APCHI SIR'S LETTER TO HIS LITTLE BUDDHAS
(A Tribute to the Silver Jubilee of Nangkor Central School)
My journey on 14th February 1987 to the mountains of the Royal kingdom as a teacher was a turning point, significant in many ways. Rays of spiritual light shone over me from all directions of the pristine land and from every one of you. In a nutshell, the entire kingdom unfolded to me as a shrine. In discharging my duties and responsibilities, I experienced supreme delight. So, even at the odd hours of the night as the health in-charge and matron, I enjoyed walking from bed to bed and devoting my humble hands and heart to your services. The virginity of the land drove me towards the higher truths of life and liberated and protected me from all dehumanizing and degrading untruths. In every responsibility delegated by my principals, there was invisible divine guidance and mysterious power.
From the hidden treasure of additional responsibilities, a pearl surfaced to me. While serving as a librarian at Tsebar Primary School, Pemagatshel, desire for exploration and wisdom blazed in me and my Yoga Guru B.K.S. Iyengar, the Michelangelo of Yoga, appeared as a guide from the page of a magazine who guided and lifted me to a higher plane throughout my life in Bhutan. Once in a Yoga class in Pune, he prophesied: "Yoga will make you a better teacher." His prophesy fructified. The Royal Government of Bhutan acknowledged me as an outstanding teacher.
Further light of Yoga and Vedanta shone in the library of the newly born Nangkor Junior High School, which took birth in my hand and blossomed to enrich and elevate the glorious school. The light of the library has brought me a new light and new sight, and I could discover a magic world in the pages of the books that I loved and nurtured like a mother. To organize and look after the new library was a shower of blessings on me from the first headmaster of the school, the present Home Secretary, Dasho Sonam Wangyel.
In the matter of you girls, my dear spiritual daughters, when your parents handed you to me at the girls' hostel, they said, "Sir, from today, you are the parents of our daughters. We leave them to your care and guidance." My conscience was touched by their innocent trust and expectations. And, it became my most sacred responsibility and highest spirituality to look after hundreds of you for eleven years. My wife and I tried to keep you safe, healthy, and happy. We are so glad to understand that all of you are living a healthy and prosperous life.
Dear Holy Himalayan sons and daughters, as our bond grew more robust and higher through our mutual love, trust, and respect for each other, you fondly called me "apchi sir", and I devoutly called you "my Little Buddhas". This constantly boosted our spirit and contributed to our health, happiness, and performance.
For the purity of the mountains and my practice of Yoga-Vedanta, all the three schools I worked in turned into my holiest shrines. The Mahayoga that has led me to a blissful life is the most precious gift of Bhutan and Bhutanese education. The wealth that I value as the most sublime unfolded to me in the Bhutanese education. In his book "Raja Yoga", Swami Vivekananda wrote: "…. Those that practise the Mahayoga, either once a day, or twice a day, or thrice a day, or always, know them to be gods."
As a reward of my spiritual life and work in the kingdom, I have been granted the privilege of free enrolment at Yoga-Vedanta Forest University, Rishikesh - the Yoga Capital of the world, for my further learning and refinement. Thus, I have got a new home at Rishikesh on a Himalayan Mountain above the river Ganga. You students have been the causes of my new destination at the Yoga capital.
The shower of blessings of the mountains on me is ceaseless and fathomless. Though I haven't been privileged to visit any foreign land other than Bhutan, I received the warmth of many of my foreign brothers and sisters and learned about their culture and civilization. Travelling from different parts of the world, they converged on the tiny holy highland as V.S.Os and agents of different world organizations. I had an educative and elevating association with many of them. I have seen the world culture and civilization through them. I realized though we have external differences, it is the same light burning in all of us. The multitudinous wonders and glories of India also unfolded to me through my Indian brothers and sisters of diverse cultures and backgrounds of the different states and territories of the vast land. I have met many heroes of India in Bhutan. Revered P.P. Krishnan Sir is one of them, who travelled on foot for twenty-two days to reach his first school in one of the remotest hamlets of the kingdom. Without travelling to all parts of India, which is a mammoth task, I learned numerous things about the vast land from my Indian colleagues and friends. Thus, I have seen the light of all lands in Bhutan.
In recognition of my humble services, I was abundantly laurelled by the Royal Government of Bhutan through a series of magnificent ceremonies on the celebration of the historical Teachers' Day of the kingdom on 2nd May 2018. According to Panchatantra, an honour by the King is a thing of nectar in life.
My salutations to the Himalayan family and the Kingdom for kindling a new light in my life.
Happy Silver Jubilee celebrations! Palden Drukpa Gyalo!
With the heartiest prayers and wishes,
Santosh Chowdhury
(Apchi Sir)
apchisir@gmail.com
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