bon zhig khyung nag and the rig pa gcer mthong tradition of rdzogs chen

The Tibet Journal a publication for the study of Tibet

Bon Religion of Tibet

Gyatsho Tshering EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Per Kva:rne

GUEST EDITOR

Thupten K. Rikey MANAGING EDITOR

Riika f. Virtanen ASSISTANT EDITOR

WINTER VOL. XXIII NO.4

Foreword

ARTICLES The Early Spread of Bon Namgyal Nyima Dagkar Bon zhig khyung nag and the Rig pa gcer mthong Tradition

of rDzogs chen

Jean-Luc Achard The Monastic Lineage of sNang zhig dgon pa in Amdo rNga ba

Donatella Rossi Two Figures in the Early Creat Perfection Todd Gibson Cracking the Mirror: A Critical Genealogy of Sehol arship on Tibetan Bon and the "Canonical" Status of The Crystal Mirror of Doctrinal Systems

Zeff Bjerken

REVIEW ARTICLE Dnmg, De'li and B(in: Narrations, Symbolic Languages and the Bon Tradition in Ancient Tibet by Namkhai Norbu, translated into English from Italian by Andrew Lukianowicz Dan Martin

1998

3

4

28

58

72

92

108

Bon zhig khyung nag and the Rig pa geer mthong Tradition of rDzogs ehen*

Jean-Luc Achard

Among the numerous rDzogs chen (Great Perfection) teachings to be found in the Bonpo tradition, there is a cycle entItled sNyan rgyud nn po

che rig pa geer mthong which could be translated as "The Precious Oral Transmission through which one sees Awareness in its Nakedness." It has, to my knowledge, never been used in any tibetological paper or monograph. We shall therefore turn to a brief study of the life of its discoverer and to an analysis of its main themes and contents. It is hoped that this small contribution will attract the interest of scholars in this field.

The Bon tradition of rDzogs chen has recently known a great impulse, essentially due to the publication of two important works: Heart Drops of Dllarmakaya by Lopon Tenzin Namdak and Richard Dixey and Wonders of

the Natural Mind by Geshe Tenzin Wangyel. The first impulsion was however given by Prof. D. Snellgrove with his Nine Ways of B011 and by Prof. P. Kvaorne with his still up-to-date study of the A khrid lineage and practices. The cycle which is the object of the present article is not one of the major ones such as A khrid, Yang rtse klong chen or Zhang zhung snyan

rgtJud but it nevertheless represents a form of Bonpo Great Perfection instructions which dates back to the early 12th century and whose antiguity makes it worth studying. It belongs to the category of orally transmitted texts (snyan rgyud) of which the most famous was certainly sTan pa gShen rab's biography known as the gZi brjid. Such orally transmitted texts are close to the dgollgs gter genre which was to enjoy considerable popularity from at least the 14th century onwards.

I BON ZHIG KHYUNG NAG-HIS LIFE AND REVELATIONS

To express the main data of Bon zhig's life, I have made use of two primary sources included in the cycle itself.' The first text is simply entitled BOil zhig khyllllg nag gi main thar, that is "The biography of Bon zhig khyung nag" (pp.367-385). The second one recalls the story of the whole cycle and is entitled sNy"" rgtJlId rig pa geer Inthong gi yid ches bla lila hrgylld po'i 10 'Xi' liS gsal bar ·byed pa, "The Clarifications on the history of the masters' lineage [intended to provide] confidence in the Oral Transmission through which one sees Awareness in its Nakedness" (pp.7-24).

* I \vouJd like to lhan.k Mr. Cristopher Teague for correcting my English and Prot Per Kvzerne [or hiS numerous correct,·ons and . . suggestlOns lo Improve the conlent and style of this paper .

BON ZHIG KHYUNG NAG 29

It also includes material concerned with some of the followers of the lineage that we shall present in the next section.'

CONCEPTION AND BIRTH

Bon zhig khyung nag' was born 1103 in a village of the Nyang stod province known as Nyang ro chu bzang (or zangs). His father was called gShen g.yung drung 'khor 10 and his mother Bre za bsod dge mao The latter had known a bla ma called Lo ro zhig po who, after he had died, entered bSod dge rna's womb, producing in her wonderful dreams:' She indeed dreamed that she ate the sun, that she found jewels of great value, that she rode on a Garu<;la (khyung), the king of all birds, and that six wings had appeared on her back, enabling her to fly in the sky and so on. Such extraordinary signs are common features in hagiographies and are intended to show the holiness of the future child. At one time in her dreams, a Garu<;la appeared in front of her and told her: "You are going to have a child soon: give him the name Bon zhig khyung nag!" When she woke up at dawn the next morning, she felt a pleasurable sensation in her whole body. As soon as. La ro zhig po entered her womb, she heard the embryo saying:

I am lhe Great Primordial Wisdom; I enjoy a solid Eternal Body And I am the best among the Blazing Wrutbful Gods; I am the mighty one, born immortal!

Nine months later, she gave birth to a dark skinned boy with globular eyes, black hair and other strange signs. At the very moment of his birth, the sky was filled with lights and rainbows, the earth shook and trembled repeatedly while at the same time melodious sounds reverberated all around. Then, the master Mes sgom zhig po came to the child's house and, following the prophecies bSod dge ma had previously received, he gave him the name Bon zhig khyung nag after which he bestowed on him initiations and recited prayers of aspiration for the future.

EDUCATION AND VISIONS

Still a very young child, Bon zhig nevertheless had visions of deities and heard, among other things, prophecies from Ye shes dbal mo and Khro bo dbang chen, as well as from gTso mchog mkha' 'gying. Between the age of two and three, he mastered reading without even learning it and samiidhi (ting nge 'dzin) spontaneously arose in him.

Thereafter, from the age of twelve onwards, he began serious studies under the guidance of Mes sgom zhig po and when he reached the age of seventeen, he met Zhu sgom 'khrul zhig' and both felt very pleased to

30 THE TIBET JOURNAL

meet each other. Bon zhig paid his respects to the master and requested instructions from him. Zhu sgom proposed to him to be instructed in two ways: either he would be taught mind train�ng (bl� sb�ong) in an external manner or he would study teachings dealmg WIth mner matters. The master let him make his choice and, as one would expect, Bon zhig asked to be instructed according to the second, way.

Zhu sgom thus confronted him with the natural state (pias lugs n�o sprod) in the following manner: he exhorted Bon zhlg to Identify hIS instantaneous and present consciousness, saying that there is no other means of confrontation to his mind's wisdom 0Je shes) than this one. Thereafter, the master gave him the instructions of the cycle called Rin chen kun 'dus.

Then, in 1123, at the age of 21, Bon zhig met the master Kun dga' zhig po at sMan chu mkhar in Nyang roo Bon zhig requested instructions from him and the latter confronted him with the Clear-Light ('ad gsal ngo sprod). He told Bon zhig that the mind shines naturally and that its inherent voidness expresses the essence of the mind's wisdom, the whole symbolizing one's present consciousness (da /ta'i shes pal. Bon zhig went into solitude to practice and he reached a level of realization in which internal winds and mind mixed together. This produced in him a strong feeling of renunciation. He had many Clear-Light experiences and obtained the heat signs of right absorption.'

Then, in 1127, at 25, he went into the cave of sKyin mkhar sngo phug and practiced according to the sPyi spungs doctrines, engaging himself in the completion of the Development and Perfection stages (bskyed rdzogs). As his practice went on, he received some signs that caused him to remain in a very strict retreat. One evening, he heard someone calling him by his name from the outside and, thinking that answering would break his 'speech retreat', he remained silent inside. Once again, the voice said "Come here!" so he went onto the roof of his cell where a frightening hairy woman stood. Her body was elongated and she had brown skin, wearing clothes of black silk. She offered him some amrta from a human skull hanging around her neck, and while he drank it. Bon zhig felt it had many different flavors. Then, the woman gave him teachings on the practice of channels, winds and essences (rtsa rlung thig Ie) as well as instructions on the intermediate states (bar do) which were all sufficient in themselves (gcig chad). She then disappeared after having given him some prophecies. Following this rather strange meeting, he got rid of all the defects of his practice such as drowsiness and dullness and he had lasting experiences of realization through which the five poisons appeared to him as ornaments of his being.


Then, Bon zhig went to the monastery ot master Ra dmar ri khrod pa who confIrmed that the meetmg he had had with the dark-brown woman meant that the goddess Las kyi dbang rna had given him the accomplishments.' His past karma and obscuration were then all washed away to such an extent that he was naturally immersed in a continual absorption. For three whole days, he experienced the absorption into Reality (bon nyiti) tree from all elaborations (spras bral). He thereafter conceived a great sorrow tor worldly matters and his attachment to saqlsara was reversed while he became totally confident in the law ot cause and result (rgyu

'bras). When Bon zhig went back to his master Mes sgom zhig po, the latter

told him that his signs were bad ones and that they were simply wonders ot a contrary nature. Mes sgom gave him initiations into the man<,lala of the 64 Wrathful Kings (khra rgyal) and thereafter formulated vows for his disciple. Accordingly, the signs that appeared next indicated that Bon zhig should take up ordination to work for the welfare of all beings. Afterwards, Mes sgom who w�s by then 75 years of age, showed his passing into Nirvfu:ta and an intense blessing entered Bon zhig's heart after his master's passing. For a whole month, the Clear-Light of Reality (bon nyid 'ad gsa I) shone in his mind. Bon zhig therefore penetrated his own Awareness (rig pal and he also had marvellous signs of accomplishment such as telepathy and the ability to see through solid forms and objects.

