Bon Religion of Nepal: History, Beliefs, Practices and Where to See It

• Founder (by tradition)Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche
• Followers in Nepal67,223, or 0.23% (census 2021)
• SymbolThe left-turning yungdrung (swastika)
• Walking directionAnticlockwise, shrine on your left
• Where to see itDolpo, Lubra in Mustang, Triten Norbutse in Kathmandu
• Swotah tripLower Dolpo Trek, 19 days, from USD 3,895 (group departure)

The Bon religion is an ancient religion of Tibet and Nepal that has been practiced for more than a thousand years. Scholars still argue over how much Bon and Tibetan Buddhism borrowed from each other, and today the two look alike in many ways. However, the Bon religion has its own distinct set of beliefs and practices.

 

This blog post will discuss the history of the Bon religion, its core beliefs, and some of its traditional practices and rituals, along with the major deities. Moreover, we will look into the differences between Buddhism and the Bon religion in summary. By exploring the Bon religion, we can gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and spiritual practices of Nepal.

 

History of Bon

The Bon religion, aka Yungdrung Bon, is one of the oldest religions in the country, with its origin believed to date back to the pre-Buddhist period. Scholars date Bon as an organised religion, with monasteries and a written canon, to the tenth and eleventh centuries, but its roots are much older and their true origin is unknown. Its oldest layer is animistic and centred on nature spirits, and it also carries elements of Buddhism and shamanism. The practitioners of the Bon religion believe that its origin is in Zhang Zhung, which is located in the Himalayas near Mount Kailash. For centuries some Buddhist writers painted Bon as a dark or harmful religion, a view most modern scholars reject.

 

One Bon creation story, told in its ancient texts, begins with two forces, black and white. These opposing forces of light and darkness gave birth to two persons initially. On the one hand, the black man often referred to as Nyelwa Nakpo ("Black Suffering"), is said to have created all the stars and demons and to be the cause of evil occurrences like droughts. On the other hand, the white man Serden (also known as "Radiant One") is a kind and honest individual. He created the sun and moon and introduced religion to humankind. These two opposing forces are still engaged in a war within each person's heart as well as in the sphere of good vs. evil. Older accounts also divide early Bon into two sides. The white side, which was primarily centered on nature worship, included a variety of rites and offerings made to spirits and deities thought to live in nature.  The black side was more focused on shamanism and was used to communicate with the dead, ask for guidance and protect against evil spirits.

 

Buddhism was already flourishing in the Kathmandu Valley under the Licchavi kings (about 400 to 750 CE), and it reached Tibet in the 7th and 8th centuries. In the 8th century King Trisong Detsen made Buddhism the religion of the Tibetan court, and Bon priests lost their place there. As a result, Bon became lesser known but it was still performed in remote regions of the Himalayas like Dolpo.

 

Bon regrouped as a distinct religion in the 11th century. In 1017 Shenchen Luga recovered a cache of hidden texts, and in 1405 Nyamme Sherab Gyaltsen founded Menri Monastery in Tibet, which became the main seat of Bon. In the early 18th century, teachers of the “New Bon” movement such as Kundrol Drakpa and Sangye Lingpa revived it again. Since then, it has kept its followers mainly in high Himalayan valleys such as Dolpo and parts of Mustang, and, after 1959, in exile communities in India and Nepal.

 

Although Buddhism and Bon are separate religions, many of their practices and beliefs are similar. This has made it possible for the two religions to coexist peacefully and has also aided in the survival of some unique features of Bon culture.

 

Photo: Triten Norbutse Monastery Nepal

 

You do not have to trek to Dolpo to encounter living Bon. Triten Norbutse Monastery, founded in 1987 by Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak at Ichangu Narayan, in the hills west of Swayambhunath in Kathmandu, is one of the most important Bon monastic centres outside Tibet, where over a hundred monks study dialectics, tantra, and the Dzogchen teachings. Visitors are welcome, and the monastery’s annual festivals are among the best places to watch Bon ritual dance.

Bon in Nepal in Numbers

Nepal’s census asks every household its religion. In 2011, 13,006 people answered Bon. By 2021 the figure was 67,223. The census reports give the totals but do not say why the number grew so fast, so treat it as a rough guide to a small community that lives mostly in Dolpo, Mustang and Kathmandu.

Nepal’s Smaller Religions, 2021 Census

Hindus are 81.19% of Nepal and sit off this chart. The bars show the next six religions, with Buddhism, the largest of them, as the full bar.

