This old, illustrated scripture begins with the phrase, “In the language of the sacred Yungdrung…”
Category Archives: Sacred Scriptures
The Illustrated Scripture
Illustration of the Supreme Deity Sangpo Bumtri from an old Yungdrung Bon text
Sipa Sangpo Bumtri, Deity of Phenomenal Existence, is one of the Four Transcendent Lords of the Yungdrung Bön. The other three are The Great Deity Shenlha Ökar, The Great Mother of Space Satrik Ersang and Lord Tönpa Shenrap Miwoche. These Four Deities are traditionally displayed together in every Yungdrung Bön temple and are often surrounded by the 1,000 Enlightened Beings.
The Forty Magical Letters of Zhang Zhung
Over 18,000 years ago, the founder of the Yungdrung Bon tradition was born into a human body and was known as the Supreme Shen, the Enlightened Teacher, Buddha Tonpa Shenrap Miwoche. He had many students and his teachings flourished in the ancient kingdom called Zhang Zhung.
This ancient kingdom included what is now Western Tibet and the sacred Mount Tise, also known as Mount Kailash. The Zhang Zhung language includes forty letters, and according to Yungdrung Bön texts, these ‘Forty Magical Letters’ were taught by Tonpa Shenrap Miwo. The two standard scripts were called Zhang Zhung mar chen and Zhang Zhung mar chung, ‘excellent capital letters of Zhang Zhung’ and ‘excellent lesser letters of Zhang Zhung.’
Above, a sample of Zhang Zhung mar chen. Below, a sample of Zhang Zhung mar chung. Both have the corresponding Tibetan script underneath. (Zhang Zhung fonts from the website: himalayabon.com)
The divine words of the Buddha Tonpa Shenrap were written down using this script. Due to the murder of King Ligmincha of Zhang Zhung by king Trisong Detsen of Tibet in the 8th century, the Zhang Zhung kingdom fell and the power and influence of Tibet increased. Therefore, the Zhang Zhung script was transformed and called ‘Tibetan’. According to the ‘Far-reaching Lamp of Clarity’:
“Mar chen was changed into [the formal Tibetan] u chen script, and mar chung was changed into informal script.”
A Yungdrung Bon ritual text begins a section with “According to the language of Zhang Zhung Mar…”
Today, the titles of many Yungdrung Bön texts are written in both the Zhang Zhung mar chen script as well as in the Tibetan script. Additionally, many Zhang Zhung words are found within the texts and even significant section headings are given in both the Zhang Zhung and Tibetan language.
The title page from a Yundgrung Bon text with the title written in Zhang Zhung script above and Tibetan script underneath.
For more information regarding the Zhang Zhung language: (all English language sources)
- The Light of Kailash Vol 1 and 2 by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche
- A Lexicon of ZhangZhung and Bonpo Terms edited by Yasuhiko Nagano & Samten Karmay
- Zhang Zhung-Tibetan-English Contextual Dictionary by Namgyal Nyima
An Ocean of Knowledge and Wisdom
Personal Library of the Yungdrung Bon Sage Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen
Buddha Tonpa Shenrap’s 2nd Deed: Spreading the Teachings
Buddha Tönpa Shenrab teaching subjects such as medicine, divination, astrology, and ritual
Tönpa Shenrap began the spread of the Yungdrung Bön by first giving teachings related to cosmogony and cosmology to two of his primary disciples, Malo and Yalo, to bodhisattvas who had descended from heaven to receive the teachings, and to many other powerful, worldly deities. Then to the gods of Mt. Meru and other deities, he taught powerful methods for subduing negative forces. Traveling to the city of Langling, he taught from the 100,000 verses of Perfecting. In Olmo Lungring, countless human and non-human beings gathered including those who were to be lineage holders. To this assembly, he taught the Nine Ways of Bön.
More specifically, it is said that on the 30th day of the lunar month, that Buddha Tönpa Shenrab taught the beings of the formless realm.
On the 1st of the lunar month, He taught the gods who reside in space in the highest realm.
On the 8th of the lunar month, He taught the clear-light gods.
On the 13th of the lunar month, He taught the tsangri gods.
On the 14th of the lunar month, He taught the gods of the form realm.
On the 15th of the lunar month, He taught on Mt. Meru to the gods of the desire realm.
On the 16th of the month, He taught the gods of Gyalchen Rikshe.
On the 22nd of the lunar month, He taught the demi-gods.
On the 29th of the lunar month, He taught the lü (sanskrit: naga) of the desire realm.
Therefore, these days are significant in the Yungdrung Bön lunar calendar.
Nine Ways 