Following a former prophecy of his master, Bon zhig went to Central Tibet (dBus) to spread Bon teachings there. On his way, he had strange signs again but this time they indicated that he had brought his winds and mind under control. Near a place called gZar rna stong shod, he got rid of all limitations and showed miracles such as walking on a lake. Many people from sKyid shod assembled around him and he taught them extensively. As time went by, his experiences deepened greatly but once, as he was finishing giving instructions to a great crowd of people, a frightful woman with reddish skin appeared at the same place. She had her hair loosely tied and her eyes closed upwards like those of a bird. She handed Bon zhig a human skull tilled with honey and had him drink it after which she disappeared. Thereafter, Bon zhig was able to have power over manifestations' A karmic link he had from a previous life made him meet with a yoginl named )0 smyon rna mDog gsal rna who became his consort. Before his own death, Bla rna Lo ro (Bon zhig's previous embodiment) had foretold he would meet a <,Iakinl at the age of 25. As the master died, his disciples who had assembled around him remembered the prediction and recognized Bon zhig to be the right embodiment mentioned in the prophecy so that he was invited to sTag lung monastery. Bon zhig began to teach extensively but this aroused tl,e jealousy of the


Buddhist monks around and they tried to poison him. Some of them also

planned to kill him by means of weapons. Bon zhig gen�rated the divine

pride of the wrathful gods and engaged in a dance whIch aroused faIth

in all the people assembled there. However, the poison he had ingested

was very active and he had to follow a treatment that some d,vme woman

gave him before disappearing. . Again, a fearful naked <;Iakinl appeared riding on a dark wmd who gave

him rice and seeds. Bon zhig ate them and thereafter recovered deflmt

ively. To prevent obstacles from his entourage, his way and his practices,

Bon zhig dressed himself in white clothes and tied a bow and arrows on

his back. Thus he created the auspicious circumstances for the alleviation

of all obstacles.

THE MEETING WI'I1-1 HIS ROOT-MASTER, ZHIG PO KUN DGA'

Then, Bon zhig went back to Nyang stod, at sTag mtshal rdo sngon where his future root-master, Zhig po kun dga', lived. He prepared lots of wealth and offerings for his master and presented them to him when they finally met. Bon zhig made prostrations and requested instructions which he readily received. Thereafter he proceeded towards Bo dong bon gnas where he followed the teachings on logic of sPrul sku gShen ba. After that, gShen gyi drang srong Zhon bla requested him to preach Bon in Central Tibet again aIld Bon zhig proceeded towards the highlands of Nyi rna byang. While he was residing in the Tsing lding temple, new wonders happened, occurring as visionary experiences. At dawn, the Clear-Light pervaded his mind and he Saw the whole world and existence without any obstructions.

REVELATION OF THE ORAL TRANSMISSION

Then, while he was residing at Sa dkar monastery, a fearful black WOman with loose hair appeared to him, handing him a skull full of a boiling mixture. She ordered Bon zhig to drink it and the latter found it had several flavors with perfect taste_ After this new vision, Bon zhig obtained several signs indicating his level of realization and this culminated in a vision of Ye shes dbal mo who gave him many oral transmissions (s11yan brgyud), instructions (gdams pal and prophecies. Following this vision, Bon zhig came to experience the Great Bliss (bde chen) in his practice and obtained power over his own Awareness (rig pal. He then remained in holy and solitary places, blessed by the masters of the past, and, in order to dispel obstacles of all kinds, he intensively indulged in practice. The text here recalls that he was also a master with tantric abilities of some sort as he

.was able to bring demonic forces under his power. One day, he

had a vIsIon of all the masters of the rDzogs chen lineage from gShen


Tshad med 'od ldan down to his days' masters and, following this, his body blazed with bliss, and his speech with power, while total realization arose in his mind. At this very moment, the whole region he was residing in resounded with the A dkar sa Ie 'ad formula. Bon zhig was exhorted by Srid pa'i rgyal rna" not to spread the instructions of the Oral Transmission (snylll1 brfSlJud) to anybody and not to write them down. In another vision however, h e was authorized and encouraged by Ye shes dbal rna to reveal them to a suitable disciple and to write them down for the sake of future generations. Then, in 1183, after having extensively worked for the spread of the Bon teachings, he departed at the age of 81, showing the eternal truth of impermanence, amidst such wonderful sings as rainbows, rains of flowers, displays of lights etc.

II THE LINEAGE 0]' THE RIG I'A Gem MTHONG Apart from Bon zhig himself, the biographies of only the first four masters of the lineage are given in the Lo rgyus gsal byed (pp.14-23) and in most places these accounts are very schematic, insisting on the description of visions and accomplishments instead of pure historical facts. In any case we must admit that it was definitely not the intention of its compiler who obviously aimed at hagiographical eulogies.

1. '!(HRUL ZI-UG LOOM BUJO He was born on the slope of a mountain range near the banks of the rMa chu. His father was called 'Tshe'u dge skyabs and his mother, dBal mo mtsho, lady of the Ber clan. He was the oldest of two brothers. As a child, he knew the language of gods and gNyan deities; his senses were pure and his intelligence sharp. From the age of eleven onwards, he became a student of a master named Nyi ma rgyal mtshan with whom he trained himself in the different branches of Bon learning. He extensively indulged in tantric practices and thus had visions of his tutelary deity (yi dam).

According to the tradition recorded in this cycle, he really became proficient in tantric matters and was able to bind and subdue demons of all kinds.

At the age of 31, he heard of some of the deeds of the master gShen sgom chen po (Bon zhig khyung nag) and he was so deeply moved that tears spontaneously came to his eyes. He therefore decided to proceed to Central Tibet where the master lived in the valleys of sKyid shod. As he inquired about the precise place where the master lived he was told that gShen sgom resided on the glacier of the Sham po range. He arranged some wealth and presents and offered them to Bon zhig who told hIm:


o fortunate son of good family! 1 believe that the fact that you came up here from down there will bring happiness.

As soon as he heard the master's voice, 'Khrul zhig was penetrated by his blessings and felt full of joy. He had an experience in which he reillized the natural voidness of his mind: he tasted the flavor of Greilt Blis., (lide c/1el1) and non-duality and all of his discursive thoughts were liberated into their own state (rang sar grol).

According to this rather short biographical account preserved in the cycle, 'Khrul zhig followed the master for three years, but no date is given here. I presume that one should understand this as "he followed him for three years, until the master died" because the author, whoever he is, says that he had a vision of Bon zhig who gave him what obviously appears to be his testament. If that hypothesis is correct, this would have happened in 1183 which seems to be Bon zhig's year of death." So their meeting might have occurred in 1181l. As we saw above, 'Khrul zhig was 31 at that time, that is, according to western computations 30 years old. From this, we can infer that he was born around 1150.

'Khrul zhig Idom bu faithfully followed and diligently practiced his master's precepts; after the latter's death, he thought of proceeding to Khams (Eastern Tibet) but one morning he had a vision of Bon zhig, standing in the air, one cubit above the ground. The master appeared naked to him, in a self-arisen Body (rang 'bylll1g sku). At first, Bon zhig told him: "Well, fortunate son of good family! When your Awareness (rig pal shines forth at dawn, direct it upwards and it wil1 shine further on!" Then 'Khrul zhig prostrated and circumambulated him after which he formulated prayers and relluested further teachings. The master hence transmitted to him his last precepts and told him, as his last will:

o fortunate son of good family! This Oral Transmission through which one sees Awareness in iL'i nakedness

(slIynll rg.'J"d rig gw IIlthollg) Is the essence of surTlsjric <lnd nirVa(lic phenomena. It is the elL,>;ir of the Heart of Lineage Wisdom Holders (rig 'dzin), The blood froll) Ye shes dbal mo's heart, The lamp that dispels darkness, The hook that guides being, [therefore] Many fortunate ones plac� it in the middle of their heart!

Bon zhig gave him the final injunction to keep the Oral Transmission secret for three years and thereafter he would be authorized to put it down in writing. If we are to accept this as historical fact it undoubtedly bnngs us to the provisory conclusion that the cycle did not exist in written torm before at least 1186. After this vision, 'Khrul zhig went to Khams

BON ZHlG KHYUNG NAG 35

where he lived in solitary places. H e nevertheless had numerous disciples, both male and female, among whom the foremost was Dam pa g.yu zhig. No information i s to be found in the text regarding the year of his pass

ing away.

2. DAM PA G.YU ZHIG

Dam pa g.yu zhig was born i n a place called rTsi gang ring mo. His father was Me'o mkhar of the g.Yu clan and his mother was called sKyid ma, from the Khyung clan. From the age of nine onwards, he studied the basics of reading and writing with his uncle and he quickly became proficient in these two subjects.

From the age of fifteen onwards, his religious education took a decisive turn with his receiving of extensive initiations, as well as many tantras (in the sense of tantric practices, not tantras belonging to the system of rDzogs chen). He thoroughly studied them with great zeal and was able to experience the power of the blessing of the lineage.

When he was 21, he received some Great Perfection teachings but here the texts do not give any further precision and we have to be content with this scanty information. However, shortly afterwards, he met 'Khrul zhig Idom bu who told him that by then everybody had a doctrine that could enable one to reach ·enlightenment in a single lifetime," adding that he had one which nobody but he had received from his own master."

This obviously refers to the Rig pa geer mthong cycle through the practice of which one can reach buddhahood without meditating (ma sgam sangs rgya)." Its principle was such that the true meaning of the doctrine was conveyed in only a very few words. Its practice was described as easy and brin!,ring swift results. So the next morning, at dawn, 'Khrul zhig gave him the confrontations (ngo sprod)I' and authorized him to set them down on paper.

Due to the troubles caused by the Hor (Mongols) invasions at that time, he had to hide in the solitude of high plateaus. He finally proceeded towards rGyal rna rang and settled at the monastery of Rang stod brag nag where he "planted the seed of Bon teachings" for the welfare of beings and where he gathered many disciples, mostly yogis.

At the end of his life,16 he demonstrated his passing into Nirvalla and displayed many signs of accomplishment which were clearly witnessed by his dose disciples and other people who happened to be there.

