7. The Myth of Cosmic Egg

The Bonpo sources, although they differ here and there, generally emphasize the origin and evolution not only of Tibetans and human beings but of gods and the universe as a whole. The subject is viewed and discussed more from the angle of origin of the universe through natural elements [Tib: 'byung ba], light and darkness [snang dang mun], light and the rays ['od dang zer], cosmic eggs [srid pa'i sgo nga] etc. The concept of natural elements coming together in the form of eggs, and rays of light and darkness hatching the eggs to gods, demons and humans with positive and negative dispositions is prevalent in these mythical theories. Some of the authoritative Bonpo texts on the subject are: mDo 'dus, gZer mig and gZi brjid, the three biographies of Tonpa Shenrab, and Srid pa'i mzod phug, rTsa rgyud nyi sdron, Srid rgyud, Drags pa ling sgrags, Leds bshad mzod etc. Srid pa'i mdzod phug, an ancient Bonpo text is said to be the word of Tonpa Shenrab and placed highly in Bonpo bKa' 'gyur. Professor Samten Karmay believes that from the scattered and diverse accounts, a general schema can be established through this ancient text on the Bon myth or theory on the origin of universe and human beings.

According to Srid pa'i mdzod phug text^[1], in the beginning when only great emptiness of space existed [without external and internal existence], Nam kha stong ldan phyod sum rje has the essence of five natural elements. Father Khri rgyal khugs pa gathered the essence of these elements: space, wind, fire, water and earth, on his body and uttered a "Ha" on them. From this action, air was generated which stirred as wind in circles and in time through its force generated heat and fire, which in turn led to form moisture and dew. Tiny matter and particles came thereafter. This matter, interacting with the wind, moisture and fire, produced hills, mountains and rivers. This was how the external formation [Tib: phyi snod] was created through the prayers and power of Father Khri rgyal khugs pa [Also known as mNgon rdzog rgyal ba].

Now for the internal contents (Tib: nang cud), the text says:

rGyu lnga'i bcud las sgon gnyis srid, dkar ni 'od dang zer las brdol, yod khams srid pa'i rgyal por gsal, nag ni mun dang 'thibs las brdol, med khams srid pa'i rgyal por gsal.^[2]

From the essence of five natural elements came two eggs, one white and one black. The white egg burst open by the light and the radiant rays; the king of existence emerged. The black egg opened through darkness and gloom; the king of non-existence emerged. The white luminous egg, with four sides and eight corners, was the size of a yak. The black egg of darkness, with three sides, was the size of a sleeping bull. When the white egg burst open, from the ascending rays came three hundred and sixty scattered deities [Tib: 'thor-gsas]. From the descending rays came [Tib: mda'-gsas] ten thousand men and hundred thousand horses. From the core nucleus of the egg, came the emanation of Khri rgyal khug pa, Srid pa sangs po 'bum khri, the king of light and positivity. From the black egg came the dark gloomy rays producing darkness, unclarity and chaos. From the core of the black egg came a black man with hair, Mun pa zer ldan, the king of darkness and negativity. This light [snang] and darkness [mun] were the parents of positive and negative deeds respectively^[3]. This was how the positive and negative existence of gods, demons and humans initially came from the cosmic eggs, as explained in the text.

Now, let us see how the living beings evolved. The dews and rains gradually turned into the sea, from which a big bubble was formed and a blue egg came out. From the egg emerged a blue woman, Father Sangs po 'bum khri named her Chu lcags (lcam) rgyal mo. She was also known by Chab shang 'phrul mo, bZang sa ring btsun, Srid pa rgyal mo and Sa trig aer ti. From Sangs po 'bum khri and Chu lcag rgyal mo came the animals, wild beast and birds. They also produced nine brothers and nine sisters [Tib: Srid pa pho dgu mo dgu], who created their own partners and in this way the gods and humans came into existence. These nine brothers could be the "Srid pa'i lha gu" the nine gods of existence, which we find in many of the Bon and Buddhist texts on propitiating the deities. They are: Srid rje brang lkar, sKos rje drang lkar, Phya rje ring lkar, Lha rab gnyan rum rje, Thum thum rnal med rje, sKyin dang ngar gyi rje, Ye mkhyen 'phryul gyi rgyal, Sa lha 'gon 'bum rje and lJon phyug 'khor ba rje.

