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BW INTERVIEW: BÖN TEACHER CHAPHUR RINPOCHE EXPLAINSHOW BÖN IS DIFFERENT, AND SIMILAR, TO THE FIVE BUDDHIST

SCHOOLS IN TIBETby Lee Kane

Categories: Interview with the Teachers, Bon, Teachers

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Chaphur Rinpoche ofthe Bon tradition.

In our first interview with a Bön tradition teacher, the charismatic GesheChaphur Rinpoche frankly discusses the ways in which Bon school differs fromthe other five Schools in Tibet — and how it is also similar in many ways.Practices such as Ngondro, Refuge, and many others are similar. ChaphurRinpoche is the director of the Gyalshen Institute in the San Francisco BayArea.

We asked Rinpoche eight interesting questions, everything from practices, tohistory, to Dzogchen. In his own words, the eminent teacher described theBon tradition.

Bon Recognized as One of the Six Traditions of TibetHH Menri Trizin 33rdof the Bön traditionwith HH the DalaiLama

Bön is recognized historically as one of the six great traditions of Tibet, whichinclude (alphabetically): Bon (Bönpo), Gelugpa, Kyagyu, Jonangpa, Nyingmapa,Sakyapa.

In a letter from the Dalai Lama to the Bön Foundation, His Holiness wrote: "WeTibetans regard Bön as the ancient, indigenous religious and cultural traditionof our ancestors, which is the source and embodiment of many aspects of theTibetan way of life."

INTERVIEWBW: Please tell us a little bit about your personal background,

Rinpoche.Chaphur Rinpoche: I was born in the Chaphur Lama Lineage in the Amdo region of Tibet. When Iwas nine years old I went to Nangzhig Monastery and became a monk. At the age ten I went toBongya Monastery in northern Tibet, learned basic Tibetan arts such as calligraphy, poetry andastrology from His Eminence Bongya Rinpoche.

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When I was very young, H.E. Bongya Rinpoche recognized me as aBönpo Master. His hope was for me to continue to stay at BongyaMonastery and one day take over the responsibility of running themonastery. However my brother, Chaphur Khunzang Rinpoche, felt if Itook over the responsibility of the monastery that I would not have theopportunity to continue my studies. He then sent me to join MenriMonastery in India to continue my studies towards a Geshe degree underHis Holiness the 33rd Menri Trizin Rinpoche and H.E. Menri LoponRinpoche. I studied at Menri for around 16 years, graduating with a Geshe degree in 2008.

Chaphur Rinpoche graduated with a Geshe degree in 2008.

Following my time at Menri, I completed a year of personal meditation and retreat. My teacherBongya Rinpoche still hoped I would return to Tibet. However, circumstances brought me to theUnited States in 2010, where I settled and began studying English in the Los Angeles. In 2011, Ifounded Gyalshen Institute in San Francisco Bay Area.

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BW: Can you tell us a little bit about Bön and Bön's founder BuddhaTonpa Shenrab

Chaphur Rinpoche: Bön is the indigenous religion of the ancient Tibetan people. Our tradition holdsthat it was founded over 10,000 years ago by Buddha Tonpa Shenrab in Zhang Zhung, a kingdomlater absorbed into Tibet during the eighth century C.E. When he first came to the Tibetan region,Tonpa Shenrab brought with him basic Yungdrung Bön teachings, divination, astrology, rituals andmedicine that are still observed to this day. Most of the original Bön texts were translated intoTibetan from the Zhang Zhung language.

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Bon's founder, Buddha Tonpa Shenrab.

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Tonpa Shenrab was born in a palace in the pure realm of Olmo Lung Ring, the birthplace of allenlightened beings. He became a monk at the age of thirty-one, renouncing the material world andcyclic existence. Through his great deeds and offerings to the Enlightened Ones of the TenDirections, Buddha Tonpa Shenrab was blessed as the six robes and five objects of a monkdescended upon him. Thus, he instituted the Bön monks’ rules and practices which are still inobservance today.

When Tonpa Shenrab came to Tibetwhich, according to the well known20th century Buddhist scholarGedun Chophel, was at that timecalled Bön. He blessed Tibet and itspeople, sharing many teachings,ceremonies and religious dancesthat are distinctly Bön in origin. Themost important change heintroduced was to eliminate animalsacrifices. At that time, the localpractice was to sacrifice animals inorder to appease spirits responsiblefor causing sickness and misfortune.Tonpa Shenrab taught them theycould offer red torma and white torma in place of animals. In this way, Tonpa Shenrab establishedthe peaceful enlightened Yungdrung Bön tradition.

In the ensuing centuries, the word Bön as a geographical term became Bod, then Bote. When Botewas translated into English, it became Tibet.

BW: Can you tell us how Bön is distinct and unique from otherTibetan traditions?

Chaphur Rinpoche: In my opinion, many Bönpo practices and meditations are unique, mostespecially the Bön Five Element practice. In Bön tradition, all the universe is made up of fiveelements. In fact, our body is composed of five elements (earth, water, fire, wind and space). Thesefive are expressed within us through the interconnection of flesh, blood, heat, breath, andconsciousness. They are connected to the five organs: liver, kidneys, spleen, lungs and heart. Thoseorgans are in turn, connected to the five poisons; attachment, jealousy, ignorance, pride, and anger.

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Chaphur Rinpoche out with the elements — wind sky and water.

The five poisons can in turn be transformed into the five wisdoms: emptiness, mirror-like wisdom,wisdom of equality, discriminating wisdom, and all-accomplishing wisdom. The transformation ofthe five poisons into the five wisdoms is the basis of spiritual practice.