3. ZIG PO KUN DG,\,17

Zhig po kun dga's father was Lha bon be ngan and his mother, Be ri A 'bol za. When he was around nine years old, he received instructions from his father and these became decisive in his education in so far as he came


to realize the nature of his mind while still at a very young age. Thereafter, he studied with many scholars and highly advanced yogis.

He proceeded towards rGyal mo rong in southern A mdo where h e had the opportunity to meet Dam pa g.yu zhig who was to become his root master. IX Dam pa must have recognized him as a suitable vessel in giving Zhig po the complete oral transmission of the Rig pa geer mthul1g. His accomplishments must have been of a high level because Zhig po rapidly attracted many students, both monks and lay practitioners to whom h e taught extensively, spreading the Bon teachings i n the four directions.

He travelled to Hor (presumably not Mongolia but Hor in Khams) where he found donors and he also went as far as sTod." It is recorded that atthe time of his.passing away, numerous extnlOrdinary signs occurred and that they were witnessed by all the people assembled there.

4. LDONG SGOM ZHIG po" IDong sgom was born in a place called Chu skyur klong in the eastern part of mDo smad. I-Ie belonged to the !Dong clan and more precisely to its sub-family named dBang yag. His father was called Klu bu stor yag and his mother, Kho za A bcun. He was the elder of two brothers and his first name was sMon pa rgyal21 Although still very young, his intelligence was very sharp and his knowledge bright. At the age of eight (which is indeed quite late), he mastered reading and writing.

When he reached the age of fourteen, his paternal uncle who was a dge bshes had him sent to the monastery of Khyung 'phags tshangs. This would have apparently occurred after the birth of his younger brother. At the monastery, he received ordination from Khyung 'phags rCyal bu bla ma and the abbot gZhon nu me tog who gave him the name Nam mkha' rgyal mtshan. I-Ie studied there meticulously for four years and when he reached the age of eighteen, he went to listen to the teachings of a Buddhist master." After this short Buddhist interlude, !Dong sgom went back to study with his master.

Then, when IDong sgom was 21, his guru B1a rna Khyung 'phags died and he felt so sad that he decided to go back home. Whilst proceeding towards upper Khams (mDo stod), he met up with 'Cro mgon Zhig po kun dga' becoming his disciple and for several months the latter bestowed on him all the instructions of the Oral Transmission (s/lyan brgyud) together With ancillary precepts. Thereafter, !Dong sgom practiced extensIvely �nd realized the nature of his own Awareness. He did many travels �'d pilgrImages among which some of the most important were Mount Kailash (Gangs dkar tt se), several holy places in Central Tibet (both in dBus and gTsang) and mNga' ris (Western Tibet), the temple of Lho brag mkhar chu, the Treasure site of sPa ro stag tshang in Bhutan, the


mountains of Tsa ri, Tsa gong, Yar Iha sham po, gNyan chen thang Iha, rMa chen spom ra and others. In all these places, he remained in solitary hermltnges and on his travels he took advantage of listening to many masters from whom h e received many secret instructions. Among these lamas, there were fifteen that he considered as his root-masters.

Towards the end of his life, h e attracted many disciples and on reaching the age of 83, a strange phenomenon occurred: his body rejuvenated as if h e was more or less twenty. This enabled him to reach the age of 119 at which time he passed into N" lrv3Q3 amidst extraordinary signs such as rainbows fil ling the sky.

I ll. THE GENERAL. STRUCTURE OF THE CYCLE

1. TilE ROOT REVELATION

The Rig pa geer mthong, which is also known as the Dri med Ihail skyes kyi bon (The I mmaculate and Co-emergent Teaching), is in its modern edition" divided into 32 texts, most of which deal with rDzogs chen practices and philosophy. However, according to the rJes gl1ang gsal bar gsal byed (p,35) which otherwise strictly deals with tantric matters of initiation," the whole cycle is described as comprising 21 sections, namely:

(1-3) (4-6) (7-9)

(10-12) (13-18) (19-20)

the three Clarifications (gSa I bycd);" the three Mirrors (Me long);'" the three Precepts (Man ngag);" the three Lamps (sCrnn ma);" the six Favorable Circumstances (Cha rkyen);'" the two Special Instructions (Kl1yad par gda",s pa)'u and

(21) the Treatise of Oral Transmission (sNyal1 rgyud gzlwl'lg), that is, the root text of the cycle."

2. SECONDARY TEXTS

One must add two sets of ancillary texts that are to be linked up with the above mentioned works which thus apparently constitute the basic revelation. This complementary' material is intimately related to the basic cycle as it represents the oral teachings of Bon zhig khyung nag of which one part m u st have been set down in writ'lI1g probably by one of his disciples. It also seems that some of the;;e texts (e.g., the dCongs nyams 'pill'lll gyi Ide mig) enjoyed a n oral transmission before being written down by a later practitioner of the lineage." At this stage of research, it is impossible to determine when these two sets were added to the cycle. I believe they were handed down both orally and in a certain written form, at least until the time of a master named Khyung chen rtogs Idan who gave a thorough


]) I'

d exposition of the cycle to his disciple Shes rab bzang po. n Its rna ern

publication, the available Rig pa gcer mt/lOng pubhshed by the Bonpo

settlement in India is thus in a certam respect more or less the edltlOn

compiled by Shes rab bzang po. It represents his tradition, or rather his

version and it is not impossible that other related texts could be

eventually found. Be that as it may, from the information given in the rIes

gnang mentioned above and from the rTsis byang (Text No.lO of the

secondary texts), one can admit that the basIC revelatIOn has been handed

down to our time in its entire form and that the two sets of ancillary texts

are not (l part of it.

IV THE MAIN CONTENTS Of. THE ORAL TRANSMISSION

We will not focus here on a particular text but rather we will try to give a general overview of this transmission as well as the description of particular practices which have retained our attention. So in no way does the following exposition pretend to be an overall analysis of the whole cycle-which remains to be done-but rather an introduction to its main themes.

A. LINEAGE

We will not return to this as it has been the subject of the first section of this article but it is worth noting that such texts as the Treatise of the Oral Transmission through which One sees Awareness in its Nakedness (sNyan brJ51jud rig pa geer mtilOng gi gzhung) insist on the fact that before being transmitted to Bon zhig, the cycle enjoyed a direct transmission from Kun tu bzang po, the Absolute Body (BOil sku), to some circles of Wisdom-Holders (rig 'dzil1) and accomplished masters (grub Ihob). Usually, masters of the grub thob type are considered to have been persons residing on the Emanation Body (spml sku) level, that is, they have lived on this plane of existence and not necessarily on a higher plane, at least initially. This would mean that the transmission was in a certain way handed down to men at a time prior to Bon zhig but unfortunately n o names in this lineage are given.YI So the main chain of transmission remains the one that passes from Ye shes dbal mo/Srid pa rgyal mo to Bon zhig khyung nag. The cycle is also characterized as containing teachings to be sealed, that is, hidden from unfortunate disciples whose minds are infested with wrong views (log Ita).

B. PRELIMINARIES

These preliminaries are the common practices known in nearly every cycle, be it Buddhist or Bonpo, tantric or rDzogs chen. It should nevertheless be noted that they are not specifically rDzogs chen preliminaries but

BON ZI-lIG KHYUNC NAG 39

ordinary practices that regularly open a session of practice. The first of the three preliminaries described here is a prayer to the master requesting his benedictions to free oneselt trom the samsliric flows as he himself did and to guide one to the ocean of Bliss. This is followed by the second and third preliminaries, namely the refuge (skyabs 'gm) and the generating of the Mind of Enlightenment (sems bsklfed)."

C. THE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS OF CONFRONTATIONS

The confrontations (ngo sprod), often defined here as external (pllyi), internal (nang) and secret (�sallg ba), are a much discussed theme of the cycle. They indeed form the major part of the root text (sNyan rgyud rig pa geer mtlwng gi gzhung, especially the section on ppAll-442) but the system exposed in this text is very complex and would deserve a monograph in itself or another paper. In any case, this system can be reducedand this has actually been done in other texts of the cycle-to sets of three confrontations.

1. OBJECTS, MIND ,\ND THEIR INDIFFERENTIATION

The first of these confrontations is concerned with external objects (Jut). All external forms, sounds, smells, flavors, and touchable things (reg pal are described as the primordial space of Kun tu bzang po. Thus the five elements forming our external body as well as our mind expressing our "internal form" (nang gi gzugs) constitute the Absolute Body (bon skll). All external manifestations are then expressed as Kun tu bzang po's Essence (kun 111 bzang po'; ngo bo) ·in which there has never been anything to be rejected or adopted. The same considerations apply to the other constituel1ts of our dimension such as sounds, smells, etc.

This is followed by a confrontation on the mind itself (sems), as the knower of the grasping (,dz;n mkhan). With the initial part of it based on salvific means (thabs), the disciple is asked to look at the sky while at the same time he should investigate who is this consciousness that is engaged in this sky contemplation. Thus, material causes to be contemplated upon disappear and this is defined as the Contemplation of the Enlightened One (sangs rgyas kyi dgongs pal. Then, the matter should il1troduce the last part of this confrontation based, this time, on knowledge (shes rab). The disciple is thus introduced in a direct way to his present consciousness (da

ita'i shes pal which does not differ from Enlightened Mind (byang chub

sems). This set of primary confrontations is followed by the introduction to the

non-differentiation of objects and mind (yul sems dbyer /ned). In other

contexts, this refers to the non-duality of manifestations (snal1g bn) and

mind (sems) and here this non-duality is simply designated as the


Absolute Bodv (bon sku). This is not only a matter of realizing it through

intellectual r:cognition but rather it must be a lived-through experience

that goes far beyond the limits of the mind because mind is itself p�rt of

that experience in which both subject (mll1d) and object (mamfestatIOns)

I . ]6 are lived and felt as tota umty.

