Number 2 in Bon religion. Open reality - directions - religion - bon

Not far from the capital of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh - Shimla, in the foothills of the Himalayas, in the small village of Dolanji there is a huge monastery. It is called the Yungdrung Bon Monastery Center (YBMC). The Bon religion was the leading religion of Tibet for many centuries and originated in Tibet long before the penetration of Buddhism there in the 7th century AD.

Emergence of Bonpo

The swastika (yungdrung) is a symbol of constancy and indestructibility. The nine swastikas lined up on top of each other represent the nine paths of Bon. At the base of Mount Yungdrung, four rivers originate and flow in four directions. Scholars indicate different locations for Olmo Lungring. Some describe it as Mount Kailash with four great rivers that rise from its base; China is in the east, India is in the south, Orgyan is in the west, Khotan is in the north. Other scholars indicate its geographical location in Central Asia and Persia during the time of the great Cyrus. But in Bonpo beliefs, the issue of the geographical location of Olmo Lungring is not so important. A symbol that can be accurately used to verify the authenticity of their religion is significant to them.

Symbolic description that includes history, geography and mythology is common in ancient texts. Thus, in Buddhism, a description of the cosmos is given with Mount Meru supporting the sky and the four main continents with four main points, where the Earth is the southern continent.

The Founder and His Teachings

Once upon a time there were three brothers: Dagpa, Salwa and Shepa, who studied the Bon doctrine in the heaven called Sidpa Yesang from the Bon sage Bumtri Logi Chesan. When their training was completed, they visited the deity of Compassion Shenla Odkar and asked him how they could help all beings on earth who were immersed in misfortune and saddened by suffering. He advised them to act as guides for Humanity in three successive eras of Earth's development. Following his advice, the elder brother Dogpa completed his work with the past stage of the development of the World, the second brother - Salva, who took the name Shenrab, became a teacher and guide of the present time. The younger brother - Shepa will come as a teacher in the next era. Divine Shenrab was born in the Barpo Sogye palace south of Yungdrung Mountain. He was a prince, married young, and had children. At the age of 31, he renounced the world and lived as a hermit, passing on the Teaching. Throughout his life, his efforts to spread Bon were hindered by the demon Kyabpa Lagring. This demon sought to destroy the fruits of labor, or interfere with the work of Tonpo Shenrab until he was converted and became his disciple. One day, chasing a demon in order to return his horses, Tonpa Shenrab reached Tibet, and this was his only visit to this region. He gave some instructions regarding the performance of rituals. But on the whole, I found the country not ready to fully accept the Teaching. Before he left Tibet, Tonpa Shenrab prophesied that his entire Teaching ("Five Paths of Fruition") would penetrate Tibet when the time was right. So far he has given the Teaching of the “Four Paths of Cause.” Tonpa Shenrab left this life when he was 82 years old.

Distribution of Bon in Shang Shung and Tibet

The first Bon texts were transferred to Shang Shung by Tonpa Shenrab's assistant Mucho Demtrug. These were the first translations into the Shang Shung language and into the Tibetan language. The works are included in the Bonpo canon. And we know about them because they are written in Tibetan. But some of them, especially the old ones, retain their names, and sometimes entire passages, in the Shang Shung language.

Since its annexation, the state of Shang Shung has been Tibetanized, its language, culture and many beliefs becoming a core part of Tibetan culture. Due to the fact that Shang Shung was geographically close to the great cultural centers of Central Asia such as Gelgit and Khotan, many religious and philosophical concepts passed through Tibetan culture. Interest in Buddhism grew in Tibet, and Samye Monastery was founded in the 8th century. Buddhism became the main religion. At this time, the Bon religion went completely underground. Serious attempts have been made to eradicate it. Supporters among the nobility and especially among the common people, from generation to generation, still followed Bon and retained their religious beliefs.

Bon survived. The 7th-8th century was a difficult time for Bon. Many priests left central Tibet, rescuing sacred texts from destruction and preserving them for future generations. Drenpa Namha - one of the great representatives of Bon of that time, followed the Buddhist religion in fear of being killed, but thereby he preserved the Teachings of Bon.

From the 8th to the 11th centuries we know nothing about the development of the Bon religion. The revival of the religion began with the discovery of a number of important texts by Shenchen Lug in 1017. Thanks to him, religion was saved as a complete religious system. Shenchen Luga was born into the Shen clan, which originated from Kongtsu Wangden, one of the sons of Tonpa Shenrab. Descendants of this family still live in Tibet. Shenchen Luga had a large number of followers. He assigned three of his students to carry on three different traditions. One of them came from Tuchen Namkha Yungdrung, who was born into the Dru family who immigrated to Tibet from Gilgit. He combined the Teachings of cosmology and metaphysics and founded the monastery of Yeru Wensaka in 1072. This monastery was a great center of learning until 1386, when it was destroyed by flood and abandoned. After this, the Dru family continued to invest in the Bon religion. This continued until the 19th century, when for the second time the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama was found in this family (the first reincarnation was of the second Panchen Lama in 1663, the second of the fifth Panchen Lama in 1854).

The second tradition is associated with the disciple Zue Legpo, who founded the Dzogchen Teachings and practices. He built the Kidkar Ritsing Monastery. The teacher came from the Zu family, which now lives in India. The third tradition is associated with the disciple Paten Palchog and represents tantric teachings. He came from the Pa family, who moved from Tsang to Kham, where they still live. Meukepa Palchen, who came from the Meu family, founded the Zangri Monastery. It became the center of philosophical teachings. Thus, from the 11th to 14th centuries, the Bonpo had four important centers of learning, all located in Tsang province.

In the early 15th century, religious teaching was strengthened with the construction of Menri Monastery (1405) by the great Bonpo Master Sherab Galzen (1356-1415). Menri Monastery and these two centers played a large role in teaching until China conquered Tibet in 1959. Yungdrungling Monastery, founded in 1834, and Karna Monastery were subordinated to Menri. Through these monasteries, as centers of learning and religious inspiration, many monasteries were formed throughout Tibet (with the exception of the central Wu province), especially in the provinces of Kyungpo, Khams, Amdo, Gyarong and Chorus. Since the early 12th century, there have been 330 Bonpo monasteries in Tibet.

Construction of Menri Monastery in India

About 70 families moved from Manali and each received a house and a plot of land according to the number of family members. The new settlement at Dolanji is named "Tobgyal Sarpa" after the village of Tobgyal, which was located next to Menri Monastery in Tsang Province in Tibet. Most of the Tibetans living here come from the areas surrounding Mount Kailash, upper Tsang, Khor, Gongpo, Dege, Amdo and Gyarong. After the death of Sherab Londro in Menri, the abbot of Yangdrungling, the second most important monastery in Tibet, became the spiritual leader of the Tibetan Bonpo community in India. He came to Dolanji with a group of monks with the goal of forming a monastic community.

