Spirituality
and religion are omnipresent in Bhutan. Vajrayana Buddhism is the state religion of Bhutan, and Buddhists comprise 75% and Hinduism 23% of its population. And there are also still very old animistic practises alive.
Actually you can see signs of spirituality all over the
country: on mountaintops, in forests, houses, even in cars... but more
important you can experience it in the relationship of the people with
their natural surrounding; this is one of the biggest differences
between Bhutan and the so called "developed" countries: spirituality in
Bhutan is something that is still very much part of the daily life and
of what people do and the way how they do it.
In
almost every house and apartment you will find at least a little altar
(and many do have a whole altar room); and on many mountain tops you
will find a monastery or a temple.
I am very grateful that while living and working in Bhutan I got many opportunities to witness and even participate in many religious festivities in a Buddhist, Hindu and also animistic context.