2. EMPTINESS, AWAI<ENESS AND THE nmEE BODIES OF ENLIGHTENMENT

This second set of confrontations is based on the notions of Essence (ngo bo), Nature (rang bzhin) and aspects of forms (1"11am pal, the last of these triadic elements being the obvious correspondent of the more usual term CompassionlEnergy (thugs rje) used in the Upadesa-type series of rDzogs chen (Man ngag sde)."

The idea of mind's Essence (sems kyi ngo bo) is linked to Emptiness, that is, to the Absolute Body (bon sku) of Reality. To experience it, one leaves one's present consciousness (da Ita'i shes pal in a clear state in which one does not look at concepts and thoughts so that one finds one's mind in its absence of color, form, matter. and so on. So one realizes that it stands beyond any kind of limitations or elaborations (spros pal and that it cannot be designated as being this or that. One can not just show it and say this is it. So it expresses itself from a point of view in which it is never obstructed by any concept whatsoever and this is defined as its natural Clarity (gsal bal. This absence of all characteristics that could help to describe it implies that it has no limited nature of its own and so it is fundamentally empty (stong pal. Hence, in this decisive experience, one is naturally established in an even state in which Clarity and Emptiness are undifferentiated (gsa I stong dbyer med) and this is simply called "Absolute Body" (bOIl ?;I}i sku).

The mind's Nature (sems kyi rallg /1zllil1) is related to the notions of Clarity (gsal ba) and Perfect Body (rdzogs sku)" and is intimately linked with the state described above. Indeed, the experience of Emptiness felt in this state is not "unaware" of itself but in it Awareness (rig pal is spontaneously present in a luminous manner and this is defined and designated as being the Perfect Body (rdzogs sku).

In this context, the confrontation to the Emanation Body (sprul sku) and its manifold aspects (mom po du mal also appears intimately linked with the above-mentioned experience. This means that the Emptiness of mind's Essence is stimulated by a dynamism (rtsal) that acts as a multifaceted p�esence (drml

. 1'0)39 which is not obstructed in any way and which con

stItutes what IS defmed as the Emanation Body (sprul sku). Thus one is Introduced to the confrontations of one's present consciousness as the three Bodi�s of Enlightenment. Consequently, one realizes that no event, be It matenal or mental, goes beyond this tl1feefold state so that all these


events are lived through as emerging in the perfect purity of the realms B j. ·m

" of these three o( les.

D. MAIN MEDITATIONAL PRACTICES

Such confrontations belong to the level of klnegs chod type of practice, which is itself the cultivation of the Natural State (gnas lugs). This is to be stressed because the whole cycle is centered around them or implies their effective accomplishment as the necessary introductions to the main

practice.

1. THE NATURAL STATE OR BASIS (GZHl) This state is discussed here in terms of the View (Ita lin) according to which all phenomena and the whole of SaTflsara-Nirv31Ja are our mind, that is, projections of our mind in so far as it is still permanently engaged in projections. Thus, apart from mind, there is nothing which exists outside, as an external and individual thing. The text is indeed clear on this point and goes as for as saying: ""II composed phenomena of Samsara and Nirvana are our mind" ('khor ba dang my a ngan las 'das pa'i bsdus pa'i bon thams cad rang gi sems su yin no)"" but this is to be understood as "projections of our mind" since one cannot say and prove that Samsaric or Nirvar).ic is our mind but rather that our mind projects sarpsaric or nirva!Jic manifestations and apprehends them as such. Mind's utter Essence is in reality free from such elaborations: it displays itself as a pure Clarity and can only be compared to the limitless sky. In so far as one does not have h-vo or three minds in oneself, this very mind, which can thus be equalled with the Universal Basis (kun gzhi), is our present consciousness (da Ita shes pal expressed as a pure Emptiness cum Clarity (stong gsal), free from all grasping, luminous and devoid of any concepts whatsoever. As the sky, it does not fall into partial and individual distinctions nor is it produced by primary or secondary causes (rgtJu and rkyen). It presents itself as a natural dynamism without obstructions and this is known as the "Contemplation of the Enlightened One" (sangs rgyas kyi dgongs pal

which was discussed above i n the first set of confrontations" When such a state is realized, one has simply attained liberation: one's Awareness has been mastered so that one has experienced it as immovable. Such an experience is called the Instantaneous Freedom in/of the Natural State

(gnas lugs skad gcig la ;'701).""

2. AWARENESS (RIG PAl This experience is further defined as the Absolute Body which is itself styled as unborn (skve med), free from elaborations (spros bra I) and so on. It is the non-dual iived-through experience of Clarity and Emptiness


which constitutes the Absolute Space (boJ1 dbyiJ1gs) in which the display of the five Wisdoms (ye shes) occurs. Now, one should try to clarify the nature of this Space and that of these Wisdoms, keeping in mind their fundamental non-duality:" Space acts on the side or level of the Universal Basis (kllJ1 gzili) which one could style as the object while Wisdom operates on the subject side, that is Awareness (rig pal. In allegorical examples, they are respectively compared to the sky and the sun with their natural unity always stressed. In this perspective, they are the Single Circle of our mind (sems thig Ie ,.,yag gcig), defined as such because the Essence o f Our mind is lived as a unity which does not, on this Essence (rlgo bo) level, know the fragmentation of diversity. It is the Unborn (skye med) which stands above such fragmentalion while at the same time it displays in its dynamism a multi-leveled spread that comes out of this Unborn:l.; It nevertheless remains in the state of the mirror, not altered by any of its reflections.

This double experience of Space (dbyirlgs) and Awareness (rig pal has given rise to the key concept of dbyings rig in rDzogs chen thought.'" Several such definitions are given in a row in the Lamp of the Experie/1ce Of View and Meditation:

What is called Space is Emptiness and What is called Awareness is its Clarity aspect. Or, "Space" is the Unborn while II Awareness" is without obstruction. Again, "Space" is the Expanse and "t\wnrL'ness" is the sky:17

Neither Space nOr Awareness are the objects of such thoughts as "Now, am engaged ill meditation" because they do not pertain to the dual

notions of an object to be meditated upon ('gam bya) and the action of meditation (sgol11 l!lled). They reflect a pure experience of the natural state, limpid as the sky without clouds, and mirror without rust or a lake without waves:IH

Texts such as the Clarifications on the Oral Transmission (sNyan rgylld gsal bnr gsnl byed, (pp.39 seq.) expose different types of methods to bring one to the knowledge of this natural state of Awareness (rig pal. According to one such method, the disciple should fix a white letter A and concentrate upon it during several meditation sessions for a duration of two or three days, until signs occur." If no sign appears, he should divide his sessions 111 the tollowing way: in the morning session, he will keep the white A as the support ot meditation while in the afternoon he should engage in co�'templatlOn on .the form of the master (bin ma'i sku gzugs); the evening seSSlOn should be dedIcated to the contemplation of butter lamps (mnr me)


and this last exercise anticipates practices such as tiw£! rgal. Other methods \vould imply the chanting of such syllables as I-him, 1-11';' A and OllI," practices which clearly recall the usual exercises of fixing the mind (SOilS

'dzin) the aim of which is actually the same, that is, entering the state of contemplation.

3. SKY GAZING PRACTICE

As for the section on confrontations described above, the text proposes several methods for entering and remaining in cuntemplation_ Some of them are rather simple ones-not simplistic. They involve such notions as freedom from effort ('bad rlsal med pal and do not demand difficult yogic exercises. Thus, according to the Clarifications Oil tlze Oral Transmission (pp.44-4S), to enter the state of evenness, one should sit in the crosslegged posture with the back straight and visualize one's body as a god. Then, using the Gaze of the Eternal Mind-Hero (g.yung dnmg scms dpa'i ita stangs) directed towards the sky above oneself, one should simply let the eyes look unblinkingly into the sky and remain in a state of utter clarity, devoid of any distraction or thought whatsoever. If one does not get distracted during this contempl ation, then One will have the experience of Clarity and Emptiness (gsal stong), that is of the Self-arisen Wisdom (rang 'byung ye shes).

As soon as this Wisdom of Clarity and Emptiness occurs, one should remain free from distractions and, whatever one does at this time, contemplate everything through the natural nakedness of one's Awareness. Thus one does not become the prey to feelings and events which are all purified into one's unborn essence. Consequently, one should be able to easily integrate this state with the actions of one's three doors (body, speech and mind).

In the text entitled Precepts for the experiences of View and Meditation (ITa sgam nyams kyi man ngag),51 this practice is defined as "stabilizing with the Peaceful Gaze what was not stabilized" (ziti ba'i ita stangs kyis mi gnas pa grlas par byed pal. It is combined with an exercise styled "progressing with the Wrathful Gaze in the experience of calm free from intellect" kIm) bo lIa stangs kyis gnas pa'i nyams blo bral du 'bog 'don pal. Its method is not really different from the previous one but it differs in its main aim. Indeed, once one has obtained the experience of calm (gnas pal as described in the Peaceful Gaze technigue, one should destroy (bshig pal it to enter a state devoid of such dual notions as an object to be meditated upon (the calm state) and the action of meditating (the method itself): this definitely generates an experience which is naturally born without depending on the mind. In short, the Peaceful Gaze produces an experience of calm that enables the yogi to get rid of gross discursiveness whereas with the


Wrathful Gaze, this experience i s destroyed so that h e gets rid of subtle

thoughts and attachment to experience and theirco�related manifestations.

Finally, he is established i n an unartificial absorptIOn WhICh he cultIvates

without effort and integrates easily so that he lIberates for himself al l

phenomena into their absence of foundation (bon llimns cad Whi med dll

grol)."

4. CLEAR-LIGHT ('00 CSIlL) As one progresses ill these practices and becomes familiar with them, one will be confronted with the emergence of the Clear-Light which is said to be of three types: natural Clear-Light (rang bzhin 'od gsaI), Clear-Light of the consciousness (shes pa'i 'od gsaI) and Clear-Light of the subtle channels (rtsa'i 'od gsaI).

