Spirit of Fire: A Journey into Bon Culture

Author: Yang Xuezheng, Xiao Jihong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: The of Bon——Sring-mi-bo (also known as Dan-ba Xi-rao) is revered as the supreme of Bon. Bon followers hold him in such high esteem as to be akin to the Buddha Shakyamuni and the sage Confucius of the Han Dynasty, endowing him with various supernatural powers and enlightenment stories. He is the founder of the indigenous religion of the highland regions of Tibet and a symbol of the spiritual culture of the ancient Tibetan people. Sring-mi-bo's life also includes twelve achievements in his enlightenment, namely: clarifying the original scriptures, promoting Bon, subduing the masses, guiding them to enlightenment, governing the state, miraculous offspring, subduing demons and monsters, flourishing the path of enlightenment, manifesting the true form of enlightenment, breaking free from the cycle of rebirth, and achieving the ultimate liberation.
Bon scriptures (such as Do-deu (Sai-mi), etc.) record the life of Sring-mi-bo, saying that in the Shaba Ye Sang heaven, there were three brothers—Daba, Seba, and Xiba. They all studied under the high deity Banchi Lorge Jien of Bon, learning the teachings of Bon. After completing their studies, the three brothers journeyed to Sring Lao Gele, where they sought the virtuous methods to cultivate and benefit the world in the face of human suffering. Sring Lao Gele told them to study the teachings of Bon in three stages, after which they could become masters, equivalent to the Buddha in Buddhism.
The eldest brother Daba completed the first stage of study and became a master of the first stage, equivalent to the Buddha of the past in Buddhism. The second brother Seba completed the second stage of study and became a master of the second stage, equivalent to the Buddha of the present in Buddhism, and transformed into Sring-mi-bo. The youngest brother Xiba waited his entire life to study the third stage of teachings, intending to take on the responsibilities of a future era, equivalent to the Buddha of the future in Buddhism.
Legend has it that Sring Lao Gele is the guardian deity of Sring-mi-bo. He promised to help Sring-mi-bo lead the world's people to embrace Bon and spread it across the globe. Thus, Sring-mi-bo transformed into a prince and was born in the land of Zhangzhung, Xiamolongren, around the 5th century BC, where he founded Bon. In reality, before Sring-mi-bo, the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau was widely inhabited by various primitive shamanic religions called "Bon," such as Tian Bon, Mo Bon, and Zan Bon. Tian Bon revered the heavens, Mo Bon revered demons, and Zan Bon revered deities. The heavens represented the concept of the entire natural force; demons symbolized certain mysterious forces; and Zan was the principal deity governing the human world in the history of Bon.
Later, there were other ancient deities of Bon, such as Dalra (Stagta), Bas (dbalgsas), and Gekhod, all of which were primitive worship idols with different origins and rituals in ancient Tibet. These forms of primitive worship permeated every aspect of ancient Tibetan cultural life. Sring-mi-bo built upon the various existing Bons, absorbing the culture of neighboring tribes, primarily from Persia, to create a Bon with unique theories and rituals.
At birth, Sring-mi-bo displayed the wisdom and extraordinary physique of a sage. His words enlightened the wisdom of the secular masses; his body emitted a radiance unmatched by the world. His light shone across the myriad worlds, and wherever it reached, countless beings revered him with faith. Bon scriptures recount the legendary story of Sring-mi-bo's twelve achievements in enlightenment: From the age of one to twelve, Sring-mi-bo taught the scriptures and rituals of Bon, such as the Xia Xin Chong, Lang Xin Chong, Si Xin Chong, Chu Xin Chong, Ju Shi Chong, Yin Xian Chong, Ye Xin Chong, A Ge Jiang Mo Chong, and the Wushang Chong. From the age of twelve to thirteen, he taught the Bon scriptures and methods to divine and human disciples, beginning to promote Bon. From the age of thirteen to seventeen,