The Drukpa Lineage stands at the very heart of Bhutan’s historical formation and collective self-understanding. Under Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, a master of the Drukpa Kagyu tradition, Bhutan was unified as a distinct polity, and the dual system of governance was established, in which spiritual and temporal authority were formally intertwined. This structure, with the Je Khenpo as spiritual head and the Desi or Druk Desi as temporal leader, anchored political power in a Drukpa Buddhist vision of society. Fortress-monasteries, or dzongs, were founded as both administrative centers and monastic institutions, embodying this integration of governance and religion in stone, wood, and sacred space.

National identity in Bhutan is likewise inseparable from the Drukpa heritage. The very name “Druk Yul,” the “Land of the Thunder Dragon,” and titles such as “Druk Gyalpo,” the “Dragon King,” reflect the centrality of the Drukpa tradition to how the Bhutanese understand themselves as a people. The thunder dragon symbol and related Drukpa imagery permeate state emblems and the wider symbolic universe of the country, distinguishing Bhutan from neighboring regions shaped by other Buddhist lineages. In this way, the Drukpa Lineage does not merely provide a religious affiliation; it furnishes the metaphors, symbols, and narratives through which national belonging is experienced.

Religious practice and cultural life are deeply marked by Drukpa teachings and ritual forms. Drukpa Kagyu is the dominant form of Buddhism in Bhutan, and most monasteries follow its doctrines, liturgies, and meditative disciplines. Major tshechu festivals and sacred mask dances (cham) draw on Drukpa visionary traditions and protector practices, turning public religious events into powerful reaffirmations of shared lineage and faith. These festivals, along with daily observances and blessing rituals, continually renew the felt connection between ordinary life and the Drukpa spiritual heritage.

The Drukpa influence also extends into education, ethics, and the broader worldview that shapes Bhutanese society. Traditional learning was largely monastic and Drukpa-based, transmitting not only literacy and philosophy but also a distinct ethical sensibility. Core values such as compassion, non-violence, harmony with nature, and a balanced approach to material and spiritual well-being inform Bhutan’s ideals of governance and development, including the vision expressed in Gross National Happiness. Through these intertwined strands of statecraft, ritual, art, and moral orientation, the Drukpa Lineage has become woven into the very fabric of Bhutanese culture and identity.