The first concerns the visionary experience and all natural manifestations (or one's own manifestations, rang snang) which are devoid of individual nature. It consists of an external Clarity (phyi gsaI) and an i nternal one (nang gsaI), collectively designated as Pel lucidity (zang thaI).

Ihe Clear-Light of consciousness is compared to the moon shining during the night or to sitting under a tent made of white cotton. When it emerges, one does not distinguish any longer between day and night and everything felt through its brilliance and luminosity. Even one's body and i nternal constituents (elements and organs) are perceived as luminous and such phenomena are eventually accompanied by the emergence of fore-knowledge such as knowing the future birth of beings or other people's thoughts.

The Clear-Light of the channels is produced by the inner glow (mdangs) of the five Wisdom shining in the Empty-White-and-Soft Nerve (dkar 'jam klwg I'a stong I'a'i 'tsa) although until its awakening by the practice, this Clear-Ijght I'emains i nvisible and obscured by the body's karmi c impregnations. It is thus described as J butter lamp placed in a sealed vase which will shine forth due to certain circumstances (rkyell): it will spread forth when practices of the above-described type are accomplished or when the time for the separation of body and mind happens. At these moments, one's Awareness (rig pal is displayed as lights shining i n the sky but i f these become objects of attachment, one will wander i n Samsara i ndefinitely. Indeed, these visionary and luminous experiences ar� not some kind of wonders produced by someone or something else: they are the outward glow (�dangs) of our own Awareness and are to be identified as our own manifestations (nmg snang). When this is lived i n experience, the power of the karmic winds (las kyi rIling) is broken and one exper';onces the dlssolvll1g of Clarity into Clarity (�saI bn In gsaI ba thim), of Emptll1ess into Emptiness (stong I'a Ia stong I'a thim) so that one's


Awareness is definitively "conquered" (zin) and that the Bardo cities (bar do'i grong kllyer) are sealed, that is closed for us."

E. SECONDARY P[(ACT1CES According to the text entitled The Mirror of the key points of enhancement

into practice (Bog 'don gnad kyi ine long) (pp.51-91), there are special methods to be applied when none of the experiences of Void, Bliss or Clarity (bde gsal Ini rtog pal have been felt by the practitioner. Some of these methods are concerned with prayers directed to the master (pp.52-58) or the development of compassion towards sentient beings (pp.5S-61). More yogic-oriented methods involve practices like the inner heat (gtum 1110, pp.61-63) although it is not named as such. According to two sentences credited to an anonymous source which might have been Bon zhig himself, it is said on this subject (p.61):

When winds and mlnd (rhmg scms) enter the central channel, the special experiences of Bliss (bde), Clarity (gsaJ) and Non�discursiveness ('mf rlog ]'0) arise in the continuum. So it is said that when \vinds and mind enter this ccntrul channel, this is called "contemplating Awareness concretely" (rig pn mngon riu Ita).

This practice involves the visualization of the subtle body system of channels (rlsa), bindus (Illig Ie) and wheels ('khor 10). It is conducted as it is usually done in other cycles, with the visualization of the syllable A and HAM respectively in the navel and head cakras. A fire blazes from the A syllable and burns the letter HAM, making it melt down in drops. The prd�lQ exercise that accompanies this visualization requires pressing down the upper wind (steng riling) while pulling up the lower one ('og rhl11g). In this manner, all the winds enter the central channel, thereby generating the triple experience of Void, Bliss and Clarity.'·' As is indicated in the title of the text and its contents, such practices are mainly aimed at "progressing" (bog 'don pal, that is, achieving some kind of experience that has not been obtained through the usual practice. To practices of this kind, one should add the very lengthy text called "Precepts for the visualization of illnesses and demons" (Nad gdon dmigs pa'i mal1 I1gag), (pp.nS-l72) in which illnesses are defined as caused by ignorance (rna rig pal. The arising of this ignorance sets off the display of all passions which act as active secondary causes to all kind of illnesses. This detailed exposition is followed by special yogic means aimed at curing specific illnesses. Again, these exercises are accomplished as secondary yogic methods and are not to be confused with what is the aim of the main practice, that is, Enlightenment, not simply good health or the display of magical tricks.


F. BAlmO TEACHINGS AND Ti lE PRACTICE OF TRANSfER ( 'PliO BA)

1 . CONFJ(ONTAI'JCJNS WITH SOUNDS, LIGHTS AND RAYS

The teachings on the intermediate state (bar do) do not necessarily de�: only with after-death but also with exeroses to be done 111 thIS bfe:

Indeed, the cycle describes six types of intermediate states: 1) the Inter

mediate state of natural existence (rang bzhin gnas kyl bar do), 2) the Inter

mediate state of absorption (ting nge 'dzin gyi bar do), 3) the intermediate

state of dreams (nni lam gyi bar do), 4) the intermediate state of life and

death (sklje shi'i bar do), 5) the intermediate state of Clear-Light of Reality

(bon nyii 'od gsal gyi bar do) and 6) the intermediate state of becoming (srid

pn bar do)."

In fact, the teachings on these states are divided into practices accomplished during this life, practice.s done at the time of death and practices to be done in the after-death states. The first ones are concerned with experience and integration of Awareness (rig po) while the second ones are a continuation of the first. This practically means that one should remain in the cross-legged posture with the eyes staring at the sky, leaving the mind in its natural state of Clarity (gsal ba), without clinging to any thought whatsoever. Then, when the breath naturally stops with the end of this life, one will be able to enter the bardo of Clear-Light of Reality (bon nyid 'od gsal bar do). This is a period in which the non-discursive Wisdom (rtog med ye shes) instantaneously appears to all beings. At the time it is possible to identify this state as the Absolute Body (bon sku), Awareness (rig pal and Emptiness-Clarity (stong gsal). On an experiential level, it is fel t as the sun shining in a sky free from all clouds a n d its

recognizing constitutes fl"1l buddhahood (mngrJrl sangs "grias). Exercises for yogis of medium capacities involve a btlsic system of three

confrontations (ngo 'prod) which I shall describe here in broad outline. First one has to realize the il lusory nature of appearances and to consider them as dreams (rmi lam), that is as illusions with no reality of their own. In this manner one is freed from all grasping and dual perceptions of subject and object. This initial confrontation is followed by another one aiming at the recognition of sounds (sgra), lights ('od) and rays (zer)-the basic manifestations to which any appearance can be brought back-as one's own natural manifestations (rang silang). The yogi is thus invited to press the eyes and to contemplate the displays of fivefold lights and colours which are indeed the visionary experiences and appearing at the time of death. In this manner, he is directly confronted with these visions as his own manifestations (rang snang) and he can therefore recognize them for what they are when they appear to him at the time of death. The pressing of the eyes is the means used for both confrontations to lights ('od) and rays (zer). For sounds (sgra), obviously, the ears will be pressed


so that the yogi wi l l hear his natural sound the same sound he will hear in the bardo of deilth:"

2. CONl'IWNT,\TION TO Ti lE NATURE OF T[-J I, MIND

I f one does not know the natural state of one's m ind, one will not be able to experience the Self-arisen Wisdom as described in the above-mentioned practices." This s imply means that one sti l l does not di ffe,-entiate mind (sems)-the process of fragmentMion of our unitary nature or the continual discursive thought process-from the nature of the mind or mind itself (sem5 11l/id). The former, with its ever-flowing deluded conceptions and analysis, differs from Mind i tself i n 50 far as the latter is pure from the very begi n n i ng, u nbo'rn, that is, not produced from causes or conditions, displayed in such a way that it embraces the whole of Sam"lra and Nirvana. I n texts and in the oral transmission, it can be called several names which are a l l synonymous; among the most frequently used are "Universal Basis of Primeval Enl ightenment" (ye sangs rb�/as pll 'i kun gzhi) "Natural Stilte of the Cre"t Vehicle" (tlleg pa cllen I'o'i gnas lugs)," "Selfarisen Wisdom" (rang 'byungye shes), "Essence of one's natural Awareness" (I'Img rig pa 'i nga bo), "Emptiness-c1l11l-Clarity" (stong gsal), "Absolute Body" (bon sku), etc.'o

Its sanctuary is situated i n one's heart (tsi tn)," described here in rDzogs chen context as the Carnel iiln Brown Tent (mchong sur smug po) which is external ly shaped l i ke a triangle and internally as a square.'" It i s traversed by the crystal- l i ke vital-nerve (smg rtsa) which divides itself i n the head into two branches that open through the eyes. I t is explicitly defined as a channel that l inks the heart to the eyes (mig dang snying du 'brei ba'i rtsa)"' and i t is the same as the Empty-White-and-Soft Nerve (dkar 'jam khog pa stong pa'i rtsa) mentioned e"rlier i n tllis paper. I t is in this s"nctuary that ones Awareness resides, "expressed as the nature of the Enlightened Mind's deep blue light" (byang chub kyi sems 'od mtlling nag gi rang bzlzin dll gnas so)'" and endowed wi th four characteristics: Emptiness (stong pal, Clarity (gsa I bal, Bliss (bde ba), and Non-discursiveness (mi rlog pal. As such i t is called with specific terms such as "Immaculate Body" (dri lila med pa'i sku) o r "Mind, the self-arisen gShen Cod White Light" (sans rang 'byung gi gslzel1 llza 'od dkar). So, once this confront"tion has been given by the m aster a n d after one has truly realized it as one's own Aw"reness (ral1g rig) expressed as Kun tu bzang po, if one practices it so as to i n tegrate i t definitively, one wi l l not pass through the intermediate states of death ilnd w i l l achieve perfect buddhahood in this very l ife. Hence, a l l deluded m a nifestations wi l l naturally appear as the display of the five Wisdom a n d sounds, l ights and rays wi l l be perceived as one's own natural sounds, l ights and rays."


