TONPA SHENRAB MIWO
The teaching of Yungdrung Bon was founded by the Buddha Tonpa Shenrab Miwo. According to traditional Bon chronology, this supreme enlightened being was born to Gyalbon Thokar and Yochi Gyalshema in I6,017 BCE (Wood Rat Year), in Olmo Lungring in Tagzig.
Tonpa Shenrab turned the Threefold Wheel of Bon.
The Threefold Wheel comprises these three sets of teachings:
- First: “The Nine Ways”;
- Second: the “Four Portals and the Fifth, the Treasury”;
- And third, the: “Outer, Inner and Secret precepts”.
The Nine Ways of Bon are as follows:
- the Way of the Shen of Prediction;
- the Way of the Shen of the Visual World;
- the Way of the Shen of Magical Power;
- the Way of the Shen of Existence;
- the Way of the Virtuous Adherents,
- the Way of the Monks, the Way of the White A;
- the Way of the Primordial Shen;
- the Supreme Way of the Great Perfection.
The first four are known as the Causal Ways, and they are primarily for the achievement of worldly benefits and happiness. The remnaining five are known as the Ways of Result, and they are for the realisation of the fruit of the three enlightened bodies through the path of renunciation, transformation and liberation (from the source of sufferings). Tonpa Shenrab Miwo performed the Twelve Great Deeds.
Trulku Tapihritsa
He was a Dzogchen practitioner in the 8th century and he received teachings from Tsepung Dawa Gyaltsen (Zhang Zhung’s 24th master of oral transmission) after nine years of practice, he attained the rainbow body. In order to transmit the Zhang Zhung nyen Gyud, he manifested himself as a boy and met Nangzher Lopo, who became his disciple. He gave permission to write the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyud to Nangzher Lopo.