3. Bon Teachings and the Texts

Tonpa Shenrab was said to have taught the beings in conformity with the intellectual capacity of his disciples and the followers at different points of time. Bon texts generally note that as a remedy or antidote to the eight thousand four hundred Nyon mong [Klesha, negative emotions], the teacher taught eight thousand four hundred Doors of Bon [Bon sgo]. For the nine different intellects of the followers, he taught the Nine ways of Bon [Theg pa rim dgu]. As an antidote to five mental delusions, he taught Bon of Four Doors and the Fifth Treasury [Bon sgo zhi mzod lnga].

For three poisons, he taught Bon of Inner, Outer and Secret teachings [phyi nang gsang sum].

sPang bya nyon mongs brgyad khri bzhi stong la bltos te de'i gnyen po bon sgo brgyad khri bzhi stong dang, sems can blo rig mi 'dra ba dgu la bltos te bon theg pa rim dgu, dug lnga la bltos te bon sgo bzhi mdzod lnga, dug gsum la bltos te bon phyi nang sangs gsum, rtsa ba ma rig pa la bltos te rig pa ye shes…^[1]

This was how the teachings of Tonpa Shenrab was introduced broadly from early time. Let us further see how Bon teachings are classified and what are the major scriptures or texts studied by the followers of Bon teachings. Generally, doctrine and philosophical teachings of Bon is classified into two, they are as: 1) sGo gzhi mdzod nga -The Four Doors and the fifth Treasury, and 2) Theg pa rim pa dgu -the Nine stages of vehicle^[2].

Contents and practice of the sGo gzhi mdzod nga^[3] are:

1. Chab dkar -White water: Teachings on higher Tantra and esoteric practices are discussed here. It corresponds to Buddhist tantra teachings. It has the rites and rituals to eliminate nine demons ['Dre] and ten harmful spirits [Sri].

2. Chab nag -Black water: Here rituals and recitation to drive away evil spirits, misfortune and illness, and funeral rites are discussed. It has the rite of propitiating the deities like sGra bla and Wer ma. [Many misinterpret this as black bon or Bon nag]

3. 'Phan yul -The land of Phan: Describes monastic rules and discipline, and teaching on perfection of wisdom. It corresponds to Buddhist sutra teachings.

4. dPon gsas -The master guide: The highest teachings of dZog pa chen po practice is discussed here.

5. Tho thog -The summit: The treasury describes and explains the essential teachings of the above four doors. It purifies the stream of knowledge in all the four doors of Bon.

Now, the nine stages of vehicle, popularly known as "the Nine ways of Bon", are further classified as rGyu bon bzhi [Four bon of causes], 'Bras bon bzhi [Four bon of result], and dZogs pa chen po, the Great perfection. They are as follows^[4] :

1. Phyva gshen theg pa -The way of the Shen of prediction: Here the four methods of understanding the causes of any phenomena, happening or illness are discussed. These four ways are: Mo, rTis, gTo and dPyad, i.e. divination, astrology, ritual and medical diagnosis.

2. sNang gshen theg pa-The way of the Shen of visual world: Here the world of demons, spirit, vampires etc.[Tib: 'dre, sri, gnyan, sa bdag etc] their origin, nature and pacification are dealt with.

3. 'Phrul gshen theg pa -The way of the Shen of illusion: It deals with rites and rituals to control and destroy harmful beings and enemies of all kinds.

4. Srid gshen theg pa -The way of the Shen of existence: Bar do, the intermediate state in between death and rebirth is discussed, and guide to achieve higher state of rebirth or attaining liberation are dealt with.

5. dGe bsnyen theg pa -The way of the virtuous followers: The rules and conduct of lay followers, the practice of ten virtuous conduct are discussed.

6. Drang srong theg pa -The way of the great ascetics: Vinaya, the moral rules, principles and discipline for the monks are described in the text.

7. A dkar theg pa -The way of the pure sound: It is higher teachings on Tantra involving construction of Mandala, and the practice of union of method and wisdom.

8. Ye gshen theg pa -The way of the primeval Shen: It is about higher tantra teaching, importance and need for seeking suitable teacher, place and occasion are discussed.

9. Yang rtse bla med theg pa -The supreme way: It is the highest teaching to realize the ultimate nature of mind, also known as rZdogchen.

The first four are the Bon of cause, the next four are the Bon of result, and the ninth as the ultimate highest teaching of dZogchen meditation. Samten Karmay's article in "The Arrow and the Spindle" and David Snellgrove's work "The Nine Ways of Bon" may be among the earliest scholarly studies in western language on the sGo gzhi mdzod nga and Theg pa rim dgu. Although they are classified as such, the contents are said to be same. Prof Snellgrove says the first, second and fourth ways of Bon represents Chab nag, the Black water; the third, seventh and eight are in Chab dkar, the White water; the fifth and sixth represents 'Phan yul; and the ninth way corresponds to dPon sras, the Master guide.

