REVITALIZATION OF THE CHA YIG; CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS REALIZED — August 2008 Edition

Dolma Dorje, Saffron Release

For decades, the Bhutanese monastic code, known as the Cha Yig Chenmo, sat dormant in the imperial archives of Thimphu, reminding the few visitors of a time when a religious constitution set into stone the policy enacted by the Druk Gyalpo; where it was not just a matter of verbal confirmation, but written law. Such a tool, while situationally useful, has been avoided by the Wangchuck Dynasty of late, as the Emperor once put it in a private press release:

“With a constitution inevitably comes the wretched throng of democratization, which is what our proud people need to avoid the most.”

It is agreed by the legal correspondents at the Release that democracy is not the answer to the few, inconsequential problems that the Thunder Dragon Throne faces every so often on bad days. However, the utilization of the Cha Yig is not necessarily a matter of democratization, as the Cha Yig is hardly a constitution, but a monastic code ratified by both the Druk Gyalpo and by extension the Nang Chos portion of the Thudhamma Nikaya, which is responsible for passing all religious policy within the Empire, led by the humble hand of the aging U Ly Min.

On the topic of Min; the monk has in the past expressed the interest with the Druk Gyalpo to modernize the Cha Yig several times, often citing it as a tool for further agricultural expansion — an industry that dominates the economy —, as well as a good resource for finally establishing a conference of Buddhist organizations apart from the Thudhamma Nikaya, which has become flooded with representatives from Thimphu to Luang Prabang. Min proposed a ‘minor restoration’ of the Cha Yig on several different occasions, stating that ‘only a few, minor changes need to be made for the monastic code to apply to all realms within the Empire, allowing for an umbrella policy which will benefit the nation and its people extraordinarily.’

So, under Min’s wise consultation, the Druk Gyalpo finally accepted the Thudhamma Nikaya’s long-standing silent proposition to restore the monastic code of Bhutan, and, by extension, Burma.

The reforms themselves are minor and are not particularly important to touch on, as it isn’t important until viewed at a national level; though if one was curious to know what policy is being put into place by the Thudhamma Nikaya, you can visit your local monastery to consult with the sangha.

[Slavery -- Rare | Freedom of Speech -- Limited]