Source: National Population and Housing Census 2021, National Statistics Office, Nepal.

Core Beliefs of Bon

The Bon religion is an ancient religion that has been practiced in Tibet and Nepal for centuries. Like Buddhists, Bonpos take refuge in three jewels: the Buddha, the Bon teachings and the community of practitioners. Practice works through the “three doors” of body, speech and mind. It also believes that individuals are composed of five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and space. These five elements interact with each other to bring about positive transformation. The cosmic egg that formed the entire universe is said to have formed from these elements in the Bon religion.

 

In accordance with the Bon religion, Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche is the sole source of knowledge and wisdom for humanity. Truth and justice come from him, and he is the one to seek if one wishes true freedom. Knowledge, understanding, compassion, and wisdom are considered to be the four pillars of the spiritual journey.

 

Bon arranges its teachings in the Nine Ways. The lower ways cover healing, divination and rites for local gods. The highest is Dzogchen, the “Great Perfection”, a meditation on the true nature of the mind that Bon shares with the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.

 

Bon philosophy places an emphasis on spiritual salvation and sees the earth as a place of suffering, much like Buddhism does.  Along with the six planes of existence found in Buddhism, they also teach karma and reincarnation.

 

Numerous ceremonies and issues that are uncommon in Tibetan Buddhism are also present in Bon. Many of these are practical and worldly, such as ransom rites to appease local deities and rites that guide the consciousness of the dead through the bardo, the state between death and rebirth.

 

All life is considered to be holy and intertwined in the Bon religion. People must try to maintain the environment and the community in harmony. Moreover, the dead and their ancestors are held in high regard. Every day, practitioners pray, chant mantras, and make offerings to the gods and spirits.

 

Afterlife and karma are important concepts in the Bon religion. Individuals will experience many life cycles before attaining enlightenment. Practitioners use ceremonies, meditations, and pilgrimages to enhance their spiritual power.

 

The ultimate goal of the spiritual path is to gain liberation from the world, known as samsara (the cycle of death and rebirth), as in Buddhism. The Bon religion also teaches non-violence and tolerance for all living creatures. Respect for nature is seen as an important part of maintaining balance in the universe. In Dolpo, Bonpo and Buddhist families have lived side by side for centuries, often in the same valley.

 

Bon Practices and Rituals

Depending on the region and tradition, the Bon religion is associated with various practices. Offering sacrifices and incantations to gods and spirits are common Bon rituals, as are meditative practices such as visualizing divine beings and communing with them. Weddings, funerals, and divination may require the services of Bonpo priests.

 

In some areas, Bonpo priests also work as healers or shamans, diagnosing and treating illnesses with methods such as divination, herbs, and mantra recitation. Shamans can provide spiritual advice and healing in addition to physical ailments. Tantric rituals involve drawing mandalas and chanting mantras, and Bonpo priests may practice other activities designed to invoke the gods in some parts of Tibet.

 

Although the rites of the Bon religion differ greatly from one place to another, all Bonpo followers aim to achieve spiritual enlightenment and awareness via their rituals. Aiming to learn more about themselves and the world around them, Bon practitioners achieve it through tantrism, prayer, or meditation.

 

Bon vs. Buddhism: 8 Differences

 

1. Some Bonpo rules are stricter than Buddhist ones. For instance, Buddhists do not necessarily need to vow to be vegetarian. Bonpo monks, by contrast, traditionally take stricter monastic vows, and many vow vegetarianism.

2. Bon and Buddhism share many similarities, such as a belief in reincarnation and the existence of various deities. However, they also have some major differences. Bon beliefs are more animistic, focusing on ancestor worship and appeasing spirits, while Buddhism focuses on enlightenment through meditation and ethical living.

3. Bon also has a more shamanistic approach to spiritual practice, whereas Buddhism focuses more on the philosophical and spiritual study. Bon practitioners often practice divination and healing rituals and use visualizations and mantras for spiritual enlightenment.

4. Both religions agree on the afterlife more than they differ. Each teaches rebirth into the six realms according to one’s karma, and each aims at freedom from that cycle, which Buddhists call Nirvana. Bon calls the goal Buddhahood too, and its funeral and bardo rites for guiding the dead are its own.

5. Circumambulation in the Bon religion is anticlockwise. Bonpos walk around stupas and sacred sites keeping them to their left, and spin prayer wheels the same way, while Buddhists circumambulate clockwise. The Bon swastika, the yungdrung, also turns to the left, and the main Bon mantra is Om Matri Muye Sale Du, where Buddhists chant Om Mani Padme Hum.

