 |
By *ikilovesCCouple
over a year ago
village life, closest main town inverness |
"Bhutan is very high on my list of places I want to go.
And not just for the phallic decor!"
.
It would be a fantastic trip,
the "phallic decor" would be an added bonus for the holiday pics though lol  |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By *i015 OP Man
over a year ago
Millbrook, Southampton |
Copied and pasted from Wikipedia:
(It's a bit of a long read)
Phallus paintings in Bhutan are esoteric symbols, which have their origins in the Chimi Lhakhang monastery near Punakha, the former capital of Bhutan. The village monastery was built in honour of Lama Drukpa Kunley who lived in the 15-16th century and who was popularly known as the "Mad Saint" (nyönpa) or “Divine Madman” for his unorthodox ways of teaching, which amounted to being bizarre and shocking.[1]
These explicit paintings, though embarrassing to many urbanites now (this folk culture is now informally discouraged in urban centres[2]), can be seen painted on the walls of houses and buildings throughout Bhutan, particularly in villages, and are credited as Kunley's creations.[3][4] Traditionally symbols of an erect penis in Bhutan have been intended to drive away the evil eye and malicious gossip.[5]
While the history of use of phallus symbols is traced to Drukpa Kunley, the studies carried out at the Center of Bhutan Studies (CBS) have inferred that the phallus was an integral part of the early ethnic religion that existed in Bhutan before Buddhism became the state religion and is associated with Bon. In Bon, phallus was integral to all rituals.[6] Dasho Lam Sanga, a former principal of the Institute of Language and Culture Studies (ILCS), while stating that there are no written documents on it, elaborates: "But the worship of the phallus was believed to be in practice even before the arrival of Guru Rinpoche and Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal ... What we know about it is what we heard from our forefathers."[6]
The phallic symbols are, however, generally not depicted in community temples and dzongs, which are places of worship where lamas or Buddhist monks and nuns who have adopted celibate lifestyles and pursue divine ideals live. However, rural and ordinary houses continue to display them. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
» Add a new message to this topic
