Regarding Bon, a relatively secretive religion in Tibetan areas, this chapter will popularize knowledge in this area. Interested readers can take a look. If they are not interested, the chapter on Bon can be skipped without affecting the plot.
Bon Religion is also called Bon Religion and Bo Religion. Because believers wear black scarves on their heads, it is also commonly known as Black Religion. Before Buddhism was introduced to Tibet, Bon Religion was a shamanic religion popular in Tibet. The objects of worship included the heaven, earth, sun, moon, thunder, lightning, and hail.
, various natural objects such as mountains, rocks, grass and animals, as well as gods and ghosts in nature. Benzene
The teaching is the teaching taught by the Tathagata Xingrao Miwo, also known as the ancient Shangzhong Buddhism. Its history dates back about 18,000 years. In history, there are great achievers who have achieved rainbow incarnations without interruption due to their practice of Bon religion.
There are twenty-four of them, and there are even more countless other siddhas with discontinuous rainbow incarnations.
In ancient Tibetan records, "Ben" means "chanting" and "chanting", which is an extremely important part in various rituals of primitive beliefs. Various rituals with chanting various mantras as the main ritual
This primitive belief is called the "original Bon Religion"; there is also the "Yongzhong Bon Religion" founded by Xinraomiwo Buddha.
This religion not only involves religion, but also covers folk customs, astronomy, calendar, Tibetan medicine, philosophy, logic, debate, art, dance, music and other aspects. It is an important spiritual spirit for people in Tibet and surrounding areas
faith, to
It still plays an indispensable role in the spiritual and cultural life of the Tibetan people. There are thousands of scriptures and documents of this religion, and the Tripitaka "Kangyur" alone has 178 volumes (including the "Latin").
》74 books, 70 books of Sutra, continued
"6 books, "Ku" 8 books. The content involves Buddhism, philosophy, logic, literature, art, astrology, medicine, science, engineering and other fields. It is an encyclopedia that summarizes the local cultural knowledge of the Tibetan people.) Tengyur has three hundred
More than ninety parts, this is Qinghai-Tibet
The summary of local religious documents and classics on the plateau is equivalent to the panoramic encyclopedia of Tibet during the ancient Zhangzhung period. It still has a profound impact on Tibetan people's life, cultural customs, psychological quality, way of thinking, behavioral norms and other aspects.
Due to various historical reasons, the Yongzhong Bon Religion seems to have become a forgotten corner, and even misunderstood. However, it is inextricably related to Tibetan Buddhism, especially the Bon Religion and the Nyingma Sect both have Dzogchen teachings.
and terma, they
The relationship is even more subtle. ("Dzogchen" is called "Lezao" in Zhangzhong language, and "Zoba Qinbo" in Tibetan language, which means the supreme yoga and is the basis of Yongzhongben's teachings.
core), and the customs and lifestyle of Tibetans today
Many of the styles were handed down from the Zhangzhung era. Tibetan people’s weddings, funerals, and Tibetan medicine still follow the traditions of Tibetan religion to some extent. Tibetans also have many unique ways of praying: such as turning to the sacred mountain, worshiping, etc.
Divine Lake, insert the flag of wind and horse, insert
Colorful prayer flags, engraved stone sutras, placing Mani piles (the tradition of this religion is stone piles engraved with the eight-character mantra of light: "Omma Soya Sared"), doing divination, offering torma plates, butter flowers and even using prayer wheels.
The tubes are all the traditional customs of this religion.
Legend has it that the founder of Bon religion is Shenrab Mivo. The believers call him Dongba Shenrab (translated as Shenrab Master). He is believed to have been the prince of Xiangxiong (also said to be the prince of Daser, Daserpan).
Refers to the vast area of West Asia), he founded Yongzhong Bon Religion on the basis of reforming the original Bon Religion. Xinrao was born in Womolongren
(volmolungring). "Womo Longren" means the deep valley in the Volmo area. According to the explanation in the Buddhist classic "Semi" (gzermig): "Wo means there is no reincarnation; Mo means getting one's wish; Long means Xin Rao's prophecy; Ren.
It is eternal mercy. There are three theories about the geographical location of Womo Longren:
The first type: The Gangdise Mountains and Manasarovar Lake in China are considered to be the legendary Womo Longren;
The second type: Womolongren is the name of a place in Dase in West Asia.
The third type: Womo Longren is the legendary Shambhala land (also translated as Shangri-La).
