It is a common practice in Bhutan to conduct Lhabsang–Thruesel, a household purification ritual, whenever a family welcomes a newborn. This rite takes place on the third day after the child’s birth. Until then, outsiders and guests are kept away, as the house is believed to be ritually impure. The ceremony is usually performed on the morning of the third day, before relatives, friends, and neighbors arrive to celebrate and offer blessings.
On that day, the mother or another family member gives the baby a light bath and dresses the child in new clothes to be presented before the lama. Prior to this, the baby is wrapped only in soft napkins and blankets. It is on the third day that the parents formally dress the newborn in baby clothes for the first time.
After the birth, the father makes arrangements and invites a lama, gomchen, or monk to conduct the ceremony. Necessary preparations are made at the household altar before their arrival. The host offers tea and breakfast to the lama before the ritual begins. Following this, incense is burned at the altar, and sang (the burning of juniper branches for local deities) is performed outside the house. The smoke from the incense and juniper is believed to purify and cleanse both the interior and exterior environment of the home. At the end of the ceremony, the lama blesses the baby with prayers and good wishes.
Many people wonder why the ceremony is conducted specifically on the third day and not on any other day. The following story is often narrated to explain this belief.
“This is my eighth month of pregnancy. What will I eat after childbirth?” Lhamo asked her husband, Taupo. Taupo was momentarily speechless, but then comforted her, saying he would go hunting to provide for her.
The next day, Taupo left his pregnant wife at home and went into the forest. Hunting was never easy and did not guarantee success. He spent the entire day searching for animals but found nothing. As the sun set, he cursed the day for ending too soon and decided to spend the night in the forest.
Feeling cold and weary, he sought refuge under a large tree, saying, “Please grant me your protection; I shall spend the night beneath you.” The tree accepted him as its guest, and he lay down to sleep. In the darkness, spirits and ghosts approached to harm him. But the tree spoke: “This man is my guest and under my protection. You may not harm him.” The spirits withdrew, leaving him unharmed. Grateful to the tree, Taupo continued his search the next day.
He crossed mountains and valleys but still found nothing. As night approached, he came upon a large boulder and again sought refuge: “Please grant me your protection; I shall spend the night beside you.” As he slept, he heard spirits calling to one another. They spoke of going to bless a newborn child, saying, “A new guest has arrived on earth; we must grant him life before the gods do.” Soon after, he heard them say, “We have given his life to the tiger and to fire.”
At dawn, Taupo awoke, troubled by what he had heard. Realizing his wife might have delivered their child, he hurried home empty-handed. There, he found that she had given birth to a baby boy. Remembering the spirits’ words that the child’s life was given to fire, he carefully searched the hearth and found a glowing ember. He removed it, dipped it in water to preserve it, and placed it on the drying rack above the fireplace.
The couple lived happily with their son, content with what little they had. One day, Taupo set out on a business trip, and despite repeated refusals, his young son insisted on accompanying him. Their journey required them to halt overnight, and as before, they sought shelter beneath a tree. They lit a large fire to keep warm. Taupo stayed awake beside the fire, guarding his son, mindful that the spirits had tied the child’s life to fire.
During the night, a tiger approached to attack them. While the son slept deeply, the father fought bravely and managed to kill the tiger. At dawn, the son awoke, and Taupo told him what had happened. When the boy saw the tiger’s carcass, he impulsively kicked it before his father could stop him. Tragically, the tiger’s claw pierced his foot, causing a deep wound. Despite all efforts, nothing could heal him, and he eventually died in great pain.
Thus, people say: བསྐོས་པའི་ལཱ་ལས་བྱོག་མི་ཐལ། — There is no escape from fate.
It is believed that during the first three days after birth, a child remains unknown to both benevolent deities and malevolent spirits. Only on the third day do these forces become aware of the newborn. Therefore, Lhabsang is performed on the third day so that the child may be formally entrusted to the protection of gods and goddesses rather than fall under the influence of harmful spirits.
If a family does not perform Lhabsang on the third day, they traditionally wait for the first visitor to arrive at their home. It is believed that this person will symbolically bring the child’s life and fortune. The first visitor is expected to bless the child and speak auspicious words. Many parents even observe that their child’s traits resemble those of the first person who visited or touched the baby after birth.
Whether one believes this or not, such traditions continue to shape the cultural and spiritual life of Bhutanese families.
Has anyone spent a night under a tree or in a a cave? What were the reasons ...