The Philosophical View Of The Great Perfection In The Tibetan Bon Religion (tibetan Bon Philosophy)

Dzogchen, or the Great Perfection, is considered by both the Bonpos and the followers of the Nyigma school in Tibet to be the culmination of all spiritual teachings. The philosophical view of the Great Perfection introduces the individual to the knowledge of reality, which is one with the enlightened state of all beings. In this book the Dzogchen view is presented in two Bonpo texts belonging to the revered terma (treasure) and oral traditions, here for the first time translated and critically edited in their entirety. Review "Donatella Rossi has translated and annotated two important ancient Dzogchen texts from Bon, the native religious tradition of Tibet. Her useful introduction gives a broad overview of the history of Bon as well as a brief study of the history and doctrines of the teachings of Dzogchen in Bon. The short section on methodology, which precedes a helpful examination of key Dzogchen terms, offers a succinct appraisal of the two texts presented. Donatella is to be greatly commended and thanked for her work in translating and commenting on two important Dzogchen texts, and for the valuable insights it offers."—The Mirror "A fascinating and joyful book to recommend—perceptively edited."—Thomas Peter von Bahr, New Age Retailer "Very interesting and . . . should attract the attention not only of specialists in this field but also of non-Tibetologist readers."—Tibet Journal Review "Donatella Rossi has translated and annotated two important ancient Dzogchen texts from Bon, the native religious tradition of Tibet. Her useful Introduction gives a broad overview of the history of Bon, as well as a brief study of the history and doctrines of the teachings of Dzogchen in Bon. The short section on methodology that precedes a helpful examination of key Dzogchen terms offers a succinct appraisal of the two texts presented. Donatella is to be greatly commended and thanked for her work in translating and commenting two important Dzogchen texts and for the valuable insights it offers." Review "...very interesting and...should attract the attention not only of specialists in this field but also of non-Tibetologist readers." From the Back Cover "A fascinating and joyful book to recommend--perceptively edited."--New Age Retailer Dzogchen is presented by way of two complete Bonpo texts belonging to the revered terma and oral traditions, here translated and critically edited for the first time in their entirety. "Donatella Rossi has translated and annotated two important ancient Dzogchen texts from Bon, the native religious tradition of Tibet. Her useful Introduction gives a broad overview of the history of Bon, as well as a brief study of the history and doctrines of the teachings of Dzogchen in Bon. The short section on methodology that precedes a helpful examination of key Dzogchen terms offers a succinct appraisal of the two texts presented. Donatella is to be greatly commended and thanked for her work in translating and commenting two important Dzogchen texts and for the valuable insights it offers."--The Mirror "...very interesting and which should attract the attention not only of specialists in this field but also of non-Tibetologist readers."--Tibet Journal Donatella Rossi has a Ph.D. in History of Religions and Tibetology from the University of Oslo, Norway. About the Author Donatella Rossi has a PhD in History of Religions and Tibetology from the University of Oslo, Norway. Part One: 11 Part Two: 43 Part Three: 80 Acknowledgements 7 Abbreviations 8 PART ONE: Introduction 10 1. Preliminary Remarks on the Bon Religion and on 11 The Teachings of the Great Perfection 13 2. The Bonpo Great Perfection Lineages and their Textual Sources 15 3. Western Works on the Great Perfection in the Bon Religion 18 4. A Few Words on Methodology 20 5. The View of the Great Perfection in the Bon Religion 23 The Basis of All (kwn gzhi) 28 The Pure-and-Perfect-Mind (hyang chub kyi sems) 31 Dimension and Primordial Wisdom (dbyings dang ye shes) 34 The Beginning of Transmigration 36 Turning Back to the Source 39 PART TWO: The Twelve Little Tantras from the Zhang Zhung Aural Tradition of the Great Perfection 42 1. Note to the Critical Edition of the rGyud bu clmug bcu ,gnyis 43 2. Legenda 44 3. Critical Edition and Annotated Translation 46 PART THREE: The View which is like the Lion's Roar 79 1. Note to the Critical Edition of the ITa ba seng ge sgra bsgrags 80 Bibliography 121 Reference Works and Further Readings in Western Languages 126 Indexed Glossary 150 Indices of Names 173 Academy of Science and Letters, where I worked from August 1995 to June 1996 on the cataloguing of t 178 My respect and warm gratitude are also extended to Ponlop Trinley Nyima (dPon slob 'Phrin las Nyi ma 178 During our working meetings in Dolanji in 1994, he not only generously offered his knowledgeable com 178 The objective of this work is to offer a descriptive analysis of the philosophical view (Ita ha) of 179 Followers of the Bon religion maintain that its tenets were first expounded as the 'Everlasting Bon' 179 (stop pa) gShen rab Mi bo che, who is considered to have made his appearance on earth much earlier t 179 and was born in and ruled a country to the West of Tibet known as sTag gzig (or rTag gzigs).; 179 After sTon pa gShen rab entrusted his teachings to worthy successors, the Everlasting Bon is believe 179 The kingdom of Zhang Zhung played an influential role in the history and culture of Tibet. With Mo 179 it seems to have covered a vast area to the west and possibly north-east of Tibet.' 179 It was divided into three provinces (sgo pliug bargsum) where different languages were spoken;' 179 one of these, smar (or smrar),° 179 was the language from which numerous texts, including those of the Great Perfection, are said to h 180 Bon enjoyed royal patronage in Tibet until the second half of the eighth century A.D., when Buddhism 180 The period following the disintegration of the Tibetan empire (which occurred during the first half 179 Bonpos, on their part, did not remain indifferent to that state of affairs, and adapting to the tr 180 This process of adaptation and systematization could not have possibly taken place without interacti 180 This image influenced the approach of Western scholarship toward the study of this religion, which 180 There are unquestionably quite a few aspects of the Bon religion, as it appears today, which do no 180 In our opinion, it is precisely the value of such concepts and sources that makes Bon not only a fas 180 Nowadays several thousand Tibetans profess the Bon religion. Bonpos are found in various districts o 180 For the Bonpos the teachings of the Great Perfection are the epitome of all the beliefs classified i 180 The same applies to the rNying ma pas, the followers of the Old School of Tibetan Buddhism,20 181 although they have also been practised by representatives of other Tibetan Buddhist traditions.21 181 A study of the history and doctrines of the Great Perfection is therefore significant not only in it 181 The historical origins of the Great Perfection cannot be fixed with absolute certainty. Its tenets s 181

Dzogchen, or the Great Perfection, is considered by both the Bonpos and the followers of the Nyigma school in Tibet to be the culmination of all spiritual teachings. The philosophical view of the Great Perfection introduces the individual to the knowledge of reality, which is one with the enlightened state of all beings. In this book the Dzogchen view is presented in two Bonpo texts belonging to the revered terma (treasure) and oral traditions, here for the first time translated and critically edited in their entirety.

"Dzogchen, or the Great Perfection, is considered by both Bonpos and the followers of the Nyingma school in Tibet to be the culmination of all spiritual teachings. The philosophical view of the Great Perfection introduces the individual to the knowledge of reality, which is one with the enlightened state of all beings. In this book the Dzogchen view is presented in two Bonpo texts belonging to the revered terma (treasure) and oral traditions, here for the first time translated and critically edited in their entirety."--BOOK JACKET.