Bidding 'Adieu' to Dawa is painful!

In the next class, I asked them to answer some questions. Unfortunately, I could not spend as much time on discussing Dawa as I wished. I had some great ideas like I wanted them to draw some pictures of their favourite characters, or their favourite scenes from the novel, but the time factor was weighing heavily on my mind. I still have to teach them a story entitled “I’ve got Gloria” by K.M.Kerr and another poem to boot! There are some holidays coming up due to the Chhukha Tshechu.

I decided to spend the last period on “Dawa, the story of a stray dog” by continuing with the question left unanswered in the previous class due to lack of time. The students were to verbally talk about their impressions of Dawa and they came out some 7/8 characteristics of Dawa. The question was:

1.      What are some of your impressions of Dawa at the end of the novel?

Ans: Dawa is a friendly dog. He went back to Paro towards the end of the novel to meet Moley. This simply proves his friendly nature. He was educated and intelligent. He, unhesitatingly, without going into any open confrontation with the dogs on the way to Thimphu, put his tail between his hind legs and showed them that he meant no harm. Similarly, he behaved in the same manner in the village below the Jakar Dzong, when the menacing-looking dogs came charging at him. These are acts of sheer intelligence on his part.

We get to see the romantic streak of Dawa in his infatuation with the beauty, Singyemo, who ditched him for Katu. He also fell momentarily for the beautiful, black yak-herder dog on the top of Pelela. The religious side of Dawa comes to the fore as  we find him spending a lot of time at the cave of Gelong Ma Pelma, though he was long cured of his deadly disease, mange. But what cuts out Dawa from the rest is his patriotism, his love for Thimphu or Bhutan for the matter. The last line of the speaks volumes of his love for and pride in his motherland.

After we were done with the discussion on Dawa, Rajesh Rai, who has been keeping quiet for the last couple of weeks, surprised me by standing up and asking me the question:

2.      Sir, can you share some of your feelings about the writer of this novel based on your reading and understanding of it?

Ans: I thanked him for the question and then told him that during my stay of over 14 years in Bumthang, I could meet Ashi Kunzang Choden only thrice. Once we invited her to read out to the students in the jam-packed MPH during the Reading Week. Another time when I was coming back to school from BoB some half hour's distance away, I was given a lift by her. We talked about a lot of things and she really impressed me with her knowledge of contemporary issues. As we reached near her house, she even asked me to come in for a cup of coffee or something. So it goes without saying that she is very knowledgeable, friendly and hospitable.

Apart from my feelings of her based on those personal encounters, I felt while going through the part of the novel where we find Dawa shifting to his new shelter at Thowadrak and spending most of his time looking at the vast empty space in front that most probably she spent some time there. Reason enough for her writing so vividly and poignantly! Only a religious minded person would do that.

She is the first Bhutanese woman to have written a novel in English and has a great command over the language. Despite my fault-finding nature, I could only marvel at her mastery of the language from the very first page of the novel to the last.

Ashi Kunzang has to be a fiercely patriotic lady as is evident throughout the novel. Through the portrayal of Dawa sitting near the temple overlooking the Thimphu town with loving emotion, she bares a part of herself or her love for her motherland. ( Bhutan is growing  and coming up. I purposefully talked about the football match between Bhutan and the Maldives on the previous night at Changlimitang Stadium. Nearly everyone had given up on Bhutan coming back in the match. But against all odds, Bhutan scored 3 goals in the last 15 minutes and created history!) She knows it from the bottom of her heart that Bhutan cannot remain the same as change is inevitable and welcome. But there is no doubt about the fact that she is a very proud Bhutanese.

I concluded the answer by asking them to be always proud of this glorious country as Peace and Tranquillity seems to have found a nest in this majestic, mountainous country like nowhere else.

Rajesh kept standing still throughout but the moment I finished answering his first question, he came out with the second which went like:

3.      Why do you think this novel was included in the curriculum, out of the hundreds and thousands of novels available in the market?

Ans: Dawa was chosen, from among hundreds of novels, due to various reasons. Firstly, earlier students in class-IX had to study a play called The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, the greatest playwright ever. But many students found Shakespeare very difficult to understand because of the language.  As a result, students performed miserably in the exams. Consequently, Shakespeare was removed from the curriculum and Dawa was introduced.

I also told them about the huge loss the government incurs every time a high school student flunks in the exam. The government spends nearly 70-75 thousands per HS student per year. I asked them to work out how much money the government has to pay if 5 students fail in one school and then multiply the amount by the number of HSs in the country. How much would that be?

Another reason might be when a book is written by a foreign author, it is difficult for the students to identify and relate to the places and people, but as this book is written by a Bhutanese author, students find it easier to do so.

Finally, I informed them that as the language used in 'Dawa, the story of a stray dog', is exceptionally good that might have influenced the teacher-educators to go for it, having obviously thought about the long term benefits the novel would have for the students in due course of time, so far as their English is concerned.

GOOD BYE DAWA, STAY GOLD.

Dawa Moves On ......

Contd from pg 1/-

After I finished reading and explaining the last two pages of the novel, I also shared with them my feelings of the previous night when I was going through the last few pages, preparing for the lesson. I told them that many of them will be successful in life, but only a handful of them may be coming back to CHSS as a teacher. They will replace the elderly teachers like me and teach a new generation of students. But whatever it may be, they will have lots of fond memories and they will be contented with their memories and achievements. , I requested the class to give a round of applause for Ashi Kunzang Choden for writing such a beautiful novel. Generations of Bhutanese students have already been fed on this value-laden novel and many more should be. I still remember having taught this novel some 9 years back!

