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YungDrung Bön is Tibet's oldest spiritual tradition, and the founder of the Bön religion is Buddha Shenrab. He is said to have been born in the mythical land of Olmo Lung Ring, whose exact location remains something of a mystery. The land is described as dominated by Mount Yung-drung Gu-tzeg (Edifice of Nine Swastikas), which many identify as Mount Kailash in western Tibet. Due to the sacredness of Olmo Lung Ring and the mountain, both the counter-clockwise swastika and the number nine are of great significance in the Bön religion. Due to royal patronage of Indian Buddhism by Tibet's king Trisrung Detsun (7th century), Bön was discouraged and practitioners faced persecution and banishment. Practically nothing is known about Bön during the period from the eighth to the early eleventh centuries. However, with the relentless devotion and endeavour of sincere followers such as Drenpa Namkha (9th century), Shenchen Kunga (10th century) and many others, Tibet's indigenous religion, was rescued from oblivion and re-established itself alongside Buddhism in Tibet. More than three hundred Bön monastries were established in Tibet prior to the Chinese invasion in 1959. Menri and Yungdrung monastries were the major monastic universities for the study and practice of Bön doctrines. In the nineteenth century, a Bön Master, Sharza Tashi Gyaltsen, gave Bön strength and a new incentive through his collected writings comprising eighteen volumes. His follower Kagya Khyungtrul Jigmey Namkha, trained many disciples learned in not only the Bön religion, but in all the Tibetan sciences. However, with the Chinese invasion of Tibet, like the other spiritual traditions, Bon faced irreparable losses. The Bön tradition has received explicit support from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who made a two day visit to Menri Monastery, Dolanji, where he was impressed by the students' educational achievements. In addition, he made a statement at the 1988 Tulku Conference in Sarnath, in which he stressed the importance of preserving the Bön tradition, as representing the indigenous source of Tibetan culture, and acknowledging the major role it has had in shaping Tibet's unique identity. Senior Teacher of YungDrung Bön, Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche has described the history of Bön as occurring in three phases. The ancient Bön was shamanic. In other words, it was based on the belief that spirits residing within the earth's framework of mountains and rivers, trees and sky are sensitive to human action and therefore must not be harmed. Pollution and degradation of the natural world will provoke the spirits into creating illness and harm to humans. Shamans work to appease and communicate with these spirits, for instance, as in a prayer for rain. The next phase, the Yungdrung Bön, or Eternal Bön consists of the higher teachings found in Lord Tonpa Shenrab's revelations of truth. These are found in the cycles of Sutra, Tantra and Dzongchen, written here in their commonly known Sanskrit counterparts. Lastly, there is new Bön, which appeared around the 14th century, 700 years after Buddhism took root in Tibet. This Bön relied upon teachings which were saved during the persecution of Bön by Tibet's Buddhist kings.
Tonpa Shenrab - The Founder Of YungDrung Bön Religion Excerpted from a publication by Triten Norbutse & Yungdrung Bön Monastic Center  The founder of YungDrung Bön is the Lord Shenrab Miwo. In past ages there were three brothers, Tonpa Shenrab Dagpa, Salba and Shepa, who studied the Bön doctrines in the heaven named Sridpa Yesang; under the Bön Sage Bumtri. When their studies were completed, they visited the God of Compassion, Shenlha Odkar, and asked him how they could help the living beings submerged in the misery and sorrow of suffering. He advised them to act as guides to mankind in three successive ages of the world. To follow his advice the eldest brother, Dagpa completed his work in the past world age. The second brother, Salba took the name Shenrab and became the teacher and guide of the present world age. The youngest brother, Shepa will come to teach in the next world age. The Lord Shenrab was born in the Barpo Sogye Palace to the south of Mount Yungdrung. He was born a prince, married while young, and had children. At the age of 31 he renounced the world and lived in austerity, teaching the doctrine. During his whole life his efforts to propagate the Bön religion were obstructed by the demon Khyabha Lagring. This demon fought to destroy or impede the work of Tonpa (Buddha) Shenrab until he was eventually converted and became a disciple. Once, pursuing the demon to regain his stolen horses, Tonpa Shenrab arrived in Tibet. It was his only visit to Tibet. There he imparted some instructions concerning the performance of rituals, but, on the whole, found the land unprepared to receive fuller teachings. Before leaving Tibet he prophesied that all his teachings would flourish in Tibet when the time was ripe. Tonpa Shenrab departed this life at the age of 82. There are three written accounts of Tonpa Shenrab. The earliest (10th century) and shortest is known as Dodu (mdo-dus) Epitome of Aphorism. The second (11th century) in two volumes is called Zermik (gzermig) Piercing Eye. The third and largest is in twelve volumes known as Zhiji (gZhi-brikd) The Glorious. It belongs to the category of scriptures known as "spiritual transmission" (bsNyan-rgyud). It is believed to have been dictated to Loden Hyingpo who lived in the fourteenth century.
Sherab Chamma - Wisdom Loving Mother As is the case of the other four Tibetan Buddhist Schools, the Bön tradition has various guardian deities and spirits who protect its teachings and doctrines, as well as its temples and holy places and its practitioners.  origin, but derive from the pre-Buddhist deities of Tibet and Zhang-zhung. In the Bön tradition, there are four principal Sugatas or Buddhas. They are also known as the four Peaceful Deities, namely; 1. Sherab Jyamma (Chamma) who is the Prajnaparamita or Perfection of Wisdom These four are often depicted together as a group of four in thangkas. In the Buddhist tradition of India, Jyamma (Chamma) is known as the Prajnaparamita and as Tara. In the Tibetan languages Jyamma is called both wisdom and love, and compassion and love. In the Bön tradition, Chamma is also known as "the loving Mother of compassion", and is considered to be the Mother of all Buddhas. In the Bönpo text dealing with cosmogony, theogony and cosmology, Chamma is called Sherab Chamma Chucham Byalmo, "the queen of the waters". Chucham Cyalmo had her origin from the primordial waters, an origin independent of the patriarchal order of heaven. As the winds of karma blew across the vast primeval ocean, moving its waters, a bubble the size of a pavilion rose up to the surface and at its center an egg of blue light became visible. When this egg spontaneously burst open, a turquoise blue woman appeared from it. The creator god Sangpo Bumtri was overwhelmed by her beauty and radiance; he called her by the name Chucham Gyalmo, "the queen of the waters". Thereafter they coupled together without their heads or their noses touching and from this act of union were produced the various species of animals and birds. And when they united a second time, bending their heads to each other and touching their noses, they produced the nine brothers and the nine sisters from who have descended the various races of gods. |
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