3. PRACTICES AT THE TIME Of DEATH. There exist many signs indicating the imminence of death ( 'chi rtags)"" but one of the characteristics of this cycle is to present them in a fivefold manner. The first one is styled in an allegorical way as "the break of Sun and Moon's light circles" (nyi zla 'od dkor Ilyams pal: this refers to the pressure exerted on the eyes, that is, if one does not see the lights produced by such pressure, either upwards, downwards or on the sIdes of the eyes, this is a definite death sign. The second is called "the interrupted eternal sound" (g.yung drung gi sgra chad pal: if one no longer hears the sound resulting from the pressure on the ears, this indicates imminent death. The third is entitled "break between the Tibetan and Indian translators" (rgya bod kyi 10 tswa chad pal, that is, if the volume of one's tongue diminishes and one cannot talk anymore, this is a sign indicating death. The fourth is styled "to fall down near a fruit tree" (rtsi shing dnmg nas 'gye/ ba), that is if the hair of one's body and head remain smoothed down, this is a sign of death. The fifth and last sign is described as "ap

peasing strength with constellations" (?rgyll skar gyi ngar zhi ba),"' that is, if one no longer feels one's own body even by touching it, this indicates definite death. These signs are to be checked up from time to time and must be investigated after the receiving of instructions and confrontations.6S

If some of these signs are inevitable, two modes of dissolution of manifestations will occur. First, the objects of our perceptions will dissolve into each other in the following manner. Form (gzugs) will dissolve into sound (sgm), that is� one will not see far-away things and some of our own sensations will not be felt anymore. Then sound will dissolve into smell (dri) so that one will not hear them any longer. One after the other, all our perceptions stop and smell dissolves into flavour (ro) and flavour into tactile perception (reg pal. Following an analogous pattern, our internal eJements-e<lrth, water, etc.-dissolve gradually into one another until air (rlung) dissolves into consciousness (mam shes), thus producing the ultimate and definitive interruption of breath .'" The experience that follows is known as the separation of body and mind and it is accompanied by different kinds of visions, depending on the individual. Some will for example have the impreosion of a rain of blood sensation which is due to the power or dynamism (rlsal) of passions and poisons.

For the excellent practitioner (rnb), when the mind separates from the body, Awareness (rig pal enters the White-and-soft Nerve and is elevated by the Wisdom wind lve shes kyi rlung). It then travels through this nerve untll lt reaches the upper end of the nerve where it will shoot forth from the Brahma-opening at the summit of the head. According to the capacitIes of the practitioner, it can also go further in the nerve and shine forth

BON Zf-IIG KHYUNG NAG 49

through the eyes .'o Actually, it means that if one has been confronted with one's own Awareness (rang rig) and if the realization of i t is effective, one can gain buddhahood at the time of death and one will not enter the different after-death states .'1

After the burst of Awareness through the eyes, yogis of mediulll capacities will enter the i n termediate state of Clear-light ( 'od gsal gyi bar do) which is characterized by the display of colourful lights and rainbows. [I' they have become fam i l i ar with such visionary experiences d u ring their life, they w i l l encounter no impediment to recognize them as the display of their own Awareness and will thus be liberated. The practi tioner of lower capacities and ordinary beings wil! be projected in the intermediate states by the power of their past actions and the Clear-Light of the first after-death state w i l l last only for a very short time. However, this moment can be the opportun i ty for them to apply the instructions on the transfer ( 'ph a ba) i n to this C lear-Light.

4. SPECIAL PRACTICE OJ; TI JE TI(ANSFE1( So, once the breath has stopped, one is confronted wilh the Clear-Light of Reality (ball nyid 'ad gsal), that is to say, a period when visions of the Clear-Light afe displayed a n d which is known as the moment when the dynamism of sounds, l ight and rays is perfected (sgm 'oei zer SSt/III gyi rlsai rdzogs pa'i dus). At that time, someone should approach the ear of the dying person and explain to him that these visions do not come from the outside or from somethi�g else: they are his own manifestations (rang snang) and they are displaying the Space of Reality (bun IIyid dbyiilgs). So, the person is invited to go toward these visions and to enler the great Clear-Light ( 'od gsal chen po). For those who have done m uch tantric practice during their life, the rays wil! appear as the Blissful Ones' Body (bder gshegs !.yi sk!l), sound as their Speech (gSlli1g) and the fivefold l ights as their Mind (thugs).

The practitioner of greater abilities will accomplish a transfer styled "withou t attributes" (mts]1i11l med kyi 'plio {",) whereas the ones just described were "with attribu tes" (mtslian bcas). According to this method, one should sit i n the usual meditation posture ancl leave the eyes fixed on the sky. Then, one should leave the upper wind in its known place while pulling up the lower one Cog rilmg), thus enabling one's Awareness to burst out from the s u m m i t of one's head. One will hence remain in a state described as "the lake or a lamp not disturbed by the wind." One's Awareness wi l l thus be naturally established on the Base (gzhi), that is, One wil l have reached Kun tu bzang po's level of realization and will no longer take rebirth n


At this stage a realization, the Basis (gzhi), the Way (lam) and Fruit ('bras bu) are perfected as an utter unity (the Single Circle, thig Ie nyag gcig) which is full buddhahood. In rDzogs chen thought, this i s not something that is produced by causes but this is rather a whole process which is based on self-liberation (rang gral) and specific practices. The most important things remain the knowledge of the natural state (gnas lugs) and the way i t presents itself in visionary and luminous experiences. In the present cycle, the given instructions clearly belong to the khregs chod type as well as confrontation (ngo sprod) to this state. It is around this main body of practice that the cycle is constructed. As a whole it appears composed of coherent and inter-related works-often referring to one another or borrowing whole passages from each other-which can be characterized as devoid of any ritualistic tantric element. In a certain way, the absence of explicit ti10d rgal practices might have caused it to be overlooked when compared to other oral transmission-type of works such as the Zhang zhung snyan rgyud or Treasures cycle (gter mal like the rDzags chen gser b�/i yang zhun of bsTan gnyis gling pa but its still l iving tradition proves the effectiveness and popularity it enjoyed in Bon po circles from the 12th century onwards. Indeed, it contains some of the clearest exposition of khregs chod instructions and related methods that somehow stands between Emptiness (stong pa, khregs chod) and Clarity (gsal ba, thad rgal) practices.

Notes "I. The information given in Karmay's Treasury of Good Sayings on this personage

(pp.]68-]69) is of little interest for our present study. In this book, Shar rdza rill. po che contented himself with a very short notice on Bon zhig and so is the one conlutncd in sPa bsTan rgyal bzang po's bsTan pa'i rnam bshad dar 'xyas gsal ua·i sgll'" me (pp.l97-198). This latter source has simply the following information: "Srid I pa'i] rgyal I mo] gave prophecies to Bon zhig khyung nag Iwho! transmitted the cycle of the Dr" med IIlan skyes to 'KhruJ zhig Idam bu Ifrom whom! it was [ then! diffused" (bon zhig khyUllg 11ag la grid rgyal gyis lung llslan pal dri med Ihm! skyes kyi skor! 'khrul zhig Idam bu Ia brgyud de dar ro). As we shall sec, the Dn med [han skycs is another name of the Rig pa geer "'thong cycle.

2. This hagiographical lext is part of a triad of works known as the "three Clarifications" (gsal byed gSIlW; See below n.20 for their references). It was apparentl� writt�n by a� unnamed disciple of IDong sgom zhig po, the last one mentlOned in the lme of patriarchs. This probably puts it in the last dec�des of the :3th century. On the other hand, 110 element prevents its havmg been wntten much later though the omission of later masters would be surprising.


3. He is also known as gShen sgam zhig po (rNam Ihar, p.368). 4. There is conflicting information around this incarnation and these can be

resumed to two lineages which are in fael given together at the end of the Khyad par gdams po Ishig bzhi pa'i skor nges don bka' rgya ma (pp.487 -488). These lineages do not have any masters in common apart from Bon zhig himself and I thus presume that they evolved from two distinct traditions. Inleresting enough are the names of the eighth century Buddhist translator Vairocana (which is not indeed a surprise) and Dam pa rgya gar, that iSt Pha dam pa sangs rgyas (the celebrated master of the Zhi byed system who died around 1 1 17) whose d ates hardly fit with those of Bon zhig (l J03-1183). If this colophon is not simply an incidental addition existing only in this version of the eyele, it shows that these lineages Were arranged at a later stage of the compilation of the cycle. Anyhow, on pp.487-488 we read: it is said that "this precious master, gShen sgom, was an emanation of the Blissful ones and that he came for the welfare of beings," so this proves he was a true buddha. In this prophecy, Sad ne ga'u predicted: "[You will be) said to be an emanation of Khe nan yo phya, that is: you Khye'u nan tsho, the emanated one, you will be called dMu tsha gyer med (the text has erroneously Gyer mi nyi 'od who comes afterwards). Then, you will transmigrate from this birth and will be known as Vairocana (Bhe ro tsa na). Thereafter, you will be Gyer mi nyi 'od. Then, in the region of mOo smad, you shall appear under the name of 'Phags pa drung mu. Then in the central region of Tibet (dBus), you will appear as gShen sgom zhig po (Bon zhig khyung nag) and you will complete the welfare of beings with a teaching that has no limits," Then, the compiler of this colophon juxtaposed another set of prophecies that provides conflicting data with the one translated above: "sPa thog Ise said: Then I will transmigrate from this hfe and the lineage of the place of rKong rings will be broken. Then I will become Ya Ise rgyal po and thereafter I will have the name of Dam pa rgya gar. Then, I will be La ro ras pa (this is evidently the same personage as La ro zhig po). Then I will have the name Bon zhig khyung nag and [finally) I will appear in the central region of Tibet where I will complete my wish of working for the welfare of beings under the name of Don Idan smad gshen." (bla Inn rin po ehe gshen sgom 'di nil bder gshegs spTul po 'gro ba'i dan 10 byanl ees songs rgyas dngos yin cingl lung bslan sad ne ga 'lI zhal nasi khe nan yo phya'i sprul po gsung slel spml po'! khye'u nan Isho khyod/ dmu

Isha gyer mi nyi 'od zhes kyong byal 'di nas skyes po phas gyur )lnsl bhe ra Iso no bya bar byung/ de nas gyer nyi 'od dol de nos mdo smad khams su yang/ phag pa

drung mu mlshan du 'byungl de nos bod yul dbus Sll yangl gshe/l sgam zhig po bya

bar byung/ dpag med bslan pa'i 'gro don rdzags ees dangl spa Ihog Ise'i zhal nasi

bdag ni 'di nos skye pa 'pho 'gyur nil rkong rings gnas kyi brgyud bead/ de nos yo

Ise rgyal por gyurl de nas dam pa rgya gar mlshanl de nos 10 ru ,-as pa'ol de nas bon

zhig khyung nag mlshan/ de nas bod yul dbus riu 'byungl mlshan ni don Idan smad

gshenl 'gro don Ihugs kyis rdzogs mdZ11d do/) 5. A biography of this master is to be found in Sources for a Hislory of Ron,

pp.390-437.