There can’t be any better ending to the novel: Dawa looking down at the valley and getting apprehensive of its growing size. But he is happy for the capital and his love for his motherland; his patriotic feelings come to the fore. Jamyang asked me how would I have ended the novel, if I was the author. I told him in reply that writers like Mrs. Kunzang Choden are not born every day. They are blessed people, meant for all times and places. I was not sure if I would have wanted to end the novel any differently. But if I had to make any change at all, I would try to find a soulmate for our own Dawa. I would try to do that as Dawa is not getting any younger. In fact he is very old now. Most of the dogs do not know him and even if some do, they do not seem to trust him all that much. So who is going to care for him in his old age? He has no children of his own. If he has a partner, life would be still meaningful and pleasurable for him and the two of them can stay happily ever after.

All said and done, Jamyang seemed happy as the bell for the recess rang. As I was coming out of the class, I heard someone speaking in a singsong voice in my mind. Thank you so..oo very much, Ashi Kunzang Choden for writing such a graceful, value-laden novel. The constant presence of having Dawa Koto in our daily diet, will keep generations of Bhutanese youth healthy, happy and rooted to the ground and remind them of their role and responsibility of keeping this god-blessed country green and gorgeous for ages to come.

P.S: I would like to blog about some of the incredible questions we discussed along with the MCQs, nearly 40 in number, made by Class-IX A in the next couple of blogs.

BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN (CHAPTER - 12)

Dawa finally went back to Paro where some of the older dogs recognized him. The only reason for his coming back to Paro was that he wanted to meet Moley and went to the places she normally visited. But finding her nowhere, he went to her favourite place under the steps of the lhakhang in town. There he found a young dog mother feeding and licking her litter of puppies. Dawa was suddenly overcome with a sense of paternity. She looked so contented that Dawa did not want to intrude into this serene scene of a happy family. He was turning back to go away from that place when she called out asking him if he wanted anything.

Through the talk with her Dawa learnt that she was the third generation niece of Moley and she was her great-great-great aunt. Dawa then introduced him as a friend of Moley. When Dawa looked surprised on hearing that Moley had passed away years ago, she wanted to know what was so surprising about it as Dawa himself did not look so young either. Dawa rushed back to the pool he would use as a mirror, on the left bank of the river, to practise his howling posture long ago. Dawa was intrigued by the seemingly long passage of time and wondered about his place amidst all the visible changes. He had to look at himself. But the blue pristine pool was no more what it was before. When he looked into the water, he could not find his reflection as there were plastic bags, empty packets of Maggi, two empty bottles of Mountain Spring water, one half shoe and even a packet of Amul Taaza on the water and the bushes and plants around!

 Dawa removed some of the garbage from the surface of the water and looked at himself in the muddy water. He found a blurry figure in the murky water with rainbow colours around, like the ones one finds around the statues in the temples. He was surprised and crouched down to have a closer look. It was not luminous like the one finds around Buddha’s head, but oily and poisonous. Concerned Dawa looked around for the changes. So much has changed during his absence – the ever growing number of cars, the mechanical workshop, and the buildings everywhere. He wondered if the sleeky rainbows in the pool of water were being caused by the garbage or the changes. Being a dog without the intellect of the humans, it was difficult for him to find out the answer, so he decided to concentrate on his reflection in the water. He looked very old and pensive. He then smiled a smile of contentment thinking about all the places he had been to, beyond Paro. It was mainly due to Moley.

Then he positioned himself like he used to long time ago. He tried to focus on the imaginary moon, the source of his name and identity. He thought about his dead family next. Then he howled, the loud, muffled sound slowly rising to a crescendo followed by a lingering tremor. This is how he paid his tribute to Moley and Paro.

It was no different in Thimphu. Most of the younger lot had no idea about who Dawa was and those who had heard about him being the leader of the howling pack once, found it difficult to believe that he was the same Dawa. They thought that he was trying to have fun by trying to be a part of an urban legend! The only logical explanation, felt Dawa, of the mysterious passage of time could have been his long stay at the cave of Gelong Ma Pelmo.

Thimphu is what he has chosen to be his home. He has a wonderful view of the whole Thimphu valley from his place near Changangkha lhakhang. He rues not having any children of his own, but that frees him from any responsibility of parenthood. He smiles when he hears the nightly howling, as indisciplined as it was not during his time. But he was pleased to think that every dog was entitled to freedom of speech. Day after day he watched Thimphu town growing and spreading, converting the paddy fields into concrete blocks and climbing up the forested hills. He realized with fond wisdom that Thimphu will grow to its destined size and his eyes become misty with loving emotion.

Contd on page 2/-

IT'S FUN TIME AGAIN !!

Eventually we are done with Chapter-11 entitled: The Full Moon Night. I sincerely believe that we have done a wonderful job so far, despite the pressure of the past couple of weeks.

We finished chapter-11 last Friday. On Thursday I asked them impulsively to make their own questions at home/hostel. It was a pleasant surprise therefore, when I found out that they had not let me down. As I had two consecutive periods with them on Friday, I decided to make the most of it and requested them to discuss their own questions in the sixth period. At the end, I also asked them to write down the main points of the chapter summarized by me in the previous period, in their own words along with the answers to four questions during the weekend.

Now let me share the students own questions along with the main points of the answers here. The questions are mainly objective type in nature.

1)      Where did Dawa find his shelter?

              Ans:  Dawa found his shelter on the outcrop of a rock.

2)      What promise did Dawa make to Moley?

       Ans:  Dawa promised to share the details of his travels with Moley on his return.

3)      Who was instrumental behind Dawa reaching the cave of Gelong Ma Pelmo?

Ans:  The one mainly responsible for Dawa reaching the cave of Gelong Ma Pelmo’s cave in Thowadrak was the grey dog in Mongar.

4)      What does Thowadrak mean?

Ans:  Thowadrak means the Big Rock.

5)      Who were the women? What did they bring for the care-taker?

Ans:  The three elderly women were pilgrims. They brought a lot of things for the caretaker including eggs, fried biscuits and rolls of incense sticks.

6)      Why did Dawa feel like barking one day?

Ans:  Dawa felt like barking/howling one day as it was a full moon day.

7)      What happened to Dawa’s body as he got cured?