Mun pa zer ldan, the king of darkness, created his partner Mun nag thib kyi btsun mo from his shadow. She was also known by Grib za ngar ngar, sTong zhams nag mo and Mun thibs kyi btsun mo. They had eight sons and eight daughters [Tib: Lha srin or gNod sbyin ming sing bcu drug]. They are said to be the ancestors of the Bon sprits and the demons.

mDo dri med gzi brjid text^[4], the biography of Tonpa Shenrab notes that from the emanation of Ye smon 'phrul gyi rgyal po [also known as Sangs po 'bum khri or rdZu 'phrul mi mo] came Phyva, dMu and gTsug. sTag cha wal wol, the 7th lineage of Phyva, with 'Tsams za kyad khyud, was born the Phyva rabs ched bzhi, the four brothers of Phyva. They are Yab bla bdal drug, 'Od de gong rgyal, Khri de sum po and Phyva bla bram shing. From them came humans, Ge khod and gNyan beings. dMu rje btsun po of dMu and Lha mo kun thang emanated into nine Then brothers of dMud lineages [dMu rabs then dgu]. From the youngest of the nine Then brothers came the clans of kings, priest and general populace [Tib: 'Zam gling sog kha]. Tsug rje Aog sgo of gTsug with the daughters of Phyva and dMu produced the people of earth [Tib:'Zam gling sog mtso]. This was how the four continents and seven mountains and seas came up, and how beings of upper realms came. The text goes onto explain how the three lower realms evolved.

dBu nag mi'u 'dra chags is one of the ancient texts on Tibetan creation myth, which tells us about the origin of the external container [Tib: phyi-snod] and inner beings [Tib: nang bcud]. Samten Karmay has done a detail study of the manuscript and translated a part of the text as "The appearance of the little black-headed Man"^[5]. The text is said to be based on oral tradition preserved in a dialect from the Kham area of Tibet and composed around the thirteenth century CE^[6]. Hoffmann and R. A. Stein were among the pioneers who made this manuscript known to the western world. The text is actually a poem or a song on six subjects and dBu nag mi'u 'dra chags is one of them. The prologue of the song says if you know these six songs, then you are a learned scholar^[7]. The text tells us about how six tribes of Tibetans came into being, the six tribes being: ldong, dgra, 'dru, sga, dbal and lda, and they came from the six delegates of Phyva, dMu, gTsug, gNyan, Ye and Ngam. The myth is not only about the origin of Tibetans but also of China, Tagzig, Nepal, Hor etc.

The text says that in the primal emptiness, a little form of existence came. From it came a light and its rays. The light was father and the ray mother. Then came the darkness and colors. From it came a soft breeze, which created frost and dew. From the frost and dew came ocean. From the cream of ocean came an egg. From the egg came two eagles of white and black colors, sNang ba 'od lden and Mun pa zer ldan.

From them came three eggs, a white, a black and a coloured one. It was from the coloured egg that a being came, sMan mo mi lam lam lum lum. It has no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no hand, and no feet. He only possessed the power to think. He wished for all these organs and it all came. He named himself Srid pa sangs po 'bum khri, also known as Ye smon rgyal po.

Ye smon rgyal po, through his prayers and rituals, created lands, mountains and lakes and the Phyva, dMu and gTsug lineages. All dMu lineages were affiliated to Bon pantheon; the black headed men came from Phyva lineage; and from the Tsug lineage appeared the animals.

A son of dMu, 'Phrul bu dbang ldan and a daughter of gNyan, gNyan lcam dkar mo mated in the form of vultures and sTag gzig -the king of Bon; and India -the king of Dharma was born. In the form of tigers, they mated and Li [Uighur], Bal-po [Nepal], Khrom and Da-zi [King of wealth] were born. In the form of horse, yak and sheep, they produced others.

A son of Phyva, sPyi gtsug rgyal ba and Dung za rngu mo mated and sTag cha 'al 'ol was born. sTag cha 'al 'ol with 'Tsam za bya khyung ma gave birth to the four brothers of Phyva lineage. They were Phyva bla bram shing, 'Od de gung rgyal, Yab lha bdal drug and fourth is not mentioned. Phy bla bram shing's lineage broke down because he violated his pledge and from 'od de gung rgyal came all the gods and deities. Yab lha bdal drug, the lord of Phyva lived with Goddess Thang and nine sons of Thug dkar were born. With Srin mo, he had nine sons of Thug dmar, and with gNyan mo, he had gNyan tsa lhang lhang, and with dMu mo, he had twelve sons of dMu-tsa, in all he had thirty one sons^[8].

