Gross Happiness Index

As put forward by David Ferris, the notion of Gross National Happiness came about in the 1970s as the insular Himalayan nation was beginning to open itself to the outside world. The king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, examined the global economy’s yardstick of Gross National Product and found it wanting. Many in the West are intrigued by a new lens that looks past manufacturing and productivity data and asks deeper questions about the pursuit of happiness.

A study from Britain's University of Leicester examined a range of statistical data to devise a ranking of the world's happiest nations. And the Top 12 happy nations are listed below.

World’s Happiest Countries:
                  1.     Denmark

2.     Switzerland

3.     Austria

4.     Iceland

5.     Bahamas

6.     Finland

7.     Sweden

8.     Bhutan

9.     Brunei

10.Canada

11.Ireland

12.Luxembourg

To showcase Bhutan, Ben Henretig, has initiated a Kickstarter campaign to turn his footage into a full-length documentary called “The Happiest Place.”  He wants the film to go to Sundance, expose us to landscapes, few have seen, and show us what a nation of happy people actually looks like!


Take a look at it….. and Be Happy!

Bharat for Bhutan

The recent first official overseas visit of our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi was to Bhutan, one of our neighboring nations. And he emphasized B or B synergy - Bharat for Bhutan and Bhutan for Bharat. This definitely puts Bhutan in the limelight.

Besides the fact, that Bhutan has been ranked 8^th amongst the top 12 happiest nations in the world!

The national animal of Bhutan - Takin      Courtesy: http://www.tourism.gov.bt/

I came across a beautiful article, written by Margaret Geen* about Bhutan and thought of sharing it with all of you. Some of its excerpts are listed below:

ü Bhutan is the first and only country in the world to have a government edict that Gross National Happiness (GNH) is more important than Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

ü The principle of Selfless service and the search for enlightenment - is a core value of this unique Buddhist kingdom.

ü Bhutan is the only country in the world to have banned cigarette smoking.

ü Bhutan was the first country to ban plastic bags in 1999.

The lansdscape of this small country is dotted with buildings decorated with flowers, Buddisht art called dzongs, chortens and innumerable monasteries. The most famous of these is the stunning Tiger’s Nest or Taktshang Monastery, which clings to the steep hillsides in the upper Paro Valley surrounded by blue pine and spruce forests.

Ultimately, it is the Bhutanese themselves who are so engaging, and they really do seem to love the way of loving kindness and compassion – the major tenets of Mahayana Buddhism to which they subscribe. 

They seem to live in the moment and their highest priorities are community, family and faith.

Perhaps it will be the wisdom of one of the smallest and happiest nations on earth, Bhutan which will ultimately provide the necessary guidance for stability and peace so longed for throughout the world, when so may nations appear to be afflicted and deeply disturbed by war, poverty and palpable misery.

Like every great journey, the first step begins with us! Tashi Delek!

*From an introduction by Margaret Geen to the book, The Bhutanese Guide to Happiness, by Gyonpo Tsering.

There is a lot to learn from this tiny jewel with a population of only 2.3 million.

Bhutan seems to have discovered the way to happiness, have we?