Ans:  As Dawa was beginning to get cured, he found new fur, yellow-brown in colour, his original colour, spouting in place of his crusted and open wounds.

8)      Why did the care-taker not chase Dawa away from the cave?

Ans:  The care-taker did not chase Dawa away from the cave as he had been staying there for long and harmed no one during his stay.

9)      What did the care-taker tell the women about Dawa?

Ans:  the care-taker of the temple asked the women not to worry about Dawa as he was a harmless dog and never stole or bit anyone. He also went on to tell them that though Dawa looked ragged, he had a sensitive mind.

10)  Why did Dawa keep postponing his departure for Thimphu?

11)  Ans:  Dawa kept postponing his departure for Thimphu as he wanted to be cured completely of his disease. He was also very content and tranquil staying there.

12)  Who was Markhang? Why did he attack Dawa?

Ans:  Markhang was the old guard dog of the big house on top of the hillock. Markhang attacked Dawa as Dawa was a stranger there and had taken the liberty of entering into the courtyard of the big house, uninvited and unnoticed by others.

13)  How many houses were there in the village east of the big house?

Ans:  There were 20 houses in the village east of the big house.

14)  What was Dawa warned about?

Ans: Dawa was warned that each household in the village had a dog. So he was expecting a dog attack.

15)  Where were all the dogs gone? Why?

Ans:  All the dogs were gone to the big house as some people were busy chopping meat and bones off the carcass of a yak.

16)  Where were all the dogs assembled and why?

17)  Ans:  All the dogs of the village east of the big house were assembled in the courtyard of the house in the hope of stealing some meat and bones from the pile on the bamboo mat.

18)  What was the name of the gawky female dog? Describe her.

Ans:  The name of the gawky female dog was Nomala. She was very beautiful with big joints and paws.

19)  Why was Nomola treated very well by the men of the house?

Ans:  Nomola was treated very well as she was going to be the next guard dog of the house. She was also a very beautiful and intelligent dog.

20)  Why was Dawa impressed with Nomala?

Ans:  Dawa was impressed with her as she was beautiful and intelligent. Dawa felt she had good breeding and parentage. He was equally impressed with her big joints and paws and thought that she would make an impressive guard dog in the near future.

21)  Briefly give a physical description of Markhang?

Ans: Markhang was the old guard dog of the big house. He was very big, bigger than most of the big dogs in that locality. He was black in colour with red-brown markings around his neck. At one time he must have been an imposing dog with his teeth and fangs. He had long fur that felted at some places due to lack of grooming. The area under his piercing eyes was wet as his eyes watered frequently. The bristles on his face were coarse and unkempt. He had a booming voice.

22)  How did Dawa feel about the pilgrims?

Ans:  Dawa felt absolutely delighted with the pilgrims as the only people he would see at Thowadrak were the lama, the young monks, the caretaker and the hermit. Besides, he was happy with their arrival as he himself was a pilgrim there.

23)  Why was Dawa still alive after being severely bitten by Markhang?

Ans: As Markhang was a very old dog, he had lost all his teeth and fangs. So when he grabbed Dawa’s neck in his mouth, he was chewing up and salivating the furry area around his neck and thereby trying to frighten him uselessly.

24)  What was the significance of the full moon night in Dawa’s life?

Ans: [The question has been discussed in the earlier blog.]

25)  Why did Dawa decide to spend the night at Kikila on the way to Thimphu?

26)  Ans:  Dawa decided to spend the night at Kikila as it was a historic and holy place. By sleeping there he was expecting to have an auspicious dream that would have an impact on a believer like him.

In addition to the above questions, the students were also asked to answer the following questions as home-work:

Ø  How was Dawa cured from mange?

Ø  If you were Dawa, how would you feel leaving Thowadrak?

Ø  How do you feel about Dawa after going through this chapter?

Ø  Briefly write about what Dawa experienced during his night stay at Kikila.

CHAPTER - 10 (THE FULL- MOON NIGHT0

Dawa found shelter on the outcrop of a rock. He would just sit there and gaze at the open space in front. From the very first day of his stay there, he felt at peace with himself and all his restlessness was gone. The cave was just at the right distance from the temple – neither too close nor too far.

But one day he became agitated again and missed howling and the company of the other dogs. A dog in a sacred place must not howl, so he suppressed all sounds that formed in his throat and came out as hiccups.

As he sat there lost, he heard voices and eventually found three elderly women coming up, panting, and carrying heavy baskets on their backs and aluminium kettles in their hands. They were pilgrims. Dawa was happy to see them. Other than the people who lived there, rarely did he get to see other people. Dawa tried to greet them with his eyes, but they got scared and called out to the care-taker for help. The care-taker asked them not to fear such a harmless stray dog.

As the most elderly of them was feeling dizzy, she sought help from one of her younger companions and holding hands, they walked along the footpath. Dawa tried not to frighten them and pretended to be asleep. As they passed by, he smelt them, a strange mixture of fried biscuits, sweat and incense scent.

Before entering into the temple, they rested outside and took the baskets off their backs. Then the care-taker came to the door and told them that the fire for melting the butter in their kettles for lighting the butter lamps, was ready. The women, having in the meanwhile taken their things out of their baskets, offered him some fried biscuits, eggs, rolls of incense and lots of other things, unseen by Dawa. The care-taker told them that there was no need for gifts. They shouldn’t have taken the trouble really. He also asked them to keep some for the lama. The women informed him then that they had brought some gifts for the lama as well.

Before entering into the temple, they asked the care-taker if it was safe to leave their luggage behind, particularly in view of the presence of the dog. The care-taker’s response was the greatest gift for Dawa as he said: "The dog looks ragged, but he has a sensitive heart like a human. He never steals or bites other people."

Dawa felt a sense of camaraderie with the pilgrims. He was intrigued when he heard them conversing about the cave of Gelong Ma Pelmo. Only then did he realize that it was the very cave he had been staying in all these months. The news was too shocking for Dawa to bear.

