5 Mt Spring Session
Bðnlike Teachings & Seasonal Schedule
In the Living Gods, Let the hallowed Light of Transcendant Truth be praised. Let the Sweet Mystery of Miryai awaken in the heart of hearts.

Bðnpos clain Shenrab Miwo as their founder and seek to harmonize the microcosm within with the macrocosm without, seeing a divine element within all things, including themselves. They seek to dwell in harmony with the natural world and to create a balance between the five Elements. According to Bon it is by good actions and a virtuous life that a being achieves spiritual perfection and the spheres of the Perfect Buddhas.  Bonpos are also particularly known for their tradition of Ngagpas, who are recognizable by their uncut, loosely worn hair. Ngagpas are lay practitioners, who take the vows of refuge, genyen and Ngagpa genyen, that primarily practice tantra and are not celibate. Bon teaches that people often disturb the Earth spirits, the tree spirits, and the rock spirits, by digging the ground, cutting down trees and excavating mountains. They provoke the space spirits by polluting the air, and they disturb the water spirits)by polluting rivers and lakes. This pollution affects people's inner being as well as the environment. By polluting space, they pollute their minds; by polluting fire, they pollute their body heat; by polluting external water, people internally pollute their blood; by polluting the earth, they pollute their bodies. We interpret this teaching to be one of inner and out harmony with nature. Shamans of the third way, Trulshen, go where there is strong, wild energy, where they perform practices to conquer the spirits and demons that inhabit those places, subjugating them into their service. One achieves this through practising mantra (words of magic power), mudra (meaningful hand gestures to communicate with gods and spirits), and samadhi (meditation), while performing sadhanas (devotional practices) to engage various wrathful goddesses such as Walmo and Chenmo. We interpret this practice to be one of understanding and conquering the unconsious urges that lie hidden within each of us. There also seems to be a strong connection between the practice of soul retrieval and the popular lungta practice, which is performed to reinforce fortune and capacity, by 'raising the wind-horse'. This is a very powerful rite, performed by large groups of Tibetans, on top of mountains on the first, or third day of the New Year. The participants arouse and invoke the mountain spirits by making smoke offerings, putting up prayer flags and throwing five-coloured cards bearing mantras into space in order to reinforce prana (vital air), which is the support of the la.  Again, we interpret such practices as a psychological exercise to gain dominion over the subconscious mind.

Bðnpos clain Shenrab Miwo as their founder and use him as their symbol of enlightenment and not Sidhartha like the Buddhists. They claim he taught his doctrine in 5 Treasures and in Nine Ways. (The claims of Shenrab's early and superhuman birth seem to be a later elaboration of the legends of a tenth century Bonpo Practicioner by that name. Even tho we doubt the historical and literal truth of his legend, we fully accept Shinrab as an alternative symbol of "the Buddha" and a fitting archetype of what is achievable to followers of his Way.

The Four Portals of Bon and the Treasury, which is the Fifth (bon sgo bzhi mdzod lnga), represent an ancient, system for the classification of the Bonpo teachings into four groups known as the Four Portals (sgo bzhi). This system appears to be independent of the classification of the teachings into the Nine Ways and is probably earlier. 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 on the recitation of wrathful or fierce mantras (drag sngags) associated with various meditation deities. Within this class are included the Chy-ipung cycle or "General Collection" (spyi-spungs skor), that is to say, the practices associated with the Father Tantras (pha rgyud).

• 2. 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 symbolically black in color.

• 3. 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 monks and also for lay people who have taken one to five vows and remained householders. 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 above represents the Tantra system.

• 4. 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 written scriptures (lung) of the various masters (dpon-gsas) belonging to the lineages of transmission for Dzogchen.

• 5. The Bon of the Treasury, which is of the highest purity and is all-inclusive (gtsang mtho-thog spyi-rgyug mdzod kyi bon): this collection contains essential material from all Four Portals of Bon. The Treasury, which is the fifth (mdzod lnga), is described in the gZer-myig: "As for the highest purity (gtsang mtho-thog), it extends everywhere. As insight, it belongs to the Bon that is universal (spyi-gcod). It purifies the stream of consciousness in terms of all four Portals."

