Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche

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Tönpa Shenrab or gShen-rab mi-bo (also known as Buddha Shenrab, Guru Shenrab, Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche, Lord Shenrab Miwo and many other titles) is the founder of the Bön religious tradition of Tibet.

"gShenrab mi-bo is the founder of the Bön religion. He occupies a position very similar to that of Śākyamuni in Buddhism, but in contrast to the Lord Buddha, we have no available sources with which to establish his historicity, his dates, his racial origin, his activities, and the authenticity of the enormous number of books either attributed directly to him or believed to be his word. The latter, the Bonpo say, were written down after his death in much the same way as the Buddhist scriptures were assembled. It is only from later sources in which fact and legend are woven together that we can get any idea of his life. No pre-10th century materials are so far available that might throw light on activities such as his visit to Tibet...." [1]

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[edit] Shenrab's life according to Bon traditions

According to Bön tradition, Tönpa Shenrab predates Padmasambhava and the Buddha Shakyamuni. It is held that Tönpa Shenrab first studied the Bön doctrine in Tagzig Olmo Lung Ring (which for economy may be equated with space, heaven and the aetherial realm), at the end of which he pledged to Shenla Okar, the god of compassion, to guide the peoples of this world to realisation.

Like the Buddha Shakyamuni, Tönpa Shenrab was of royal birth. Tönpa Shenrab rescinded his royal inheritance at the age of 31, to follow the path of enlightenment. Tönpa Shenrab embraced the life of a renunciate and commenced austerities, spreading the dharma; wherein he arrived in the land of Zhangzhung near what is widely held to be Mount Kailash.

Accounts of Tönpa Shenrab's life are to be found in three principal sources; mDo-'dus, gZer-migand and gZi-brjid. The first two are held to be terma realised by Bön tertön in the tenth or eleventh century. The third text is of 'whispered' lineage (sNyan-brgyud), transmitted via disciplic succession.

[edit] The Four Portals and One Treasury

The doctrines taught by Tonpa Shenrab are generally classified into two types, first, The Four Portals and One Treasury (sGo-bzhi mDzod-lizga) the:

  • White Water (Chabdkar) relates esoteric matters;
  • Black Water (Chab-nag) concerns narratives, magic, funeral rites and ransom rituals;
  • Land of Phan ('Phanyul) codifies monastic rules and philosophical expositions;
  • Divine Guide (dPon-gasa) enshrines the Dzogchen teachings; and finally
  • Treasury (mTho-thog) which serves as an anthology of the salient items of the Four Portals.

[edit] The Nine Ways of Bön

The second classification, the Nine Ways of Bön (Bön theg-pa rim-dgu) is as follows, the:

  • Way of Prediction (Phyva-gshen Theg-pa) codifies ritual, prognostication, sortilege and astrology;
  • Way of the Visual World (sNang-shen theg-pa) details the psychophysical Universe;
  • Way of Illusion ('Phrul-gshen theg-pa) explains the rites for the dispersal of adverse thoughtforms, entities and energies;
  • Way of Existence (Srid-gshen theg-pa) details funeral and death rituals;
  • Way of a Lay Follower (dGe-bsnyen theg-pa) contains the ten principles for wholesome activity;
  • Way of a Monk, (Drnag-srnng theg-pa) codifies monastic rules and regulations;
  • Way of Primordial Sound (Adkar theg-pa) charts the integration of an exalted practitioner into the mandala of highest enlightenment;
  • Way of Primordial Shen, (Ye-gshen theg-pa) renders the guidelines for seeking a true tantric master and the samaya that binds a disciple to his tantric master; and in summation
  • Way of Supreme Natural Condition or The Way of Dzogchen (Bla-med theg-pa) enshrines Dzogchen.

The nine ways are further codified into three, the:

  • Causal Ways (rGyui-theg-pa) comprises the first four,
  • Resultant Ways ('Brns-bu'i-theg-pa) covers the second suite of four; and in closure;
  • Unsurpassable Way or the Way of Dzogchen (Khyad-par chen-po'i-theg-pa or rDzogs-chen) is the ninth.

[edit] The Bon Canon

These are contained in the Bön canon comprising more than two hundred volumes classified under four sections: the Sutras (mDa), the Perfection of Wisdom Teachings ('Bum), the Tantras (rGyud) and Knowledge (mDzod). Besides these, the Bon canon includess disciplines such as rituals, arts and crafts, logic, medicine, poetry and narrative. It is interesting to note that the Knowledge (mDzod) section concerning cosmogony and cosmology though unique to Bon shares a more than passing correlation with some Nyingma doctrines.

[edit] Aspects of Shenrab Miwoche

Shenrab Miwoche is said to have three aspects or forms--a nirmanakaya (Shenrab Miwoche), a sambhogakaya (Shenla Odker), and a dharmakaya form (Kuntuzangpo).

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Karmey, Samten G. (1975). A General Introduction to the History and Doctrines of Bon, pp. 175-176. Memoirs of the Research Department of the Toyo Bunko, No. 33. Tokyo.

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