Abstract
In this chapter, the landlocked Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan provides an exemplar of how indigenous knowledge and a rich spiritual heritage are integrated into the public health system and well-being of the nation. This bipartite health system has been adopted whereby allopathic and traditional medicine function as mutually supportive systems for both health practitioners and Bhutanese citizens alike. We focus on local wisdom and spirituality and explain what these constructs mean in the Bhutanese context through a systems-thinking ecological lens to map the broad, interrelated constructs of spirituality that are linked to well-being. These orientations are then applied to young people and their spiritual education. We encourage the reinforcement of this non-compartmentalized approach that individual agency is encouraged, to further enhance the spiritual education of young people in Bhutan. We recognize that Bhutanese peoples, including youth, are not exempt from the ravages of stress, depression and mental illness but conclude that environmental care, prayer, meditation and kindness towards others are holistic spiritual approaches to well-being.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Routledge International Handbook of Life and Values Education in Asia |
| Editors | John Chi-Kin Lee, Kerry J Kennedy |
| Place of Publication | UK |
| Publisher | Routledge |
| Chapter | 45 |
| Pages | 419-439 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Edition | 1 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-1-003-35247-1 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-1-032-40318-2, 978-1-032-40318-9 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 12 Jun 2024 |
