Category Archives: Tonpa Shenrap

Buddha Tönpa Shenrap’s Ninth Deed: The Deed of Complete Awareness

Lord Tonpa Shenrap Miwoche after becoming a monk and assuming the renunciant name of Tritsuk Gyalwa

Because Lord Tönpa Shenrap possessed complete awareness of the suffering of cyclic existence, and out of compassion for sentient beings, he demonstrated a skillful method for sentient beings to release themselves from suffering and misery and to attain liberation.  This method was the path of renunciation.  Being an enlightened being, he did not need to do this for himself but chose to demonstrate this path as an example for his followers of Yungdrung Bön.  Therefore, at the age of 31 (according to shen years which equal 3,100 human years), he announced to his family and disciples that he would leave worldly activities behind and devote himself completely to the path of renunciation.

He removed his jewelry and silk robes, and then cut off his hair with a sword.  Leaving behind all of his possessions, he went to a higher realm in order to receive ordination from a disciple of the Enlightened One of the previous eon.  Returning to earth, he devoted himself to the practice of fasting, disciplined behavior, and teaching the Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind to various groups of demons.  After this, he retired to the nine-storied yungdrung mountain in order to practice in solitude.  Upon entering into the path of renunciation, many of his disciples abandoned him and his teachings and returned to their worldly activities.  However, a few disciples of greater capacity remained with him on the mountain, and to them he taught the highest view, the Great Perfection.

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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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Link to the Ancient Past

Heir to the Shen Lineage and direct descendant of Lord Tonpa Shenrap Miwoche, Shen Tsukpu Namdrol Rinpoche

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The Four Principal Enlightened Ones

The Four Principal Enlightened Ones of the Yungdrung Bon. Top to bottom & left to right: Satrik Érsang, Shenlha Okar, Sangpo Bumtri and Tonpa Shenrap

In the Yungdrung Bön tradition, there are Four Principal Enlightened Ones, the Dershek Tsozhi. These are the four principal buddhas who offer skillful means in order to guide sentient beings during the time when the human life span averages one hundred years.  These Four Principal Enlightened Ones are often depicted individually as a central figure surrounded by two hundred fifty enlightened emanations.  These four are depicted in this order:

Satrik Érsang: The name ‘Satrik Érsang’ is from the Zhang Zhung language. She also emanates as the Wise Loving Mother known as Sherap Jamma. The name ‘Sherap Jamma’ is from the Tibetan language and has the same meaning as the name ‘Satrik Érsang’, Wise Loving Mother. Satrik Érsang appears as gold-colored with a single face and two hands.  In her right hand, she holds the External Five Warrior Seed Syllables: YANG, RAM, KHAM, SUNG, and OM.  In her left hand, she holds a mirror.  She sits upon a throne held aloft by lions. Surrounding her throughout the ten directions are: 1) the fifty peaceful, white goddesses who are emanations of her Body and who hold the Five Warrior Seed Syllables and a mirror, 2) the fifty peaceful, green goddesses who are emanations of her Speech and who hold the Five Warrior Seed Syllables and a mirror, 3) the fifty peaceful, red goddesses who are emanations of her Quality and who hold the Five Warrior Seed Syllables and a mirror, 4) the fifty peaceful, blue goddesses who are emanations of her Activity and who hold the Five Warrior Seed Syllables and a mirror. and 5) the fifty peaceful, gold colored goddesses who are emanations of her Mind and who hold the Five Warrior Seed Syllables and a mirror. Together, these five groups of goddesses constitute her retinue of two hundred and fifty goddess emanations.

“Having the uncreated and uninterrupted nature of space,

You are the Sole Mother who has completely clear wisdom. 

From unborn space, clear light streams forth and becomes the Lord of Compassion. 

I prostrate to the enlightened state of Satrik Érsang!” 

— Homage to Satrik Érsang

Shenlha Ökar, also known as The Great, White Deity: In his manifestation as one of The Four Principal Enlightened Ones, he is white in color, his right hand holds an iron hook and his left hand is in the mudra of equanimity. He sits upon a throne held aloft by elephants. Similarly, he is surrounded in the ten directions by fifty emanations of his Body who are white, fifty emanations of his Speech who are green, fifty emanations of his Quality who are red, fifty emanations of his Activity who are blue, and fifty emanations of his Mind who are gold colored. All of these emanations hold an iron hook and the mudra of equanimity.