Several small houses for the monks and a small temple for religious ceremonies were built. In 1969, the abbot held a ceremony to elect a successor to the deceased abbot Menri. The names of all geshas (the European equivalent is a doctor of theology) were written on pieces of paper and placed in a special vase. At the end of the ceremony, which included a service and invocation of the Bonpo deities, the vase was turned over until one name was revealed - Sangye Tenzin Yongdong, born in 1929 and at that time working at the University of Oslo. Soon after his election, he became the 33rd abbot of Menri and received the name - Lungtok Tenpei Nima. For one year, he and the abbot of Yungdrungling worked together. Since the death of Abbot Yungdrungling in 1969, Menri Trizin Lungtok Tenpei Nima has assumed the spiritual leadership of all the Bon in exile.

As the abbot of the monastery in Tibet, he is also the spiritual leader of all Bonpo monasteries in Tibet and Nepal.

The construction of the main temple, the foundation of which was laid in 1969, and the Menri Monastery (Pal Shenten Menri Ling) was completed in 1978. It is now known as the Yungdrung Bon Monastery Center (YBMC).

The public organization of the Yungdrung Bon Monastery Center was officially registered on February 12, 2001 by the Indian Registration Act with the following goals and objectives - preserving the spiritual uniqueness of the Bon religion and traditions as part of Tibetan culture; management, as a financial and administrative center, of all branches and all projects carried out by YBMC. Responsibility for the provision and education of children, youth, community residents and monks; conducting consultations for all Bonans: the old, the needy, the infirm and the homeless. 33 Menri Trinzin Rinpoche is the President of the Organization. The administration consists of a secretary, joint secretary, financier, accountant and assistant. YBMC uses volunteer assistance and offerings during religious ceremonies.

Biography of His Holiness 33 Menri Trizina, Lungtok Tenpei Nyima

At the age of 27, Lama made a pilgrimage on foot to China, where he visited holy places and returned to Lhasa. The next few years were spent studying at the Bon monasteries of Menri, Khana and Yandrung Ling in Tibet, where he became known as Sangye Tenzin Yongdong. He also lived for some time at Dripung Monastery in Lhasa.

In 1959, Sange Tenzin left Lhasa and went to Nepal, where he met the Abbot of Yungdrungling in Dolpo Province, where the teacher was living in exile. It was in Dolpo, at Samling Monastery, that he first met the learned Tibetologist Professor David Snellgrove of the University of London. It was in Dolpo that the conviction came that it was necessary to preserve the Bon religion and culture. Sange Tenzin collected many important Bon texts of the two canons and wooden forms, which he later transported to India, again using mules as the most accessible and convenient form of transport.

In 1961, together with Samten Karmay and some other Bon monks, Sange Tenzin visited Delhi. Here, with the support of Tibetologist E. Smith (representative of the South Asian sector of the US Library of Congress, Washington), he continued his epoch-making work of copying, printing and preserving entire volumes of sacred Bon texts and literature.

In 1962, under a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation (New York), Sangye Tenzin Yongdong, Samten Karmay and Tenzin Namdak taught Tibetan culture at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, as assistants to Professor Snellgrove. Here they also studied Western history and culture.

In England and during his travels in Europe, Sange Tenzin stayed in many Christian monasteries. In 1964, Pope Paul VI gave him a private audience in Rome. At the end of this year, at the request of the Dalai Lama, he, along with other teachers, as a volunteer, opened a High School in Masur in northern India for Tibetan refugee boys who had completed 8th grade.

In 1966, at the invitation of Tibetan scholar Per Kvaerne, Sange Tenzin Yongdong arrived in Norway and taught Tibetan history and religion at the University of Oslo. He remained there until he was chosen to succeed the 32nd Abbot of Menri and the spiritual leader of the Bon religion.

In 1969, after a series of ceremonies and initiations, he assumed the duties of the 33rd Abbot of Menri and took charge of the formation of the Menri Monastery at Dolanji, which was built in the Tibetan province of Tsang in 1405 and was destroyed during the Chinese Revolution in 1960 year. Since then, he has been masterfully and tirelessly engaged in Construction with the support of friends and supporters. His Eminence Menri Tenzin fully focuses his time and attention in Dolanji on creating the Bon monastery, unique in its vibration, and maintaining a functioning center of Bon culture and traditions.

Tibetan Bon Library Yungdrung

The library was built over 5 years (2002-2007) and was opened by His Eminence the Dalai Lama XIV on April 21, 2007. It was the culmination of His Eminence Menri Trizin's projects to complete the religious training center at the monastery. The main objective of the library is to collect a complete collection of the most important books and rare religious manuscripts in Tibetan and Shang Shung, books about history and culture. Since 1969, His Eminence Menri Tenzin and members of the Bonpo community have collected Bonpo texts around the world. Now the library has a complete collection of Bon books and canonical texts. Other texts such as the Buddhist Kanjur, Tanjur and commentaries on each of the four major Buddhist schools are also contained in this collection. Over the entire period, thirty thousand books in Tibetan and the Shang Shung language and ten thousand books in other languages ​​were collected.

The library has four floors and is built in traditional Tibetan style. On the ground floor there are offices where ancient Bon texts are preserved and articles and books about Bon are published. There is an information center where monks scan texts onto computer disks. There is also a reading room for children here. Bon religious texts are stored on the second floor. Here you can exercise in equipped sections. Opposite this hall is the hall “Books in Tibetan and other languages”. On the next floor there is a Museum hall and a conference room. The last floor is the Meditation Hall. The library provides courses on Bon history, theology, Tibetan language and literature.

One day in the life of the monks in Dolanji

This monastic community is the only Bonpo teaching monastery in India. It houses more than 150 monks and 200 novices, as well as 50 nuns. The main goal is to train monks in the Bon tradition, conduct independent practices in accordance with the monastic environment and religious ceremonies.

The morning in the monastery begins with prayer. Then - breakfast, which starts at six in the morning. After breakfast, all the monks run to the abbot’s residence for a blessing. At 6.30 am there is a “voter bles” (blessing with water).

The first monk to arrive hands a jug of water to Rinpoche. The rest stand in line and one by one approach the abbot, bow and offer their palms. His Holiness pours water into his hands and onto his head in one motion. It should be noted that Rinpoche prepares the water in the morning and “charges” it. First he reads prayers, and then puts juniper into the water, which is a purifier.

Foreigners who practice at the monastery, and I must say that many people from different countries of the world come here, are also blessed with water, standing in the same line with the monks. After the blessing, the monks go to the courtyard, which is located behind the main temple and begin debates. Foreign practitioners go to breakfast, which is served at 7:30 am in the hotel cafeteria.

Dispute is a practice in which one monk must defend his point of view, while another opposing monk tries to refute or “confuse” him. This practice uses any emotion. The monk who defends his point of view sits, and the opponent stands.

