Today, the 1st day of the 12th month, is the Chunig-pa Losar
- the traditional day of offering. I didn’t plan for it, except visiting a
friend who invited me for the lunch. This morning, I wake up before the
sunrise. It’s still dark and unbearably cold. Let me tell you that in Thimphu,
January is the most barren time of the year. December, too.
And since January is already here, we experience that the
sun comes up late and goes down early. For me, these two months are usually
deep dark – albeit more eloquently, dreary. Because that the daylight is
shortened and the night gets prolonged.
As I walk around, I see the
trees expose their dark branches and trunks. And the bushes have withered to
the ground. The valley, mountains, rivers, and the soil beneath my feet exist
starkly naked, barren and dark.
The wind, outrageously
chilly and freezing, blows as if God had just opened his refrigerator for us. And
we all shiver like a lean prayer flag, until our bones hurt. For me, everything
about the winter in Thimphu is cold, dark and long.
And this
morning, as I sit in my veranda, I see the day unfurling itself towards morning,
and Losar too. From the horizon in the east, the sun begins rising,
illuminating gloriously, lighting the otherwise dark valley. It’s the morning.
It’s the Losar, too.
As the sun shimmers
all over the Thimphu valley, I’m realizing that we’re entering towards the
light, daytime. It’s, of course, the morning of the year. Henceforth, the day
will become longer and the night shorter. More light, less dark.
The Chunig-pa Losar
says it all that we’ve just entered into the last month of the year. But the
day is also meant for again celebrating the coming of the new beginning as we
enter again towards light. It means that wisdoms would awaken our minds
gradually – lighting our own conscience, thus, our darkness and ignorance is
dissolved.
A Losar Tashi Delek to all the bloggers and my wonderful readers!
Appreciate your photography...keep up.
ReplyDeleteHappy Chunipa (Belated) Losar Rikku Sir. The solstice has begun in Bhutan. Longer nights-and you can sleep a little longer :D
ReplyDeletep,s the picture is captured brilliantly. Love it! :)