beckysoup61 said:
I've actually never heard of Tibetan Bon. Could you explain a bit more about it?
From the book I read it has lost a lot sway in Tibet (largely due to the majority of the population meshing it with Buddhism, and partly to do with the Culutural revolution in the time of Emperor Mao), I think in the Western side there is very little practice there. However in the Eastern side I think the book said there is 10% of the population following it.
It has similarities with buddhism, there are monastaries, and monks, and the concepts of reincarnation, nirvnana, and karma were taken from buddhism.
Buddhism in Tibet has however acquired a lot of the traditions specifically in Tibet, that wouldn't be found used by buddhists in China or Thailand Buddhists.
Bon teaches about certain mountains and lakes being sacred. I forget the name of their most sacred mountain, there are Bon monastaries all around it, and it is forbidden to climb it. The lay people take pilgrimmages around it in one direction (I think counterclockwise).
The monasteries need donations from lay people to stay open, and usually the lay people come in and buy something to get sacrificed to either a buddhist statue or a bon statue. And there are idol rooms that the public likes to see.
There are a lot of spirits that have to be sacrificed to so they won't do mischef. There are building spirits that get things sacrificed to, so the building walls will stand up the night after they are built.
There are ground or dirt spirits that have to be sacrificed to before plowing a field, or digging something.
As well spirit traps to trap good spirits to protect people on mountain passes. There are shamans that perform special ceremonies for the people during festivals, and during festivals people wear masks representing gods and demons.
Contracts in Bon were confirmed by sacrifices of chickens, goats, horses, cows, and oxen, this was done to appease the gods to watch over the contract, and if the contract failed to curse the person who failed it. The Kings (in the past) would have ceremonies (usually after the harvest when food is plentiful) where large amounts of goats, cows, horses, oxen and humans were sacrificed.
Some Bon monks go alone into a cave for 3 years, 3 months, and 3 days and close the cave up so all that is there is a small window where they can receive barely, water, wood, a kettle, and other neccessities 4 times a year. By the way, the monks choose a cave that has a natural spring to make this possible. People visit these monks to ask them to bless them, and their relatives, or for any important endeavor they plan on making.