The youngest son, Srid pa sne phrom la khra, was sent to the earth to flourish human race. He descended from the thirteenth stages of heaven and met a woman^[9] who was weaving and from their union three sons were born: 'Thing po, 'Thing mig and 'Thing ge. The youngest married with three women: with Phyva lcam dkar mo, Bod 'zom la phrom was born; with dMu za khri ma, rGya khri la bzhes of China was born; with Khri mo, Hor Khri phrug of Hor was born; with dByid sna ma, 'Bo, 'jong and mi were born; with gNyen mo, sPrel, Ngang ba, Grum pa and Dred mo were born. The text goes on to narrate how these three brothers of Tibet, China and Hor fought with each others over the dead body of their father, and later how Tibet tricked China and how the Tibetan population flourished.

'dZom la phrom of Tibet had a son Khri tho Chen po, who had three wives: gNyen lcam dkarmo, dMu za and Srin mo go zu can. With dKarmo of gNyen, he had three sons, lDong, dBra and 'Gru; with dMu za of dMu, he had sGa; and with Srin mo go zu can, he had two sons, dBal and lDa. This was the so called Tibet's six sons of three mothers, with father A-nye khri tho chen po^[10]. The land was divided among the four elder brothers; two younger dBal and lDa did not get any, so they left for the far border areas.

This was how the external universe [Tib: phyi srid or snod] and internal beings [Tib: nang bcud and kham] orgininated according to the text. External existences were due to Phyva, mdu, gtsug, sgo, ye and ngam^[11]. The inner six brothers and an uncle of Tibet are: four elders: dBra, 'gru, ldong and sga, two younger ones: dbal and lha, and uncle sGo lha sde dkar po, making it seven in total^[12].

The text has:

"Bod ma gsum la bu drud bya ba yin,
pha rgan A-mnye khri tho chen po yin"^[13]

This is Tibet of three mothers and six sons,
Father is A-mye khri tho chen po

The text also reveals how ransom ritual [Tib: glud] originated when the Phyva woman gave the effigy of a monkey to a demon to hide Srid pa sne khrom and the origin of four mythical animals on prayer flags came up when gNyan compensated the grandsons of Thing ge of Tibet.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

1) Srid pa'i mdzod phugs, p-22, 2) Srid pa'i mdzod phug dang mdzod sgra 'grel, p-133, and 3) Samten Karmey, The Arrow and the Spindle, p-126

[2]:

Nyam med shes rab rgyal mtsan, Srid pa'i mdzod phugs kyi gzhung dang 'grel ba, Bon Dialectic School, Dolanji, 2004

[3]:

Srid pa'i mdzod phugs, p-135, "sNang mun de gnyis ni dge-sdig gi pha-ma zhes kyang bya"

[4]:

mDo dri med gzi brjid (Book 7), Sras sprul gyi mdo, p-111 (31st Chapter)

[5]:

Samten Karmay, The Arrow and the Spindle, p-245

[6]:

Samten Karmay, The Arrow and the Spindle, p-260, p-418

[7]:

"glu de drug shod dang mkhas pa yin" bKra bhas, p-330

[8]:

Samten Karmay has 31 sons in the edited text, p-100, the original [p-129(15a)] is not very clear, it looks like 35. But SK writes 37 in The Arrow & the Spindle, p-266.

[9]:

The text says "bud med mdong dang ldan pa": mdong means dress or robes, so it could mean properly dressed. mDongs ldan refers to peacock, meaning beautiful also.

[10]:

1) Samten Karmay & Yasuhiko Nagano, Khu byud sngon mo'i gsung snyan, p-103, 2) bKra-bhas, p-343 ff

[11]:

"Da phyi'i srid pa skos drug de, phyva dmu gtsug gsum sgo dang bzhi, srid pa ye ngam gnyis dang drug", nKra bhas, p-347

[12]:

"Nang kham bod bu spun bdun ni, dbra 'gru ldong gsum sga dang bzhi, nu bo dbal lda gnyis dang mi tsho drug, zhang pos go lha ste dkar po dang bdun", 1) Samten Karmay & Yasuhiko Nagano, p-106, 2) bKra bas, p-347

[13]:

Samten Karmay & Yasuhiko Nagano, Khu byud sngon mo'i gsung snyan, p-103