Bön

Tibetan Bon (or Bön) is the indigenous, pre-Buddhist shamanistic and animistic tradition of Tibet, often focused on nature worship, rituals, and spirit manipulation.

It developed alongside Tibetan Buddhism, sharing similarities like monasteries, mantras, and Dzogchen teachings, while maintaining unique elements like left-swastika symbolism and specific deity veneration.

Today, Bön is officially recognized as one of Tibet’s five spiritual traditions (alongside Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug schools of Buddhism).

Ancient Pre-Buddhist Bön

• The early religious practices of Tibet before Buddhism.
• Included shamanic rituals, nature spirits, healing rites, divination, funerary practices, and ceremonies to appease local deities.
• Focused heavily on mountain gods, sky spirits, and elemental forces.

Yungdrung Bön (Eternal Bön)

• The organized religious tradition that survives today.
• Developed around the 10th–11th century.
• Has monasteries, monastic vows, philosophical texts, tantra, and Dzogchen teachings.
• Its founder is said to be Tönpa Shenrab Miwoche, a fully enlightened teacher said to have lived thousands of years ago (according to Bön tradition).
• The symbol is the 'yungdrung' (a left-turning swastika), representing eternity.

New Bön (post-Buddhist synthesis)

• Refers to later Bön traditions influenced by Tibetan Buddhism.
• Many practices resemble Nyingma Buddhism, especially Dzogchen.

Core Beliefs & Practices

• Karma and rebirth
• Compassion and liberation
• Meditation practices, including Dzogchen (Great Perfection)
• Rituals for protection, healing, and removing obstacles
• Complex cosmology involving multiple realms and spiritual beings