6. DnJd rIngs arc generally signs indicating that the practice \vas ,·vel! conducted,

resulting irl ,1 kind of mystic heal (elrod) accompanied by various kind of

i()rcknowledge. 7. Gmil pn. This simply means in this context that he received the transmission

i mm the guddess. 8. This mC<lllS lhat he received some siddhi Ih<.lt enabled him lo rule (:'h�menlal

forces such as wind, fire etc., ,15 wel! a.s to change l<:mgiblc manifestations and i:lppCari:lnccs (snnllg 1m). In l<lrgcr context, this <'1 Iso mC'.H1S he had power over his own manifestalions (raug Sllfl1lg) iJnd was able to see them i n their real 11alurc.

9. "Queen of Existence," She is the guardian deity of this cycle and plays a role par;:111cl to EkaFlli in the rDzogs chen of the rNying ma pa. Different iorms of Srid pa'i rgyol InO ,He knmvn to be special guardians of specific rDzogs chen cycles such as the Tshe dbnng vod yllJ ma or the rDzogs chen gsa thur, both di:;covered by Bon zhig g.yung drung gling pa (on lhE.> dates of this gter slim, sec Kvzcrne 1997, n.109, 144; Kmmay, The Great Peljectio/1, (p.219, n.9). On Srid pil'i rgyal mOt see also Lopon Tenzin Namdak, Heart Drops of Dhannnkaya, p.1 55.

1D. This personage is the 'same as the one mentioned <.Ibovc in n . l under the name 'Khrul zhig Idanl' bll.

1 1 . Sec Kannay, A C(lfalogw! of Bon po PuvIicntiol1s, p,110. The only informcllion regarding Bon zhig khyllng nag in Nyi rna bsl<'111 'dzin's bsTnn rtsis is the year he was born (Water Sheep year), n03j sec P. Kvcerne, "A Chronological Lable of Lhe Bon po," p.230 (§91).

12. This incidental passage shows thut $l\ch teachings were already widely spread at that lime. rDzogs chen is commonly considered as a doctrine thal liLx�ri.lll:'s in one liic.

B, This suggesls that the lranslnission \".'as of the gcig brgyud type, i.e" hunded down [min one' master to one disciple only,

[4. This is also a common chamctcristic of rDzogs chen teachings but it can <1\$0 <Ipply to cert<:lin tantric prdctices such as the transference of consciollsness ('plIO un).

15. On this theme see abovl.! section IV.C. l6, No age nor Cb.1 lc arc given. 17. [\101 to be confused with Bon zhig's own rool mast0r whom we saw earlier

in Bon zhig's biography. ] 8. i l WilS he who gave the btter the nnme of Zhig po kun dga' (Lo rgyus gsal

I>ycd, p.20). 19. Region situated 10 the south-west of gTsang. We must remember that his

tn,-lin scat seems to have been rGyal InO rong in the south-east part of A rndo. 20. Further biogl'aphical dat,l regarding this master e<.m be found in the Dong

1I!{)�lg gIll' :';511111 gyi nlfllll thm' included in Sources j{)f History of Bon, pp.458-472 21. 1 hiS rather slrange n,HllC, that can be translated as "Victorious Wish," leads

me to think that his parents had problems having children and that, as usual, the), llirned to a lam.a to help them. If he accepted to do rituals, he must


have lold lhem to form ulaic 'wishes (s/1/oll /mn 'debs pa) <Jnd when i t worked,

they gave their first child the name uf VicLorious Wish. 22. The text is here rather e l l iptical with its recording that "he listened to Buddh

ist docLrines (cJws) in presence of Bhl ma chos rgyill, residing in the rGyJ cou n try" (bla ma chos rgyal rgya ylil dIll bzll1lgs pa'i spyaH sngar cfws ".11(<11 hyflS) This could definitely have been a Sa skya pa bJa ma l iving in Ch ina ,uld ii We hdcl [Dong sgom's Jal'�1 th is could cvc:'J1 have been 'Crn mg-on 'Phags pa (1235-1280) but this is simply Spccul<1lion cl llhough thL' t i l k.' clJOs rgyal cOllld be an indication of some sort.

23. Tibetan Bonpo Monastic Centre, Delhi, 1972.

24. See the following notes for references. 25. J) Yid elU?5 bla ma brgyud pa'i 10 rglflls gsal l'yer! (pp.7-24), 2) rJes gnallg gsal bar

gsal byed (pp.25-35) and (3) sNyan brglflld gsal I'ar gsal bycd (pp.37-50). 26. 4) Bog 'don gnar! kyi me lang (pp.51-91), 5) rTsal sbyong gnad bji me long (pp.93-

J(6) and 6) Lam khycr gnarl kyi lI1e long (pp.107-1l3). 27. 7) Nod gdon dmigs pa'i man IIgag (pp.1 15-172), 8) ITa sg"m IIymns kyi 7IInn IIgng

(pp. 173-182) and 9) La bzla "'klTa' 'gro'i man ngag (pp.183-]90).

28. 10) ITa sgom nyam kyis sgroll ma (pp.191-214), l l) Bar d" rillS klji sgon 111e

(pp.215-244) and J2) 'Ph" /In gnad kyi lIIa11 ngag (pp.245-257).

29. I:J) bsTan pn gllas kyi clio rkyen (pp 259-270), 14) 'Grags pa grogs kyi dw rkyen (pp.271-280), 15) Phllng po rgyll iji el10 rkyen (pp.281-285), 16) bOe dror! gos kyi eha rkyen (pp.287-292), 17) 'IsllO ba zas kyi cha rkycn (pp.293-324) and 18) Will khHCI' dkar po gsum sbyo1' (pp.325-334). This last texl is also knmvn as the Grub po lam gyi eha rkyC11 (see the Lhan skyes ban gyi rlsis llljang, pp571).

30. 19) Kllyad par gdams pa tShig bzhi pa'i skor nges don bien' rglJa 1110 (pp.469-488) and 20) Kityad par gyi gda",s po tshig bzhi pa'i skor (pp.48�-524). AClually only one is mentioned in the rles gnnng gsnI hycd but \,>'ithout one of these two, the n u mber of texts would not be com plete.

31. 21) sNyan rgyud rig po xcer 1I1t1wng gi gzlnmg (pp.405-451J). 32. The first set of secondary texts is made up of the follmving wurks: 1) sNyrm

l'Xyud S17gO/! 'gro gSIl1l/ gyi yig chung (pp.33S-349); 2) dGolIgs lIyrl1l1S 'pflnlf ,r.,ryi Me

IIII�'{ (pp.351-358); 3) Kind don gsum gyi .'liS cJI11l1S (pp.359-365); 4) ilon zllig

kllyUllg nag gi lTln/ll tliar (pp.J67-385); 5) NglI sprod �Siml gyi yig elllmg (pp.:J87-

395) ,md 6) Scms 'dzin gS1!l1l glfi yig chullg (pp.397-403). The second set is

constituted by: 7) g51lCI1 sgom tlings kyi nlfillg kllll (pp.4.o]-467); 8) sNyml rg1flld dl.ang gi yig chung (pp.52S-530); 9) sNy"" ',,\,}ud dlmng gi .'Iig elmng gsal l'1fcd I/Ie

long (pp.531-570); 10) Uml1 skyes l'un gyi rlsis bya"g (pp.57J -572) ami 11) On

/lied Ilion skyes kyi 'chad tital,s (pp.573-574). The last two were apparently added

bler to the cycle; n.l0 is u l ist of contents l..vhile n.n concerns the methods

necessary to expose the cycle. 33. Umn. skyes bon gyi rtsis ['yang (n.10), p.572. Up to 1100'V, [ have not found any

biographical datu on these two masters in the sources at my disposal. They m ig ht be found in sources I have not consulted.

34. VVe ,He: 10 believe thal the lrl.ln.smission was given orally. 35. sNynn r,\ryud rig pn geer mtfumg gi gzlllmgr pAD8. In lhe sNynn r�Ylld gsa! bar

bycrt pn'i gsal /J.IJcd, (p.38), such prac tices are said to be done dUring a whole


month. Variations on the preliminaries can be found in the sNyan rgyud sllgon 'gro gsum gyi yig chung (pp.335-349) where they are divided in the following manner: a first section is devoted to the instructions on the generation of Enlightened Mind and Refuge (sems bskyed skyab 'gro'i khrid); the second one deals with the recitation and meditation on the tutelary deity 0Ji dam sgom bzlas kyi khrid) while the third which is the longest one is concerned with the instructions on the prayers to the master and offering of the maDc;lala

(manqala gsal 'debs kyi khrid). 36. sNyan r!S'Jud rig pa geer rnthong gi gzhung, pp.411-413. A detailed explanation

of these confrontations is given in the Ngo sprod gsum gyi yig chung (pp.387-393). They are clearly styled

'respectively as external (pp.388-390) and secret

confrontations (pp.393�395). The treatment given in this small text is aimed at clarifying the allusive style used in the root-text. Although it is not named as such, it obviously stands for a commentary on this part.

