As opposed to GNP, Bhutanese measure their nation’s success by the quality of life and level of happiness enjoyed by their people.
As opposed to GNP, Bhutanese measure their nation’s success by the quality of life and level of happiness enjoyed by their people.
“Delusion, greed and hatred are the common enemies.”—The Buddha
“Not everything that can be counted counts. And not everything that counts can be counted.” —Albert Einstein
When Bhutan’s young King Jigme Singye Wangchuck ascended to the throne in 1972, he not only rejected the Western economic model, he came up with something better. The kingdom of Bhutan is the first country in the world to measure its wellbeing by Gross National Happiness (GNH) instead of Gross National Product (GNP).
The GNH concept was an inspired attempt to place Buddhist principles at the heart of government policy. Never before had a modern state attempted to integrate altruism and spiritual precepts into an economic system. By creating the GNH concept, Bhutan posed the worthy question: Should a nation’s success be measured by its ability to produce and consume or should it be judged on the quality of life and level of happiness enjoyed by its people?
Instead of promising his people globalized jobs, fast cars and HDTV sets, King Wangchuck devoted himself to protecting his country’s heritage, culture and environment. He promised to keep 60 percent of the country covered with native forests. Today, 72 percent of Bhutan remains forested. Bhutan has also set aside 26 percent of its territory as wildlife sanctuaries.
King Wangchuck wasn’t an absolutist, however. While he banned satellite dishes, he still enjoyed playing basketball and driving his Toyota. But when he heard complaints that the lucrative tourist trade was degrading the local environment and despoiling sacred sites, he acted. The King capped the number of tourists and required each visitor to pay $200 per day.
In Buddhism, happiness is not determined by what one owns, but by what one knows; by one’s living skills and imagination. Happiness is not achieved by having, but by being. Instead of conquering through competition, GNH promotes mutual advancement by advancing through compassion and cooperation.
The GNH concept has managed to influence the World Bank (whose Wealth Index now includes standards for “human capital” and “environmental capital”). Nova Scotia has introduced GNH standards and, last summer, the Second International Conference on GNH was convened in Canada.