The debates end and the majority disperse to their classes. Study begins. But this does not apply to everyone, of course.

Reference
There are three groups of monks in Menri. The first group consists of 20 lamas and monks who came from Tibet. Their main activity is to conduct religious ceremonies in the homes of local residents, private religious practice and participation in all the rituals that the monastery conducts. This group also includes several monks who, during their lifetime, follow special methods of the spiritual directions associated with Dzogchen and Cho.

The second group consists of more than 150 young monks who took religious vows in this monastery. They are trained in the tradition of Bonpo doctrine and live according to monastic rules. If they comply with their duties, the monastery provides them with lunch, tea and soup. They buy their own clothes. The 15-year course of monastic education ends with exams taken by the geshe. After exams, monks are given the title Geshe. The first group of monks completed their training cycle in 1986. Their specializations include: monastic discipline (sutra), Bon history, rituals, tantra, dialectics, logic, wisdom texts, basic stages of internal progress, middle path philosophy, cosmology, metaphysics, monastic disciplines, tantra, history, poetry, astrology, astronomy, Tibetan grammar, art (Thangka, Mandala, Torma, Namkha) and Dzogchen. Some geshes go on to do doctoral studies in religion at Western universities.

The third group of monastic representatives consists of boys from 5 to 18 years old. They undergo initial training at the central state school, in a village near the monastery. Generally, a regular course includes Hindi, English language, as well as Tibetan grammar and history. Outside of school hours, they participate in all ceremonies in the temple, receive religious instructions, practice Tibetan calligraphy, drawing, and learn to play ritual musical instruments. During the long winter holidays, they receive instructions that are used for basic preparation for training in the second group of monks. They have a separate kitchen and also take advantage of the opportunity to collect firewood and prepare their own food. All boys, whether orphans or not, are under the care of the monastery. Parents don't pay for their sons. But some cash donations are welcome. In 1988, His Eminence Menri Trizin formed the Boys' Social Children's Center (BCWC), as well as the Bon Children's Home (BCH), a hostel for young boys and girls.

In 1967, when the first monks came to Dolanji, the teaching was given by Ponlob (the highest rank of mentor) Sange Tenzin, the main mentor of the Menri monastery in Tsang province in Tibet, and his assistant Ponlob Tendzin Namdak, the founder of the settlement. Due to various difficulties, especially the lack of basic books and premises, the teaching was broken down into parts and included in the training course for young monks practicing only the Dzogchen tradition. In 1978, Panlob Sange Tendzin died and Lopan (senior master) Tendzin Namdak took responsibility for the education of the younger generation of monks. At the end of 1978, a large number of basic books were published and became available in every classroom, which were further taught in the new premises. His Eminence Menri Trizin founded the Bon Dialectic School. It was from this year that the complete teaching doctrine of Bon was formed.

At twelve o'clock in the afternoon the gong sounds for lunch. The monks take a short break. But after lunch there are more debates and again studying, then an early dinner at 6.30 and again debates. Even in the evening, when it gets dark in Dolanji, the courtyard near the main temple is filled with monks memorizing texts, reading or writing something. But in Dolanji there are days of rest. Then the young men and boys pour out onto the sports ground and play volleyball or basketball.

Some monks enjoy kicking a ball in the clearings near the monastery, others go to the city of Solan to surf the Internet or buy something for themselves. But the main occupation remains study, which can only be interrupted by services. And the main desire of young people is to live their lives in virtue and move towards the highest spiritual perfection. It is believed that an ordinary person can also achieve perfection, but only monastic life gives the only good chance of achieving a high level. Over many centuries, monastic life developed as an essential part of the Bonpo religion.

Note from the authors:
This material is not a scientific study on the history of the Bon religion and is for educational purposes only. In different scientific works, geographical names, proper names and special terms have different spellings. This is due to the peculiarity of the Tibetan language and the difficulties of its transcription into European languages. Therefore, those who are interested in this topic are asked to refer to special literature on the history of the Bon religion, which is located in the Library of the Menri Monastery or on the Internet.

Marina Filippova and Andrey Kononov
Menri Monastery, March 2010

Used literature:
Tenzin Wangyal. Miracles of the natural mind. St. Petersburg, 2000. Located in the monastery library on a shelf with Russian literature
Menri Monastery.2008. The brochure is in the monastery library
"Kailash" Tibetan Yung-Drung Bon Monastery at Dolanji (material is located in the hotel at the monastery)
The monastery library has literature in Russian on this topic:
Shardza ​​Tashi Gyaltsen. Dharmakaya heart drops (Dzogchen practice of the Bon tradition). Commentary by Lopon Tendzin Namdak. M., 2000
Dzogchen teachings in the Bon tradition. As told by Lopon Tendzin Namdak
Twenty-one nails. T.II. Oral instructions from Lopon Tenzin Namdak and Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Uddiyana Publishing House
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Tibetan yoga of sleep and dreams. St. Petersburg, 1999
Chögyal Namkhai Norbu. Dream yoga
Chögyal Namkhai Norbu. Teaching of Semde. Moscow, 2006
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Healing with form, energy and light. St. Petersburg, 2003

India: upcoming tours

Bon is one of the most mysterious mystical systems on earth. Since ancient times, adherents of this tradition have been feared and admired. Bon managed to incorporate both ancient Tibetan shamanic practices and late period, some Buddhist techniques. As a result, Bon has become a unique mystical phenomenon not only for Tibet, but also for the whole world, turning into an “explosive cocktail” of spiritual and magical practices.

The meaning of the term "bon"

According to the most common version, the term "bon" comes from the expression "gYung Drung gi-Bon", which can be roughly translated as "muttering magic spells." And this is not accidental, since in bon spells are used almost everywhere, and the image of an adept of this mystical system is easy to imagine as a person constantly muttering spells. In support of this theory, some researchers point out that the term “bon” can be translated as “ritual”, more precisely “ritual speech act”, and in modern Tibetan the word “bon” is a verb used as a synonym for the word “bzla” - “recite”, “chant”.

Also, some researchers suggest that the term “Bon” could come from the word “Bod”, which is the self-name of the country Tibet.

Currently, in religious studies it is customary to use the term bon-po to define bon.

Bon founder - Shenrab

The founder of the Bon religion is considered to be Shenrab, whose name translated means “perfect “perfect priest.” Although, most likely, Shenrab is not the real name of the creator of the bond, but an honorary nickname.

If you believe the ancient texts, the founder of Bon lived in the country of Olmo. At the age of thirty, he abandoned vanity and devoted himself entirely to spreading his teachings.

In order not to stand out too much among people, Shenrab decided to get married and took a wife from the country of Khosmo. And she bore him a son, who years later would continue his father’s work - the development of bon.