He came out of it as he saw the pilgrims heading toward the cave. Dawa was trembling with excitement when the care-taker was praising him for his sensitive nature. But he observed them for a distance. They came with folded hands and prostrated. They also stuck butter lamps in the crevices of the temple. One of them asked if there was any specific mantra for Gelong Ma Pelmo as they were so used to chanting OM MANI PEMA HUNG, while praying to her. The care-taker replied that as long as they included all the sentient beings in their prayers, it was fine with him.

Dawa realized that he was there in Thowadrak due to the prayers of other people. He was overcome with a deep sense of gratitude and universal fellowship. It being an auspicious day, the fifteenth of the month coinciding with the full-moon day, the care-taker sounded disappointed on finding out from them that there were no other pilgrims coming up.

Dawa though could not take it as mere coincidental that he christened himself and found out the cave of Gelong Ma Pelmo on a full-moon day. All the pieces of his life seemed to be falling into place.

One day he felt that something was missing, amiss. Though things around him were going on as usual – the care-taker was fetching water from the stream, the river flowing down and the ravens cawing sitting on the trees. Then he realized what was missing – his itching was gone! He examined and re-examined himself.  All his lesions were gone and in place of the open, crusted wounds, he had new fur sprouting.

As the lama was passing by, he remarked that the mangy dog did not look as bad as he had thought earlier. Phuntsho, too wise for one so young, disagreed respectfully by commenting that it was really bad when he came there at first. But he recovered during his long stay in the sacred place. Dawa was indeed cured of his mange!

Dawa always knew that he would eventually get back to Thimphu, which he considered to be his home, and regale Moley and Dampa with stories of his travels. But he felt so content and tranquil that he was in no hurry to get back to Thimphu. Knowing that he might not come back to Tang again, he thought of visiting all the villages in Tang on both sides of the river. As he climbed down, he looked back at Thowadrak and felt as if he was leaving a part of him behind. He crossed the bridge and climbed up the hillock called Uri Ngphang (Ram’s Nose) and proceeded toward the big house. There were some twenty households on the east side of the house and each house had a dog, he was told. Despite the casual way he was treated by the old black dog on the way, Dawa wondered about the dogs before moving to the courtyard of the big house. All the dogs were gathered there in a circle as there was a huge pile of meat and bone, possibly the carcass of a yak, on a bamboo mat. An old man was chopping them into small pieces and spreading them to dry. Another old man was trying to keep the dogs and the ravens at bay with a stick. It was a scene as the ravens competed with the dogs for the pieces of meat flying off the chopping board. He eased himself in between two dogs, unnoticed by anyone. Suddenly an old dog with red-brown markings all around his neck, came to Dawa and sniffed him all over, thrice. He rebuked Dawa for being there as he did not belong to that place. Dawa had no intention of a confrontation and was getting up to go, when the dog fell upon him, biting into his neck. Dawa was terrified and cried out. He tried to get out of the steely grip. He could only get away when two men came to his rescue by forcing the jaws of the big dog open.

Dazed and disoriented, Dawa heard the two men laughing about what might have happened if the old dog, Markhang, was not toothless. Dawa felt the wetness around his neck, but there was no blood or throbbing pain. All the dogs were more concerned with the bones than the incident. A dog next to him confirmed his feeling that there was no harm done. Two men, feeling pity on Dawa, threw a piece of meat to him. He was still all shook up and as a result, the meat was pulled out of his mouth by a raven. It was simply not his day as things were going haywire.

His attention then was caught by a gawky female dog called Nimola, who kept on stealing pieces of meat and running away. She was being given preferencial treatment as she was to be the next guard dog. Dawa was impressed with her breeding, parentage, looks and felt that she would be a fine guard dog.

Contd on page 2/-

THE FULL- MOON NIGHT.

Dawa kept his eyes on Markhang, who looked lonely yet dignified. Dawa realized that Markhang must have been an imposing dog once with his big body, long fur, piercing eyes and booming voice. He was old and could not look after himself. The areas under his eyes were wet as they watered. Large folds of his upper lip were hanging below his chins and there was a slight tremor in his body. He felt sorry for the dog and forgave him. Dawa found Markhang praiseworthy for his sense of duty and dignity. The old dog reminded him of Moley. Both living in the past and failing to adjust to the changing times.

 He decided not to take any more chances and head straight to Thimphu after spending a night at Kikila. Dawa knew that spending the night where the dogs had played an important role long ago, would be impactful on a believer. He climbed up the pass, to the mountain and made a bed of dry ferns for himself. He kept his eyes on Prati naktsang, the home of Thuksay Dawa.

He had hardly fallen asleep when he was awakened time and again by a number of trucks heading towards Chumey from Chokor valley, carrying firewood. He was irritated by the noise and frequently sought a new place. He must have fallen asleep, when he was awakened by a wet object touching his face. Looming above was a yak’s face, munching his breakfast!

Dawa was up on all fours, tail up, ready for battle when he found some 50 yaks all around him. He was in the yak pastures near Kidipu, miles away from Kikila. Each time he was disturbed by the blazing lights, groaning sounds and stinking smoke, he had moved further up to try to catch some sleep.

What a wasted endeavour, thought Dawa, feeling rather foolish, in front of the bemused yak, staring at him.

(Though we are yet to finish the chapter, today I asked them to answer few questions in the fourth period before lunch. They were given 25 minutes to answer the questions. Towards the end we discussed their answers, focusing on the main points.)

A.      Who were the women? Why did they come to Thowadrak?

Ans: They were pilgrims. They came to Thowadrak mainly for three reasons. Firstly, they wanted to visit the temple there. Secondly, they wanted to visit Gelong Ma Pelmo’s cave and light the butter lamps. Finally, they might have come there to acquire religious merits by offering gifts to the lama and the care-taker of the temple.

B.      What did they offer the care-taker of the temple?

Ans: The elderly women offered some fried biscuits, eggs and rolls of incense to the care-taker of the temple. They also offered him lots of other things which Dawa could not see clearly.

