Prolegomena to Pursuing Gross National Happiness: The Bhutanese Approach

The Royal Government of Bhutan has proclaimed Gross National Happiness (GNH) the Kingdom's vision of development. GNH rests on "four pillars" or objectives economic development, environmental preservation, cultural promotion and good governance. An important question is: "Can this vision sustain, or be operational without, religious values?" First, this paper argues that if the concept of GNH is to be sustained or become operational as a vision of practical development, we will need to consider religious values, because they can provide the inner strength and guiding principles for living and can motivate development activities. Second, the paper will highlight the values to that need to be cultivated, the defects that need to be avoided, and the methods that need to be used in pursuit of GNH. This paper is a summary of an original paper bu Khenpo Jangem Tashi. The original paper is the first long work to have been written in Dzongkha about GNH and will be published as a separate volume, along with an English translation.