History of the Bon tradition

The Bon tradition developed no earlier than the ninth century AD, although according to some researchers, the history of Bon goes back as far as sixteen thousand years BC!

Some researchers say that the Bon tradition is rooted in the teachings of India and Iran, with Bon being strongly influenced by Shaivism and Buddhism on the Indian side, and Zoroastrianism on the Iranian side. But these were only influences, since the Tibetans also had their own original religion, which was predominantly of the shamanic type.

Unfortunately, the Bon tradition developed with great complications when it became clear that it represented quite a serious force. There were two particularly difficult periods for Bon adherents. The first of them is associated with the reign of King Driguma Tsenpo. Into this hard time a lot of Bon followers were simply expelled from the country. Some of the adherents, so that the teaching itself would not suffer, began to hide the sacred texts of Bon in special hiding places, which were called terma, which translated means “treasure”. Subsequently, these hiding places were rediscovered and the Bon teachings came to light again after many centuries.

The second such difficult period for the Bon was the reign of King Trisong Detsen. The persecution was due to the intensive development of Buddhism in Tibet. As a result, the practice of bon was completely prohibited. And then, in order to preserve their teaching, the followers of Bon resorted to cunning. They created the so-called reformed Bon, that is, the teaching was “dressed up” in Buddhist form. The main credit for this belongs to the Bonn priest Drenpa Namkha.

Shencheng Luga and the revival of Bon

In its pure form, bon was practiced underground. And only many years later, after the last persecutions, did the secondary revival of Bon begin, which is associated with the name of Shenchen Lug, who belongs to a family that originates from the founder of Bon Shenrab himself. It was Shenchen Luga who discovered many sacred Bon texts that were hidden by the adherents of this system.

Shenchen instructed his three best students to carry the newly discovered bon into the world. The first of them, Druchen Namkha Yungdrungu, began to disseminate the cosmological and metaphysical basis of Bon. The second student Shuye Legpo brought the practice of Great Perfection into the world. And finally, the third disciple, Paton Palchog, committed himself to disseminating the higher (tantric) forms of teaching.

Also during the revival period, each of the students founded the Bonn monastery with the purpose of developing and studying Bon. Then, such monasteries began to appear more and more often, until there were more than three hundred of them.

Finally, the Bon priests celebrated their victory when the tradition was officially recognized by the Tibetan government in exile in 1977.

Basic principles of the Bon tradition

The Bo tradition is divided into three branches:

1) Shamanic bon (original bon before Buddhist influence);

2) reformed bon (bon that has experienced Buddhist influence)

3) Yungdrun (Eternal)bon.

But all these branches share the same principles. The main ones include the fluidity and impermanence of all things. The purpose of human existence was seen by Bon adherents to be the achievement of Enlightenment, which is similar to the principles of Buddhism.

In short, Shenrab, instructing people in the practice of Bon, said the following: “Apply diligence, possess the laws, indulge in contemplation, learn wisdom, perform prayers, perform spells, make offerings, show strength, have knowledge!”

The Bon teachings were expounded by Shenrab in two systems: Tegpa Rimgui Bon and Goshi Dzong.

Tagpa Rimgui Bon. This system is translated as “Bon of Nine Sequential Stages” or “Nine Paths of Bon”. This classification exists in three versions: Lhoter ("Southern Treasure"), Jangter ("Northern Treasure") and Uther ("Central Treasure").

The nine paths themselves are as follows:

1. The Path of Shen Prediction - it includes the practices of fortune telling, astrology, some rituals and the specific practice of studying causes.

2. The Path of Shen of Visible Manifestation - on this path, the origin of the gods and demons of this world is explained to the student, their nature is explained and various methods are taught to expel demons and appease the gods.

3. The Path of Shen Magic Power - at this stage the student masters the rituals of getting rid of harmful energies.

4. The Path of Shen Being - this includes some so-called “dying practices”, and especially attention is paid to mastering methods of accompanying souls to liberation or to a better rebirth.

5. The Path of Virtuous Lay Practitioners - practices for ordinary people, which include observing the ten rules of virtues and perfections.

6. The Path of the Sages - contains the rules of monastic discipline.

7. Path of White A - on this path the student is introduced to the methods and philosophy of the highest mystical teachings (Tantras).

8. The Path of the Primordial Shen - at this stage the student learns to work with the mandala, mastery of tantric methods deepens and information is given about meditation techniques on a particular deity.

9. The Unsurpassed Path - associated with the highest achievement through the path of Great Perfection.

In the Nine Paths, the last three are identical in both Bon and Buddhism. Of course, in the first six there are similar points, but in general they are different, since Bon, unlike Buddhism, more assimilated local occult views and magical practice.

Goshi Dzonga. This system is translated as “Four Portals and the Treasury, the Fifth.” These five portals are:

1. White Waters - this portal includes spells and higher tantric practices.

2. Black Waters - this includes training in a number of rituals - healing, cleansing, magical, fortune-telling, funeral and some others.

3. Land of Peng - explains the rules for monks, nuns and lay people, and explains philosophical doctrines.

4. Masters Guide - this stage includes detailed instructions on many psychophysical exercises and meditations related to the practices of the Great Perfection.

5. Treasure - includes an in-depth study of all previous four portals.

In general, while teaching Bon practices to Tibetans, Shenrab more than once noted that the majority of people were not yet ready to fully accept his teaching, especially its deep principles. Therefore, he focused more on teaching his followers purification practices. He also taught to strengthen connections with guardian spirits, taught to expel demons and neutralize negative energies. In addition, it was he who introduced such a widespread practice in Tibet as the use of prayer flags.

Secret rituals of the Bon tradition

Bon includes a huge number of secret rituals, accessible only to initiates. In some of them, the priest identifies himself with God by putting himself into a special trance. It is in this altered state of consciousness that he gains access to the deep mystical secrets of the world and gains the ability to control spirits and change the reality around him.

Bon magic and tradition

In addition to rituals that pursue only spiritual goals, there are also very specific rituals in Bon, some of which could even be classified as “black magic,” since some of them involve the use of sacrifices. The Bon priests explain this by the fact that in order to carry out any magical action, they need a lot of energy, for this they use blood sacrifices.

Some Bon rituals are very similar to the rituals of African voodoo witchcraft. Bonn priests also use dolls, hair or scraps of clothing to cause damage. This reveals the shamanic roots of this cult.

Descriptions of Bonn rituals are also found in Chinese chronicles, where they, of course, are slightly denigrated. According to one such description, once a year the Bon priests gather at the cemetery to conduct their ritual, during which they sacrifice animals, and then the priest addresses the gods and spirits of heaven and earth, the sun and moon, as well as the demons of mountains and rivers. After this, he says: “Those who harbor evil in their thoughts, their path will be destroyed by spirits, like these animals.”

But don’t think that bon is basically black magic. No, the Bonn priests do a lot of healing and help people in their difficult lives.