There are different opinions on the birth date of Xin Rao Miwo: foreign academic circles and local religious classics believe that Xin Rao was born in 16017 BC, that is, more than 18,000 years ago; domestic academic scholars believe that Xin Rao was born in
About 4000 years ago.
The original Bon religion was a polytheistic faith with no clear leader; later it developed into the Yongzhong Bon religion period founded by Xinraomiwo, and the Bon religion became systematic and had a clear set of canons and theories:
The leader of the perfection religion is Samantabhadra Tathagata (Ben Gugendu Rongbu), the leader of the language teaching is Xinrao Miwo, and the leader of the meaning teaching is Zhenbananka, the eminent monk of the ancient Zhangxiong religion.
As for when the custom of building pagodas started in Tibet, it is difficult to verify, but it is certain that the custom of building pagodas existed before Buddhism was introduced to Tibet. This is mentioned in the ancient Yongzhong Benji classics.
There are clear records. The biography of Miwo Miwo, the founder of the sect, contains information about the type, structure, size and function of the pagoda.
Use a more systematic description. The origin of the sect of this religion also has a detailed description of the territorial pattern of the 18 large cities in Bafang centered on the Qionglong Silver City of ancient Zhangzhong before the 7th century AD, and 60 small cities on the periphery, as well as the surrounding 1008 pagodas.
.At the same time as Zhangzhong, there were also numerous earthen or stone pagodas in front and rear Tibetan areas, among which there were five major pagodas.
The most famous one, the designer and funder of each pagoda as well as the specific construction location are clearly recorded in the history books. As the object of the "mind" among the "three pillars of body, speech and mind", the pagoda has a structure and size.
Strict classical basis and profound theoretical support. Every part of the Buddhist pagoda has actual symbolic meaning. The world
It is a natural tower that is born with wishes. The base of the tower symbolizes the eternal nine centers of Yongzhong. The four-color steps on the base of the tower symbolize the four elements of the universe of wind, fire, water, and earth in turn, and the "four unprotectable" elements.
"Oath" (no choice, no self or others, immovable and natural, all pure), Mount Sumeru symbolizes the "five bodies", and the first layer symbolizes "
The second layer symbolizes the "Four Mindfulnesses", the third layer symbolizes the "Four Divine Feet", the fourth layer symbolizes the "Ten Wisdoms", the bottle symbolizes the "Eighty-two Meditations", and the Aquarius symbolizes the "Eighteen Great Empties"
", the white conch (the square treasure on the top of the bottle) symbolizes the "four natures of equality and persistence", and the canopy symbolizes the "four paths of hard work" (the white path without habits, lasting for a long time)
The path of peaceful abiding, the path of uprightness without reincarnation, the middle path has reached the highest path), and the middle pillar symbolizes the "eight paths of liberation" (liberation from the six paths and three evil realms, from suffering, from confusion, from habits, from the truth and distinction)
In the midst of attachment, free from the eight flawless moments, from ignorance, from hatred), the thirteen levels of Dharma. The wheel symbolizes the "Thirteen Great Fearless", and the rain eaves symbolize the "Four Great
"Sorrow" (continuous like water, endless like the foundation, universally balanced like the sun, boundless like the void) -, the streamers symbolize omniscient wisdom, the two roc horns on the top of the tower symbolize the dual destiny of sorrow and wisdom, and the spire symbolizes the great Dharmakaya.
Music, the sword symbolizes the supreme perfection. In addition, each part of the pagoda also symbolizes each part of the Buddha's body, just as the sutra
As mentioned in "The pagoda is the body, and the body is the pagoda." The Buddhist pagodas of this religion are basically the same as the pagodas taught by other sects of Tibetan Buddhism, except for the structure and function, but the symbolic meanings of the top of the pagoda and each part are very different.
, so it is difficult to determine whether the pagoda architecture was introduced to Tibet along with Indian Buddhism. This is worthy of further research and verification by colleagues in the academic community.
This religion can generally be divided into two types:
Original Bonism
Original Bonism
"Benjiao" did not arise at the same time as Xinrao Miwo's teachings. Probably in the Stone Age, before Xinrao was born, various primitive beliefs were already prevalent in Central Asia, which are collectively referred to as primitive Benjiao.
god worship, this period
It is called the "Duoben Period" or the "Duben Period" by Tibetan scholars. They include: "Longben", "Zanben", "Sacrificeben", "Divinationben", "LuckyBen", and "MagicBen"
, "Yuben" and more than 30 kinds of original Bon religion, primitive Bon religion shamans
The masters relieve disasters and eliminate diseases for the people, and have many believers. This proves that the term "Benjiao" has a very wide range of meanings, including the original Bonjiao and "Shamanism" spread in Central Asia, Northeast Asia, and American Indian tribes.
