SUICIDE: Bhutan is 'rich, wealthy' and lives in balance with nature
IN responding to Rita Sim's "A cry for help on the brink of suicide" (NST, July 5), David Tih of Malacca has suggested that steps be taken to promote a positive and "healthy lifestyle" and stress on "good mental health and balanced living".
He gave the example of the tiny Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan and that we can learn a thing or two from them on how to live a happy and peaceful life -- contentment, simplicity, inner peace, moderation, kindness and the ability to live in balance with nature and living life to the fullest.
He wrote that, "despite being a poor country and lacking development, facilities and human resources, it is recognised and accepted as the happiest nation in the world".
While I agree with Tih, I feel that it is not appropriate to describe Bhutan as a "poor" country using "monetary well-being, wealth and luxury" as the yardstick of measure.
Just as how the developed world has its own composite index, they should be defined as "rich and wealthy" according to their index.
After all, tangible assets and intangible assets form the basics of socio-economics. They are the two pillars of civilisation. The tangible possesses "static energy" and intangible possesses "spiritual energy" that has eternal value.
We cannot say that a kingdom that lives in balance with nature is "poor". They are also rich, perhaps "divinely rich", free from the torments and disturbances of the untrained wild mind and uncontrollable emotions.
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