The sacred texts are considered a manifestation of enlightened speech and are respected in the way that they are created, handled, and stored. Scriptures are written with ink of gold, silver, copper, turquoise, or other precious substances.

From the point of view of the Yungdrung Bön religious philosophy, there are three doors through which we act: through the door of the body, through the door of speech, and through the door of the mind. Therefore, all actions whether positive, negative, or neutral are performed through these three doors. From this knowledge, spiritual practitioners apply the guidance of the Ten Virtuous Actions of Body, Speech, and Mind.

The Three Virtuous Actions of the Body:

1. Rather than killing, protecting the life of other beings.
2. Rather than stealing, practicing generosity.
3. Rather than engaging in sexual misconduct or causing others to break their vows, keeping one’s own vows and respecting the vows of others.

The Four Virtuous Actions of Speech:

4. Rather than lying, speaking the truth.
5. Rather than creating discord, speaking in a way that brings people together.
6. Rather than using hurtful speech, speaking gently and kindly.
7. Rather than gossiping or mindlessly talking, speaking in a useful way or reciting prayers.

The Three Virtuous Actions of the Mind:

8. Rather than coveting the possessions and accomplishments of others, being generous and open.
9. Rather than wishing harm to others or feeling resentful, cultivating the desire to help others.
10. Rather than holding wrong views, practicing the authentic teachings 

The importance of mindful speech is emphasized by it having four guidelines for behavior when the body and mind have only three. According to the esteemed spiritual master Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche in his Most Profound Sky Treasury:

“The conceptual mind is like a king and speech is like his minister. The minister accomplishes the king’s commands but the king alone is useless to do anything.

Similarly, having stopped countless offenses by restraining speech through mindfulness, the negative faults of the mind are never established.”

According to the 22nd Menri Trizin Sonam Lodro Rinpoche, also known as Sherap Gongyal, in his 43 Trainings for an Enlightened Mind:

“Even for someone who has entered into the Great Vehicle, the most superior practice,

if they talk a lot, their concentration can become deluded.

Without commenting on the good or bad of self or others, contemplate what is inexpressible and unmodified.”

And further,

“When harsh words are used to destroy the mind of others,

it will degenerate the practice of generating the mind of enlightenment.

Because of that, it is improper to destroy the mind of others with rough speech.

Therefore, renounce the use of harsh words.”

And his advice for bringing slander and disregard to the spiritual path:

“Even though someone continually expresses unpleasant things about me to the entire world,

I will maintain a mind of kindness and speak about their good qualities.”

The Tibetan syllabary is thought of as sacred rather than just an ordinary alphabet since these are the syllables used to record the guidance and teachings of the buddhas. Because of the sacred nature of the Tibetan syllabary, it is used as a mantra in practices that purify the previous negative expressions of speech as well as bless and empower present and future expressions of speech. Having transformed one’s self into the enlightened deity of speech, Chetak Ngomé, the Tibetan alphabet, known as the ALI KALI or the vowels and consonants, is recited while visualizing the syllables spinning on the tongue while both radiating and receiving wisdom light which purifies and blesses every aspect of speech.

“This ALI KALI destroys the negativities of speech and increases the power of mantra recitation 100,000 times.  In the morning when the crow leaves its nest, recite it 21 times.  In the evening when the crow returns to its nest, recite it 21 times.  Do this recitation continuously and as isolated speech [without interrupting it with ordinary speech]. There is immense power in doing a million recitations.  By doing this, the power and capacity of Lishu Taring blazed.”

— From The ALI KALI, the Cause for Enlightened Words and Source of the Scriptures

Having completed the recitation of any mantra, if the ALI KALI is recited three times at the end, it is said that it will increase the power of the mantra by 100,000 times. Similarly, it is traditional that at the conclusion of any kind of recitation of prayers or mantras, Bönpos will recite the mantra OM DHAR MA BHI SHU DHÉ TSA TRA HUNG PÉ and then blow upon their trengwa, or mala. This specific mantra is said to then empower the ordinary speech of the day with the positive qualities of the recitations.

These are only a few examples of the advice and methods given by the enlightened ones and spiritual masters that teach the importance of mindful speech and how to purify and bless speech in order to support our spiritual development.

All translations and content by Raven Cypress Wood ©All Rights Reserved. No content, in part or in whole, is allowed to be used without direct permission from the author.

Don’t want to miss a post? Scroll to the bottom and click “Follow this blog.”

His Holiness 34th Menri Trizin Rinpoche and other Menri monks offering the mandala. Photo credit: Unknown

“OM

With devotion and non-attachment, and for their complete satisfaction,

I offer to the four supreme places a golden mandala of the three thousand-fold universe containing mountains, continents, and clouds of offerings filled with the riches of gods and humans.

May the abundant wealth and success of all migrating beings be established!”

— From the publication The Heartdrop of Jamma, the Loving Mother

For more information or to order the publication, see previous post: https://ravencypresswood.com/2019/07/20/the-practice-of-jamma-chenmo-the-great-loving-mother-2/

Nangshig: A Tibetan Bönpo Monastery and its Family in Amdo is a 146 page study of the largest Yungdrung Bön monastery in Tibet as well as the family and reincarnation lineages associated with it. The chapters are short, concise and dense with information. It is written by Tsering Thar from information gathered during his fieldwork in Amdo that he performed on behalf of the National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka, Japan.

In the eleventh century, Do Phak Yönten Gyaltsen, a.k.a. Do Phak Chenpo, established a hermitage in Eastern Tibet in a region now known as Amdo. In 1168, this hermitage was expanded by his oldest son, Nyima Dzin, into Nangzhig Monastery. For over two centuries, Bön was the only religion in the area and the entire population were followers of the Yungdrung Bön religious tradition.

This book touches on the subject of Nangzhig’s history as both a religious temple and a center for education, the associated reincarnation and family lineages, the ritual services that are regularly performed, and the hierarchy and succession systems of the monastery. Although not an exhaustive study, it is broad enough in its scope to provide a solid overview of one of the most important Yungdrung Bön monasteries that continues to thrive to the present day.

“Nangzhig monastery is the largest monastic university of the Bön religion in the Tibetan cultural area. monastic education was by far the prevalent educational system in Tibet, and this system produced the great masters and scholars in Tibetan history. Even today, it continues to play a very important role in Tibetan education, especially in maintaining traditional culture. Monastic education in the Bön religion is an important and influential part of Tibetan monastic education. Its lineal succession system and method of teaching also influenced Tibetan Buddhism.”

— Extract from Nangshig: A Tibetan Bönpo Monastery and its Family in Amdo

Published and distributed by Vajra Books.

For more about Nangzhig Monastery, see previous post: https://ravencypresswood.com/2019/05/18/nangzhig-largest-yungdrung-bon-monastery-in-tibet/

Raven Cypress Wood ©All Rights Reserved. No content, in part or in whole, is allowed to be used without direct permission from the author.

Don’t want to miss a post? Scroll to the bottom and click “Follow this blog.”