During these courses of study and practice, the students are housed and fully supported by the monastery. Frequently young monks and nuns come as refugees from Tibet seeking a Bonpo education and possess no funds of their own at all. With Lopon Rinpoche now in retirement at the age of 80, the monastery is under the able direction of its present Abbot, Khenpo Tenpa Yungdrung.
However, Lopon Rinpoche continues to teach on occasion at the monastery, in sessions open to both monks and lay people, and also to Westerners at his new meditation center in France, Shenten Dargye Ling, near Saumur in the Loire region, south-west of Paris. A number of Geshes at the monastery, with the help of modern computer technology provided by Japanese friends, have been digitalizing the basic Bonpo texts which are studied at the monastery, including those of Dzogchen.
The texts are then published in India and Nepal for the use of students. Now that Bon is becoming increasingly recognized in the West as an important spiritual tradition in its own right, and as an original component of the Tibetan culture and civilization which continues and even thrives today both in Tibet and in exile, it was felt that these teachings of Lopon Rinpoche on Dzogchen should be republished for a wider reading audience.
My thanks, as the editor of these teachings, go to Vajra Publishing of Kathmandu for undertaking this project, to Elisabeth Egonviebre for providing the photographs included here, and to Dr. Christine Daniels for her editorial and other help while completing this project. I would especially like to thank Khenpo Tenpa Yungdrung for supplying additional information on the expanded educational program at Triten Norbutse. It is my prayer that these rare explanations of Lopon Tenzin Namdak Yongdzin Rinpoche, being exceptionally lucid and clear, will help to clarify the relationship between Dzogchen and Madhyamaka, Chittamatra, Tantra and Mahamudra, for interested Western students.
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A short summary of this paper. In both cases, these teachings are substantially the same in meaning and terminology, and both traditions claim to have an unbroken lineage coming down to the present time from the eighth century and even before.
Both of these schools assert that Dzogchen did not originate in Tibet itself, but had a Central Asian origin and was subsequently brought to Central Tibet by certain masters known as Mahasiddhas or great adepts. There thus would appear to exist two ancient and authentic lineages for the Dzogchen teachings, the Buddhist and the Bonpo. As I have previously discussed the Nyingmapa Buddhist tradition of the origin of Dzogchen in my book The Golden Letters, here I shall present a preliminary survey of the Bonpo tradition of Dzogchen known as the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud.
This Bonpo tradition is especially important for research into the historical origins of Dzogchen because it claims to represent a continuous oral tradition snyan-rgyud from the earliest times coming from Zhang- zhung in Western Tibet. The principal aim of these Buddhist historians was to glorify the role of Indian Mahayana Buddhism in Tibetan history, suggesting that there was no culture nor civilization in Tibet before the coming of Indian Buddhism to Central Tibet in the seventh century of our era.
India, the birthplace of the Lord Shakyamuni Buddha, was looked upon, not only as the source of all genuine religion and spirituality, but as the source of civilized culture generally, and even the lineage of Tibetan kings was traced back to an Indian origin by such native Tibetan historians as Go Lotsawa, Buton, and others.
In the first usage, Bon does indeed refer to the indiginous pre-Buddhist shamanistic and animistic culture of Tibet, a culture that possessed many characteristics in common with other shamanistic tribal cultures of Central Asia and Siberia. Although these cultures involved various types of religious practice and belief, the central role was occupied by a practitioner known as a shaman. A traditional form of Central Asian shamanism involving spirit possession continues to be practiced widely in Tibet even today among both Buddhist and Bonpo populations, as well as among Tibetan refugees living elsewhere in Ladakh, Nepal, and Bhutan.
Such a practitioner is known as a lha-pa or dpa'-bo. These practitioners of Bon assert that at least part of their religious tradition was not native to Tibet, but was brought to Central Tibet sometime before the seventh century from the previously independent country of Zhang-zhung, west of Tibet, and more remotely from Tazik stag-gzig or Iranian speaking Central Asia to the northwest.