•     White Water (chab dkar) relates esoteric matters; The 'White Waters' Portal represents the Seventh and Eight Ways. It also includes the Third Way in so far as this is directed towards the 'Bon of effect'.  Text and practices of the tantras.
• 7. The Way of the White AH: This Way is primarily focused upon tantric practice using visualization. Mandalas.  transformation by way of visualizing oneself as the meditation deity
• 8. The Way of the Primordial Shen:This Way is primarily focused upon higher tantric practice.Tantric consort,
• 3. The Way of the Shen of Magical Power: This Way includes venerating a deity or master and then applying mantra and mudra in order to accomplish a goal such as requesting assistance from natural forces.
• 7.  dNgos bskyed thugs-rje rol-pa’i theg-pa: the Way of the Manifestation of Compassion as actual visualization,    (Central Treasure)
• 8.  Shin to don-ldan kun rdzog kyi thog-pa: the Way wherein everything is perfect and very meaningful,   (Central Treasure)
• 3.  Thugs-rje sems-dpa’i theg-pa: the Way of the Compasionate Boddhisattvas,   (Central Treasure)
•     Black Water (chab nag) concerns narratives, magic, funeral rites and ransom rituals; The 'Black Waters' Portal represents the First, Second and Fourth Ways.  Ways of predicition, death ceremonies and magical rites of all kinds (viz. The 'original bonpo material')
• 1. The Way of the Shen of Prediction: This Way includes divination, astrology, various rituals, and medical diagnosis.
• 2. The Way of the Shen of the Phenomenal World: This Way includes rituals dealing with communication with external forces such as rituals of protection, invocation, ransom of the soul and life-force, and repelling negative or harmful energies.
• 4. The Way of the Shen of Existence: This Way is primarily focused upon rituals for the dead and methods to promote longevity for the living.
• 1.  Lha mi gzhan bsten gyi theg-pa: the Way of Gods and Men where one reies upon another,  (Central Treasure)
• 2.  2. Rang rtogs gshen rabs kyi theg-pa: the Way of those who understand by themselves and of those who are the followers of Shenrab,    (Central Treasure)
• 4.  gYung-drung sems-pa’ spros med-pa’i theg-pa: the Way of the Boddhisattvas which is wothout any conceptual elaborations.    (Central Treasure)
•     Land of Phan ('phan yul) codifies monastic rules and philosophical expositions; The hPhan-yul Portal represents the Fith and Sixth Ways.  Texts and practices connected with monastic religion. (One may observe that the reading of 'Perfection of Wisdom' literature as a meritorious rite was as poular then as now).
• 5. The Way of the Virtuous Lay Practitioners: This Way specifies the proper conduct of lay people taking vows. Stupas
• 6.  The Way of the Fully Ordained: This Way specifies the proper conduct for those who are fully ordained practitioners. Ascetics
• 5.  Bya-ba gtsang spyod ye bon byi theg-pa: the Way of the primordial Bon of pure conduct and ritual action,    (Central Treasure)
• 6.  rNam-pa kun-ldan mngon-shes kyi theg-pa: the Way of the Clear Knowledge which knows all aspects,    (Central Treasure)
•     Divine Guide (dpon gsas) enshrines the Dzogchen teachings; The 'Master Sage' Portal represents the Ninth Way. Precepts and teachings of sages and hermits, e.g. Zhang-Zhung snyan-rgyud and other rdzog-chen literature.
• 9. The Unsurpassed Way: This Way is primarily focused upon the practice of Dzogchen, or The Great Perfection.   It is concerned with the realization of the true nature of one’s own mind.
• 9.  Ye nas rdzog chen yong rtse bla-med kyi theg-pa: the unsurpassed Way of the highest peak which is the Primordial Great perfection.    (Central Treasure)
•     Treasury (mtho thog) which serves as an anthology of the salient items of the Four Portals. As for the 'Treasury which makes the Fifth' , this is the 'Pure Summit' (gtsang mtho thog ), which once again is best defined by a quotation from gZer-mig:  As for the 'Pure Summit', it goes everywhere. As insight it belongs to the BON which is a universal cutting off. It urifies the stream of knowledge in all the 'Four Portals'. It simply involves that insight into the non-substantiality of appearances. It understands the deluding nature of the 'inner essences'. In terms of absolute truth non-substance, too, is an absurdity.