” and Yunnan
The "Dongba Religion" believed by the Naxi people in the region is inextricably linked.
The influence of the "Four Vehicles" teachings).
Yongzhong Benjiao
Yongzhong Benjiao Xinrao Miwo incorporated his own teachings on the basis of reforming the original Benjiao and created a new religion, which unified the religion. This new religion is called "Yongzhong Benjiao" and is different from the original Benjiao.
Generally speaking, Yongzhong Benjiao founded by Xin Raomiwo is also called Benjiao. The teaching methods of Yongzhong Benjiao are divided into two types:
Ancient version: Originated from the ancient inheritance of Xinrao Miwo, it strictly maintains the pure Yongzhong tradition and has its own unique Dzogchen inheritance system. Some scholars in Europe and the United States believe that the ancient version is a rarely known ancient Buddhism in Central Asia
form of existence. Of course, this statement is not recognized by some scholars with orthodox ideas in Tibet.
Xinben: It is a new tradition formed by the mutual influence and blending between the late Yongzhong Bonsect and Indian Buddhism (mainly with Nyingma Sect). The sculpture style and practice methods of Xinben incorporate some elements of Indian Buddhism.
Some Tibetan scholars call the new version the "white version" or "jue version" and the old version the "black version" or "cha version." In fact, this is a phenomenon formed in Tibet's special political and religious background.
A discriminatory name. The main existing family inheritance or temple of the sect
Lines of inheritance include: Xin, Zhu, Xu, Meiwu, Ba, Qiong, etc. Although some also incorporate some new teachings, they focus on inheriting the pure ancient teachings. Of course, there are also some temples of the original teachings
The new version and the ancient version are mixed together for practice.
The difference between Yongzhong Benjiao founded by Xinraomiwo and the original Benjiao is that when Xinraomiwo came to Tibet from Zhangzhong to preach, he already had a systematic theory and corresponding canons, while at this time the original Benjiao
It is not yet a mature religion. Xinrao Miwo did not directly abolish the primitive Bon Religion, but skillfully absorbed the primitive Bon Religion and made a lot of reforms to it. For example, the primitive Bon Religion included Tibetan medicine, astronomy, calendar,
Geography, divination, salvation, dreams, luck, fortune, stone inscriptions, carvings, bathing and other rituals are still used by some villagers in Tibet to prevent diseases from humans and animals, or to bring diseases in daily life.
Benefit. The above worldly laws are listed as the "Four Vehicles of Cause" (also known as Sparben) by Yongzhongben Sect. Xin Rao also incorporated the "Four Vehicles of Fruit" and "Supreme Vehicle" of his own teachings into the "Nine Vehicles".
In addition, the bad habits of killing animals and blood sacrifices in the primitive Bon religion were opposed by Xin Rao Miwo. He used tsampa and butter to knead various colorful flower plates to replace the primitive Bon religion that required killing animals.
Animals and achieved success: called "mdos" or "yas". The believers believe that this is the torma (gtorma) and the butter flower (buttersculptu)
re). Doma and butter flowers are widely used as offerings not only by Buddhists but also by Buddhists and have become a major feature of Tibetan Buddhism. Although the bad habit of killing animals for sacrifice still exists in Tibetan areas and its surrounding areas, this
It was not allowed by Xin Rao's teachings. Therefore, Xin Rao's reforms not only reduced the bad habit of killing a large number of animals for sacrifice in Tibet at that time, but also had a profound and beneficial impact on the later Tibetan culture.
The main existing family inheritances or temple inheritances of Bon Religion include: Xin, Zhu, Xu, Meiwu, Ba, Qiong, etc. Although some also incorporate some new Bon teachings, they focus on inheriting the pure ancient Bon teachings.
. Of course, there are also some Bonji temples that practice the new version and the ancient version together.