Bon religion- national religion of the inhabitants Tibet. Bon was dominant official religion until the 13th century, after which it was supplanted by Buddhism. Although the main religion of Tibet is now Buddhism, the bond still has supporters which include both residents of the provinces of Kham, Sikkim, the country of Bhutan, and Tibetans, combining Buddhist beliefs with Bon rituals (Bon had a particularly strong influence on the Buddhist school Nyingma).

From Tibetan the word bon is translated as "ritual" or " rhythmic speech", i.e. a spell. And this is no coincidence. In the Bon religion, the main focus is on magical practice, interaction with good and evil spirits and deities. At the same time, the theosophical aspects are of little concern to the followers of Bon.

Reliably install history the emergence and development of Bon is not possible due to the almost complete lack of sources. It can be assumed that the teaching of bon in different times had a noticeable impact Zoroastrianism and Shaivism. According to legend, the Bon teachings were brought to Tibet by the awakened Tonpa Shenrabom, this event happened 15-16 thousand years B.C. According to Bon followers, this teaching is historically divided into the following: periods:

1. The most ancient (shamanic) bon;
2. Reformed boom;
3. "Eternal bon", or "Swastika bon".

Peculiarities Bon religions are inextricably linked to the place of its origin. Life in the Tibetan highlands was and remains very heavy, a person is forced to constantly fight for his survival, to defend the right to life in these extreme conditions. Therefore, in the Bon religion, special attention is paid fight against nature spirits(mountains, lakes, rivers, etc.) or their appeasement.

According to the teachings of Bon, spirits live everywhere- on earth, in sky and underground: jig defended their territory tsang somewhat reminiscent of European gnomes, sabdag was an inhabitant of the underworld, etc. As a result of difficult natural conditions, most spirits appeared to followers of the Bon religion hostile to man with demonic traits.

Among the most powerful gods Bon religions should note the white god of the sky, the black goddess of the earth, the red tiger and the fierce dragon. The Supreme God called himself Heavenly mentor, during the penetration of Buddhism he was identified with Samantabhadra.

Higher target in the Bon religion - the achievement after death of heaven, where a person will receive a beautiful body, happiness and eternal life.

Thus, the Bon religion is mixture shamanism, fetishism and demonology. The priest of the Bon religion was magician and necromancer. But every person, and not just the clergyman, had to own techniques for working with spirits. When overcoming a mountain pass, the follower made bons from stones stupa and walked around it, expressing respect to the spirits of the mountains; the equipment of the new camp was accompanied sacrifice pet.

The Bon ritual has a complex structure, including spells, dances and sacrifices. Many Bonn religious ceremonies were later borrowed Buddhism. Bon priests, performing their rituals, used jewelry made from human bones, musical instruments, stylized as skulls. The priest could give protection from evil spirits, cause damage, attract the help of good deities, heal, control the weather, make predictions and talk with the dead. Possessing all of the above skills, the bon servant used great respect Tibetans. Interestingly, Bon priests have always lived among the laity, practically not uniting into any communities, like monasteries. Played a special role in bon swastika (yun-drung)- magicians used it as a magical weapon of enormous power.

It's interesting that many Europeans, faced with the mysterious Bon religion, endowed it with demonic features, placing on the same side with satanism. Indeed, bon rituals can look quite ominous, plus the magic of bon does not have a clear moral system, such as the practices of Buddhism. In bon, the direction of the magician’s action is determined based on his ideas about practical benefits. In addition, in Bon practice, actions are taken that have opposite direction than in Buddhism: the opposite reading mantras, walking around the stupa clockwise, reverse direction of twisting the swastika, etc. A similar thing occurs in European Satanism- for example, the use of an inverted Christian cross in rituals. Additionally, the opinion of Europeans about the Bon religion was spoiled by its connection with German Reich. Indeed, there is data about German expeditions to Tibet in order to obtain secret esoteric and magical knowledge. According to one version, fascist swastika has Bon origin.

But approaching the understanding of the Bon religion from one-sided negative positions is unfaithful. Bonds need to be considered in the complex, outside of Tibetan culture and living conditions. Close interpenetration bond with one of the most humane world religions - Buddhism, talks about values Bon teachings, the presence in it positive spiritual aspects.

A few kilometers north of Kathmandu is the national Shivapuri park. There, at an altitude of about 2000 meters, there is a nunnery of the Bon religion, rarely visited by tourists. Modern Tibetan-Nepalese religion is a synthesis of Bon and Buddhism, ancient female deities dakinis, worship of the spirits of ancestors, elements of witchcraft and mysticism added by the great guru Padmasambava. At the same time, no matter what you call it, such eclecticism looks quite harmonious and even attractive.

Another name for the Bon religion is Mithraism. An ancient Indo-European warrior religion, which various options worshiped by both Roman soldier emperors and the ancient Mongols, for example, the Borjigin family, to which Temujin Genghis Khan belonged.

Buddhism was brought to Tibet by the king to counter Bon. The Bon priests, together with the aristocrats, greatly infringed upon royal power. The first wave of Buddhism did not take root in Tibet. It was Padmasambava who was invited for the second attempt. He introduced a lot of attractive and spectacular techniques into the source code: witchcraft, magic and red cloaks. Actually, this version was not so different from the Bon religion and therefore turned out to be successful. At first, the aristocrats did not take the new competitor seriously, mainly because they relied on the Buddhist principle of harmlessness. But the Buddhists first walled up the opposition leader in a cave, explaining this action by saying that they did not kill anyone, the man himself died.

Bon prohibited betrayal, deceit of a trusted person, and failure to assist a comrade in battle. He encouraged war and hunting. But now it looks simply like a set of rituals, including the energetic experience of the turbulent past centuries.

Like in monasteries, in the women's monastery there are photographs of various gurus and Dalai Lamas, in front of whom rituals are performed, sacrifices are made to them in the form of rice, money, fruits and flowers.

I assume that water and Coca-Cola were placed with them not as a sacrifice, but to charge them energetically and then drink them. Donation money is stuck into a bowl of rice, or dropped into a donation box, and for coins there is a special bowl with rice, very beautiful, antique and, it seems, silver.

There is also a statue of the great guru Padmasambava sitting in a relaxed pose.

This monastery belongs to the Karma-pa order, which 600 years ago was the largest until Gelug-pa entered into an alliance with the Mongols and defeated its competitors.

The figurines of Torm - judging by the great respect of the abbess of the monastery, are of great importance. This is a replacement for the previously practiced blood sacrifices. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Bon religion was reformed, as a result of which sacrificial pies were introduced, which were painted red as a symbol of blood. After the rituals are performed, these pies are broken into pieces or burned, and the sacrifice is considered to have been made. The cakes in the photo do not look like pies at all and clearly symbolize some goals or problems that need to be solved.

