Nine Ways of Bön

Description

To practicing bonpos, Bön means the true religion of Tibet. At the same time, to Tibetan Buddhists, Bön refers to the prevalent false teachings and practices before Buddhism finally succeeded in gaining a firm hold on the country. The present study resulted from a period during which the author, a renowned scholar of Asian languages and cultures, was engaged in intense contact with practicing bonpos. It consists of the translation of fundamental texts of Bön, based on a manuscript of over 500 years of age, in which all of Bön’s tantric teachings and rituals are summarized. In many ways remarkably parallel to the early Buddhist teachings, much of the Bön tradition was subsequently incorporated back into Buddhism when that religion was formally adopted into Tibetan culture. With a new foreword by Samten G. Karmay, this critical study, first published in the 1960s and long out of print, will be welcomed by all with interest in the religions of the Himalayas.