New Book Examines Yungdrung Bon in Light of Globalization

Includes Information on Ligmincha and Shenten Dargye Ling

When Tibetan Meditation Goes Global: A Study of the Adaptation of Bon Religious Practices in the West by Mara Lisa Arizaga Faller provides an in-depth study on how Bon has developed and spread in the West in the past few decades. The author has been a practitioner of Bon for many years at Shenten Dargye Ling and is currently on the faculty at the University of Bern in Switzerland. This book was published with the support of the Swiss National Science Foundation and can be downloaded for free. Ton Bisscheroux found the book in an online library and, after reading it, he wanted to share his findings.

In the book When Tibetan Meditation Goes Global, the author examines the Yungdrung Bon teachings in the light of globalization. Many Westerners have been attracted to Bon, particularly to dzogchen teachings and meditation practices, which focus on the true nature of the mind, the ultimate ground of existence.

In the first chapters you can read the process through which Bon has become a global religion. It is the story of the principal figures who went from Tibet to India and Nepal, and later to the Western countries. My interest grew stronger as the book continues with two Yungdrung Bon institutions, Shenten Dargye Ling for more traditional Bon practitioners, and Ligmincha International for modern Bon practitioners. In the last part of the book, you can read interviews that Mara Lisa Arizaga conducted with 36 Bon practitioners and seven Bon teachers and scholars. The interviewees talk about how they became involved in Bon, their practice and their thoughts about the future of Bon. These interviews helped me reflect on how I relate to the Bon teachings.

What Is Bon?

His Eminence Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, the most senior teacher in the Bon tradition, and some modern scholars classify Bon in three ways: as the Prehistoric Bon of Zhang Zhung and Tibet; the Eternal Bon (Yungdrung Bon); and New Bon, which dates from the 14th century.

According to Yongdzin Rinpoche, Bon can be divided into three main categories: 1. Primitive Bon, the religion that existed in Tibet before the entrance of the Yungdrung Bon religion. This early form of Bon was not written down and was not supported by any formal philosophical system. 2. Yungdrung Bon, the religion that was introduced into Tibet from Zhang Zhung and constituted the official religion of the kingdom of Tibet until the seventh or eighth century. It is the religion as reflected in the Bon canonical text collections, the Kangyur and Katen (see below). 3. New Bon, the tradition that started as a consequence of the persecution of Bon by Buddhists in the eighth century. According to Yongdzin Rinpoche, it later became an eclectic tradition, combining elements of Bon and Buddhist teachings.

In the book we find another classification.

According to the book, Western practitioners conceptualize Bon as traditional religious practices, such as rituals and mantra recitations, as well as dzogchen practice or meditation. In the interviews, Practitioners emphasize their interest in experiential practice rather than a merely intellectual understanding of Bon. They feel that it is only through a realization of the teachings that the full understanding of Bon can be achieved. Furthermore, they perceive Bon as a path that includes practical techniques to realize the natural state of the mind as well as other types of intellectual, spiritual and even mystical realizations. These techniques, participants underscore, are practical tools that can be applied to their daily lives. Participants stated that their lives have changed as a direct result of these practices. Encountering Bon had a significant impact on the personal life of most participants, including those of other family members who join them and embrace Bon. (p. 172; page numbers based on PDF)

Mara Lisa Arizaga makes her own distinction, by labeling the Western practitioners she interviewed in two categories, traditional Bon and modern Bon.

What is the difference between traditional Bon and modern Bon?

According to the author, the first group of students receive a traditional approach to studying Bon, where the teachers traditionally go line by line. Yongdzin Rinpoche and Khenpo Tenpa Yungdrung Rinpoche are considered scholars of the traditional Bon. They both have been teaching at Shenten Dargye Ling for many years. Many of the students who do the traditional approach are expected to do the preliminary practices, and then go to a master who will introduce them to the natural state. There are also some Westerners who learn Tibetan in order to read texts in the original language and to receive teachings in Tibetan.

Modern Bon students are mainly interested in dzogchen as the central element of Bon, which does not depend on external, historical or cultural circumstances. Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche is considered as a teacher of modern Bon. He asserts that there is a need to adapt the delivery of the teachings to make them relevant to people in various contexts by using a language that is suited to diverse audiences and their contexts, particularly in the United States. (p. 185) He mentioned that in different places, for instance, he is teaching "more or less the same thing every time. For me it is the first thing, no matter where I go, how differently I phrase [it], I teach the essence of Dzogchen." (p. 207)

A whole chapter of the book is dedicated to Ligmincha International and The 3 Doors Academy, the signature program of the secular 3 Doors founded by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. The author notes, The creation of Ligmincha International was a cornerstone in the process of adapting Bon to a Western audience, particularly in the United States. It has been successful in attracting Westerners and led to even greater innovations, including mixing Bon teachings with Western psychotherapy. (p. 110)

Mara Lisa Arizaga calls The Three Doors Academy a Western Way to Enlightenment. (p. 111) The Three Doors Academy was presented as an educational organization developed in response to Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche's desire to open Bon-Buddhist practices to a worldwide audience. The Three Doors Academy teaches meditation methods with practical applications for everyday life. (p. 110)

Why make a distinction between traditional Bon and modern Bon?

Mara Lisa Arizaga's research shows that teachings and practices have been adapted and modified in a distinctive way, influenced by the existing cultural context. (p. 40) In Europe, Mexico and the United States, Bon is practiced in different ways. For instance, in Mexico there is more appreciation for religious and devotional aspects than in the United States. So, depending on the audience, the teachings in modern Bon are presented in different ways. In traditional Bon the teachings are always presented in the same way.

Some fear that the original Bon teaching will be watered down in the way they are presented to Western audiences. In the book the author quotes Jean-Luc Achard, a Tibetologist, researcher and longtime student of Yongdzin Rinpoche, who elaborates that the way the teachings are transmitted to them is rather "light" and adapted by the transmitters. In his view this is a situation which will eventually result in the actual disappearance of the original teachings. (p. 53) Several students from Shenten Dargye Ling also share his concern in the book.

Conclusion

Although some students interviewed had concerns about modern Bon and its teachers, Mara Lisa Arizaga's writing about her research is well-balanced, precise and without any judgment. The research shows that only a small group of dedicated Western students follows the path of traditional Bon. There is a much larger group that feels attracted to modern Bon.

So, at the end of the day, it is wonderful that we have access to the ancient Bon teachings, and that we can choose how to take them in.

I can recommend this book to beginners and advanced practitioners.

You can download this book for free as a pdf or an epub. And you can also buy hardcover.