Yongzhong Bon Religion originated from the Shang Shung Civilization[]. Due to ancient Tibetan politics, history, religion and other reasons, many Tibetans do not know the Shang Shung Civilization. They believe that India has made a huge contribution to the formation of Tibetan culture, and believe that all people from India came from India
The culture of Tibet is of great value, but it is also believed that Tibetan native religion and things other than Indian civilization have little contribution and value to the formation of Tibetan culture. Even many
Tibetans also believe that before Buddhism was introduced to Tibet, Tibet did not have its own language and writing, and its culture was very ignorant and backward. This absurd statement has been promoted by some orthodox fanatics for centuries, and it is this long-term situation that
The continuation has led to the loss of Tibet's true history and local culture, and has also restricted scholars' interest in the study of Shihsiung civilization and Bon religion. This situation has only changed in recent years.
Tibetans are only familiar with Songtsen Gampo (617-650 AD) who introduced Buddhism as recorded in the official history of Tibet, but have almost no understanding of the history and civilization before the seventh century AD. According to the research of some foreign historians, before Songtsen
There were at least thirty Tibetan kings before Gampo, or thirty-two. According to historical records, the first Tibetan Zanpu Nietri Zanpu was certified and crowned by the Sangha of this religion. Even this
There are some differences on this point, but there is no doubt that Songtsen Gampo was not the first Tibetan king. Tibetan civilization was not formed under the rule of a monarch. The history of Tibet before the seventh century was not blank: in
In the Ali region, which has the highest altitude and the harshest climate in Tibet, people have discovered many traces of irrigation from thousands of years ago, including farmland, water canals, etc. Tibetans have made a living as nomads for generations, and various signs indicate that this area has long existed
There was a farming civilization in the ancient times, and ancestors once lived here and lived a farming life. However, later, due to the harsh climate, the farming method disappeared, and the nomadic production method took over. In Ali's "Qionglong Silver City" Castle
At the site, archaeologists have discovered more than 10 groups of ancient architectural remains, and a large number of pottery, stone tools, iron tools, and bone carvings unearthed, indicating that this was once a prosperous and developed settlement.
A large group of ancient burial tombs were also discovered here, which is completely different from Tibet's funeral customs that advocate sky burial. The style of the double-sided bronze statue of the deity unearthed here is also completely different from the modern Tibetan Buddhist statues... all of this
All show that before the introduction of Buddhism and before the so-called official history of Tibet, a glorious civilization had long existed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This civilization was the Zhangzhung civilization, and Zhangzhung belonged to a branch of the ancient Qiang.
In ancient Chinese history, Xiangxiong was called Yangtong and Yangtong. The "xiang" in the word "Xiangxiong" is called "jia" in Tibetan and "bird" in Chinese; "xiong" in Tibetan
It is called "Qiong", in Chinese it is called "Peng", and "Xiangxiong" is
It is the place where the Dapeng bird lives. According to the fact that the ancient Xiangxiong people used the Dapeng bird as their totem, the above explanation is reasonable. The Zhangxiong Kingdom produced a very advanced ancient civilization before the fifth century BC.
And created the Xiangxiong essay (Xiangxiong
The text is still used by some ancient peoples in some tribes in countries such as India and Nepal.) The red roc Garuda is the angry manifestation of Riba (Mingjue) and the unique deity of this religion. The red bird is
The Garuda represents the energy of fire, protecting and removing external, internal and secret obstacles, transforming the five poisons, and liberating all living beings from pain. It is said that practicing the red Garuda is helpful in healing people's physical and mental problems.
Disease is very effective.
Nowadays, some Tibetologists at home and abroad are trying their best to study the history of Zhang Zhung, and have published some articles specifically to study Zhang Zhung’s civilization, such as Zhang Zhung’s language and characters: only in terms of Zhang Zhung’s personal and place names, the names of many kings and ministers before the tenth century.
, within the territory of Zhangzhong
The sixty place names are all in Zhangzhung language. The Ngari area still uses the place names from the ancient Zhangzhung era. These Zhangzhung words are difficult for people with advanced Tibetan skills to study and understand. According to the historical records of this religion, the ancient Zhangzhung vocabulary is difficult to understand.
Qiang people based on Daservin
The Zhangzhong script was created. The Zhangzhong script is also called "Ma'erwen", which is similar to the oracle bone inscriptions of the Han people. At that time, "Ma'erwen" was mainly used for writing Buddhist scriptures, and the use of Zhangzhong script continued at least as above.
Millennium. It is worth mentioning that:
With the help of many parties, some Bon monasteries in India and Nepal have been able to translate Shang Shung script into English and Tibetan and publish corresponding comparative versions. However, in general, people’s understanding of Shang Shung civilization is still very limited. (Unfinished)