![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.asianinny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/blittlemonksprayerw.jpg\" "\\"Bhutan:")
<\/a><\/p>\nImagine a country where the peoples\u2019 happiness is the guiding principle of government. Imagine a people who see all life as sacred, a land with abundant renewable energy, a nation committed to preserving nature and its culture. Imagine a country where the government\u2019s goal is \u201cGross National Happiness.\u201d Where is this Shangri-La? Bhutan.<\/p>\n
But can a place like Bhutan really exist? Can such ideals be realized? Can this small, geographically isolated country tucked away in the Himalayans truly protect its environment and culture as they open their doors to the West?\u201d<\/p>\n
The concept of taking \u201cthe middle path\u201d is one rooted in the Bhutanese view of the world, a simple message: happiness lies in the middle path. Neither overindulging in the world\u2019s pleasures nor rejecting the world\u2019s goodness can lead to a prosperous and peaceful society. Happiness can only be found by taking the middle path \u2013 the path that provides the needs of mankind without sacrificing the life generating diversity of nature.<\/p>\n
But now with Bhutan\u2019s entry into the global marketplace, the introduction of television, advertising and the social pressures of consumerism can Bhutan maintain this delicate balance?<\/p>\n
Viewers of \u201cBhutan \u2013 Taking the Middle Path to Happiness\u201d are left to make that decision themselves.<\/p>\n
Screening in connection with the Partnership Gallery exhibition, Happiness: A Visual Poem, in commemoration of the UN International Day of Happiness.<\/p>\n