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The 1974 Encyclopaedia Britannica, for instance, lists BhutanвЂ™s population as 836,000, while the вЂ™84 Americana says 750,000. вЂњAsk me anything about Bhutan,вЂќ Benchen says, вЂњand I will tell you what I know.вЂќ Which is fortunate, since even the most sophisticated of reference books are sketchy, if not contradictory, on the Land of the Dragon. I think what you call them in the West is вЂguardian angels.вЂ™ вЂќ How many countries, for that matter, can boast of no crime, no beggars? Of a single deity-Buddha-but any number of вЂњprotectors that can scare away the evil spirits with rattles and such. How indeed? How many countries are there that can boast, along with dragons, a terrain ranging from tropical to 25,000 feet, with incredibly fertile, hidden valleys in between-the kind of valley Hilton (James, not Conrad) postulated in вЂњLost HorizonвЂќ? You never know what exists in remote places, do you? How can you say if youвЂ™ve never been there?вЂќ ThatвЂ™s probably why you donвЂ™t have yetis either. Why, then, donвЂ™t dragons live in America? вЂњI guess because you donвЂ™t have mountains that high. Bubbles come out from that jewel, and thatвЂ™s what he lives on.вЂќ вЂњA dragon lives on a wish-fulfilling jewel in his head, so he doesnвЂ™t need any food. вЂњBhutanese people have seen dragons,вЂќ he continued matter-of-factly, as if describing a family pet. Dragons just are, period.Д«hutan, in fact, is called either Land of the Thunder Dragon or Land of the Peaceful Dragon, depending on which of the intriguing little films you watch at BenchenвЂ™s exhibition. вЂњDragons definitely exist in Bhutan,вЂќ says Benchen, a simple declaration, neither precious nor ingenuous. The tourist industry, moreover, is expected to grow to a maximum 3,500 by about 1995.Д«enchen, the soul of hospitality, does not say it in so many words, but the implication is clear: You live in Shangri-La, you donвЂ™t want it cluttered up with beer cans and rock concerts. Only about 2,000 visitors were received-albeit most cordially-last year. Tucked between India and Tibet, totally isolated from the West, Bhutan has gently dissuaded tourism until very recently.Д®ven now, tourism is carefully controlled, and only by tour group. The display at Pico will likely be oneвЂ™s only chance to see BhutanвЂ™s handicrafts.

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If I can sell their weaving-some of the tapestries take a year or more to make-then they can be free to weave, not have to go and milk the cows.

He has been in government service since, with his special project the introduction of Bhutanese textiles to the West. He was packed off to India for an education in a Catholic school (вЂњYou know, run by a father and a motherвЂќ) so as to better serve his king. вЂњChina took over Tibet in 1959,вЂќ he said, вЂњso I had to run away, to escape.вЂќ By then, however, Benchen, a relatively earthy, splendidly gregarious man, had decided вЂњI didnвЂ™t want the monastery life, not again. Young Benchen was taken to a Bhutanese monastery for a few years, then sent to Tibet to study and meditate. вЂњSo I told them which was my bell, and the other things, and that was that.вЂќ The memory comes back much easier when you are a child, when your brain is still clear, before it is so cluttered you canвЂ™t see through it. They said, вЂWhich is your coat? Which is your bell?вЂ™ They had brought a lot of objects, a few of them from my previous life.

вЂњThey came, and right away I recognized one monk who was my friend in a past life. вЂњShe said, вЂWhat are you talking about, Stupid?вЂ™ вЂStupidвЂ™ was my nickname. I told my mother, вЂIвЂ™m expecting a lot of guests this evening.вЂ™

вЂњSo the king sent a delegation of holy men to my village, to make sure. вЂњSo-and-so village, so-and-so house facing in so-and-so direction. The high lama вЂњreceived instructions,вЂќ Benchen said, not bothering to explain whence the instructions came, it being quite obvious to him. вЂњWe want to know where he was reborn,вЂќ the king said.

The king asked his high lama to find his reincarnation. The guru of the present kingвЂ™s father, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, had died. So, Benchen says, is everybody, though he doesnвЂ™t press the point.ДЄ short, sturdy, smiling man who looks like a benevolent Charles Bronson, Benchen reckons he is now 42, вЂњin this life.вЂќДЄt the age of 6, they came for him. Before that, вЂњWho knows?вЂќД«uddhists, of course, are reincarnated regularly. вЂњTheyвЂ™ve been practicing their art since-I guess since time began.вЂќД«enchen, you see, has been guru to BhutanвЂ™s rulers for more than 300 years.

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