In the geographically-isolated Himalayan mountain kingdom of Bhutan, with its steep high snowy mountain peaks surrounded by the Chinese and Indian borders, the Bhutanese have long held that spirit and consciousness exist everywhere. 

The people of Bhutan practice Buddhism, based on loving kindness. They respect their elders and believe that all actions have consequences. They practice conscious compassion towards all sentient beings. 

In modern times they have created a collective social policy of measures to gage their true prosperity. This multi-dimensional policy is called Gross National Happiness or GNH for short. It is the application of ancient wisdom to the modern age. 

Instead of measuring in terms of money and wealth accumulation and adverse development indicators such as how many goods are produced (Gross National Product), the Bhutanese have opted for indicators that measure how happy they are. For example, can we walk to work? Do our children live near a school? Is the food we eat healthy and do we know where it comes from? Is the water we drink and the air we breathe pure? Are our parents united in our upbringing? Are our homes bright and cheery? Do we have a meaningful livelihood that we enjoy rather than a job that just brings us income but is tedious and uninteresting for our real evolution? Do we have friends and colleagues who honor and respect us? --These are constant questions which are adopted by the Bhutanese people and reflected in their governing process. 

GNH focuses on collective happiness. It emphasizes the difference between long-term happiness based on deep values and short-term happiness that readily disappears.

As children, we will be delighted with a new toy, but quickly grow tired of it. But playing with friends, sharing, learning, and evolving brings long-term deep happiness that remains pivotal to our lives and our sense of identity and purpose and that is with us always.

For the Bhutanese, these long-term indicators are much more important and sustainable than the short-term accumulation of wealth or success that comes from what is sold in the market place. These criteria represent true prosperity and give real and lasting meaning to life.  

The people of Bhutan recognize that life is short, the soul is eternal, that we are blessed to be alive, and that chasing after material goods does not bring peace of mind. They also know that the aspiration for happiness and well-being can potentially unite all cultures.

So rather than producing and selling a lot of products to achieve progress and development and boast about wealth based on personal or collective ego, they insist that a good quality of life starts and ends with our relations to others. This means that we thrive and share together as a community, remain healthy and generous in our actions, and embody abundance rather than acquire an addiction to accumulated wealth. Life is not a game. It is a conscious path to an enlightened state.

GNH places a strong emphasis on balanced psychological well-being and health, experiential learning, community vitality, conservation of the environment, good and transparent governance, and respect for ecological and cultural diversity and equality. It focuses on a respect for how we use our time as we dedicate our lives to all sentient beings and live fully for the well-being of others, as well as ourselves. 

MARTI PHOTO. Bhutanese monk and GNH youth participant, BHUTAN