Tibet (Myth, Religion and History)

by Tsewang Gyalpo Arya | 2019 | 70,035 words

This essay studies the history, religion and mythology of Tibet, and explores ancient traditions and culture dating back to more than 1000 BC. This research study is based on authoritative texts and commentaries of both Bon (Tibet's indigenous religion) and Buddhist masters available in a variety of sources. It further contains a comparative study ...

2. The Teacher (Tonpa Shenrab)

Tonpa Shenrab [Tib:sTon pa gShen rab] is the founder of the Yungdrung [Tib:g.Yung drung] Bon religion of Tibet. According to the Bonpos, the followers of the Bon religion, he was the 8th of the nine Teachers who appeared and was to appear to guide the sentient beings to achieve lasting peace and deliverance from the sufferings in this world. According to Bonpo tradition366, once in the heaven of Srid pa ye sangs, the three brothers: Dag pa, gSal ba, and Shes pa received Bon teachings from 'Bum khri glog gi che chen. After the completion of their studies, they approached Shenlha Odkar [Tib:gShen lha 'od dkar], the God of primal wisdom, and sought his advice on how they should best serve the universe. Shenlha Odkar advised the brothers to be a guide or teacher to humans and other sentient beings in three different eras [Tib:sKal ba]. The eldest Dag pa fulfilled this mission in the previous era as sTon pa gTo rgyal ye mkhyen when human had one thousand years life span [Tib:Tshe lo stong]. gSal ba came as sTon pa gshen rab [Tonpa shenrab] in this era of one hundred years life span [Tib:Tshe lo brgya], and Shes pa was to appear as sTon pa Thang ma me sdron during the time when people will have ten years of life span [Tib:Tshe lo bcu pa].

According to Bonpo sources, Tonpa Shenrab is said to be born in 'Ol mo lung ring [pronounced Olmo lungring] as a prince to rGyal bon thod dkar as his father and Yo chi rgyal shad ma as his mother. Here he taught Bon religion which spread to sTag gzig, Zhangzhung and to other places including Tibet. Now there are different interpretation as to the location of this 'Ol mo lung ring and the country of sTag gzig. 'Ol mo lung ring can be construed more as a mythical or spiritual realm comparable to Shambalha of Buddhist tradition. 'Ol means unborn, mo means teachings and lung ring means everlasting. Some scholars identify sTag gzig to ancient Persia, present day Iran. From the way it is pronounced and the direction specified, Tajik-sthan [the land of Tajik] seems more probable. The description of the land of Zhangzhung as having outer, inner and middle Zhangzhung adds to this confusion, where sTag gzig 'Ol mo lung ring was said to be part of inner Zhangzhung. We shall not go into these details. Suffice it is to say that geographical description of 'Ol mo lung ring and Zhangzhung, bring us to concludes that Tonpa Shenrab was born in Zhangzhung, which is in the western part of Tibet with the Mount Tise at its center[1]. According to Bonpo calendar, Tonpa Shenrab was born in the spring month of wood-bird year on the full moon day which is by contemporary reckoning is in 16,017 BCE[2]. Prof Namkhai Norbu put his birth at 1917 CE[3].

Tonpa Shenrab is said to have lived for eighty two gShen years. One gShen year equals to hundred normal years, so eighty two gShen years means 8200 calendar years. Be that as it may, during these eighty two years, he was said to have performed twelve major deeds in general, sixty in particular, and hundred and twenty eight in specific[4]. Tonpa Shenrab had four consorts: Hos bza' rgyal med, dPo bza' thang mo, Phyva bza' gung drug, and Kong bza' khri lcam. From them he had six sons and two daughters, who played great role in spreading his teachings, and knowledge of astrology and medicine. Life and teachings of Tonpa Shenrab is found in great details in the three biographies or Texts: mDo 'dus, gZer mig and 'Dri med gzi brjid[5]. The oldest and the shortest version was mDo 'dus in one volume with twenty four chapters. The text was translated from Zhangzhung to Tibetan by sNya chen li shu stag ring. It was concealed during persecution, later in 961 CE, two Acharyas discovered this text from Samye Chita Marpo. mDo gZer Mig, the middle-length version of Tonpa Shenrab's biography has two Volume with eighteen chapters. The text was discovered by gTer ston grang rje tsun pa gser mig from the Khri thang grave yard of Samye in 913 CE. mDo dri med gzi brjid, the longest version of Tonpa Shenrab's biography has twelve Vol. with sixty one chapters. It was orally transmitted to sTul sku blo ldan snying po by sTong can dmu tsa gyer med in 1360 CE.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

1)bsTon pa gshen rab, mDo 'dus, p-7, 2)Dar rgyas gsal sgron, p-93 ff

[2]:

Kun mkhyen nyi ma bstan 'zin, bStan rtsis nor 'phreng, p-72

[3]:

Namkhai Norbu, Drung Deu and Bon, p-158

[4]:

"sPyi'i mdzad chen bcu gnyis dang, sgos su mdzd pa drug cu, bye brag tu mdzad pa brgya rtsa brgyad" 'Go pa bsTan 'zin 'brug grags, Theg chen sangs rgyas g.yung drung bon, p-46

[5]:

sTon pa gshen rab kyi mzad rnam skor, Bon sgo-I, P-39

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