay and comedian Leki. Leki was dressed as a Bumthap woman and sang with a perfect woman voice. For a moment the tragedy was forgotten - replaced by happiness and smiles all around. There was the real gross national happiness!

Bumthang is slowly putting the tragedy behind them. They have begun to see the light at the end of the tunnel. There is a now sense of normalcy and a sense of reassurance. People have begun to dream again – even people who had lost everything – including hope.

The show must go on.

Royal Address at Doon School Dehradun

(transcript of the Royal Address of His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Doon School, Dehradun India, October 23, 2010)

Your Excellency Shrimati Patil, President of India,
Your Excellencies,
Dignitaries,
Doon Alumni,
Chairman Analjit, Board members, Headmaster and students of Doon School,

I am delighted to be here at an important milestone in the history of an exceptional institution. We have all heard of Doon but I see the true worth of the school, in the presence of such a large number of alumni here today and in the commitment with which Doon Alumni of all ages, serve their alma mater. One must appreciate such a special lifetime bond between a school and her students. Even in my own country, I always ask people, whether they are civil servants or businessmen, to maintain close links with their old schools in rural Bhutan. With personal attention, they would be able to do so much more for their school and for the young students graduating from it. Doon school is of course different but the essence is the same. You give back to the institution that nurtured and shaped you and in doing so you share the fruits of your education with those that come after you. The bond between Doon school and her students has far deeper meaning than one sees at first, and the need for such bonds extends beyond Doon to other academic institutions, to societies and to nations. I commend the ‘Old Boys’ of Doon and say to you, that your example is one to be emulated.

To the students of Doon - I will keep my words short so you can enjoy the rest of your special day with your friends and family.

Youth is all about energy, action, playfulness, fun, mischief, learning, friendships – so many wonderful things. I envy you – you have so much to look forward to – your first kiss for some of you; first girlfriend; true love; riding a bike or driving a car or travelling away from home for the first time; the freedom of university life; the innocence and purity of youth … I envy you and I urge you, live your youth to the full. Celebrate these joyful urges. Enjoy everything that student life and youth have to offer.

When it is time to study – study. If you are going to play sports, do it with full drive and energy. Approach everything you do with passion and absorb and enjoy the experience whether you’re learning to play a guitar, climb mountains or hit a cricket ball. Enjoy your school life to the full. This is your time.

In this modern world, there is the danger that the force of competition and eagerness to overcome challenges ahead - will take out the joy in learning and growing. I know there are certain realities we face as children and as parents and that we are all trying to adapt to a changing world but challenges are a part of life - as you grow older life is going to bring enough of them: university admissions; getting the right job; failure; sorrow at the loss of loved ones; trying to keep up with your neighbours and colleagues; betrayal; sickness; the list is endless. But the fact that life is full of challenges does not mean that you should stop being young. Someone said, “Life is a marathon, don’t make a hundred meter dash today!” You will burn out early on in the race. Pace yourself wisely and remember it is not how you begin the game that matters it is how you’ve played it in the end. Yes, I know, all of you want to get into a good university but there is a big difference in preparing for university and preparing for life. In the preparation for life, there can be nothing better than a well-rounded education and wholesome growth of character. For that you have to live your life as a young man to the full.

Now, I must have read this many years ago in some magazine or on a greeting card. “Live each day as if it is the first you’ve ever seen and the last you’ll ever see.” I don’t think it means we should leave everything behind, be irresponsible and reckless and do whatever we want. No, it means, every day gives us the fresh chance to strive for something important to us – that it’s never too late to strive for greatness.

And if we imagine each day as the last day we’ll ever see - we gain the confidence to make the right choices in life – to aim for what our heart truly desires; we gain the confidence not to be carried by the current of other people’s thoughts; the guts to do what is right; to withstand the fear of failure or embarrassment; to push away the distractions and focus on what is truly valuable to us. You will even find the courage to finally speak to the girl of your dreams!

Today everything is about success. Everyone wants to be successful and in this day and age success is inevitably equated with money and power. But is that success? What is true success? This is a question philosophers might vex over! For me real success needs so many ingredients: a happy school life; true friendships; good health; a job one loves; a sense of worth to oneself and others; strong family relationships, good marriages; the ability to appreciate nature; living in harmony with others around us; so many things.

To make young boys crave for success in life today is to ask too much. But … to ask young boys to be good human beings – that I think is the right education.

You see, success in not an individual thing. As a student how successful are you really if you do not have true friendships and experiences that help you grow as young man? As a man, how successful are you if happiness as a son, father or husband eludes you? And finally as an Indian how can you truly succeed unless Mother India and your fellow Indian brothers and sisters succeed? As human beings we have an inherent duty to others. Thus, we will most likely find true success and happiness when we combine our ambitions and goals with being a good human being.

Where do you see yourself in the future? What do you want to achieve? What would make you happy when you turn 50 or 60 and look back on your life? Is it going to be one full of satisfaction and fulfillment or will it be one of regrets? I don’t know.

But the one thing I can tell you is that you are at the beginning of a long journey. You are young – life will be full of opportunities but as your life unfolds you will find life is not without challenges. The question is, at the end of it all, what is story of your life going to be?

Let me share my experience with you.

I always imagine my life as a book, not a real book but a book that I am engaged in writing. When I do this, I find that every moment brings the urge and energy to do something special, something worthy to write into the book. When I am confronted by some challenge, I find the opportunity to write a wonderful tale of hardship, suffering, hard work, determination and commitment. When faced by the temptation to take short cuts and cheat, the book serves as my conscience.

Doing this gives me wonderful perspective. I find that success does not go to my head and failure does not crush me. As events unfold, I am able to keep my eyes on the ultimate goal – to live a life without regret – a life that would make wonderful reading. After all, like anyone else, I want the story of my life to be as good as possible.

Please try it for yourself. It would make me so happy if it helps you… even a little. I pray that each of you will be a good human being leading honorable lives on which one day you will look back with great pride, satisfaction and fulfillment. Above all, I pray for your personal well-being and happiness.

Finally, to the families of students, I hope you do not mind that it is a young man from Bhutan – who has stood here speaking to your children about life – especially as I have no children of my own! Let me say I may not be an expert, but memories of my own childhood are very vivid while yours might be fading! I am of course joking.

On a serious note, even as King, I have no other duty than to work for the long-term future of my country. And because the obvious fact is that the future of a country must mirror the quality of her younger citizens, I spend most of my time with students and youth. It is one of the most enjoyable aspects of my work. I want to thank all the parents for giving me this opportunity to speak to your children, who no doubt, I will one day meet as leaders around the world.

Thank you all for listening to me. Students, I will be spending this evening with you. I look forward to conversing with you about whatever interests you have and things you want to talk about.

Thank you, Your Excellency. Thank you everyone. Shukriya!

Note
(Delivered in English. Also present as guests were of Indian President Patil, Uttarakhand governor Margaret Alva, UttaraKhand chief minister Ramesh Pokriyal and Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal. Audience inclused eminent Doon alumni like Prannoy Roy of NDTV, Karan Thapar, minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and others)