6. Bon gives a big place to medicine, astrology and tantric ritual. Tibetan Buddhism shares much of this, but Bon keeps more of the older rites for local gods and spirits.

7. Bon has its own canon, the Bon Kangyur and Katen. Three of its best-known works, the mdo 'dus, gzer mig and gzi brjid, tell the life of Tonpa Shenrab in short, middle and long versions. Tibetan Buddhists use their own Kangyur and Tengyur, and the Tripitaka, or three baskets, is the canon of Theravada Buddhism.

8. Finally, Bon keeps its own holy days and festivals within the Tibetan lunar calendar, such as the days that mark Tonpa Shenrab’s life. Bon ceremonies typically involve elaborate offerings and rituals to appease gods or spirits and gain spiritual protection.

 

Bon and Tibetan Buddhism at a Glance

 

Gods and Spirits of Bon: The Four Transcendent Lords

One of the key aspects of Bon is its belief in multiple gods and spirits. There are hundreds of gods, goddesses, and spirits in the Bon religion. However, four major enlightened beings, the Four Transcendent Lords, are worshiped by Bonpos. Some of the most important gods and spirits in Bon include Satrig Ersang, Shenlha Okar, Sangpo Bumtri, and  Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche.

 

Satrig Ersang is also known as the mother and means wisdom. One of her incarnations is called Sherab chamma (the loving lady of wisdom). The chants related to Satrig Ersang are SRUM, GAM, RAM, YAM, OM, and her color is yellow.

 

Shenlha Okar is also known as the wisdom priest of white light. He is the god of compassion and is seen as a source of knowledge and spiritual power. In Bon cosmology, Shenlha Okar is associated with boundless compassion and pure white light.

 

Sangpo Bumtri is also known as the procreator with no hands, ears, eyes, or nose because he only has a spirit. He is said to bring all the beings to the earth. He is also known as the creator god of the Bon religion.

 

Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche is also known as “the teacher” or a great priest. He is associated with Nirmanakaya, who is supreme. He is considered the present teacher of Bon's religion. 

 

Bon believers additionally believe in a variety of ghosts and demons, which are considered to be accountable for misfortune, illness, and other sorts of misery. It's thought that these ghosts and demons have the power to possess individuals and make them perform terrible things. Because of this, Bon followers frequently perform rituals and rites meant to satisfy these ghosts and demons in order to defend themselves from harm.

 

Many people still perform the rites and ceremonies associated with the gods and spirits of the Bon culture till date. One can appreciate the rich history and culture of the Bon religion better by studying the different gods and spirits that are connected to it.

 

 

Where to See Bon in Nepal

Most Bon sites sit in Dolpo, a long way from any road. Kathmandu is the easy exception.

Visiting a Bon gompa follows the same courtesy as a Buddhist one, with one change. Walk around it and spin its prayer wheels anticlockwise, keeping the shrine on your left. Take off your shoes inside, ask before you photograph monks or altars, and leave a small donation.

Trek to Bon Villages With Swotah

The Lower Dolpo Trek (19 days, from USD 3,895 per person on the group departure) crosses the Tarap valley and ends at Ringmo and Phoksundo Lake, and Swotah can arrange it as a private trip. In winter, the Snow Leopard Trek in Dolpo (20 days, from USD 3,800 on the group departure) covers the same Bon country with December and February departures. Both need a Lower Dolpo restricted-area permit and a licensed guide. For the high north, see the Upper Dolpo Trek.

 

Conclusion

The Bon religion of Nepal is an ancient belief system that has been practiced for centuries in the region. Bonpos trace it back to long before Buddhism reached Tibet in the 7th century, which makes it one of the oldest living traditions of the Himalayas. Bon religion is based on the teachings of Tonpa Shenrab, one of the four enlightened beings who is said to have contributed to humanity's enlightenment and is the teacher of Bon's religion at present. The religion incorporates a number of gods and spirits, as well as a number of rituals and practices.

 

The Bon religion, which a minority of Tibetans follow, is still practised in Nepal by about 67,000 people. Despite not being as popular or prominent as Buddhism, Bon is undoubtedly a significant aspect of Nepalese culture and tradition. We can better appreciate the variety of spiritual traditions found in the Himalayas and the numerous contributions they have made to our knowledge of religion by being aware of its history, beliefs, and practices.

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