Each element also has its own corresponding spiritual deity. All sentient beings are connected withtheir inner, their outer (environmental), as well as the natural form of each element. In this way, Böndeveloped distinctly, I believe.

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Chaphur Rinpoche as a boy beside his teacher H.E. Bongya Rinpoche.

BW: Can you contrast that with some ways in which Bön has somesimilar concepts to the other four traditions?

Chaphur Rinpoche: Like Nyingma, the oldest school of Indian-based Buddhism in Tibet, the Bönlineage has Nine Ways (Yana), culminating in Sutra (Dho); the Path of Renunciation; Tantra (Ngak),the Path of Transformation; and Dzogchen, the Path of Liberation. These were taught by BuddhaTonpa Shenrab in the kingdom of Zhang Zhung. Buddha Tonpa Shenrab’s instructions are allpreserved within 177 volumes in the Bön Canon.

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There are 177 volumes in the Bön Canon.

The view, meditation, and practice of Dzogchen are similar in Bön and Nyingma, while the Sutraview, meditation and practice are most similar in Bön, Sakya and Gelugpa teachings. But thetraditions were transmitted through different lineage masters; Bön originated with Buddha TonpaShenrab.

According to Yungdrung Bön teaching, if we are going to do Dzogchen practice, we must first doNgöndro, or preliminary practices, which include Guru Yoga, Refuge, Bodhichitta, Confession,Mandala, and the Three Heart Mantra recitations, 100,000 times each.

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Chaphur Rinpoche

Also, there are many Chö (also sometimes written as Chöd) practices. In Yungdrung Bön, these canbe either peaceful, enriching, powerful or wrathful practices. The Khadro Sang Chö, or The SecretChö of the Khadro, is part of the powerful classification of Chö practices. Through devotion, diligencein our practice, and the blessings of the khadro, we can obtain the external, internal and secretbenefits of Chö practice such as removing obstacles, illness and danger, cutting the emotionalaffliction of attachment, and gaining an absolute confidence in the vast and open view.

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Chaphur Rinpoche practicing calligraphy.

BW: What are the Bön beliefs on rebirth and karma?Chaphur Rinpoche: Karma means actions of consciousness, oractions of our mind. We cannot say when the consciousstream of our mind actually started. As Buddha TonpaShenrab said in Tibetan, “Khorwa Thokma Mepa Ne,” orbeginningless samsara. In the Bön tradition, when our physicalbody dies, our karmic consciousness does not end, butcontinues on through the Bardo, or intermediate state, to thenext life. The physical body is changed, but the innerconsciousness is continually reborn. This life is the result ofour previous life, and our future lives are dependent on thisvery moment, in this present life. That is why we believemeditation and practice will bring good results in the future.These are the Bön beliefs on rebirth and karma.

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BW: You teach at Gyalshen Institute in California. From your 2016schedule, you also teach around the world? How has Bön been

received Internationally?Chaphur Rinpoche: I teach mainly at Gyalshen Institutein California. I also travel to many different countries toteach and help people worldwide. Bön practitioners areincreasing in number more and more around the world.In ancient times, many people didn’t really understandwhat Bön was. Unfortunately, many misunderstandingswere repeated from bad information over time, often dueto political or other worldly interests that had nothing todo with actual spiritual practices in Bön. In modern timesthere is an increased understanding in people, a greateropenness of the mind, across the world. More and more,practitioners with this increased awakening are seekingout the ancient and powerful teachings of Buddha TonpaShenrab.

BW: Tell us a little about the Gyalshen Institute, its mission andretreat centre project.

Chaphur Rinpoche: Gyalshen Institute’s mission is to preserve the cultureand traditions of Zhang Zhung and Tibet. Teachings at the center include avariety of retreats and classes on meditation and practice following the Böntradition.

The Tibetan Translator program offers Tibetan language courses. I have also established GyalshenPublications to facilitate the translation and publishing of important Bön texts from the volumes ofthe Bön Canon.

Future plans for Gyalshen Institute involve establishing the Gyalshen Retreat Center. Plans for thecenter include a teaching complex for short and long term individual and group retreats, a library forthe translation and study of sacred Bön texts, a fine arts studio and a long-term residential housingcommunity for Bön practitioners.

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BW: What is the relationship of student-teacher in Bön? Is it similarto other Tibetan traditions?

Chaphur Rinpoche: I think the student-teacher relationship issimilar to that found in all Buddhist traditions. In Bön, therelationship between student and teacher is a very special one.Both teacher and student must be of the right mind and must havea karmic connection. The relationship of the student and teachercannot be one that is forced or developed. If one has that karma,the connection between the teacher and student will happenspontaneously. Although, that is not to say it is a relationshipwithout effort. Dharma practice is difficult and requires muchdiligence and dedication.

Once realized, the relationship of student and teacher is one which never dissolves, never ceases. Itis a true heart to heart connection, the most important aspect of this connection being trust. Withoutthe development of trust, there is no connection.

The student-teacher relationship cannot be viewed in terms of something to be proven or some sortof reward to be attained. Just as in practice, the relationship between student and teacher is empty,and should not be contemplated with too much desire-attachment, or over-thinking of the mind.

BW: Please tell us about your books.I have written two books in Tibetan. One, a poetry book and one on Tibet and Zhang Zhung history.Currently I am preparing a new book in English, “The Path of Finding Yourself”. I am hoping it will bepublished in the near future.

For more information on Bon or Gyalshen Institute visit

English www.gyalshen.org

Tibetan www.gyalshenbondra.com

NOTE

The Bon Foundation Website has a photo image of the letter from HH the Dalai Lama here>>

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