After the second day of the CBS conference, (Science, Mindfulness, and Meditation conference in Thimpu Bhutan), all I wanted was rest. It had been raining all evening, and me along with other 4 fellow sannyasi were cold, tired, and quiet. But as we drove through Thimphu’s winding roads, I spotted a golden glow in the distance—a massive sitting Buddha shining through the mist.
Without thinking twice, I asked the driver to take us there.
As we got closer, the sheer scale left us speechless. This was the Buddha Dordenma statue—one of the tallest sitting Buddhas in the world, standing at 169 feet. It’s a $100 million project, with around $47 million funded by a private philanthropist from Singapore. The statue is made of bronze, gilded in gold, and holds 125,000 smaller golden Buddhas inside it. Even from the base, the energy was undeniable.
We wandered up the hill, and suddenly the city of Thimphu revealed itself—clouds floating at eye level, forests like green oceans, and buildings glowing softly below. It didn’t feel real. We just stood there, soaking it in.
Then, A smiling local approached us: “Would you like some free food?” We found out that food is served free of cost three times a day here, every single day, as part of ongoing meditation gatherings. That evening marked the end of a 30-day meditation event.
As we walked toward the temple beneath the statue, I felt a sharp surge of energy hit my forehead. It wasn’t subtle. I’ve visited many Buddha sites across India—Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar—but this place had a different vibration altogether. Expansive, grounding, and deeply silent.
We were so moved that we returned the next day.
What began as an unplanned stop turned into a sacred experience—one that fed not just the body, but the soul.