Nuns are almost no different from male monks. With very short hair, many with glasses. The clothes are the same. You can distinguish them mainly by their voice. They look quite happy with life, there is no Christian detachment in their behavior. One of the young nuns spoke to us in Russian, immediately uttering a series of phrases on the topic and ending the conversation with the remark “a dog is a man’s friend.”

The source of her knowledge was guessed: on one of the iconostasts there was a Russian amber picture with a birch tree and a Khokhloma bowl.

We were lucky enough to meet the abbess herself - a very interesting woman who gave us a short tour, and when we left, she blessed everyone in turn. In the monastery there are rugs and low tables, in front of which lie the personal prayer instruments of each nun. The kits may vary, but there is always a prayer book with mantras written by hand in ink. It all looked very homely, and there were wardrobes and a bed in the corner. >Around the monasteries, both female and male, there are always many flowers and beautiful trees, apparently improving the dharma of the place. At the end of the excursion, we entered a small garden without permission and lay there on the grass for two hours, admiring the clouds. Shivapuri Park itself is very beautiful and offers excellent views of Kathmandu. We didn’t come across the spectacular animals that live in Shivapuri - maybe it was for the best. But on the way back, I managed to catch a very small skink, which at first tried to bite me, but then we gave it some water and petted it, and it completely trustingly fell apart in the palm of our hand.

Galina Pogodina

Bon- the national religion of the Tibetans. In fact, it was the official religion of Tibet during the period of the kings (VI-IX centuries), and continued to dominate the region until it was partially replaced by Buddhism in the 13th century. Bon is the indigenous pre-Buddhist religious tradition of Tibet, which is still practiced by many in Tibet, Bhutan, and India. The founder of the Bon religion in the human world is Lord Tonna Shenrab Miwoche.

History of the Bon religion

The scientific study of the history of the Bon religion is associated with significant difficulties, mainly due to the lack of historical sources. As Tibetologist D.I. Buraev notes, the only Bon text that, to one degree or another, can be considered a source is the Bon chronicle “Royal rabs bon gyi a'byung gnas” published in 1915 by S. Ch. Das, compiled at the end of the 14th century. - the beginning of the 15th centuries and dedicated to the presentation of the genealogies of the royal families of Tibet and Mongolia, as well as the actual history of Bon. At the beginning of the 20th century, a small part of it was translated into German by B. Laufer.

According to the assumption of Kuznetsov B.I. — the Bon religion comes from Eastern Mazdaism; the names of the Indo-Iranian gods are cited as evidence: Mithras, Ahura Mazda and Anahita (Astarte). Associated with Mazdaism is the name of the supreme deity Bon - the Wise Bumkhri, comparable to Ahura Mazda.

In Tibet, the Bon teachings initially settled in the state of Shang Shung (western and northern Tibet). Subsequently, his magical and shamanic rituals, according to some Western researchers, influenced the Nyingma Buddhist school. Another view is that Buddhism influenced the ancient shamanic practices of Bon, resulting in the reformed Bon.
Followers of Bon talk about three “historical forms” of their teaching: 1) the most ancient (shamanic) Bon; 2) reformed coupon; 3) “Eternal Bon”, or “Swastika Bon” (gyung drung bon).

The Tibetan term Bon has two different cultural contexts:

In the first case, the word bon means "to cast magic spells" or "to repeat secret formulas", and refers to the native pre-Buddhist shamanistic and animistic culture of Tibet, a culture that had much in common with other shamanistic tribal cultures of Central Asia and Siberia. Although these cultures included different types of religious practices and beliefs, at the center of them there was always a practitioner known as a shaman.

The activity of the shaman was definitely characterized by entering an altered state of consciousness (trance) through rhythmic chanting, drumming, dancing, and so on, regardless of whether this altered state of consciousness or "ecstasy" was considered as a journey of the soul, an exit from the body, or a type of spirit possession . Basic social function such a practitioner was healing. The traditional form of Central Asian shamanism, including spirit possession, is widely practiced in Tibet today among both Buddhist and Bon populations, as well as among Tibetan refugees living in Ladakh, Nepal and Bhutan.

A practitioner of shamanism is known as lha-pa or dba-po. On the borders of Tibet in the Himalayas and along the Sino-Tibetan border, among some Tibetan-speaking and related peoples there are practices of shamanism known as Bonpo, for example among the Na-Khi in China and among the Tamang in Nepal.

In the second case we are talking about another form of religious culture, also known as Bon, whose followers claim to represent the pre-Buddhist civilization of Tibet. These Bon practitioners claim that at least part of their religious tradition does not originate in Tibet, but was brought to central Tibet before the seventh century from the then independent country of Shang Shung to the west of Tibet, and there from the more remote areas of Tajiko -(stag-gzig) or Iranian-speaking Central Asia in the northwest.

This form of Bon is also known as Yungdrung Bon(g.yung-drung bon), " Eternal Teaching", a term whose equivalent in Sanskrit would be "Swastika-dharma", where the swastika or solar cross is a symbol of the eternal and indestructible, corresponding in almost every way to the Buddhist term "vajra" or diamond (rdo-rje). In addition to ritual texts , related to shimanic and animistic practice, this ancient tradition possesses a large number of texts, also claiming pre-Buddhist origin, and relating to the highest teachings of Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen (mdo rgyud man-ngag gsum).

The Bonpo lamas look to an earlier prince, Sherab Miwoche (gShen-rab mi-bo-che), originally from Olmo Lungring ("Ol-mo lung-ring) in distant Central Asia, as their Buddha (sangs- rgyas) and the source of their teaching. Consequently, the latter was given the title of Tonpa or Teacher (ston-pa), literally "one who reveals secrets."

Modern scholars may question the historicity of this figure - the Bonpo tradition ascribes a truly incredible dating to Tonpa Shenrab, claiming that he flourished some eighteen thousand years ago. Moreover, his biography in the Bonpo sources is in no way inferior to the biography of Shakyamuni Buddha found in Lalitavistara. The story of Tonpa Shenrab represents one of the great epic cycles of Tibetan literature.

According to traditional biography, in a previous era Shenrab bore the name Salwa and studied Bon doctrines with his two brothers, Dagna and Shepa, in the Sidpa Yesang heaven under the guidance of the Bon sage Bumtri Logi Kesan. After completing their studies, all three brothers went to the God of Compassion, Shenlha Okar, asking how they could alleviate the suffering of sentient beings. Shenlha Okar advised them to take on the role of mentors of humanity during the next three world eras. Dagpa taught people in the past era, Salwa incarnated in the form of Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche and is the teacher and mentor of humanity in the present era, and finally the youngest brother, Shepa, will appear as a teacher in the next world era.

