Telling fortunes earns him fame
10 December 2008
Kinley Bidha, 50, listened to Lam Phento carefully as he referred to his books and explained to her his findings. She had come all the way from Jungshina to consult him because her daughter was not feeling well. She left with a sigh of relief after he advised her to perform a small ritual after which her daughter would be fine.
Lam Phento, 72, is from Mangde in Trongsa, and has spent most of his life practising astrology and religion. Every morning, he wakes at five, offers butter lamps, sits before his altar and starts reciting his morning prayers till the morning sun matures.
He follows normal working hours so he gets to his favourite spot by the road near the Centenary Farmers Market by 9:00 am sharp. Under a yellow tarpaulin, a carpet of flattened cartons are laid on the ground for visitors, while he himself sits on an orange blanket folded over another carton.
To his left lies a green metal trunk that is painted orange inside and whose paint is peeling off. It contains his treasury of prayer books with bundles of different coloured knitting wool wrapped in plastic.
He has about 10-12 people visiting him at times, some who come from as far as Trashigang and Lhuentse. They come to him with much faith, seeking solutions to all sorts of medical and domestic problems. He is the only one of his kind available at anytime and is ready to help those who either want to know the future or have problems with employment, health and other issues.
Lam Phento uses a small wooden stool as a desk over which there is a small tin container for three dice. Over the lid of the container is attached a small mirror. He uses it to check if his beard is stained with lime.
His nails are short and clean, unlike his teeth which contrast with his long white beard as they are almost black from 54 years of chewing doma.
“I started eating doma when I was 17 years old and I have proved the doctor wrong who said then that I would die if I continued the habit for 20 years,” he said. “In fact, I went to the doctor’s funeral.” He uses two coloured pens, a red ball point and a black pilot pen, to make calculations when required.
A woman named Karma approaches and tells him her problem.
He tells her, “First, put forward your money otherwise how can I survive without you people giving me money? I am too old to do other work.” Karma apologises and offers a crisp, new Nu 50 note and then clasps her palms in prayer.
He puts on his thick glasses and then listens to her woes. He searches for the appropriate book from the 12 different books he keeps.
He has a flat biscuit container where he keeps doma worth Nu 25 every day. He also has a small container for lime on top of the red container. Two mineral bottles that have been cut across the neck stand at arm’s length. While one has a stick or two of incense burning throughout the day the other is his spitting bowl, where he spits after chewing doma.
Lam Phento has been in the capital since 2005 and, apart from sooth saying, he claims he is also a doctor in his own small way.
“I have medicines that are not available in Bhutan which I bring all the way from the Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute in Dharamsala, India,” he said. “The medicines are for cancer, tuberculosis, blood pressure, paralysis and ailments affecting the eye and ear, and the medicines have no side effects.”
He earns about Nu 200- 500 in a day, which he says is sufficient.
Lam Phento is not a selfish man so he intends to keep helping people for as long as his body will let him. The prayers he recites are for the benefit of all sentient beings, especially if it is the time of a full moon.
By Eshori Gurung
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Loading ...Zakar for Friday July 30 2010
20th Day of the 06th Month - Iron Male Tiger Year
Auspicious for: Carrying out daily chores and making offerings.
Inauspicious for: Starting construction of new house, sowing seeds, planting flowers, entering the new house, shifting houses, calling upon superiors, starting business, doing charity works in the name of deceased, taking out dead bodies, paying grain debts, undertaking long journey and holding discussion.
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That is how it is. If it serves the people well and addresses their concerns either psychologically or practically, it is okay.
Freedom of trade- a basic element of demo-crazy.
If people are happy with what he has to offer, it may seem a very touching story, but what I heard from some sources, that he was onetime a married man, and financially well placed even now, supposedly dealing in musk pods and Cordyceps,visits India on a regular basis. Can BO do a thorough check on this, or many people could be done for. If for some reason his predictions work for some individuals they will revere him, like I know of some who worship the Indian Sadhus who come to Bhutan, because he feels that he has made a difference in his life. These are all fine, as long as their motives are not illegal.