Altho modern Bon has celibate monasteries, and idea borrowed from the Buddhists, ancient Bon upheld the virtue of non celibate monks and nuns, married practicioners, who grew out their hair and wore white and who did not live in monasteries. These non celibate monks were called Ngakpas. They have 14 main vows they keep. The Fourteen ‘Root Downfalls’ (the vows are expressed negatively) are:

    Belittling the Vajra-Master or Guru
    Transgressing the commands of the Sugatas
    Becoming angry with your Vajra-siblings
    Abandoning loving-kindness
    Abandoning Bodhichitta
    Belittling (other Buddhist) doctrines
    Proclaiming secret teaching to unripe people
    Abusing the ‘five heaps’ (i.e. the skandhas, one’s physical and mental constitution)
    Having doubts about the purity of the Dharma or teachings
    Having loving-kindness for poisonous or malevolent people (i.e. keeping the wrong company)
    Appraising phenomena through intellect alone (i.e. not realizing or abandoning the truth of the emptiness of all phenomena)
    Irritating the faithful
    Not relying on or having faith in the samaya substances
    Belittling women (who are the embodiment) of Wisdom

The eight supplementary ‘thick’ or ‘rough downfalls’ or vows are:

    Relying on a rigma or ‘wisdom woman’ (i.e. consort) who does not hold samaya
    Fighting during tsok celebrations
    Taking the nectar (in the context of Sexual Yoga) from an ordinary or ‘vulgar’ rigma or consort
    Not revealing the Dharma to those fit for it.
    Revealing other (teachings) to someone who (received them before but now) questions the Dharma
    Staying (more than) seven days among sravakas who slander the View and Conduct of the Secret Mantra
    Boasting of being a ngakpa when one doesn’t possess yogic (accomplishment)
    Explicating the profound meaning (of the tantric teachings) to unfit vessels

Tthe Tibetan calendar has been influenced by three systems. One is Sri Kalachakra Tantra (Wheel of Time Tantra), which was spread into Tibet from Sanskrit in 1027 A.D. The second one is the lunar system brought by Princess Wen Cheng in the Tang Dynasty. The last one is the elemental solar system, which defines the new year falls in December. The three systems harmonize solar and lunar factors in the Tibetan calendar. The Bon calendar entails some use of    the five elements, but also contains elements of others systems within it.

Cherish the ‘approach-and-accomplishment’ practices of your principal yidam with earnestness and as your chief priority: on the fifteenth (full moon), thirtieth (new moon), eight and twenty-third days of the lunar month, hold tantric gathering-feasts (tsog), offer torma cakes and make vow-fulfilling (expiation) prayers. Do not behave presumptuously or like low-caste people, rely on the Beneficent Master [Padmasambhava]. Do not engage in Bonpo ritual activities or chants, conform to (Buddhist) practices and meditation. Strive for excellence in the four modes of ritual or magical activities of the ‘approach-and-accumulation’ practices in accordance with (scriptural) tradition –

This principal religious holiday generally and specifically entails continuous feasting and giving of offerings on the tenth day of the waxing and waning lunar cycles – it is Guru Rinpoche’s holiday and since tantric vows are an extremely necessary part of it, it is unquestionably important.

truth of “ inseparable purity and equalness” – if one explains this in easy-to-understand terms it means that by not realizing that the five elements of the external ‘container’ of outer phenomena are the Five Mothers/Consorts of female Buddhas, the five heaps or aggregates of its inner contents or inhabitants are the

• Firestar: Bonpo Book of the Dead(+Oral Tradition from Zhang Zhung & misc Dzogchen & Bon)
• Firestar:   Life and Visions of Yeshe Tsogyal (+Advice from Lotus Born, Juniper Ridge & misc Vajrayana, some Sikh, Jain & Shaivite)

Collection of Studies on Bon

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