Tonpa Shenrab descended from the celestial spheres and appeared in bodily form at the foot of Mount Meru along with his closest disciples - Malo and Yulo. He then took birth in the body of a prince, the son of King Gyal Tokar and Princess Zangi Ringum. This happened in a radiant garden full of wonderful flowers, in a palace located south of Mount Yungdrung Gutseg, at dawn on the eighth day of the first month of the first year of the male wood mouse (1857 BC). He married young and had several children. At the age of thirty-one, he renounced his worldly life and began the practice of strict asceticism and training in Bon doctrine. Throughout Shenrab's life, his efforts to spread the teachings of Bon were hindered by a demon named Khyabpa Lagring, who tried in every possible way to interfere with his work. Eventually he was converted to the path of truth and became a disciple of Shenrab. One day, Khyabpa stole Shenrab's horses, and Shenrab pursued him through the entire Zhang Zhong kingdom to southern Tibet. Having overcome Mount Kongpo, Shenrab entered Tibet.

This was Shenrab's first visit to Tibet. At that time, Tibetans practiced ritual sacrifices. Shenrab pacified the local demons and began instructing people to perform rituals using special dough figurines in the shape of sacrificial animals for offerings, and thanks to this, the Tibetans abandoned the sacrifice of real animals. In general, Shenrab found that the country was not yet ready to receive the five Paths of "fruit" related to the highest Bon teachings, so he began to teach the Tibetans the four Paths of "cause". These practices focus on strengthening the connection with guardian spirits and the natural environment, exorcising demons and eliminating various negative factors. He also taught Tibetans purification practices through burning incense and sprinkling water, and introduced prayer flags used to promote positive energy and happiness. Before leaving Tibet, Shenrab prophetically declared that all his teachings would flourish in Tibet when the time was right. Tonpa Shenrab died at the age of eighty-two.

Mythological origins and history of the Bon religion

According to Bon mythological literature, there are “three cycles of propagation” of the Bon doctrine, which occurred in three dimensions: on the upper plane of the gods or Devas (lha), on the middle plane of human beings (mi) and on the lower plane of the Nagas (klu).

In the Deva dimension, Shenrab built a temple called the “Indestructible Peak, which is the Lha Fortress” and opened the mandala of “All-Conquering Space”. He also introduced the teachings of the Sutras and appointed Dampa Togkar as his follower.

In the Naga dimension, he built a temple called “The Continent of One Hundred Thousand Gesars, which is the Naga Fortress” and opened the mandala of the Mother of the Pure Lotus. Here he introduced the teachings of the Prajnaparamita Sutra and gave instructions on the nature of the mind.

In the human dimension, Shenrab sent emanations towards the three continents aimed at the benefit of living beings. In this world, he initially expounded his teachings in the area of ​​Olmo Lungring, located to the west of Tibet and part of the country called Tatzig, which according to some modern scholars corresponds to Persia and Tajikistan. The syllable "Ol" means "unborn", the syllable "mo" - "not subject to decrease", "lung" - "prophetic words" and finally, the syllable "ring" symbolizes the eternal compassion of Tonpa Shenrab. Olmo Lungring occupies a third of the existing world and has the form of an eight-petalled lotus blooming under the sky, manifesting as a wheel with eight spokes. In the center of Olmo Lungring rises Mount Yungdrung Gutseg, the "Swastika of the Nine Pyramids". The swastika is a symbol of constancy and indestructibility, nine swastikas together are a symbol of the Nine Paths of Bon. At the foot of Mount Yungdrung Gutseg, four rivers originate, flowing in the direction of the four cardinal directions. This description has led some scholars to suggest that Mount Yungdrung Gutseg is Mount Kailash and the land of Olmo Lungring is the country of Shang Shung, located around Mount Kailash in western Tibet and being the cradle of Tibetan civilization. The mountain is surrounded by temples, cities and parks. Access to Olmo Lungring is via the "arrow path", so named because, before his visit to Tibet, Tonpa Shenrab shot an arrow from his bow and thus created a passage through the mountain range.

Until the seventh century, the country of Zhang Shung existed as a separate state, which included all of western Tibet around Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar. Its capital was the city of Khyunglung Nulkhar, the “Silver Palace of the Garuda Valley,” the ruins of which can now be found in the Sutlej Valley southwest of Mount Kailash. The local people spoke a Tibetan-Burman language and were ruled by a dynasty of kings that ended in the eighth century when King Ligmincha (or Ligmirya) was killed by the Tibetan king Trisong Detsen and Shang Shung was annexed to Tibet.

Further history of the development of the Bon religion

As Buddhism spread in Tibet and after the founding of the first Buddhist monastery at Samye in 779 during the reign of King Trisong Detsen, Tibet began to experience a decline in the Bon tradition. Although at first King Trisong Detsen did not seek to destroy all Bon practices and even supported the work of translating Bon texts, he later initiated a harsh suppression of Bon. The great Bon master and sage Dranpa Namha, the father of the lotus-born Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of the Nyingma Buddhist tradition (rNying ma pa) and the master who contributed to the spread of the teachings of Tantra and Dzogchen in Tibet, publicly recognized the new religion, but in order to preserve the Bon tradition, he secretly continued to practice his practice and remained devoted to Bon. He asked the king the following question: “Why do you make a distinction between bon and chos?” (the word "Bon", meaning adherents of the Bon religion, and the word "Chos", meaning Buddhists - both also mean "dharma", or "truth"), by which he meant that in essence there is no difference between them. Vairochana, a Buddhist scholar and disciple of Padmasambhava, as well as many other translators of Indian and Oddiyana Buddhist texts took part in the translation of Bon texts from the Drusha language. In order not to be destroyed, many Bon texts had to be hidden in the form of terms in order to be rediscovered later, at a more appropriate time.

In the ninth and tenth centuries, the Bon tradition was subject to further persecution and attempts at destruction. However, its adherents were able to preserve the sacred scriptures until the eleventh century, when the Bon revival began. This was facilitated by the discovery of several important texts by Shenchen Luga, a descendant of the great master Tonpa Shenrab.

Shenchen Luga had many followers, some of whom founded the first Bon monastery in Tibet. In 1405, the great Bon master Nyamed Sherab Gyaltsen founded Menri Monastery. Menri and Yungdrung Ling became the most important of all the Bon monasteries.

Pantheon of Bon Gods

The Bon Pantheon contains a large number of deities. Each tantric ritual cycle in the Bonpo canon has its own complete collection of deities, methods of visualization and worship. One classification divides deities into three groups: peaceful (zhi-ba), wrathful (khro-bo) and fierce (phur-pa). In addition, Bonpo cosmogony describes groups of deities of Light and Darkness.