Sangpo Bumtri, also known as the White Deity of Phenomenal Existence: He  is white in color and sits upon a throne held aloft by garudas. His right hand holds a victory banner and his left hand is in the mudra of equanimity. Surrounding him throughout phenomenal space are fifty emanations of his Body who are white, fifty emanations of his Speech who are green, fifty emanations of his Quality who are red, fifty emanations of his Activity who are blue, and fifty emanations of his Mind who are gold colored.  All of these emanations hold a victory banner and the mudra of equanimity.

Tönpa Shenrap: In his manifestation as one of The Four Principal Enlightened Ones, he is blue in color and holds a chakshing in his right hand and his left hand holds the mudra of equanimity. He sits upon a throne held aloft by wheels of Bön. He is surrounded throughout the ten directions by two hundred fifty shenrap manifestations: fifty emanations of his Body who are white, fifty emanations of his Speech who are green, fifty emanations of his Quality who are red, fifty emanations of his Activity who are blue, and fifty emanations of his Mind who are gold colored. All of these emanations hold a chakshing and the mudra of equanimity.

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The Five Supreme Embodiments

The Embodiment of Enlightened Body, the yidam Walse Ngampa

In the Yungdrung Bön tradition, there is a group of five yidam deities from the Father Tantra who embody the Enlightened Body, Speech, Mind, Quality and Activity of the Enlightened Lord Tönpa Shenrap Miwoche.  This group of five yidam deities is collectively known as the Sé Khar Chok Nga, The Five Supreme Embodiments, or literally The Five Divine Fortresses.

The yidam deity, Walsé Ngampa is the embodiment of Enlightened Body.  He is dark blue with nine heads and eighteen arms with which he holds various weapons for subduing obstacles.  The main ritual text for this deity is entitled, “Stages of Practice for Walsé” which was composed by the great sage Drenpa Namkha.  His consort has the peaceful nature of the enlightened Great Mother Satrik Érsang and is known as Ngammo Yumchen Tröpé Taktenma.  Her body is dark green.

Embodiment of Enlightened Speech, the yidam Lhago Tokpa

The yidam deity, Lhagö Thokpa, is the embodiment of Enlightened Speech.  He is dark blue with four heads and ten arms with which he holds various weapons for subduing obstacles.  This yidam is not widely practiced at present.  His consort has the nature of Sipé Gyalmo and is known as Jangnak Tröma.  Her body is dark green and she has blue turquoise-colored hair.

Embodiment of Enlightened Mind, the yidam Trowo Tsochok Khaygying

The yidam deity, Trowo Tsochok Khagying, is the embodiment of Enlightened Mind.  He is dark blue with three heads and six arms.  The main ritual text for this deity is known by the abbreviated title, “The Great Empowerment of Trowo.”  His consort is Khala Dukmo.  Her body is red and she wears a sun, moon and stars as a head ornament.

Embodiment of Enlightened Quality, the yidam Walchen Gekhko

The yidam deity, Walchen Gekho, is the embodiment of Enlightened Quality.  This deity is closely associated with the ancient kingdom of Zhang Zhung and Mt. Tisé (Mt. Kailash).  He is dark blue with nine heads, four legs and the wings like a garuda.  He has eighteen arms with which he holds various weapons for subduing obstacles.  There are five tantric texts associated with the yidam.  One of them was compiled by the esteemed first abbot of Menri Monstery, Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen, and is entitled, “Secret Fierce Gekho.”  His consort is the queen of the Drala and has a body that is red.

Drukse Chempa

Embodiment of Enlightened Activity, the yidam Drukse Chempa

The yidam deity, Walpur Drukse Chempa, is the embodiment of Enlightened Activity.  This yidam is also referred to as Phurba.  He has three faces and six arms, each of which are holding a phurba, or ritual dagger.  He and his consort’s body are joined below the waist and form a single phurba adorned with snakes.  Both the yidam and his consort have wings.  There are many ritual texts associated with Trowo Drukse Chempa.

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