A guide’s explanation of the “Thuenpa Puenzhi” and German tourists’ mnemonic reflex to “Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten”
Many years ago, a group of German guests touring with me in Bhutan were pleasantly surprised when I was explaining a painting of the Thuenpa Puenzhi on the wall of a monastery. With childlike enthusiasm, they whispered loudly, “Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten!” We spent some time discussing its resemblance to the German folktale, which I had also read in my school days in the English version of “The Town Musicians of Bremen.”
As a guide, I found this experience fascinating – the image of four animals climbing on top of each other, in both the fables, finding a curious bond between two different cultures, worlds apart.
The image of the Thuenpa Puenzhi is probably the most ubiquitous illustration in Bhutan besides the images of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the unifier of Bhutan. Every monastery, house, school, and office in Bhutan has it painted on its wall, or is present in the form of decorative carvings, and Thangkha scrolls.
Background of the stories
The brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, better known as the Brothers Grimm, wrote and published their collection of fairy tales, including “Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten” (The Town Musicians of Bremen) in the early 19th Century AD.
The Theunpa Puenzhi is based on the fables of Jataka Tales, composed over two millennia ago. The premises of these two stories are completely different, yet similarities can be found in the lessons of both.
Thuenpa Puenzhi – The Four Friends of Harmony
The Thuenpa Puenzhi, or the Four Friends of Harmony, delve into the essence of respect and reverence for the elders. The four animals – the elephant, the monkey, the hare, and the bird- discuss and debate so that the eldest among them could claim authority over the fruit-bearing tree nearby.
How was the seniority determined by the four animals?
The four animals decided to determine their seniority by comparing their ages to the age of the fruit-bearing tree they were laying their claim upon.
The Elephant said he deserved the tree as he was the eldest among them because he remembered protecting it when it was a sapling.
The Monkey said, if that was the case, then he remembered manuring it when it was a young plant. Therefore, he was the rightful claimant of the tree.
The Hare said that in such scenario, he should be considered the eldest and deserving of the authority because he had watered it when it was sprouting.
While the three were justifying each other’s stories to be counted as the eldest, the Bird who had been listening to their deliberation calmly said, “Friends, I know you feel that each of you deserve the authority over this fruit-bearing tree. However, this tree wouldn’t have grown here if I hadn’t excreted its seed where it now grows”.
The Elephant, the Monkey, and the Hare stopped arguing and listened to the Bird. They contemplated for a while and bowed before the Bird and said, “You are the eldest and only you have the authority over this fruit-bearing tree!”
The Bird replied, “Maybe, but each one of us has played our part in its growth. Therefore, this fruit-bearing tree belongs to all four of us.“
In great reverence to the Bird, the Elephant, the Monkey, and the Hare climbed on each other’s back and elevated the Bird to the top, the highest order.
Thus, the Bird solved the debate in an amicable way, and the four friends lived forever in harmony.
Why did the debate on their seniority take place?
In the Buddhist literature of the Sutta Pitaka, Buddha tells the parable of the four friends of harmony as a lesson for the followers to respect the elders, when some of his students did not show reverence to his senior disciple, Sariputra.
The Bird, in this parable, is believed to be the Buddha of the previous life.
Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten – The Town Musicians of Bremen
Much later, in the early 19th Century, the Brothers Grimm wrote their collection of stories to document and preserve the rich German folktales, which had been passed down orally to generations.
How did the Brothers Grimm come to write “Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten”?
I am tempted to write that they were influenced by the oriental fables of the Jataka Tales; however, that wasn’t the case. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were fascinated by the oral stories retold to perfection by Dorothea Viehmann, with whom they became acquainted in 1813. Many of the Grimms’ Fairy Tales collection were sourced from Mrs. Viehmann’s oral narratives, which were then modified and documented by the Brothers Grimm. Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten is one such story.
Unlike in the Thuenpa Puenzhi, the animals, a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster from Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten, know that their seniority will not bring them respect; instead, it will bring them pain and disgrace from being discarded by their masters since they were no longer of service.
A donkey decides to leave his home and go away to be a town musician in Bremen, the town of freedom. He meets and convinces the other animals to tag along to Bremen to spend the rest of their lives in peace. Therefore, the Donkey, a Dog, a Cat, and a Rooster, after fatefully meeting each other, decide to leave their respective masters and proceed towards the town of Bremen.
In their adventure, they work together, climbing on top of each other, to scare away the robbers they encounter in their journey. Although they never reach Bremen, they spend the rest of their lives in the house they helped save from the robbers – happily ever after, as most fairy tales end.
3 important travel lessons we can learn from these 2 stories
1) Seniorty in the group matters:
In Thuenpa Puenzhi, the Bird, being the eldest, is also the wisest. In Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten, the old Donkey is the wise one who thinks about the alternative to a decaying life and formulates the plan to escape. Therefore, while travelling, always be attentive and empathetic when dealing with senior people, tourists, or hosts alike. They have amazing stories and experiences which, when shared with the world, always make it a tiny bit better than it was.
2) Team effort is unbeatable:
In both fables, they overcome the challenges as a team. In the travel world, teamwork and team understanding are the most important factors in making a successful trip. When each team members give their best, even the most complex travel problem can be easily solved. This goes for both the travel organizers and trip participants.
3) Harmony creates productivity
In Thuenpa Puenzhi, working in harmony makes it easy to enjoy the fruit, while in Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten, working as a team gives them freedom and happiness. This applies to the travel world as well. When travelling in a big group, harmony becomes a key element. It is important to create harmony by exercising a bit of compassion, empathy, and understanding within the travelling group.
Vishal Eli Chamling
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