Bon Religion

The Tibetan word for religion is chd (chos). It had its particular meaning in the ancient times but with the introduction of Buddhism it was employed to translate the Sanskrit technical term Dharma—the Buddha’s doctrine.

The ancient interpretation of this term dwindled away and only certain aspects of it continue among popular beliefs. The term ‘Bon’, which in the ancient times referred to a category of priests, was employed from the eleventh century onwards to denote a whole body of religious teachings in the same way as the Buddhist Chd (Dharma). Both Buddhist Dharma and Bon traditions are fundamentally the same so far as the philosophical doctrines are concerned. The Buddhist tradition traces itself to India while Bon asserts its origins in the country to the west of Tibet which it calls Tazig (sTag-gzig, asserted to be Iran). The Bon religion, it must be pointed out, incorporates a large portion of ancient beliefs but in a completely transformed manner; so, too, does the Buddhist tradition, as already mentioned.

The Bon teachings were first propagated on earth by Shenrab Mibo (gShen-rab mi-bo), whose historicity is not attested; the name itself is an epithet. His life story is patterned on that of Sakyamuni but it incorporates many original accounts. Shenrab was born in Olmo Lungring (’Ol-mo lung-ring) situated in Zhang-zhung (the western part of Tibet near Mount Kailasa) or in Tazig, depending on different accounts. Olmo Lungring, designed as an eight-petalled lotus with the sky above it in the form of an eight-spoked wheel, had a mountain at its centre which consisted of nine successive levels symbolising the ‘Nine Ways of Bon’. From the four sides of Mount Yungdrung (g.Yung-drung) there flowed four rivers towards the cardinal points. To the south of the mountain there was a palace in which Shenrab was born. The palaces to the west and north were inhabited by Shenrab’s wives and children.

Olmo Lungring was separated from the rest of the world by an impenetrable mountain range and access to it was gained by an arrow-path (mda’-lam); once Shenrab shot an arrow thus creating a passage. In the past ages, Shenrab and his two brothers studied with a Bon sage. When they had completed their training, they went to the supreme lord of compassion, Shenlha Okar (gShen-lha ’od-dkar), who advised them how to help beings living in misery. The oldest brother guided living beings during the previous world-age. The second brother, Shenrab, became the teacher of the present world-age and his younger brother will teach in the future.

At the age of thirty-one, Shenrab renounced the world and lived in austerity teaching his doctrines. His propagation of Bon was constantly obstructed by a powerful demon Khyabpa. On one occasion, while pursuing Khyabpa who stole his horses, Shenrab arrived in Tibet; it was his only visit. Before leaving Tibet, Shenrab pronounced a prophecy foretelling Tibet’s conversion and gave some instructions to local people on how to placate various deities and exorcise demons. Having returned to Olmo Lungring he died after a period of illness and passed into nirvana. Shenrab’s son Mucho (Mucho Idem-drug) continued to teach the doctrines, put them on record and then translated them with a group of translators so that they could be propagated in many countries. The tradition that spread to India became the origin of the Sakya clan from which issued Sakyamuni Buddha as an emanation of Shenrab; other sources assert that Shenrab and Sakyamuni were brothers.

Bon was propagated in Tibet (the name of Tibet or Bod is seen as being derived from the term ‘Bon’) well before the arrival of the first king. The Bon scriptures were brought to Zhang-zhung by Mucho’s six disciples and translated first into Zhang-zhung languages and then into Tibetan. The first diffusion of Bon in Tibet ended with the death of Drigum who died in retribution for suppressing Bon. The Bon doctrines were revived during the reign of Drigum’s son Pude Kung-gyel (sPu-lde gung- rgyal) and continued to flourish until the reign of Trisong Detsen as the religion of Tibetan people.

With the conversion of Trisong Detsen to Buddhism and his support of it, Bon began to be persecuted. The Bonpo adherents were forced to become Buddhists, many were exiled and some killed. Dranpa Namkha (Dran-pa nam-mkha’), one of the chief Bonpo figures of the eighth century, deliberately became Buddhist in order to preserve Bon. With the help of his companions he recorded many Bon scriptures and hid them in different places for future rediscovery by his successors. As evil omens occurred and Trisong Detsen became ill, the Bonpos were allowed to resume some of their practices in certain parts of Tibet.