C.      What did the care-taker tell them about Dawa that made him really happy? How did Dawa feel about the care-taker’s remark?

Ans: The care-taker told the elderly women that Dawa was a harmless stray dog initially. But when they seemed a bit suspicious not knowing if it would be wise on their part to leave their luggage behind in the presence of Dawa outside the temple door, the care-taker told them that though Dawa looked ragged, he had a sensitive heart like that of a human. He never stole or bit other people.

He had not bothered much about Dawa’s looks and judged him for what he was. This made Dawa very happy. He felt like dancing in circles, chasing his tail, like puppies do in playful delight. This was the greatest gift that Dawa could have ever received.

D.     What was the significance of the full-moon night in Dawa’s life?

Ans: The full-moon night always played an important role in Dawa’s life. It was on a full-moon night that Dawa christened himself as Dawa Koto. Similarly, he started howling for the first time on a full-moon night as well. He became the leader of the howling pack in Paro and Thimphu respectively on a full-moon night. So finally when he found out the cave of Gelong Ma Pelmo on a full-moon night, it was too much of a surprise to be coincidental and nothing short of a miracle. So there is a strong relationship among Dawa, the moon and Gelong Ma Pelmo's cave that ultimately leads to some sort of self-realization within him and to the discovery of his destiny.

CHAPTER -10 (THOWADRAK)

Dawa proceeded to Thowdrak with single-minded determination. Nothing was going to stop him from getting closer to his goal, he told himself. As he reached the steps leading to the temple, panting, he looked around for some signs of life. Everything was so calm and silent.

Soon he found a group of monks (‘mountain goats’) jumping down the trails, shrieking, pushing and pulling one another. He thought for a while what the mothers of these monks would think of their sons, if they saw them pretending to fly like aeroplanes.

While Dawa was thinking of following the group of monks, outside the temple, he heard the chanting of mantras. Turning his head, he could see the lama, accompanied by a young monk, heading towards the temple. Dawa hastily gave way and stood reverentially on the side. The lama looked quite disappointed at finding the sickly and mangy dog there and blamed the rare pilgrims for leaving their dogs there.

He asked the young monk called Phuntsho to drive the dog away. The monk palpably bored with the disciplined life of the monastic body, picked a large stick and some menacing stones. His strategy for war was simple. He would hit Dawa with the stick first and then throw stones after him in order to chase him away.

This was the real test for Dawa. Calling to mind his late mother’s advice for dangerous situations, Dawa wasted little time in putting his tail in between his hind legs and stared at the lama with all his mental prowess. It worked like magic as the lama stopped the upraised hand of the monk from lashing at Dawa, telling him that probably the dog needed protection and he was there due to some karmic connections. He also asked the monk to tell others not to harm Dawa.

Relieved beyond his wildest expectation, Dawa started combing the place for the cave till he chanced upon the cave with the closed wooden door, where a hermit meditated. He was much intrigued by the solitary hermit staying in this very cave and concluded that this must be the cave he had been looking for. He decided to stay at the cave’s door and only left it once in a while for  the monastery for scraps of food. There was plenty of food whenever there were prayers or some rituals being performed. He was not the only one to be seen at such occasions as there were other healthy- looking, dignified dogs with shiny fur and beautiful tails for the same purpose, come from the yak-herders camps spread across the mountains. Though initially suspicious of Dawa, they were not antagonistic. Dawa asked them about the cave but none of them could help him at all.

In the wee hours of one morning, Dawa was surprised to hear the noise of movement inside the cave. Next moment the wooden door of the cave was removed to a side and out came the tall figure for ablutions. The figure must have noticed Dawa as it came out again and placed before him the mixture of barley flour and tea on a dry rhododendron leaf. Dawa was so overcome with emotion by this kind gesture that he could not eat in his presence and cried silently. The hermit had shared with him, a dog and a complete stranger, food from whatever little stock was there for his survival!

Later on, having regained his composure, Dawa licked every morsel of this blessed food off the leaf. But for the distinct saltiness, he was not sure how the food tasted. This incident made him decide to move away from the place. He had no intention of earning demerits by partaking of the food meant for the upkeep of a hermit in meditation.

( I had barely finished explaining all but the last page of the chapter, when Jamyang stood up with his question:

“Sir, how would you try to find the cave, if you were Dawa?”

I complimented him for the question and replied: “If I was Dawa. I guess, I’d do the same. I’d talk to my dog-friends and find out, or I’d just stay near the cave where the hermit meditated and hope for a lucky break.

Though it is not easy, I’d try to look for a veteran dog like the damche dog in Thimphu and try to acquire some information about the exact location of the cave.

I have requested the students to try to summarise the chapter during the weekend and be ready with their questions. Hopefully it is going to be another interesting question-answer session, come

Monday.)

Questions-Answers on Dawa in Tang (Chapter-9)

I do not know if this is kind of cheating or not, but I simply can’t help reproducing some of the answers from the pages of Damcho Tshering, a student’s notebook. We did all this before taking up one of my most favourite poems called “The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes.

1.       What do you think would have happened if Dawa did not have the ability to understand human language?

Ans:  If Dawa did not have the ability to understand human language then he might not be alive right now as he learnt about the cave from the elderly couple talking about Gelong Ma Pemo and how she got cured of leprosy. Another thing is that he would not be educated, in terms of pure Dzongkha and the honorific terms that he had learnt about from Dampa. And his life would not be satisfactory like it is now and he could not have broadened his horizon visiting places, meeting dogs and so on.

