Peering intently at the charts in front of him while running his fingers carefully along lines of text, Namgang made his announcement, “In a past life you were in the God realms”. This, I decided, was the kind of fortune reading that I liked.
While I’ve always had a certain interest in fortune tellers and astrologers, if I’m honest I’ve never really believed in much of that they’ve said. However, when a monk resident at the most acclaimed astrological institute in Bhutan told me words that, with a bit of creative leeway, could be translated to mean that I had been a god in a previous life (he never specified which god but I quite fancy the idea that it was the Greek God Zeus) then I suddenly found my interest piqued.
For many visitors from Europe or America, astrology might be considered as little more than a fun bit of superstition, but in Bhutan, as in much of Asia, astrology is taken seriously. From birth unto death, the results of an astrology reading will dictate what should be done, and when, in order to ensure success in a venture and in life as a whole. Whether or not you believe in such things, one of the more unique experiences a person hiking the Trans Bhutan Trail can have is to visit an astrologer for a reading.
What is Tibetan Buddhist Astrology?
Tibetan astrology, which is influenced by both Hindu and Chinese astrology, is used as a tool to guide a person through major decisions and life events such as when to get married – and to whom, when to set off on a journey, when to move house, when to change to job and other important activities. Some people even use astrology to determine when to do the most mundane of tasks such as getting a haircut!
Almost without exception every newborn child gets an astrological reading and it’s the astrologer who determines the most auspicious name for a child. This reading will be referenced throughout the child’s life and on into adulthood. In addition to this, almost everyone gets an annual reading which will help to determine decisions made over the coming year. So important is astrology to the Bhutanese that at the end of the evening news on state TV, astrologists make pronouncements on the best times for people, and the country as a whole, to embark on important events. Perhaps even more surprising, is that in 2018 a report was published in the Bhutan Medical Journal recommending that patients obtain an astrological reading to determine the most auspicious moment to undergo major surgery.
Training to be an astrologer is a long and demanding process. “Every year the local abbot of each district picks a couple of monks to come and study here”, explained Namgang. “The process of becoming an astrologer is long. It often takes up to fifteen years and the abbot normally chooses monks who are likely to be good at the very complicated calculations required. But, about fifty percent of candidates find it too difficult and drop out of the training”.
Where to get an astrology reading in Bhutan?
Every town walked through on the Trans Bhutan Trail, as well as many villages, have a resident astrologer. Most will welcome an interested foreign visitor (you don’t need to be a Buddhist) for a reading. But perhaps the best place to get one done is at the large monastery complex of Pangri Zampa, nine kilometres north of Thimphu.
Founded over 500 years ago by Ngawang Chögyal (1465-1540), the monastery was originally named Druk Phodrang, which means the ‘Castle of the Dragon’. After many ups and downs which even included a long period of abandonment, the monastery was declared as Bhutan’s one and only educational institute of Tibetan astrology in 2003. But its purpose is more than just that of a training institute. It’s from here that the official Bhutanese Lunar Calendars are released each year, and the institute decides the precise date and time for important Bhutanese national events to take place. For example, the most auspicious moment for the fifth (current) king’s coronation was decided here, as have been the opportune moments for royal weddings and the prime time for the naming ceremony of the much-adored Crown Prince. In addition to this, every year a nine-day ritual is performed here for the wellbeing of all sentient beings and for peace and prosperity for Bhutan.
However, it's not just royalty and VIPs who profit from the astrological expertise of the monk’s resident here. Thimphu locals also visit the monastery every year to learn what the year ahead has in store for them. And so too can trail weary Trans Bhutan hikers.
In order to get a reading, it’s wise to ask your guide to reserve an appointment ahead of time. On arrival at this grand complex a monk - astrology readings are always done by monks – will either lead you down a dimly lit corridor into a small side room or, if you’re lucky, into a large chapel decorated with beautiful Tibetan Buddhist iconography, where the reading will take place. The monk, who in my case was Namgang, will ask for your date, time and place of birth, and then the same information for your parents. Consulting a book of astrology (today this is just as likely to be an App as an actual paper and ink book) known as Datho, the monk will work out your birth animal and be able to determine your lucky number, good days to embark on new projects and the bad days, as well as the most auspicious days on which to deal with matters of health. He will even be able to see your past lives and predict future lives. Guidance will then be given on what you need to do to avoid certain fates. A basic reading like this is unlikely to take much more than 20-30 minutes. If you want a more detailed reading then it can take much longer and will likely involve returning after several days to pick up your completed – and hopefully beautifully written and illustrated, astrology chart.
The Baboon
Meanwhile, my own astrological reading was continuing in a positive manner. Namgang had given me my lucky number, my health day, good days and bad days and all that was now left was for him to reveal my future. Surely, I thought to myself, if I had once been in the god realms then I could again return there. “In the next life you will be reborn as…”, he paused for dramatic effect. “A monkey”. Ah, so I was destined to become a baboon. Well, maybe I don’t believe in fortune tellers after all…