The teachings are also categorized as the three: Outer, Inner, and the Secret teachings of Bon [Tib:Bon phyi nang gsang gsum]. They are: mDo, the Sutra; sNgags, the Tantra; and Sems, the Mind. dGe bshes bsTan 'zin 'brug grags classify these as follows^[5] : Outer Sutra has five sections: 'Bum sde, exhibiting the profundity of the teachings; 'Dul ba'i sde on moral and discipline; mDo sde on cause and effect teachings; mZod sde on creation and existence; and Rig sde on Madhyamika and Pramana [Tib:gZhal bya dbu tsad rig pa'i sde]. Inner Tantra was about bsGrags pa skor gsum^[6], the three cycles of Sher phyin, sPyi spungs and rdZogs chen. The Secret was about Zhangzhung snyan brgyud bka' rgyud of four practices: Phyi lta ba spyi gcod; Nang man ngag dmar khrid; gSang ba rig pa gcer mthong; and Yang gsang gnas lugs phugs chod. According to mDo 'dus, Tonpa Shenrab, before passing into Parinivana state, has asked his disciples to categorize his teachings into four sections as: mDo, 'Bum, rGyud and mZod^[7].

Nyima bstan 'zin's catalog has summarized the teachings as follows^[8] :

1. mDo: Vols 1 to 46 consisting the texts dealing with monastic discipline, cosmology, hagiographical literatures and prayers.

2. 'Bum: Vols 47 to 66 consists mainly of the Khams chen literature.

3. rGyud: Vols 67 to 107 contains mainly esoterical teachings

4. mdZod: Vols 108 to 113 contain teachings on rdZogchen philosophy and meditational teachings

The above is how the 113 Vol. of Bonpo bKa' 'gyur are classified generally. They are all believed to be based on the words and direct teachings of Tonpa Shenrab. There are 293 Vol. of Bonpo bTan 'gyur, known by bKa' rten, these are the treatises and commentaries by learned scholars and masters based on the words and teachings of Tonpa Shenrab.

Whatever the volumes of text and however profound the teachings, in a nutshell Tonpa Shenrab has said, "You should conquer your own mind, and let not your mind pursue the negative emotions."^[9] So, taming and cultivating one's own mind, just as it is in Buddhism, it is also an essential crux of Bon teachings. After the demise of Tonpa Shenrab at the age of eighty two, Mu cho ldem drug, the eighth son of Tonpa Shenrab taught Bon to 21 lineage holders [Tib:Rig 'zin] at dKar nag dkra bsal. Among them were the six great scholars of the world [Tib:'Zam ling mkhas pa'i rgyan drug]: dMu tsha tra he of sTag gzig, Khri thog spa tsha of Zhangzhung, Hu lu spa legs of Sum pa, lHa bdag sngags dro of India, Legs tang rmang po of China, and gSer thog lce 'byams of Phrom, they translated the teachings into their respective languages and diffused the doctrine widely.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

'Go ba bstan 'zin 'brug drags, Theg chen sangs rgyas g.yung drung bon, p-5

[2]:

TG Arya, Yungdrung Bon, Tibet Journal, p-63, LTWA p-66

[3]:

Title translations and explanations are based on: 1) Triten Norbutse booklet, p-13; 2) Samten Karmay, The Arrow and the Spindle, p-111. Namkhai Norbu, Drung Deu and Bon, p-46 ff and David Snellgrove's The Nine Ways of Bon, p-16 ff have good information on Bon sgo gzhi mdzod nga

[4]:

Translation of the titles are based on the Triten Norbutse's booklet, which seems to be based on David Snellgrove's "The Nine Ways of Bon". Brief explanation on the Nine ways of Bon could be found in mDo 'dus, p52-53

[5]:

'Go pa sTan 'zin 'brug grags, Theg chen sangs rgyas g.yung drung Bon gyi ngo sprod, p-7

[6]:

Samten Karmay, Treasury of Good Sayings, p-15, Shar dza p-150, "The three cycles of the propagation of Sher phyin (sher phin bsgrags pa skor gsum); spyi spungs bsgrags pa skor gsum; and rdZogs chen gsgrags pa skor gsum. The three cycles of propagation of sPyi spungs with which we are concerned are said to have been propagated in the land of Gods, of Serpents, and of Man by lHa'i gshen po yongs su dag pa, Klu'i gshen po ye shes snying po, and rGyal rigs kyi gshen po Mi lus bsam legs."

[7]:

g.Yung drung bon gyi bka' 'gyur, Bon sgo-I, p-24

[8]:

Samten Karmay, The Arrow and the Spindle, p-126

[9]:

'Go pa sTan 'zin 'brug drags, Theg chen sangs rgyas g.yung drung bon gyi ngo sprod, p-5 "Rang gi sems ni rang gi btul, nyon mong rjes su sems ma gtong"