2.       When Dawa had gone near the chorten, he saw dogs gathered along with the people. He saw people coming from all directions towards the meeting place (Kizom Bridge). Some of them were carrying babies on their backs, some walking along with their toddlers while all of them were carrying bags and baskets filled with the necessary edibles that they were asked to bring including ara. When all the people gathered together, children started playing and laughing, while the adults were having fun at each other’s expense. But after some time, the laughter became less frequent due to the hot summer day and all kept staring at the road hoping for Dasho’s vehicle to come. After a long wait, they saw a motorbike heading towards them and they thought that it might be the official. So they all stood up to greet him, but it was the Deputy who came. He directly went on to inform the gathering, without any apologies, that the meeting had been postponed due to the failure of a machine. Then there was an uneasy noise among the people and a young woman with a baby voiced a question which annoyed the official and he replied back quite rudely. They rushed back to their homes to have the meals and then off to the fields to protect their crops from the wild animals.

3.       What do you know about the meeting in Tang? Were they useful?

Ans:  The meetings in Tang were mostly about development in the field of electricity and other basic amenities. People from all the households in the villages attended the meeting with various edible items for the government officials and for themselves as well.

I think the meetings were quite useful as they were for the benefit of the villagers as everybody wants to live an advanced life, where there is no smoke and ample light. If the officials are serious about their promises, Tang was bound to develop very rapidly.

That took nearly one period. In the next class, we discussed seven more questions. The questions having been written on the board, they were to answer them in pairs. The questions were:

1.       Give two reasons why Dawa kept a safe distance from the two women?

Because of his previous experience of being rapped on the head with a stick by another elderly lady who thought she did not have enough strength left in her and apologized profusely to Dawa when he found it very painful.

2.       Why could not the second woman be sure if the message of the first woman was heard by the villagers or not?

She could not be sure as the water of the lake crashing against the Rimochen Cliff produced a loud sound making it impossible for her therefore, to hear the response of the villagers.

3.       How did Dawa obtain information about the cave?

Dawa met a big dog on the way, which was trotting behind a sheepherder driving his sheep back home. He cleverly introduced himself as a pilgrim and asked about the way to the cave. It was from this big dog that Dawa finally obtained information about the cave in Thowadrak, not very far from there.

4.       What announcements were made by the messenger woman?

Standing dangerously on the mound and cupping her mouth with her hands the woman announced about the Question- Answer-Meeting which was to be held the next day near the Kizom Bridge. The woman then proceeded to distinctly state the edible things that they were supposed to bring for the meetings. They included eggs, butter, cheese and chilli. The meeting was to be conducted by some Dashes, high-ranked government officials.

5.       Write about the people of Tang as depicted in the chapter.

Despite various natural and man-made hazards, the people of Tang are very resourceful and hardy. They believe in leading an uncomplicated life as evident from the way they behaved uncomplainingly and put up a cheerful appearance when the meeting was called off. They are also very loving and caring people.

6.       Do you think Dawa is a clever dog? Give two examples from the chapter in support of your answer.

Dawa, in my opinion, is definitely a very clever dog. There are numerous examples throughout the text to support my opinion. This is clear from the way he followed the two women without them being aware of his presence till he let out the bark regarding the confirmation of the announcement. The way he obtained information about the cave in Thowadrak also speaks volumes about his cleverness.

CHAPTER - 9.

Dawa realized that his talkative friend was right about Tang – It was indeed backward compared to Choekor. But the people were resourceful and managed to move on without some basic amenities like electricity and telephones. They could even communicate without telephones!

He crossed over many gorges and ridges. While passing through a village, he noticed two elderly women and decided to follow them from a distance. Soon one of them was standing on a mound dangerously as the other one, leaning on a stick, tried to keep her from falling down by lending her a hand.

Cupping her mouth with her hand, the first lady screamed out an announcement in a distinct and clear manner about the upcoming meeting on the next day to be conducted by a Dasho and the things like cheese, butter, eggs etc that they were supposed to bring along. Though she forgot to mention rice and salt, she knew that the villagers would not forget to bring them due to the frequent meetings being held. Both the women then went to a sunny spot near a chorten and tried to relax their weary limbs. Dawa observed them from a distance due to his earlier pathetic experience of being rapped on the head.

They talked and joked about the meetings and the questions the officials asked in the meetings. In this connection the more hopeful of the two women thought that most probably the next meeting would bring them electricity or a bridge. The announcer woman wondered then if her message was heard by the villagers or not. She even asked her companion who wasn’t sure because of the river water making a loud noise crashing against the cliff. Dawa who had heard the confirmation, got up and let out a bark trying to assure them that the message was clearly heard. The women noticed Dawa then and remarked how development was benefitting even the dogs.

Dawa thought it best to get away from them at the way they laughed and slapped each other on their backs quite hard. As he walked up the valley he realized that there was no need for the women to be worried as their message was being conveyed across the river, in the fields and even in the meadows on the slopes. Someone while passing the message not only reminded about the rice and salt but also added a bottle or ara to be taken to the meeting.

He soon ran into a big dog trotting behind a sheepherder driving his sheep back home. Very cleverly he obtained information about the cave from him. The cave located in Thowadrak, could even be seen as a white spec at a distance.

Dawa decided not to leave the next morning. Being curious by nature, he wanted to find out more about human meeting and how they were different from dog meetings in Thimphu. Next morning as he sat near the chorten, he could see many dogs there. Nothing surprising about that. There were people coming from every direction. Some were carrying bags and baskets containing all those food items. The very thought of them made his mouth salivate. Some were carrying babies on their backs, while the toddlers trudged along with them. They all were in a cheerful mood, teasing one another.

As the day wore on, their spirit dipped as the wait for the Dasho proved long and tedious. At midday a deputy came along riding on a bike and without any greetings or apologies, informed them that the meeting had been called off. When a lady asked him if the meeting was to be held the next day and they had to come back again. the infuriated official informed her that if any household failed to send a member, it would be levied the usual fines.

But true to Bhutanese character, they could yet,  on the way home, laugh about their poor plight and the need to get home early for dinner inorder to protect their fields from the wild animals. Dawa, helpful as always, was thinking of being a watch dog to help protect the poor villagers their fields, only after he was cured of his mange.

CHAPTER -8.

