Phallus paintings in Bhutan

Phallus symbols depicted on houses in Bhutan

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 at the turn of the 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 have become embarrassing to many of the country's urbanites, and this form of folk culture is informally discouraged in urban centers as modern Abrahamic cultural norms of shaming the human body and sexuality have spread in Bhutan's urban centers.[2] [3]

However phallus paintings can still be seen on the walls of houses and buildings throughout Bhutan, particularly in villages, and are credited as Kunley's creations.[4][5] Traditionally symbols of an erect penis in Bhutan have been intended to drive away the evil eye and malicious gossip.[6] The phallic symbols are 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 live. However, rural and ordinary houses continue to display them.[7][8]

While the history of use of phallus symbols is generally traced to Drukpa Kunley, studies carried out at the Center of Bhutan Studies (CBS) have inferred that the phallus was an integral part of the early ethnic religion associated with Bon that existed in Bhutan before Buddhism became the state religion. In Bon, the phallus was integral to all rituals.[7] Dasho Lam Sanga, a former principal of the Institute of Language and Culture Studies (ILCS), while acknowledging that there are no written documents regarding the subject, refers to the oral history: "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."[7]

  1. ^ Karma Choden (2014). Phallus: Crazy Wisdom from Bhutan. Bhutan: ButterLamp Publishers. ISBN 978-9993691174.
  2. ^ Leeming, David (2003). "Religion and Sexuality: The Perversion of a Natural Marriage". Journal of Religion and Health. 42 (2). Journal of Religion and Health Vol. 42, No. 2 (Summer, 2003), pp. 101–109: 101–109. doi:10.1023/A:1023621612061. JSTOR 27511667. S2CID 38974409. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
  3. ^ "The Decline of the Phallus" (PDF). Bhutan Society. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
  4. ^ "Bhutan's phalluses warn off evil". British Broadcasting Corporation. 2005-03-25. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
  5. ^ Brown, Lindsey; Bradley Mayhew; Stan Armington; Richard Whitecross (2009). Bhutan. Penguin. p. 78. ISBN 978-1-74059-529-2. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
  6. ^ Aris, Michael, Hutt, Michael (1994). Bhutan: aspects of culture and development. Issue 5 of Kiscadale Asia research series, Kiscadale. ISBN 1-870838-17-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ a b c "Arts and Crafts of Bhutan". The Phallus : an arcane symbol. Keys to Bhutan. Archived from the original on 2013-01-27. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
  8. ^ "The decline of the phallus". Bhutan Observer. 2009-09-06. Archived from the original on 2010-08-08. Retrieved 2010-08-09.