Zhang Zhung Introduction
by
His Holiness Tenpai Nyima
Menri Trizin Ponse Lama
(33rd. Menri Khenpo, the distinguished supreme leader of
the Bon religion, Dolanji, Himachal Pradesh, India)
The Bon religion is the original religion of Tibet. Several thousand years ago, the religion known as Yungdrung Bon was propagated by the enlightened master Shenrab Miboche. It contains sophisticated teachings and techniques based on the generation of wisdom and compassion. Bon is the source of Tibetan culture and its literature contains many references to early Tibetan customs, traditions and practices. The study of Bon, therefore, is essential in understanding the history of Tibet and how its unique civilization developed.
Civilization in Tibet can be traced to Zhang Zhung, a Bon kingdom that covered much of the Tibetan plateau before the 8th century CE. The great kingdom of Zhang Zhung thrived in northern and western Tibet and in Himalayan border regions in a period when the climate was much improved and before the degeneracy of the modern age had set in. The texts of Bon record the fortresses, temples and other places that were important to the people of Zhang Zhung and help us to understand how refined this first civilization of Tibet was. Unfortunately, due to the destruction of many Bon scriptures by the Tibetans themselves, and more recently, in the Cultural Revolution, the ancient historical record of Tibet is fragmentary and woefully incomplete. Even that which remains has been insufficiently studied by scholars, and therefore, much still remains to be discovered in our literature.
John Vincent Bellezza is a welcome addition to Bon studies by providing scientific documentation on the early Bon religion and Zhang Zhung kingdom. His highly valuable work reveals the nature of ancient civilization in Tibet and the glorious accomplishments of our ancestors. John Vincent Bellezza has worked without interruption for nearly three years, enduring many difficulties along the way.
Lungtok Tenpai Nyima
Menri Trizin Ponse Lama
(33rd. Khenpo of Menri Monastery)
(Click here to see his Bio)(From Forward; Antiquities of Northern Tibet