In addition to ritual texts relating to shamanic and animistic practices, this ancient tradition possesses a large corpus of texts, also claiming to be pre-Buddhist in origin, relating to the higher teachings of Sutra, Tantra, and Dzogchen mdo rgyud man-ngag gsum. The Bonpo Lamas, instead of looking back to the North Indian prince, Siddhartha Gautama, as their Buddha and as the source of their higher teachings of Sutra, Tantra, and Dzogchen, look back even further in time to another prince, Shenrab Miwoche gShen-rab mi-bo-che , born in Olmo Lungring 'Ol-mo lung-ring in remote Central Asia, as their Buddha sangs-rgyas and as the source of their teachings.
Hence, the latter is given the title of Tonpa or Teacher ston-pa , literally "the one who reveals". Modern scholars may question the historicity of this figure and Tonpa Shenrab is indeed given a rather fabulous date by the Bonpo tradition, asserting that he flourished some eighteen thousand years ago. Contemporary Bon possesses a monastic system much like the Buddhist one and a Madhyamaka philosophy fully comparable with the other Tibetan Buddhist schools.
According to the Bonpo Lamas themselves, the main difference between Bon and the Buddhist schools is one of lineage rather than of teaching or doctrine, since the Bonpos look to Tonpa Shenrab as their founder and the Buddhists look to Shakyamuni. Indeed, both of these numenous figures are manifestations of Buddha enlightenment in our world, an epiphany that is technically known as a Nirmanakaya sprul-sku. According to one leading native-born Bonpo scholar, Lopon Tenzin Namdak [14], the history of the development of Bon may be divided into three phases: 1.
Primitive Bon was the indiginous shamanism and animism of Tibet and adjacent regions in ancient times. Indeed, according to Bonpo tradition, some of these practices such as invoking the gods lha gsol-ba and rites for exorcising evil spirits sel-ba were actually taught by Tonpa Shenrab himself when he briefly visited Kongpo in Southeastern Tibet in prehistoric times.
These shamanistic types of practices are now known as "the Causal Ways of Bon" rgyu'i theg-pa. Teaching and practice found in the Causal Ways are considered to be dualistic in their philosophical view, that is, the gods lha representing the forces of light and order called Ye and the demons bdud representing the forces of darkness and chaos called Ngam have an independent existence, and the concern of the practitioner is principally with the performing of rituals that invoke the positive energies of the gods and repel the negative influences of the demons and evil spirits gdon.
Old Bon bon rnying-ma , or Yundrung Bon g. He revealed these teachings to his disciples in Olmo Lungring on earth and elsewhere in a celestial realm in his previous incarnation as Chimed Tsugphud 'Chi-med gtsug-phud.
Zhang-zhung appears to have been an actual language, distinct from Tibetan, and appearantly related to the West Himalayan Tibeto-Burman dialect of Kinauri. Thus, it was not some artificial creation fabricated by the Bonpos in order to have an ancient source language corresponding to the Indian Sanskrit of the Buddhist scriptures.
According to the tradition, on both occasions, the persecuted Bonpo sages concealed their books in various places in Tibet and adjacent regions such as Bhutan. These caches of texts were rediscovered beginning in the tenth century. Thus they are known as rediscovered texts or as "hidden treasures" gter-ma. These are known as snyan- rgyud, literally "oral transmission", even though they are usually said to have existed as written texts even from the early period.
One example of such an "oral tradition" is the Zhang-zhung snyan-rgyud, which, in the eighth century, the master Tapihritsa gave permission to his disciple Gyerpungpa to write down in the form of his pithy secret oral instructions man-ngag, Skt.
Or else, the texts were dictated during the course of ecstatic visions or altered states of consciousness by certain ancient sages or certain deities to Lamas who lived in later centuries. One such example of this was the famous lengthy hagiography of Tonpa Shenrab known as the gZi-brjid, dictated to Lodan Nyingpo bLo-ldan snying-po, b. The teachings of Bon revealed by Tonpa Shenrab are classified differently in the three traditional hagiographical accounts of his life. In general, Tonpa Shenrab was said to have expounded Bon in three cycles of teachings: I.
These Nine Ways or Nine Successive Vehicles to Enlightenemnt are delineated according to three different systems of hidden treasure texts gter-ma that were put into concealment during the earlier persecutions of Bon and were rediscovered in later centuries.
