11.28.2025 Mindfulness in the Mountains of Bhutan   Normally, on a plane that is landing, I’m nervous. And if there’s ever an appropriate time to be nervous while landing, it’s in Paro, Bhutan — one of the trickiest airports in the world for pilots. With the landing strip short and hemmed in by mountains, planes cannot land after dark or if there’s heavy rain or fog. Only a handful of pilots in the world are qualified to make this landing. Yet I wasn’t nervous in the least flying into Paro. The landscape was so interesting, so beautiful, that I forgot to be. Twenty minutes before we started our descent, I saw what looked like strange, pointy clouds: They were the Himalayas, including Mount Everest, covered in snow. Then, weaving our way between green mountains, we passed over terraced fields, a winding river, constellations of tidy, whitewashed buildings, and clusters of prayer flags. It looked like an enchanted kingdom. For me, the magic was in how I was so fully in the moment — not thinking about fears or what-ifs, only what was before me. Travelling often does this. In a new place with new sights and sounds, smells and tastes, we naturally snap out of autopilot and bring our full attention to bear. Bhutan takes this to a new level. A hidden gem, it’s unlike anywhere else, and mindfulness permeates the country. Children meditate in school, most families have a shrine room, and Buddhist symbols adorn homes and shops as constants reminders of the dharma. I went to Bhutan for the first ever Global Peace Prayer Festival, held from November 4–19. What follows are two articles I wrote about the festival, plus an interview I did with Kalu Rinpoche at his residence in Thimphu. Before I go, though, here’s one last jolt of Bhutanese mindfulness: Ema datshi, the national dish of chilies cooked with cheese, is spicy enough to wake you for three lifetimes. —Andrea Miller, editor, Lion’s Roar magazine Lion’s Roar readers curious about travel to Bhutan might also be interested our March 2026 pilgrimage. Participants will meditate in ancient monasteries, explore sacred sites, and immerse themselves in the spiritual heart of the Himalayas. Wheel of Time, Wheel of Peace The Kalachakra empowerment was at the heart of the Global Peace Prayer Festival in Bhutan. Andrea Miller explores the deep meaning of the Kalachakra. The word Kalachakra means “wheel of time” or “time cycles.” In essence, the Kalachakra tantra is about cyclic existence—the continual coming into being, eventual dying or disintegrating, and then coming into being again in new form. Everything from a single breath to a human life to the cosmos itself is subject to this cycle, but the Kalachakra is about how to get free of it and become a buddha. The buddhas at the heart of this tantra are Kalachakra and Vishvamata whose statue is on top of the central pavilion. While their sexual union might be shocking to some, the intention, says Kalachakra translator Niraj Kumar is to “depict the nondual union of everything in the universe.” ADVERTISEMENT Bhutan Festival Marks Landmark for Buddhist Nuns At the culmination of the Global Peace Prayer Festival, 265 nuns received full ordination. This is a profound step toward gender equality in spiritual leadership. Frequently, nuns internalize society’s view of them as inferior, and this erodes their self-esteem—their confidence in their own buddhanature. With laywomen witnessing the treatment of nuns, they can also begin to doubt themselves and their own spiritual potential. So, as Ayya Yeshe describes it, after one thousand years of Himalayan Buddhism, it is a progressive, compassionate, and powerful step to begin fully ordaining women, allowing them to be full participants in the fourfold sangha. “It’s a huge milestone,” she says. An Interview with Kalu Rinpoche at the Global Peace Prayer Festival in Bhutan During the Global Peace Prayer Festival in Thimphu, Bhutan, Lion’s Roar’s Andrea Miller sat down with Kalu Rinpoche for a wide-ranging conversation. Together, they explore navigating grief with compassion, what brings Rinpoche joy and inspiration, and how to make the dharma accessible without losing its depth. Reflecting on the challenges facing our world today, Rinpoche contemplated what it means to have hope and how Buddhist practice can help us meet difficulties with wisdom and resilience.