CPT12 Pressroom

DENVER – (April 2, 2009) – Imagine a country where happiness is the guiding principal of government.  Imagine a kingdom where the king lives in a simple wooden cottage and judges is progress by the country’s “Gross National Happiness.”

Where is this Shangri-La?

Bhutan – a small, geographically isolated country tucked away in the Himalayas.

“Bhutan – Taking the Middle Path to Happiness,” a documentary featuring the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan and the government’s; effort to bring “Gross National Happiness” to its people will air Saturday, Apr. 11 at 5:30 p.m. on KBDI-Channel 12 (PBS). 

The concept of taking “the middle road” is one rooted in the Bhutanese view of the world, anchored in Tantric Buddhism and animistic Bon.  Bhutanese are committed to preserving their environment and culture and adhere to Buddha’s message of happiness lying in the middle path, neither overindulging in the world’s pleasures nor rejecting the world’s goodness.
 
The Maui film crew that produced the 60-minute documentary is one of the few Western crews permitted inside Bhutan, providing a rare insightful look into the Himalayan kingdom.