Opening the Door to Bn

Dakpa, abbot of Latri monastery in Tibet, offers a primer to the system of teachings known as Bön, "the root culture and religion of Tibet." Dakpa's account of Bön's history reads like a fantastic Shangri-La mythology. He claims that Bön has existed for 18,000 years and that its founding teacher was born in a perfected spiritual realm called Olmo Lung Ring. Moreover, when Tibet's native Bön tradition was first supplanted and then persecuted by Buddhism, Bön masters hid Bön texts in order to preserve them from destruction. Centuries later, these "hidden treasures" were recovered and the teachings once again spread throughout Tibet. Yet, as Dakpa describes it, Bön has much in common with Tibetan Buddhism, including an emphasis on compassion and nonviolence, the importance of a qualified teacher for achieving enlightenment, and labyrinthine categorizations of esoteric teachings. The writing often reads like a litany of lists and mere assertions, and the book fails to give the reader a satisfying sense of what Bön might have to offer. Even Dakpa's suggested prayers are mitigated by deadpan instructions such as "This prayer must be recited 100,000 times." While the book offers some helpful information about this obscure religious tradition, most general readers will find little to engage them. (Feb.)