[...] The spirit and calm of Buddhism enveloped us. The courtesy and hospitality of the royal family, the government and the people of Bhutan were overwhelming. It was evident and palpable everywhere, in the shops and eating places, on the streets, in the stadium in Thimphu that brought together nearly
one lakh guests (one-seventh of Bhutan’s population), who participated in a day-long public function where one of the performances was conceived and choreographed by His Majesty — a traditional dance with the members of the Cabinet, the prime minister and the king all dancing in unison in a large circle to the unending applause of the one lakh present.
Dignity, grace, honesty; tradition and modernity; respect for all; a great sense of sharing, inclusive participation, engagement with the citizens of Bhutan, the extended royal family; a compassionate reaching out to one and all in an equal embrace without structured grading — these were the complex elements that came together in a frame where the formal, structured warp and the many different threads of the weft created a weave that was both fine and fragile, rare and near extinct elsewhere in this world. It was a privilege to be part of this rare and special moment in time. -
Full article