What is happiness?

O.K., I'm moving to Bhutan. I realize it's not an island, which here-tofore has been my habitat of preference -- have long harbored a desire to live on either an island off the west coast of France, or else Jersey, which was my first-ever island experience -- but Bhutan does have mountains, which I love; it's physically beautiful, which is very important to me; it is more often cold than hot, which my body prefers, and it has a new policy of basing social, economic and political changes on how well they contribute to the Gross National Happiness.

And what is Gross National Happiness (GNH)? According to the Center for Bhutan Studies, which formulated the GNH Index for the government, it involves both objective realities -- enough food, a roof over your head, enough classrooms and teachers-- and subjective perceptions -- do people like the food they have to eat, do they feel comfortable in the classrooms and with the teachers, do they derive satisfaction from their work?

There are nine broad categories that the Index is meant to measure, in determining GNH. They are:

1. Psychological Well-being
2. Time Use
3. Community Vitality
4. Culture
5. Health
6. Education
7. Environmental Diversity
8. Living Standard
9. Governance

I especially like the Time Use category. The government of Bhutan actually acknowledges the importance of leisure time to people's sense of well-being, and thus to their overall happiness! Bhutan is not a rich country, and its people must work hard, primarily as farmers, which is a hard life. But it is felt that it is important that people have time for religious celebrations, community gatherings, sports activities, education; as these help produce a well-rounded life, which is more likely to generate contentment.

At the heart of the GNH Index are the Buddhist beliefs that are the religious foundation of the country, which includes a detachment from the pursuit of worldly goods and pleasures. I have always despised consumerism -- the idea of just "going shopping," because you can't think of anything else to do, has always suggested a very paltry imagination to me, besides being a huge waste of time and money -- so I suspect I would fit right in.

You can find out more about the concept of GNH, and about Bhutan, at www.grossnationalhappiness.com/gnhIndex/introductionGNH.aspx.

If you're wondering what brought all this on: PBS strikes again. Last night I watched a program about this tiny country at the southern edge of the Himalayas that I have never in my life given a thought to. I've long been aware of Tibet, and its problems, Nepal, and its problems. But Bhutan? Well, it also has its problems, of course, but any place that is working hard to preserve its stunning natural environment, and maintain its traditional cultural heritage, while bringing sustainable development to its people...any country whose guiding principal is its peoples' Gross National Happiness...has got a thing or two going for it, in my book.

However. Looking online I find that immigrating to Bhutan may take a bit of doing. You can't travel independently there, but only as part of a pre-planned, paid-for and guided tour. They don't want tourism to corrupt the country, as it could be argued it has in Nepal and Tibet. So they limit the number of tourists they let in, and they control where they can go. Are they likely to be any more lenient for people who actually want to settle there? I'll just have to find out.