HISTORY OF THE FOUNDING OF BHUTAN
weapons; we will in future indent for some tea and silks.” The saying subsequently turned out to be a prophecy.
To quote the Tibetan chronicler: “In the intervals of peace the Dharma Raja devoted himself with full energy to his various State duties, founding a body of priesthood, providing for and controlling them, giving instruction to those who were serious seekers after truth; in short, he was pastor, abbot, psalmist, rector, superintendent of carving (for printing purposes), architect of State and monastic buildings, overseer of bookbinding and other embellishments of the Kagyur library, settlement officer, chief commandant of the forces for quelling foreign aggressions, chief protector and ruler of his own adherents and followers, chief avenger and punisher of those who were inimical to the cause of Buddhism and the public peace. He was all these in one person, and fulfilled the duties right thoroughly and efficiently. He introduced law into lawless Bhutan. His boast was that he never wasted any time in idleness or selfish ease.” For the better ecclesiastical and temporal administration he appointed two of the monks who had come with him from Ralong, one, Nay-tan-Pay-kor-Jungnay, to be the chief Khempo, or abbot, whose duties were to enforce the strict observance of priestly vows among the priests, direct their studies, and preside at the ceremonies; the other was Tenzing Dukgyag, the Amsed or prior of Ralong, who was the first Dug Desi or Deb Raja, whose duties were to attend to the general administraton of the State, to deal with foreign Powers, to manage income, revenue, and other resources of the State, to provide the lamas with food, and, in short, to look after the State, while the Dharma Raja and the Khempo devoted themselves to the Church. This dual administration must be borne in mind when considering foreign relations; and it must also be carefully realised that Bhutan is wholly an ecclesiastical State, that the Church is all in all with the Bhutanese.
103