The period from the eighth to the eleventh century is submerged in darkness and silence. The Bonpos speak of a third diffusion of Bon in the eleventh century which coincided with the second propagation of Buddhism. The Bonpos assert that as far as the continuation of monastic ordinations was concerned, both Buddhists and Bonpos went to eastern Tibet to receive monastic vows from the same group of people. From the eleventh century onwards the Bon tradition often refers to itself as the New Bon (Bon-gsar). The first Bonpo texts were rediscovered by three laymen at Samye. A large number of texts were rediscovered by Shechen Luga (gShen-chen klu-dga’, 996-1035), a married man who practised asceticism. Shechen found so many terma texts that some of his Buddhist contemporaries accused him of plagiarism. He acquired a good number of followers who spread Bon. Three of Shechen’s disciples were entrusted with the continuation of three different traditions. To Druchen Namkha (’Bru-chen nam- mkha’), whose family came from Gilgit (’Bru-zha), he entrusted the study of metaphysics and cosmology. The Druchen family patronised the Bon religion until the nineteenth century. Then it ended its male line, when for the second time the Panchen Lama’s reincarnation was found in this family. The second disciple, Zhuye Legpo (Zhu-yas legs-po), continued the Dzogchen teachings, while the third one, Paton (sPa-ston dpal-mchog), upheld the tantric tradition.

In the course of the following centuries, the Bonpos built a number of monasteries all over Tibet.

The Bonpo scriptures were systematised in the fifteenth century by Sherab Gyaltshan (Shes-rab rgyal-mtshan), who classified them into two major groups, the Kanjur (bka’-’gyur) and the Katen (bka’-rten). The Kanjur texts attributed to Shenrab consist of 116 volumes and include doctrinal expositions. The Kanjur also includes texts that narrate ancient cosmogonic myths and three biographies of Shenrab. The Katen group of 131 volumes, like the Buddhist Tanjur, contains commentaries, rituals, works on arts and crafts and so on. One text that is particularly cherished by the Bonpos is called Zhang-zhung Nyengyu (Zhang-zhung snyan-brgyud) and represents an uninterrupted tradition of Dzogchen teachings.

The fundamental teachings, like those of the Buddhist, propound the nature of impermanence, the law of karma, and the path towards enlightenment. The Bonpos recognise the bodhisattva ideal and the three Buddha-Bodies. The technical terminology differs from the Buddhist one but it expresses the same concepts. On the whole the Bonpo doctrines as recorded in their scriptures represent an amalgamation not only of texts that parallel those of the Buddhists but also of a vast quantity of magical rituals, various legendary accounts and cosmogonic myths, some of which echo old Iranian and Central Asian cosmogonies.

The Bon doctrines are classified in two different ways. One classification divides them into five categories under the name of ‘The Four Portals and the Treasury as Fifth’ (sGo-bzhi mdzod-lnga). The second classification includes all the elements of the first one and is called ‘The Bon of the Nine Successive Stages’ (Theg-pa rim-dgu’i bon) or simply the Nine Vehicles of Bon.

The first vehicle, ‘The Vehicle of the Shen of Magic’, deals with different methods of prediction such as astrology, divination, examination of omens, medical diagnosis and with ransom rituals.

‘The Vehicle of the Shen of Worldly Appearances’ explains the origins of gods and demons, exorcism and different ransom rituals to gratify or to subjugate gods. The third vehicle, ‘The Shen of Magical Illusion’, deals with fierce rituals that aim to destroy completely the adverse powers. Some of those rituals include a liriga (effigy) which represents the enemy to be eliminated. The person or demon concerned is summoned to reside in the liriga and then ritually destroyed. The fourth vehicle, ‘The Shen of Existence’, is concerned with funeral ceremonies. The next vehicle, ‘The Vehicle of Lay Followers’, refers to the religious practices to be performed by lay people. Stress is placed on pursuing life according to the ten virtues and the six perfections. The monastic life is dealt with in the sixth vehicle. It describes in detail the monastic discipline and ordinations. The last three vehicles deal with tantric teachings and practices. The ‘Vehicle of Pure Sound’ propounds higher tantric practices, theories of spiritual realisations and rituals. ‘The Way of Primeval Shen’ explains different states of meditation, circumstances of tantric practices, the manner of choosing masters and tantric partners, and various tantric requirements. ‘The Supreme Vehicle’ is represented by the Dzogchen teachings that have very much in common with those of the Nyimapas.

The Bonpos survived until the present time. In Tibet they were greatly outnumbered by the Buddhist population. The Tibetan Buddhists have always frowned upon the Bonpos and considered them to be dangerous magicians. However, on the whole they were left in peace, apart from a few open attacks on them, and a number of them studied in Buddhist monasteries. Some Tibetans speak of white and black Bonpo magic. White magic refers to harmless magical activities and black magic to fierce and demoniac performances. The Bonpos themselves know these terms but do not retain a living tradition of such practices. It all seems to be a mere echo of the remote past.

Bon Religion

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