The highest level deity is Kuntu Sangpo (Kun-tu bZang-po) (Bonku (bon-sku: Body of Truth)), Shenlha O`kar (gShen-lha `Od-dkar) (Dzogku (rdzogs-sku: Body of Perfection)) and Tonpa Shenrab (Trulku (sprul-sku: Body of Incarnation)), who is the Teacher (sTon-pa) of the current world era. The most important female deity is Jamma (Byams-ma), the "Loving Mother", also known as Sa-trig Er-sangs. There are also collections of 1000 Buddhas and Buddhas of the three times (past, present and future). Among the protective deities known as Dharma Protectors (bKa`-skyong), the most important are Sipai Gyelmo (Srid-pa`i Gyal-mo: "Queen of Existence", the female form of the guardian of the Bonpo teachings), Midu or Midu Jampa Traggo (Mi- bdud `bYams-pa Khrag-mgo: male form of the guardian of the monastery Menri) and Tsengo Khurba (bTsan-rgod Hur-pa).

The most general division of deities: those distinguished among the supermundane gods of the higher spheres (`Jig-rten las` das-pa`i lha), demigods and lesser deities remaining active in this world (`Jig-rten pa`i lha).

The last group includes the entire collection of mountain deities, local deities (Sa-bdag), malevolent demons (gNyen), female forms of demons (Ma-mo), other spirits such as Dre (`Dre), Si (Sri), Lu (kLu) etc.

Rulers in pursuit of the secrets of bon

Fragmentary, sometimes semi-mythical information about the unprecedented power of the Bon lamas, legends that the first of them are the rulers of the mysterious state of Agharti, securely hidden in the high mountain caves of the Himalayas, became the reason that many powerful people were looking for ways to establish close contacts with the priests of the Bon religion .

Thus, an ardent follower of Buddhism, the Indian king Ashoka from the Mauryan dynasty, who lived in the 3rd century BC, went to war against the neighboring kingdom of Kalinga, whose inhabitants professed Bon.

However, the conqueror suffered a crushing defeat. And the reason for this was the secret knowledge that the Bon lamas possessed. After this, Ashoka, as the chronicles tell, devoted the rest of his life to the study of the sacred knowledge of Bon, and shortly before his death he created the Society of Nine Unknowns, which supposedly exists today.

Chinese chronicles of the 15th century preserved a mention of how the ambassadors of the Emperor of the Celestial Empire in 1403 visited the Sangri Monastery, the center of philosophical research of the Bon religion, after which they brought a number of ancient and very valuable scrolls as a gift to their ruler.

Russia was also interested in ancient religion. In 1902, on the personal instructions of Emperor Nicholas II, a secret reconnaissance expedition went to Tibet, the official purpose of which was to fight England for establishing influence in this Asian region. According to the memoirs of one of the participants in the campaign, Dambo Ulyanov, recorded for the purpose of conspiracy in the Kalmyk language, Russian intelligence officers made several unsuccessful attempts in Lhasa to make contact with the Bon lamas. However, soon after this, two members of the expedition died suddenly from an unknown illness. The efforts of the Soviet special services undertaken in the 20-30s of the last century turned out to be equally unsuccessful.

It was not possible to establish relations with the highest clerics of the Bon religion, after which the USSR lost its influence in this region for many decades.

In the same 30s, under the auspices of the Ahnenerbe secret society, a German expedition was sent to Tibet. Hitler's envoys were luckier than Stalin's.

Until 1943, close relations were maintained between Berlin and Lhasa, during which members of the Ahnenerbe were able to learn the secrets of a number of magical practices of the ancient religion.

Relationship between Bon and Tibetan Buddhism

Despite the strong antagonism that existed between the two religions in the early period, the later history of their relations contains examples of the interpenetration and synthesis of ideas and even common legendary heroes. In particular, the sage and magician of antiquity Drenpa Namka (8th century), according to the Bon people, was an adherent of their faith and feignedly converted to Buddhism during the persecution of the Bon people only in order to preserve his ancient faith. He became a symbol of the inseparability of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon, becoming an object of cult in both religions, and writers from both traditions showed interest in his biography. He is considered the patriarch of New Bon (Bon Sarma). According to his biography, Drenpa Namkha lived with a wife named Kandro Oden Barma, who gave birth to twin brothers Tsevan Rigdzin and Yungdrung Thongdrol. Tsevan Rigdzin became a Bon sage-writer, and Yungdrung Tongdrol and Nyingma and Bon Buddhists are often identified as Padmasambhava, the founder of the Nyingma school of Buddhism.

Unlike the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism, representatives of the five Bon families and later forms of Bon never showed political ambitions. Since Bon was greatly displaced by Buddhist sects, it did not cause serious concern among the leadership of the Buddhist community. However, the attitude of Buddhists towards those who believed in Bon was somewhat contemptuous - Buddhists called them “chiba” (outsiders). The situation changed with the rise to power of the fifth Dalai Lama, Lobsan Gyatso (1617 - 1682). The Shen, Shu and Dru clans were held in high esteem by him, and the Dalai Lama elevated their status to the level of high-ranking Buddhist dignitaries. In a decree issued in 1679, the Fifth Dalai Lama recognized Yungdrung Bon as an integral part of Tibetan esoteric science and his followers as "divine creatures" during his reign. After the death of the Fifth Dalai Lama, the theocrats of the Gelug sect became increasingly imbued with religious fundamentalism. Their attitude towards Bon and the Nyingma school close to it became increasingly hostile; this attitude did not change even after the defeat of the Tibetans in the uprising against Chinese occupation in 1959.

In 1988, driven by the desire to unite all Tibetan refugees, as well as to popularize the idea of ​​tolerance, the fourteenth Dalai Lama paid a visit to the Indian Menri Monastery and visited the Bon community in Dolanji (Himachal Pradesh, India). On this occasion, he dressed himself in a Bon headdress and held the scepter of Shenrab Mivo. In 2007, he visited Menri Monastery again, this time in connection with the opening of a new library.

The Bon community is a religious minority in Tibet. In Central Tibet, the highest concentration of Bons is observed in Dromo (Chumbi Valley), i.e. in the south of the region. In Tsang there are entire villages of Bon followers - Darding and Zangri in Nyemo; in the Kongpo region, east of Lhasa, and in the Nagchu region in the north. In Kham province, the areas of Derge, Kandze and Nyagrong are still inhabited by Tibetans - followers of this religion. Bon outposts also remain in Amdo. According to scientists, 218 Bon monasteries still exist (data taking into account the regions of China where Tibetans live).

Literature:

1. Kuznetsov B.I. - Ancient Iran and Tibet. (History of the Bon religion). St. Petersburg, 1998

2. Dugarov R. N. Bon and Buddhism in the traditions of the ancient beliefs of Amdo-Kham (Great Tibet VII-XVII centuries). Ulan-Ude, 1999

3. L.N. Gumilyov, Kuznetsov B.I. Reports of the VGO. Vol. 15: Ethnography. L., 1970

4. Buraev D.I. Bon religion and problems of sacralization of power in the Tibetan state of the 7th—9th centuries. dis. ... Dr. Ist. Sci. — Ulan-Ude: BSU, 2001