Dasho Karma Ura: The Pursuit of Happiness in Bhutan (#219)
Posted
In this episode, host Daniel Aitken is joined by Dasho Karma Ura. Dasho Karma Ura has a Bachelor of Arts from Oxford University, a Master of Philosophy from Edinburgh, and a PhD from Nagoya University. He was awarded the red scarf and the ancient title of distinction, Dasho, by His Majesty the Fourth King in 2006 for his dedicated service to the country of Bhutan. He was a member of the Drafting Committee of Bhutan’s first Constitution in 2008 and became president of the Centre for Bhutan Studies and Gross National Happiness Research. He is a painter and author of many books, including Bhutan: The Unremembered Nation – Volumes 1 & 2. In 2010, he was bestowed the honour of Druk Khorlo (Wheel of Dragon Kingdom) by His Majesty the King for his contributions to literature and fine arts. In this episode, Dasho Karma and Daniel explore the study and influence of Gross National Happiness, a philosophy pioneered in Bhutan by His Majesty the Fourth King, in which a government prioritizes national happiness over economic growth.
In this episode, Dasho Karma and Daniel also discuss:
- Buddhist ideals shaping Bhutanese culture;
- Language and cultural preservation;
- National happiness and collective well-being;
- Craft and virtue in Buddhist practice;
- The life and art of Yeshe Tsogyal; and
- much more!
The views and opinions expressed on this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Wisdom Publications or any entities they represent.
About the Interviewee
Dasho Karma Ura (BA Hons, Oxford University; M. Phil Economics, Edinburgh; PhD, Nagoya University) worked for the Ministry of Planning for 12 years before becoming the Director of the Centre for Bhutan Studies (CBS) from its founding in 1999 until 2008 when he became its President. He was a member of the Drafting Committee of Bhutan’s first Constitution, enacted in July 2008. He was awarded the red scarf and the ancient title of distinction, Dasho, by His Majesty the Fourth King in December 2006, for his dedicated service to the country. In 2010, he was bestowed the honour of Druk Khorlo (Wheel of Dragon Kingdom) by His Majesty the King for his contributions to literature and fine arts. He is also a painter. He has written several books such as Faith and Festival of Nimalung; Deities and Archers; The Hero with a Thousand Eyes; Ballad of Pemi Tshewang Tashi; and Leadership of the Wise: Kings of Bhutan, Bhutan: Unremembered Nation Vol. I & II, and contributed articles to numerous books. He is member of several professional bodies. He is an Associate Editor, International Journal of Asian Business and Information Management (2009 onwards); Member, School of Well-being, Chulalongkorn University, and San Nagarprada Foundation, Thailand; Member, Reflection Group on Global Development Perspectives, Global Policy Forum, Europe, Bonn, (2010 onwards); Member, Chief Economist’s Advisory Panel, South Asia Region, World Bank. In Bhutan, he is a member of Tarayana Foundation (A leading humanitarian-project focused NGO). He was visiting professor in several universities/institutes such as Nagoya University, Japan and Xian University of Architecture and Technology. He has given keynote speeches in many fora.
Photograph and bio courtesy of bhutanstudies.org.bt
