Tibet: Ritual Traditions of the Bonpos

Bon is considered as the collection of pre-Buddhist beliefs of the Tibetans. The Bonpos trace the source of their teachings to Master Shenrab, who for them is the real ‘enlightened one’ as opposed to the Buddhists belief in Buddha Shakyamuni. These recordings were made in the early 1980s at the Menri Monastery in western India, where like the Tibetan Buddhists, a community was set up in exile from the oppressive Chinese state that occupied greater Tibet in 1949.

It would be hard for the listener, unless they know Tibetan, to perceive the differences between Bon and Buddhist chanting. The 13-minute ‘Chant Dedicated to the Protective Divinity Midü’ shares the low, repetitive, simple melodic-rhythmic style as, say, the Tashi Lhunpo Buddhist Monks but not the sub-harmonic singing of the Gyuto and Gyume Tibetan tradition. ‘Drum Beating in Praise of Shenrab’ uses the same canon of ritual instruments, such as the pair of long trumpets, shawms, cymbals and drums, as the Buddhist practitioners. Bon went through a reformation in the 14th century that brought it in line with many Tibetan Buddhist ritual practices. This release is for anyone interested in sacred chant and in deepening their knowledge of the rich, ever-changing cultural heritage that Tibet had to offer when it was independent.