Christopher Hansard
Date: May 07, 2007 09:46PM
In light of the contiuing efforts by some to justify and defend Christopher Hansard’s ‘dur-bon’ fantasy I thought it may prove of benefit to present a brief historical overview.
Beginnings
We discover past civilisations through archaeological evidence, primary literary sources, language, and to a lesser degree the mythology of our ancestors. More recently genetic research is exposing our geographic origins and adding knowledge to early migration patterns. The more tangible proofs can be examined through the objective and balanced lens of science, funeral remains permit us to glimpse into the customs, beliefs, and technical and artistic capabilities of ancient societies. The physical inscriptions of long-dead languages can be decoded, dated, and interpreted, these can be cross referenced against later histories and myths to enable a detailed and informed understanding. Such processes have been applied to most ancient cultures, including that of Tibet, so that historians, archaeologists, linguists, and cultural anthropologists now have a wealth of detailed information and physical evidence.
In the case of Tibet this is assisted by the incredible fact that the culture, traditions and religious practices were maintained, virtually unchanged over centuries. In addition apart from a profound, diverse and rich oral tradition, in which histories were preserved, there existed a vast collection of religious, and other texts, which documented the early history of Tibet. Archaeological evidence is abundant too, which has revealed the existence of a highly developed and sophisticated culture of extreme antiquity, which pre-dates the arrival of Buddhism in Tibet in the 7th Century ACE. On the basis of archaeological remains it is now thought that the Tibetan people have occupied the Amdo-Tibetan Plateau from the new and Old Stone Age period, between 7 and 10 000 years. Arising from that antiquity, and a key element in the subsequent development of Tibetan culture and religion, arose what is now generally agreed by scholars was the Bon Kingdom of Zhang-Zhung.
Although a precise geographical location has proved elusive, Bon historical records indicate it extended across much of Tibetan territory, including is thought what is now the Ngari region of Western Tibet
With its own language, only traces of which now remain in certain Bon religious texts, economy, and social structure, Zhang-Zhung exerted a powerful influence upon the region and was instrumental in the emergence of what was to become a unified Tibet through its relations with the Tibetan Yarlung society, and later still a dynastic alliance with Songtsen Gampo, a powerful 7th Century Tibetan king.
Clearly the Tibetan Bon tradition has an extremely ancient lineage as reflected in its cosmology, which shares, although not deriving from, some concepts with early Persian mythology. The general understanding of Bon history traces its beginnings as a form of shamanism that were practiced in Zhang-Zhung, prior to the arrival of the great Teacher, Tonpa Shenrab. It was from Shenrab that Yung drung Bon developed into a systematic tradition, with a set of canons and doctrines, it impossible to give an accurate date for this development, Bon historians trace it back several thousand years, while archaeological evidence points to extremely ancient origins.
Origins of the Name Bon
As a term Bon is ultimately derived, in all probability, from the Zhang-Zhung language, as indicated an ancient form of Bon operated in Zhang-Zhung, prior to the establishment of orthodox Yung drung Bon, these included primitive practices called bdud-bon and btsan bon. The religion of Tonpa Shenrab was not originally called Bon but Gyer, which is itself an ancient Zhang-Zhung word that was subsequently translated into Tibetan as Bon. In that sense, and taking into account the social and religious fusion of Zhang-Zhung and Tibetan cultures, the word Bon can be considered to be Tibetan.
The Zhang-Zhung Language
According to the numerous historical works of Tibetan Buddhism, it is said that Tibet had no written language before King Songtsen Gampo (7th Century ACE). This view is increasingly considered somewhat flawed as more evidence emerges of Tibet’s Zhang-Zhung/Bon culture. However, did Zhang Zhung have its written language at that time? The earliest Bon scriptures were written in Zhang Zhung script and were translated into Tibetan at a later time; and can now be found among the texts kept in some Bonpo temples, there are some Tibetan Zhang Zhung bilingual works and vocabularies. Thus, it is evident that Zhang Zhung had its written language earlier than Tibet, though no record of its origin can be found. According to recorded Bon history this script appeared at the time Tonpa Shenrab, if so this would show the Zhang Zhung script was created earlier than Tibetan writing.
Tonpa Shenrab (As Recorded By the Genuine Tibetan Bon Tradition)
Tonpa Shenrab was born a prince, married while young and had children. At the age of thirty-one he renounced the world and lived in austerity, teaching the doctrine. During his whole life his efforts to propagate the Bön religion were obstructed by the demon Khyabpa Lagring (Khyab-pa Lag-ring), that fought to destroy or impede Tonpa Shenrab`s work until eventually the demon was converted and became his disciple. Once while pursuing the demon to recover his stolen horses Tonpa Shenrab arrived in present-day western Tibet. This was his only visit to Tibet. On this occasion he imparted some instructions on the performance of rituals, but on the whole he found the people unprepared to receive more teachings. Before leaving Tibet he prophesied that all his teachings would flourish in Tibet when the time was ripe. Tonpa Shenrab passed away at the age of eighty-two. Admittedly 82 years in Ölmo Lungring correspond to some 8200 years of human time.
According to the Bön religion of Tibet, about 18000 years ago Lord Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche (sTon-pa gShen-rab Mi-bo-che: Teacher and Great Man of the Shen) was born in the land of Olmo Lungring, a part of a larger country called Tagzig “Öl” symbolizes the unborn, “mo” the un-diminishing; “Lung” denotes the prophetic words of Tonpa Shenrab, the founder of Bön, and “ring”, his everlasting compassion. Ölmo Lungring constitutes one-third of the existing world, and is situated to the west of Tibet. It is described as an eight-petalled lotus under a sky which appears like an eight-spoked wheel. In the centre rises Mount Yungdrung Gutseg, the “Pyramid of Nine Swastikas.” The nine swastikas represent the Nine Ways of Bön, which will be described below. The swastika or yungdrung is a symbol of permanence and indestructibility of the wisdom of Bön.
At the base of Mount Yungdrung Gutseg spring four rivers, flowing towards the four cardinal directions. The mountain is surrounded by temples, cities and parks. To the south is Barpo Sogye palace, where Tonpa Shenrab was born. To the west and north are the palaces where Tonpa Shenrab`s wives and children lived. To the east is Shampo Lhatse temple. The complex of palaces, rivers and parks with Mount Yungdrung Gutseg in the centre constitutes the inner region (Nang-gling) of Ölmo Lungring. The intermediate region (Bar-gling) consists of twelve cities, four of which lie in the four cardinal directions. The third region includes the outer land (mTha`-gling). These three regions are encircled by an ocean and a range of snowy mountains.
Conclusions
Tibetan Bon history, culture and religion is a vast, diverse and profoundly rich and detailed subject encompassing a range of incredibly complex disciplines and philosophies. Its has a lineage of extreme antiquity enriched by a distinct language, culture and religious system that exerted a profound influence upon the development of Tibet and other neighbouring regions. The Bon tradition evolved from a form of shamanism into an ordered and orthodox philosophy with unique doctrines and rituals.
Such facts can be examined against the archaeological and written records, both of which demonstrate that the Bon religion of Tibet has very ancient origins indeed. One wonders what evidence Mr Hansard (real name gone and other incarnations) can provide to prove the existence of so-called ‘Dur-Bon’, and his vacuous assertion that it pre-dates the Zhang-Zhung (and later Tibetan) Yung-Drung Bon.