Special mandala offering with chakshing and flaming jewels presented to HH 33rd Menri Trizen Rinpoche and HE Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche in 2016 by the Worldwide Yungdrung Bon community.
Author Archives: Raven Cypress Wood
Sacred Beauty
Prayer Wheel and tsa tsa house in Tsarka Dolpo, Nepal. Photo credit: Geshe Tenzin Yangton
Buddha Tonpa Shenrap’s Eighth Deed: The Deed of Being Completely Victorious
Buddha Tonpa Shenrap manifests as the Completely Victorious One, Nampar Gyalwa
The reincarnation of a great king was born a prince by the name of Gya Kongtse Trulgyi Gyalpo. At a young age, this prince had great faith in the teachings of Buddha Tönpa Shenrap and performed many acts of devotion. At the age of twenty-five, he decided to build an exquisite temple in the ocean surrounding Olmo Lungring in order to accumulate merit for his next life. Because human beings were unable to work in this condition, he subdued one hundred demons who each vowed to complete the construction of the foundation within fifteen days as long as the prince kept their involvement a secret. And so, after fifteen days, the solid stone foundation of the temple rose above the surface of the ocean.
Before leaving, Prince Kongtse Trulgyal had told his mother that he would be away at the ocean for a month and that she must keep it a secret. However, as the days passed, the prince’s wife began to worry about him and tried to get information from his mother. Unable to withstand the constant questioning any longer, his mother finally told the prince’s wife the truth. Stunned and angry that she had been kept in the dark, she took the children and went in search of her husband, Prince Kongtse Trulgyal. Arriving at the ocean and crossing a small bridge to the newly constructed temple foundation, the family saw a large group of workers who all looked like the prince. Having been discovered, the demons, all of whom had taken on the likeness of the prince, immediately fled and construction of the temple came to a halt. In despair, Prince Kongtse Trulgyal enlisted the help of a bodhisattva who recruited the assistance of a group of water spirits in order to complete the temple’s construction.
Upon completion, the temple was truly majestic. However, the demons who had built the foundation for the temple became jealous and began attacking the temple intent upon destroying it. Prince Kongtse Trulgyal cried out for help from Buddha Tönpa Shenrap. Knowing of all of these events through his perfect omniscience, the enlightened Lord Tönpa Shenrap instantly manifested in the sky in his wrathful form as the Completely Victorious One Nampar Gyalwa, and together with five thousand five hundred bodhisattvas, he completely subdued the group of jealous demons. Descending from the sky to the temple, he then spoke according to the Yungdrung Bön teachings and installed representations of his enlightened Body, Speech and Mind in the temple in the tangible aspects of statues, scriptures and chortens.
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Sacred Ceremony
Ceremony at Kyungkar Yungdrung Tenggye Ling Monastery in Tibet. Photo credit: Unknown
Tibetan Kings of the Yarlung Dynasty & the Yungdrung Bön
Yumbu Lhakhang, Palace of the Yarlung Kings in the Yarlung Valley of Tibet
At the time when the first ruler of Tibet was established, the empire of Zhang Zhung was vast, the practice of Yungdrung Bön was flourishing and the Buddhism of India founded by Shakyamuni had not yet entered the territory of Tibet. The principality of Tibet consisted of minor kingdoms but was not yet unified under the rule of a single monarch. In order to consolidate power, the leaders of central and eastern Tibet decided to appoint a sole ruler of the entire realm.
During this time, it is said that Nyatri Tsenpo, the first king of Tibet, appeared and was chosen to rule over the Tibetans. His ancestry is of other-worldy origins and has been variously detailed as descending from either the gods or the powerful theurang spirits. In either case, it is believed that his power and magnificence were greater than that of a normal human being. It was believed that he had a supernatural connection to heaven known as a mu cord, which resulted in his being able to ascend the cord and return to heaven upon his death. Therefore, he did not leave a corpse behind. This was true of all of the first seven Tibetan kings.
The Thirty-Four Tibetan Kings of the Yarlung Dynasty*
1-7 The Seven Tri of the Sky, During their reign, the teachings of Yungdrung Bön flourished. Connected with the celestial sphere by a mu cord, these kings are said to have ascended to heaven by this cord at the time when their sons were old enough to rule, thereby not leaving a corpse behind.