37. In the Man ngag sde, Essence, Nature and Compassion are common features but this may not necessarily be the case with Sems sde for example, Thus, in the Kun byed rgyal po, Essence and Nature have exchanged places as well as semantic fields, The three facets of Essence, Nature and their non-differentiation (dbyer med) are also quite common in oral transmissions, The change of the last component (Compassion for non-differentiation) might come from potential mistakes one might make in interpreting the term thugs rje and including in its field notions which do not belong to it in rDzogs chen contexts.

38. This is the same as the Body of Perfect Rapture (longs spyod rdzogs pa'i sku) corresponding to the Sanskrit Sambhogakiiya. The Bon tradition uses both expressions indifferently.

39. On the true meaning of this term in rDzogs chen context, see Namkhai Norbu, Crystal and the Way of Ligflt, pp.138-152. See also M. Kapstein, "The Amnesic Monarch and the Five Mnemic Men," although the translation of drnn pn in this article might be guite misleading. It is nevertheless clear that dmn pn in the present context has nothing to do wilh memory or any mnemic in meaning.

40. sNyan rgyud gsal bar gsal l'yeri, pp.43-44. 41 . ITa sgom nyams kyi man ngag, p.174. 42. Sec op. cit., pp.l74-175 where this lheme is discussed. 43. Ibid., p.175. 44. ITa sgo", nymns kyi sgro'n me, p.205.

45. Ibid" p.207. Although this whole state is non-dual, this fragmentation occurs on the Nature (rang bzhin) or Clarity (gsaf ba) level. Such notions are a theme :�u�h disc

/�ssed in

. the r:rall ngag sdc type of literature where it is styled

C'�lphany .or mamfestatrons of the Basis (gzhi snang).

46. �t 15 �llso an ':nportant theme among the followers of the gZhan stong school In �lbe� but It seems to remain on a very speculative and interpretatory level wl:lCh IS not t�e case here \vhere dbying and rig pn are spoken of according to mner expenences.


47. Ibid., p.207: dbyings zhes bya ba de stong pa yinl ng pa bya de gsal elia yilll yang dbyll1gs zhes bya va de skye med yIllI ng bya ba de 'gag med yin 1101 yan� Ila dbyings zhes bya ba de klong yin lal rig pa zhes bya ba de mkha' yin. In ta�tric terms-which are indeed used by the text (p.208)-Space stands for Means (thai's) while Awareness is Knowledge (shes Tab). The use of such terms is not surprising in this context which tries to list as many analogies as possible, importing thus a terminology that originally belonged to semantic fields extraneous to rDzogs chen.

48. Ibid., p.20S. 49. These signs are described following i llustrative examples (ppA0-41) s'lch as

the \·\/ind blowing through the kayes of a fruit tree (rtsi sfling khn fa rIung 'phyo ba), a fish jumping into the depth of the ocean (rgya mtslw gtillg lin Ilya 'phyo ba) or a bee sucking nectar from a flower (bung ba rtsi ia 'jibs pal, etc. Most of these signs are given in full in Tenzin Wangyel, WOllders of the Natural Mind (pp.74-77).

50. sNyan rgyud gsal bar gsal byed, pp.41-42. 51. Pp.175 seq. 52. Pp.176-177. 53. sNyan rgyud gsai bar gsal byed, pp.46-47. Those Bardo cities are in fact the

differen t in termediary s,tages lhat succeed on another in the after-death state.').

:;4. 'Bog don gnad kyi me iang, pp.62-63. 55. These practices are not part of the main subject (dngos gzhi) of the cycle bu t

they must not be confused with simple secondary methods. Rather, they enjoy a great importance since we are all going to pass and arc passing through the d ifferent intermediate states. In case the results of the main practice have not been achieved during this life, it is of the utmost importance to become familiar with these states and to engage in their practice. A lengthy discussion of the Bardos and transference ('phD i'a) in the Bon tradition is to be found in Lapon Tenzin Namdak, Heart Drops of Dhannakiiyo, pp.115-133 and i n G . Orofino, Sacred Tibetan Teachings 011 Death and Liberatioll, passim.

56. Bar do dus kyi sgroYi mal pp.236. Another classification is given in the same page dividing them this time into four bar do: 1) chags po gzhi'i bar do, 2) skye shi bar do, 3) 'jigs pa dus kyi bar da and 4) stong po srid pa Imr do. It is discussed in the sNyan rgyud rig po geer mthong gi gzhung, pp.440-442.

57. These special confrontations arc detailed in the Lamp of the Intennediary Moments (Bar do dus kyi sgTim rna, pp.219-220). The author of the text seems well aware that the sound is produced by the blood pressure.

58. See the sections C and D above. 59. Here Great Vehicle does not refer to Mahayana as one would expect, but

ralhel', i n the Great Perfection tradition of the Bonpos, is a strict synonym of

rD zogs chen itself. See G. Orofino, op. cit., p.84, n.87.

60. Bar do dlls kyi sgran ma, pp.221-222. . , . 61 I really doubt such masters as Bon zhig knew Sanskrit. I n thiS case, as In

mosl others in the Bon tradition of rDzogs chen, such words must be taken

as imports from the Zhang zhung language. On this subject, one cannot


simply accept Stein':; concl usions in his faJ�ed "La Langue Zan-zun du Bon organise," staling thal it is a completely fabncated langu�g� because he ��U�d so many Sanskrit-sounding words in the Zhang zhung dictIOnary. The VICInIty of Zhang zhung and India obviously played a great role i n exchange of aJl kinds [lnd it is very like'!y [hill such words were imported directly from India via regions such as Kailash and not simply taken from the Buddhists of Tibet. Such biased views indeed show the influence of BuddhisLs in this field which has permeated western TibI21o[ogy,

62. lts description is given at length e.g., in Yang stan shes rab rgyal m tshan's Bynng chub sems kyi gllnd drug cr.s bya ba'f lag len of the Zhrll1S zhung snynn rgyllri cycle (p.443).

G3. Bm dll nus kyi sgrol1 1Hrl, p.223. 64. Ibid., p.223. 65. This text uses here (p.224) the often used leitmotiv of 'od rang 'od zcr nmg Zer

sgrn nmg sgm which may originally come from the Zhal1R zhung snynn rg1j11.d cycle.

66. See Orofino, op. cit., pp.89-1D3. 67. The translation is only tentative as this sentence is not very clear to me. 68. Bor do dlls kyi sgron lila, p.225. 69. Ibid., pp.225-226. 70. Ibid., p.22S. The lext adds that for male yogis, it win come out of the right eye

while for yoginis, it will shine forth from the Idt eye. 71 Ibid., p.229. n 'PhD ua gnarl kyi man ngag, pp.253-255.

References BUll zhig Khyung nag (l JO:}-n�3), SNyfl11 rgylld tin po che gec)' mthong gf zhrlng,

Tibetan Bonpo Monastic Centre, Delhi, 1972. Kapstein, M" "The Amnesic Monarch and the Five M nemic Men: 'Memory' in

Gre;-ll Perfection (Rdzogs�chcn) Thought," !n The Mimr of lv1cmmy-Rc]lcctions 01/ i\ifilldfuil1css awi RClilcl1Ilmmcc in huiin and Tibetan Buddhism, Janet Cyalso ed., New York, ]992, pp.219-269.

-

Kllrmay, S,C., The TreaslIry of Goad Saying-A Tibctan History of BaH, Londo n OriL'ntal Series, Vo!.26, London, '1977; A catn/ogllC (�f Bon-prJ PulJIicatiolls, The Toyo B U llko, TOkyo, ]977.

Kv,1.�rnc, P., "A Chronological Table of the Bon po, the bsTan rcis of N i ma bstan 'I in," Ac/a Oricli/alins, 33, Cope nhagen, 1971, pp.2D5-285;

__ ,"13onpo Sludies-The A Khrid system of meditation/, Part 1" Knilnsh, Vo1.l, No.1, pp.1-5D; Part 2, Kni/asi1, YoU, No.4, pp.247-332.

Lopnn Tcnzin NtlmdClk cd., Source for Histon) of Bon, Tibetan Bonpo Monastic Center, Delhi, 1972 .

. _--' Heat! Drops of Dharmaknya-DzogchcH Practice of the Ban Tradition, Snow Lion Pub!iGltions, Ithaca, New York, 1993.

Narnkhi.li Norbu, Tire Crystal l1/ut the Wny of Light, Sidra, Ta1Jlra and Dzogchen, .second edition, Arka.na, 1993.


Orofino! G " Sacred Tibetan Teachings on Death and Libemtion-Texls from tile most

Allcient Traditions of Tibet, Prism Press, Dorset, U.K., 1990. sPa bstan rgYill dpal bzang po, /lsTan pa'i rnam bshad dar rgyns gsal bali sgrOI! me,

Gangs can bon gzhung rig gter, Vol.l, Keung go'i bod kyi shes rig, Beijing, 1991

Snellgrove, D., The Nine W�ys of Bon, London Oriental Series, Vo1.18, London, 1967. Stein. R.At "La Langue Zan-zun du Bon organise," Bulletin de l'Ecolc Frnl1qaisc

d'Extrcmc-Orien/, tome 58, pp.231-254, Paris, 1971. Tenzin Wangyel, Wonders of Natural Mind-The Essellee of Dzogcl/Cn in the ROil

Tradition of Tibet, Station Hill Press, Barrytown, Nov.' York, 1993. Yang slun shes rab rgyal mtshan, Byang chub sems kyi gnad drug ccs bya ba'j lag lcrl,

in History and Doctrine oj Bonpo Ni$panna-Yoga, Sj)tapi�aka Series, Vol.73, New Delhi, 1968, pp433-448

bon zhig khyung nag and the rig pa gcer mthong tradition of rdzogs chen

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