The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Six months after its establishment, the Antifragile Temple, opened by former Mr. Bhutan, Tshering Dorji, is seeing strong positive uptake from the youth and enthusiasts.
The temple has 115 students, of whom 36 are part of the Antifragile education program and log in each day to train their minds and bodies.
Tshering Dorji said, “Antifragile temple is about six months old now. Over 25 percent of them are enrolled in the antifragile education program which includes health and the mind.”
The Antifragile education program has three segments for building “antifragile” minds and bodies. First is physical exercise, next is the 10 books for life and the “Master Your Mind” talks/discussions and seminars which are held every Sunday.
Tshering Dorji said that he is driven by his purpose to help and guide the younger generations to help them build “antifragile” minds.
He said that it means helping the students to build resilient minds and strong bodies, to embrace challenges and train the mind through physical exercise and learning invaluable lessons from his handpicked selections of 10 books for life and the weekly talks.
The uptake is strong among the youth age group, with school students, college students and enthusiastic individuals between 16 and 21 years of age.
As soon as the school timing ends, these students immediately come to the temple for their routine of quiet physical and mental exercise.
One of the youngest and a consistent student at the temple is Tshering Dendup, a 16-year-old lad, currently studying in Changangkha MSS.
Tshering Dendup shared that the whole six-month journey “broadened his horizon” for not only accumulating knowledge but also shaping his body.
“My journey in this temple has been pleasurable. I have learned and gained new knowledge from the guardians here. Throughout my journey and reading the 10 books for life, I now feel the sense or the capability that I can do something,” he said.
“This place is where bodies are built and minds are shaped. We need more places like this in the future so that it can help the people and youths of Bhutan,” he added.
Another enthusiastic high school graduate student, 18-year-old Laxmi Prasad Dhakal said that he received many new insights from the books he read and the activities he has attended throughout the program.
“Previously, I used to procrastinate a lot and I didn’t know how to do things. But now, having read books like Atomic Habits, I have learned how to make systems and habits to work better. I don’t find things to be cluttered anymore, and I have gained more clarity,” he said.
Going forward, Laxmi is soon to start his undergraduate studies. He said that as he anticipates academic pressure, he will use the best of what he learned in the temple to make better decisions, stay organized and be healthy physically and mentally.
Tshering Dorji said, “It has been a very enjoyable and positive experience. The students are very enthusiastic and very much into the education program. I am very excited to see how the first batch of students unfold and grow.”
Having seen the youth of Bhutan go through different life struggles, Tshering Dorji said that his purpose is to help and guide students in the temple to become responsible and contributing individuals to society.
“For those who grew up without a father figure, this place extends as a learning ground for the youth to embrace physical and mental growth; to learn from pain, mistakes and adversities so that they can learn to discover themselves and learn to contribute and become a valuable part of society,” he added.
Over 80 percent of students fall within the ripe youth age range of 18-21 years old. There is also strong engagement from male students, which more than 90 percent of them are male.
“From the 115 total students, only 10 are female students, which account for less than 10 percent of the total students. In the future, I anticipate expanding it to 25 percent of female students,” Tshering Dorji said.
Going forward, he also plans to expand the Antifragile Temple into different parts of the country to help it reach more people and the youth.