12-17 The Six Good Ones Upon the Earth, During their reign, lamas of the Zhang Zhung empire acted as the Royal Bön Shen
18-25 The Eight Dé of the Water, During their reign, the teachings of Dzogchen were spread
26-30 The Five Tsen of the Middle
31-34 The Four Bönpo Kings of Prosperity, During their reign, the Yungdrung Bön teachings and practices flourished under the guidance of many knowledgeable lamas.
- NyatriTsenpo: He was anointed the first king of Tibet in the Wood Mouse year of 1136 BC
- Mutri Tsenpo, son of Nyatri Tsenpo: During his reign, thirty-seven Yungdrung Bön practice centers were established. During their reign, the Yungdrung Bön teachings and practices flourished under the guidance of many knowledgeable lamas.
- Dingtri Tsenpo, son of Mutri Tsenpo
- Sotri Tsenpo, son of Tingtri Tsenpo
- Dingtri Tsenpo, son of Sotri Tsenpo
- Daktri Tsenpo, son of Dingtri Tsenpo
- Siptri Tsenpo (aka Tride Yakpo), son of Daktri Tsenpo who was enthroned at the age of thirteen.
- Drigum Tsenpo, son of Siptri Tsenpo. Although he practiced Yungdrung Bön in his youth, he feared the power of the Bön Shen and therefore began the first suppression of Yungdrung Bön. (See previous post: The Second Spread of the Yungdrung Bön in Tibet. https://ravencypresswood.com/2016/10/16/the-second-spread-of-the-yungdrung-bon-in-tibet/) Because his mu cord with heaven was severed during his battle with Lo Ngam Ta Dzi, he was the first Tibetan King to leave a corpse behind after his death.
- Lo Ngam Ta Dzi: He ruled Tibet for thirteen years after having killed the eighth Tibetan King Drigum Tsenpo, marrying the king’s daughter, and sending the rest of his family into exile.
- Pude Gung Gyal, aka Tolek Tsenpo: He was the son of the eighth Tibetan King Drigum Tsenpo who returned from exile in order to claim his right to the throne, and who invited the yogi Tong Gyung Tuchen to Tibet in order to reestablish the Yungdrung Bön teachings
- (Unnamed by most historical sources including the Dar rGyas gSal Ba’i sGron Ma. It is theorized that there was no appropriate heir immediately after the death of Pude Gung Gyal and that power was wielded for a time by a minister.)
- Ah Sholek Tsenpo, son of Tolek Tsenpo
- De Sholek, son of Ah Sholek Tsenpo
- Te Sholek, son of De Sholek
- Guru Lek, son of Te Sholek
- Drong Zherlek, son of Guru Lek
- Sho lek, son of Drong Zherlek
- Zanam Zindé, son of Sho lek
- Dé Namtrul Zhungtsen, son of Za Nam Zin Dé
- Se Nol Nam Dé, son of Dé Nam Trulzhung Tsen
- Se Nol Dé, son of Se Nol Nam Dé
- Dé Nol Nam, son of Se Nol Dé
- Dé Nolpo, son of Dé Nol Nam
- Dé Gyalpo, son of Dé Nolpo
- Dé Srintsen, son of Dé Gyalpo
- Gyal Toro Lobtsen, son of Dé Srintsen
- Tri Tsen Nam
- Tri Dra Pungtsen
- Tri Tokje Toktsen: He invited many Bön Shen to Tibet from Zhang Zhung and therefore strengthened ties between to the two countries.
- To To Ri Nyentsen: He led an army into India and claimed many small Indian territories. During his reign, the first contact was made with Indian Buddhism. However, it did not have a large impact.
- Trinyen Zungtsen
- Drong Nyen Déru
- Takri Nyenzik: He was born blind but his eyesight was restored by the royal Bön Shen of the court, Khu Bön Mangjé Lopo.
- Namri Songtsen: During his reign, Chinese influenced medicine and astrology were introduced into the country of Tibet.
*Due to political reasons, historical lists of the Tibetan Kings differ among Buddhist and Bön accounts as well as differing among texts within the same tradition. I have relied upon the Yungdrung Bön text: Dar rGyas gSal Ba’i sGron Ma written by Pa Ton Tengyal Zangpo in 1345.
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