These treasure systems are designated according to the locations where the hidden treasure texts were discovered. The System of the Southern Treasures lho gter lugs : These were the treasure texts rediscovered at Drigtsam Thakar 'brig-mtsham mtha' dkar in Southern Tibet and at Paro spa-gro in Bhutan.
Here the Nine Ways are first divided in to the Four Causal Ways, which contain many myths and magical shamanistic rituals, and which are principally concerned with working with energies for worldly benefits.
Then there are the five higher spiritual ways known as the Fruitional Ways. Here the purpose is not gaining power or insuring health and prosperity in the present world, but realization of the ultimate spiritual goal of liberation from the suffering experienced in the cycles of rebirth within Samsara.
The final and ultimate vehicle found here in this nine-fold classification is that of Dzogchen. The System of the Central Trasures dbus gter lugs : These treasure texts were rediscovered at various sites in Central Tibet, including the great Buddhist monastery of Samye.
In general, this classification of the Bonpo teachings is rather similar to the system of the Nine Vehicles found in the traditions of the Nyingmapa school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Some of these Bonpo texts are said to have been introduced from India into Tibet by the great native-born Tibetan translator Vairochana of Pagor, who translated works from both the Buddhist and the Bonpo traditions.
The System of the Northern Treasures byang gter lugs : These treasure texts were rediscovered at various locations north of Central Tibet. However, according to Lopon Tenzin Namdak, not much is currently known regarding this system. These groups or classes of teachings are as follows: 1. The Bon of "the White Waters" containing the Fierce Mantras chab dkar drag-po sngags kyi bon : This collection consists of esoteric Tantric practices focusing the recitation wrathful or fierce mantras drag sngags associated with various meditation deities.
Within this class are included the Chyipung cycle or "General Collection" spyi-spungs skor , that is to say, the practices associated with the Father Tantras pha rgyud. The Bon of "the Black Waters" for the continuity of existence chab nag srid-pa rgyud kyi bon : This collection consists of various magical rituals, funeral rites, ransom rites, divination practices, and so on, necessary for the process of purifying and counteracting negative energies.
This collection would seem to correspond, by and large, to the Four Causal Ways described above. Here the term "black" refers not to the practitioner's intention, but to the expelling of negativities, which are black in color symbolically. The Bon of the Extensive Prajnaparamita from the country of Phanyul 'phan-yul rgyas-pa 'bum gyi bon : This collection consists of the moral precepts, vows, rules, and ethical teachings for both monks and ordained lay people. In particular, the focus is on the philosophical and ethical system of the Prajnaparamita Sutras which are preserved in the Bonpo version in sixteen volumes known as the Khams-chen.
This collection basically represents the Sutra system, whereas the Chab dkar represents the Tantra system. The Bon of the Scriptures and the Secret Oral Instructions of the Masters dpon- gsas man-ngag lung gi bon : This collection consists of the oral instructions man- ngag and the written scriptures lung of the various masters dpon-gsas belonging to the lineages of transmission for Dzogchen.
Happy with…. I used the online service and the book came to the UK well within the given estimated delivery times. Very friendly and helpful. Very good collections about Buddhism, Tibetan - Himalayan study, published many books. I ordered some books to be shipped to the US for an upcoming trip. Communication and shipping was excellent and the ten books arrived…. Vajra Books has a wide selection of books on Nepal and South Asia, including many of the latest academic publications.
Bidur, the owner is…. Vajra Books is my go to number one gem of a researcher's dream bookstore of esoteric and rare titles. Bidur, the owner, is very…. Unlike the traditional educational system found in other Tibetan monasteries, at Tashi Menri Monastery and at Triten Norbutse Monastery, both now re-established in India and Nepal respectively, Dzogchen is not restricted to teachinhs meditation instruction only.
When I get home from work I will chase up the link cheers Jeff. Our Best Seller Books. Search by title, author, item name or keyword. The Call of the Blue Cuckoo: The second is found among the followers of the two Older Schools, the Nyingmapa and the Bonpo, who emphasize szogchen Dzogchen point of view in elucidating their understanding of the Higher Tantras.
Personally replied to my email and phone call. Title of the month. Dear Friends, I would advise against posting your emails on somewhere that can be seen by anyone like this.
The Amazon review looks interesting.
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