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The Great Fourth - Kadrinche La!


Yesterday I felt blessed and glad that I could do something meaningful rather than doing nothing left idly gazing upon the television screen all days. It was to conduct a 21st day of funeral rites of a late Lama Sonam Chophel, a great disciple of meme Lama Sonam Zangpo who lived at Hontsho. I could join an army of men in hoisting approximately more than three hundred poles of prayer flags in a day.
The group consisted of more than 30 people with different. Some were monks, some were civil servants, some were soldiers, and some were students. In deed, we had more pleasant hospitality than providing our self-less service (zhabtoh). Starting from breakfast unto dinner with tea, juices and other drinks in between.
Around 5: 40pm, as the warm sun set behind the lofy mountain which lied just behind the Lama Sonam Zangpo's temple, the freezy air started fluttering those newly stood prayer flags. May the deceased Lama rest in peace. May He be reborn soon for the wellbeing of all sentient beings in this samsara.
The thin layer of dusk already started enveloping us as we descended down the Hontsho valley toward Semtokha. I was in a hi-ace bus with a group of soldiers to Decheling. As the bus cruised down the hill overseeing the behemoth magnificently illuminated Semtokha dzong, a soldier who would be in his 40s happened to ask me about my whereabout. I replied him saying I am from Samdrup Jongkhar. Than he further asked me if I had studied at Martshala school as if he had known already about my specific place of the district.
I said, yes I studied there only in class IX and X. He instantly elaborated the conversation dragging all about the 2003 flushing out of ULFA insurgents from the land of Kaptongphu.
He elaborated that during that critical times, an army of soldiers had spent few nights in the Martshala MSS including himself while His Majesty the brave and visionary fourth King resided at Martshala Primary school studying and watching out the consequence to be happened soon.
The soldier added with an abruptness, he and his friends were safe and had victory all because of His Majesty's confidence and farsighted initiation of war against those insurgents. He said by now it is running twenty-three years of his service to the nation as a soldier. He is very grateful and optimistic to continue his heartiest service to the tsa-wa-sum until his strength do not cooperate him.
Similarly, each Bhutanese has always a special place in their hearts to remember His Majesty the Great Fourth. His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck had amazingly a stupendous contribution to the country and its people since His reign from the very young age until now.
Therefore, today on this very propitious day, I would like to join the nation in offering my heartiest unfathomable felicitations and prayers to His Majesty for His long and prosperous life. You are a real Buddha just in human manifestation for every Bhutanese and all sentient beings. Trashi Delek!

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