Linda Leaming

In A Field Guide to Happiness Linda Leaming shares 22 things she learned in in Bhutan about living, loving, and waking up. Linda first traveled to Bhutan in 1994, and moved from Nashville, Tennessee to Bhutan 3 years later to teach English to children. Bhutan, famous for its King's emphasis on Gross National Happiness instead of Gross National Product, is compared to the U.S. Linda had to let lose of almost everything, her goods in the U.S. home when moving, her 2 suitcases of luggage on her way to Bhutan, her culture, language, friends and family.
As resources and choices are limited, Leaming learned to live with less, live and let live animals, drink tea a lot and get used to a pace, mindfulness and peace unparalleled back home in the States. Her visits with her husband to family in the U.S. in the past years confronted both with the stress, sweets, politics and individualism way of life.
The thin air up in the Himalayas forced her to breathe more consciously. Having to send their own child to an Indian school meant dependency on others. The omnipresent Tantric Budhhism captured Leaming as well. She's happy to share from this religion and its Four Noble Truths as well, deeply convinced of the life-changing effects of understanding these. Some history and narrated views on nature, language lessons, lots of humor and personal memoirs gives this well-written field guide added value compared to another self-help guide or step-by-step plan for instant happiness.… (mehr)

Bhutan is a small country tucked between Tibet and India at the eastern end of the Himalayas. In 1994 Linda Leaming was making a long trip to India and Europe. She added two weeks in Bhutan at the urging of some Bhutanese friends. While she left the country, her heart remained behind in a land that places more emphasis on “Gross National Happiness” than the “Gross National Product”. And so she returned to live in Bhutan, teaching at a school as a volunteer. She fell in love with a country poor by western standards but with a wealth of tradition, beauty in nature and peace in spirit. And she fell in love with and married a Buddhist artist.

The book provided a wealth of information on the history of the country and the spiritual beliefs. She spoke of her love for the mountains and valleys always within view and of the people. A beautiful tribute to a small spot on the map that has this armchair traveler longing to follow in her steps.… (mehr)