Tonpa Shenrab

Prayer

“May the teacher come to our world!

May the teaching be bright as the sun rays!

May teachers and students increasingly learn and accomplish!

May there thus be good fortune that the teachings long remain!”

Tonpa Shenrab, the Completely Enlightened One the founder of the Yung Drung Bön religion, was born in 16,017 BC, in the land of Olmolungring. Tonpa Shenrab appeared initially as an ordinary man. Before he attained enlightenment (Buddhahood), he went through the six realms of cyclic existence in countless births. He entered the door of enlightenment through the practices of accumulating merit and purifying himself, resulting in the attainment of the transcendental qualities of loving kindness and compassion. He is superior among all the exalted enlightened beings and is dedicated to the liberation of all sentient beings. In order to rescue them, he turned the Dharma Wheel of Bön three times as an antidote to all suffering.

Tonpa Shenrab is holding a Yung Drung Chakshing in his right hand and his left hand is in the meditation mudra. The chakshing is the primary symbol of Bön and represents the turning of the wheel of Bön (a combination of Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen) teachings. The meditation mudra symbolizes the natural condition of phenomena (Bön nyid) realized through the practice of the eternal Bön teachings. He sits on a jewel wheel throne symbolizing the mastery of Bön over the three poisons (ignorance, anger, greed).