When Dawa reached a small settlement in a meadow, on the way to Bumthang, he found a grey do g lying all curled up against the wall of one of the houses. The dog seemed to know about his mange.  On a closer look, Dawa was appalled by the tale-tell signs of mange of the dog like the crusted, raw skin, the pus-filled lesions and spots with blood oozing out, which looked like ripe strawberries. He stepped back in repulsion. The mangy dog commented, quite rudely, that Dawa would also have the same fate in due course of time.

Dawa was crestfallen and his whole body shook as if he was being electrocuted. Throughout the journey, he had mostly tried not to think of the disease. No other dog seemed to have noticed it. Nor did they comment on it as they thought that that was what Dawa looked like. Of course he had to scratch some parts of his body when they became itchy. He even had to bite those parts when the itching became unbearable, thereby causing himself painful and long-lasting wounds. Now to be reminded so cruelly was a hard blow for him and he asked the reason for the grey dog’s shocking behaviour. The dog then broke down while talking about his miserable life. Humans called him all sorts of ugly names. They inflicted more pains on his painful body and chased him away. Even the dogs were no better as they had ostracized him.

Dawa felt deeply sorry for the grey dog and invited him to join him (Dawa) on the journey to Bumthang. The poor dog told him that it was too late as he was feeble and meek. He might die if he had to cross over the pass. He’d rather die where he was. Dawa had witnessed death years ago, but he had never heard a grown-up talk about death before and was touched by the dog’s calm acceptance of death. The mangy dog also advised him to go to Tang fast for the cure and not to make the mistake that he had made.

As the night wore on, Dawa, undeterred, went closer to the dog and tried to make him comfortable with the heat from his own body. The grey dog soon fell asleep. Dawa though did not sleep peacefully and could catch some sleep towards the early hours of the morning. He woke up with a jolt and found the grey dog lying all stretched out, stiff and cold. There was a peaceful look on his face. While he was bidding his final farewell, he heard some voices in the distance talking about the dead dog and the ways to dispose of the body.

Dawa hurried off and was nearing the top of the Thrumshingla pass, when he ran into a yellow youngster. He was surprised at the human way the dog asked obvious questions. The dog asked Dawa to accompany him to Choekor town, giving him the reasons why he should go there first.  Realizing the talkative nature of the other dog, Dawa agreed to follow him. On reaching near the Chamkhar Bridge, the yellow dog asked Dawa whether he would like to go up to the monastery first or head towards the town. While they were walking along the street with shops and houses on either side that made up the town, Dawa felt uneasy under the watchful scrutiny of a host of dogs. He was much relieved when he got to the other end of the street and for the loss of his friend.

Once he reached near the hill atop which stood the majestic Jakar dzong, he decided to climb up using the concrete steps. Every now and then he looked back and down at the beautiful valley. Finally he was on the step that met the motor able road. Instead of going to the dzong, he thought of going to the village. He  was in for a scene and had barely entered when a pack of dogs came running towards him. Some of them due to plain curiosity, others due to animosity. Dawa understood their feeling. When anonymity was the name of the game in places like Thimphu; in a small village, where everybody knew everything about everyone else, any stranger posed a serious threat. They snarled and gnarled and put their heads over Dawa’s neck in dominance. But soon they realized that Dawa was no threat and left him.

Dawa stood where he was, confused. He had barely time to breathe when he was greeted with the next show. This time it was the duo of a black bull being chased by a white fluffy dog at his heels, barking and bawling all the way through. Just behind them was an enormously overweight but handsome dog. They kept on chasing the bull till he shamefully crashed into the wormwood plants growing abundantly into the hillside.

On the way back, the white ball of energy still savouring his great achievement, noticed Dawa and started yelping instantaneously, not knowing whether to greet him or hit him. Dawa found the fluffy dog hugely entertaining.

Only when he was face to face with the big black dog, Dawa felt that the dog had the gentlest, kindest pair of eyes. Emboldened by his kind face, Dawa dared to ask him the reason for him being so fat. Egged on by the fluffy dog, the black dog called Tangpa then told Dawa about his castration. Dawa felt sorry for being so insensitive and the great loss to ‘the line of a perfect pedigree’ as a result of human blunders.

The fluffy dog tried breaking the awkward silence between the two by talking about their owners being vegetarians and the diet of the dogs consisting mostly of some low quality Indian rice and smelly dried fish cooked into a messy lump. Tangpa thought Zarro; the fluffy dog was being ungrateful to their masters. Zarro took offence at Dawa’s remark regarding what he considered to be a ridiculous name and tried to defend his name by saying that it is a foreign hero’s name. Zarro also asked Dawa for his name in return and did not find it uncommon or interesting. In this connection he told Dawa about the ordeal he had with an ordinary looking bitch called Tommy, mainly because of her owner. He also went on to tell Dawa, despite lack of interest on his part or on the part of the yawning Tangpa, that when Tommy was in the crucial stage of her reproduction cycle, her owner had her locked up in a room with Zarro for mating. He even spent the night there in the hope of something happening but nothing happened as both the dogs were incompatible.

Meanwhile both Tangpa and Zarro were called into the house by a large woman, who, having remembered that the dogs were carnivores, offered them some hard, brown squares of  biscuits made in India. Once the owner was inside, both the dogs dropped ‘the tooth breakers’ in the grass and offered Dawa to have them if he so desired. Dawa found them tasty and wanted to know if they really contained some meat, but during his stay of three days, the dogs were not offered the biscuits any more.

Dawa in Mongar (Chapter - 7)

Today I had block periods with IX A. Having explained the last three paragraphs, I asked them about their doubts. Then I wrote the 3 questions on the board as instructed earlier. They were to finish answering two of them in 25 minutes. Sharp at 2.35, I asked the class if they had finished answering the questions. They did. Then I erased the 2^nd and 3^rd questions and started writing the main points of Q-1, which read -

1.      Briefly write about the grisly dog. I told the class that as the grisly dog featured throughout the chapter, they would do well to answer the question depending on the marks it carried. Damcho and Karma Zangmo were the first two students to raise their hands and the points they had written in answer to Q-1 were:

The grisly dog was born in Bumthang. But when there was a population boom for the dogs, he was deported to monger. He subsequently settled down in Mongar as he found the warm climate of the place agreeable to his old bones, He was quite lazy and preferred to spend his time lying in the shade. He was a friendly and helpful dog.

2.      What did Dawa tell the grisly dog about the dog pound in Thimphu?

Dawa told the grisly dog that the dog pound in Thimphu was dreaded by all the dogs. Once a dog was taken there, he spent his entire life without being seen or heard of again. No one knew what it actually was as no one ever returned from it.

3.      Write a short note on the Deportation.

Once there was a dog population boom in Bumthang. The dogs were noticed as they were to be seen everywhere. The People who did not like dogs might have complained and the authorities rounded up the dogs, loaded them on a truck and had them deported to and dumped in Mongar. It became a serious issue between the people of Bumthang and Mongar. The matter was left at that as no follow up action was taken.

While I was coming out of the class, Damcho  asked me a question”

4.      “Sir, What were some of the reasons for Dawa leaving for Bumthang?”

I realized that there was more to the question than met the ears. I told him that there were mainly three reasons for Dawa’s departure for Bumthang.

ü  Firstly, he wanted to go to the Cave of Gelong Ma Pemo for curing his mange.

ü  He always wanted to travel to different parts of the country.

ü  He was getting tired of the dirty dog politics of Thimphu.

ü  After his encounter with the grisly dog, he wanted to see the Kikila pass.

ü  The easy life of monger was not for him as he had always wanted to lead an active life.

But the question I really delighted in answering came from Pemba. “Sir, why do you think Dawa was so humble and down-to-earth?”

I told them once again that answering a question like that would depend on the marks it carried. At that moment I could only think of two reasons.

ü  Firstly, Dawa lost his whole family on a single day, that too within a matter of minutes. All the members of his family dropped dead in front of his eyes. Try imagining yourself in his position. How would you feel if something like that happened?

When by a cruel stroke of fate, you are left as the only surviving member of the family, the world stops being innocent, bright and beautiful any more and you start looking at it from a more practical and humble perspective.

ü  Dawa was also  a knowledgable and educated dog. He knew many languages and was a much-travelled dog. True education and a broader perspective of the world makes you truly humble. ( You have heard of the popular sayings:’ A little learning is a dangerous thing’ or ‘ An empty vessel sounds much’, haven’t you? A vessel full of something will not make such a loud noise. Similarly, a truly educated, knowlable person will never brag or boast.  She will always stay down to earth and humble). Dawa was no exception.

Getting back to "Dawa, ..." is a pure Delight

Dawa thought he was in Bumthang after crossing the fourth pass (i.e. Dochula, Pelela, Yotongla and Thrumshingla). But he wondered aloud why Bumthang was so hot. His confusion was cleared by a grisly dog lying in the shade of a garbage bin.

The dog informed him that he (Dawa) was in Mongar instead. He must have overlooked the small pass that separates Chumey valley from Chokhor valley. Dawa then recollected the pass. It was rather small, but not insignificant. A dog so far away from the west was not expected to be familiar with the legends of the place. Dawa felt very proud of his name when the grisly dog acquinted him with the history of the pass. The legend has it that once the enemies of Thuksay Dawa, the spiritual son of saint Pema Lingpa, attacked him. His  protective deities then turned themselves into ferocious dogs and stopped his enemies from crossing the pass into Chumey valley where Thuksay dawa was living at that time. That is how the pass came to be known as Kikila pass or the pass of the dogs.

The oldie then asked Dawa to go back the same way he reached Mongar through the Thrumshingla pass. Though it was very difficult to cross even for a strong dog. Dawa took offence at the remark and was determined to cross it ten times, if he had to, inorder to get to Bumthang, his ultimate destination.

It was only then that his passion for languages made him notice the different accent of the grisly dog. On enquiry, the dog told him that originally he was from Bumthang. When there was a dog population boom in Bumthang, the dogs were rounded up, loaded in a truck, deported to and dumped in Mongar. This created a furore between the people of the two dzongkhags. Though no follow up action was taken afterwards. Despite many dogs returning immediately, the grisly doggie decided to settle down in monger as he found the warm climate of Mongar suitable.

Dawa then talked to him about the dog pound in Thimphu, which was dreaded by every dog and from where, once impounded, there was no escape for a dog. Despite Dawa’s initial distrust, he realized that the other dog’s fondness for Bumthang was genuine.

He stayed in Mongar for a few days and was shown around the town by the grisly dog. He showed Dawa the places which were frequented by the boss dogs, the follower dogs and the ordinary dogs. The last group seemed to be quite content with their lot as they lived by the simple philosophy of ‘one does not desire what one does not see.’

The dog dynamics of monger made Dawa conclude that dogs all over were the same  and recollect the circumstances in Thimphu, particularly about his own band of followers. They followed Dawa everywhere and lived in a make-believe world of their own creation. Dawa also understood the difficulties of a dog world. It was difficult not to enjoy the privileges that came with power. He realized that for his own survival he had to avoid the company of his followers when they started flatering him and stealing his words. They looked like stealing his thoughts as well. Dawa realized that he would be a non-entity if he allowed them to have their own way. They had started doubting his leadership qualities. If none of them dared to challenge him, it was solely for the reason that Dawa discharged his leaderly duties flawlessly..

His followers were exasperated by his humble behaviour. They asked him to be more authoritative and take advantage of his position. Dawa felt glad when he escaped from them and thought his mange was a blessing in disguise.

After a heavy meal one day, when he was resting in the football field, Dawa felt sluggish and drowsy. He woke up with a start when the grisly dog asked him to go back to Bumthang before he became used to the easy life of Mongar. The cold climate of Bumthang would energize him and make him active. Dawa knew that the grisly dog was right and decided to leave for Bumthang.