Some Heritages of Bon or non-Buddhism behind Buddhism（2）
2. Folk world of Bhutan
(1) The underworld and the half-snake king
In 2023, our laboratory worked on the translation of a Bhutanese picture book of folktales, “Ashi Tshomen：Mermaid Princess”[Kunzan Choden 2021]. According to this book, the Bhutanese folk world is divided into the heavenly world where gods live, the earthly world where humans live, and the underground world where earth spirits live. Underwater areas such as lakes and rivers are also included in the underground world. The king who rules the underground world is called Lu, and the underwater goddess is called Tsomen. The bodies of King Lu and Princess Tshomen are human in the upper half and snake in the lower half. Snakes living underground are evil earth spirits that sometimes appear above ground to harm people. To prevent them from entering houses, small shrines called Lukhang (snake houses) are built at the corners and entrances outside houses. It functions as a kind of amulet.
In Nagtsan, the former feudal lord's house in Oygencholing, seven Lukhang can be seen around the house. The large and magnificent one is called Luphodang (palace of the serpent). We found it in a corner of Punakha Castle. When the castle was being built on a sandbar at the confluence of rivers, the river overflowed several times, preventing the construction from progressing. So they built a Luphodang and presented offerings to the underground king Lu, and the disaster was quelled. There is no idol of Lu, and only a sign depicting his honor is pasted inside Luphodang, but there is a woven bamboo frame in the storespace, and once a year during the great festival, the frame is covered with paper and colorfully painted, and the idol is brought out to the palace square for a grand celebration. It should be noted that Lu, the serpent king, who has a strong image of a demon lurking underground, is in fact the object of a festival. On the other hand, Princess Tshomen, the water goddess, is enshrined in a corner of the temple. The idol is placed in a relief on the side wall of the temple or in a small rock cave like a niche.
(2) Garuda and Phallus：the repellent of evil spirits
Along with Lukhang, the divine bird Garuda plays the role of destroying unlucky snakes. It descends from the heavens, instantly bites a snake crawling on the ground, and bites it off in midair. Such paintings are often depicted on the walls of private homes and other buildings. In this case, the garuda is a bird to ward off evil, but a giant phallus (po) is painted on the outer wall to fulfill a similar role. It is a very colorful expression. In some cases, small wooden carvings are hung from the eaves of the roofs, and in other cases, they are pierced into the lintel of the gate. While the garuda functions to keep out serpents, the phallus prevents the intrusion of witches. Originally, the entire Himalayan region was ruled by witches. There is a legend that King Srongtsan Gampo built Buddhist temples in various places and crucified “witches” to purify the land, and a painting called “Witch Crucifixion” (probably made after the 17th century) remains. In this case, the “witch” is thought to be the “goddess” or “authority figure” of the pre-Buddhist society, which the Buddhist side denied and called “witch”.
(3) Amchokim：the Witch of Chimelhakhan
In the 14th century, a monstrous monk named Drukpa Kunley appeared. With his own giant dorji (five-pronged pestlea = metaphor for phallus), he confounded many witches hiding in the valleys throughout Tibet and Bhutan and incorporated them as guardian deities on the Buddhist side [Imaeda 2017]. In Bhutan, the anecdote of Chimelhakhan temple of Punakha district is so well known.
Having made Amchokim (Aunt Chokim), the goddess of this land, his own, Kunley began to seduce a young girl in another village. Amchokim was furiously jealous and went wild. Kunley, upon hearing this, immediately returned to Chimelhakhan to soothe Amchokim and calm her down. If you visit Chimelhakhan today, you will see a black-walled stupa that Kunley built to contain the witch underground, and the main altar enshrines an idol of Amchokim on the far right and a wooden carving of Phallus on the far left. Amchokim was originally a land deity of the basin, but was converted to a guardian deity of the Buddhist side after the subjugation of Kunley. However, the local people still worship Amchokim and hold a grand festival once a year to pray to her for their wishes.
(1) The underworld and the half-snake king
In 2023, our laboratory worked on the translation of a Bhutanese picture book of folktales, “Ashi Tshomen：Mermaid Princess”[Kunzan Choden 2021]. According to this book, the Bhutanese folk world is divided into the heavenly world where gods live, the earthly world where humans live, and the underground world where earth spirits live. Underwater areas such as lakes and rivers are also included in the underground world. The king who rules the underground world is called Lu, and the underwater goddess is called Tsomen. The bodies of King Lu and Princess Tshomen are human in the upper half and snake in the lower half. Snakes living underground are evil earth spirits that sometimes appear above ground to harm people. To prevent them from entering houses, small shrines called Lukhang (snake houses) are built at the corners and entrances outside houses. It functions as a kind of amulet.
In Nagtsan, the former feudal lord's house in Oygencholing, seven Lukhang can be seen around the house. The large and magnificent one is called Luphodang (palace of the serpent). We found it in a corner of Punakha Castle. When the castle was being built on a sandbar at the confluence of rivers, the river overflowed several times, preventing the construction from progressing. So they built a Luphodang and presented offerings to the underground king Lu, and the disaster was quelled. There is no idol of Lu, and only a sign depicting his honor is pasted inside Luphodang, but there is a woven bamboo frame in the storespace, and once a year during the great festival, the frame is covered with paper and colorfully painted, and the idol is brought out to the palace square for a grand celebration. It should be noted that Lu, the serpent king, who has a strong image of a demon lurking underground, is in fact the object of a festival. On the other hand, Princess Tshomen, the water goddess, is enshrined in a corner of the temple. The idol is placed in a relief on the side wall of the temple or in a small rock cave like a niche.
(2) Garuda and Phallus：the repellent of evil spirits
Along with Lukhang, the divine bird Garuda plays the role of destroying unlucky snakes. It descends from the heavens, instantly bites a snake crawling on the ground, and bites it off in midair. Such paintings are often depicted on the walls of private homes and other buildings. In this case, the garuda is a bird to ward off evil, but a giant phallus (po) is painted on the outer wall to fulfill a similar role. It is a very colorful expression. In some cases, small wooden carvings are hung from the eaves of the roofs, and in other cases, they are pierced into the lintel of the gate. While the garuda functions to keep out serpents, the phallus prevents the intrusion of witches. Originally, the entire Himalayan region was ruled by witches. There is a legend that King Srongtsan Gampo built Buddhist temples in various places and crucified “witches” to purify the land, and a painting called “Witch Crucifixion” (probably made after the 17th century) remains. In this case, the “witch” is thought to be the “goddess” or “authority figure” of the pre-Buddhist society, which the Buddhist side denied and called “witch”.
(3) Amchokim：the Witch of Chimelhakhan
In the 14th century, a monstrous monk named Drukpa Kunley appeared. With his own giant dorji (five-pronged pestlea = metaphor for phallus), he confounded many witches hiding in the valleys throughout Tibet and Bhutan and incorporated them as guardian deities on the Buddhist side [Imaeda 2017]. In Bhutan, the anecdote of Chimelhakhan temple of Punakha district is so well known.
Having made Amchokim (Aunt Chokim), the goddess of this land, his own, Kunley began to seduce a young girl in another village. Amchokim was furiously jealous and went wild. Kunley, upon hearing this, immediately returned to Chimelhakhan to soothe Amchokim and calm her down. If you visit Chimelhakhan today, you will see a black-walled stupa that Kunley built to contain the witch underground, and the main altar enshrines an idol of Amchokim on the far right and a wooden carving of Phallus on the far left. Amchokim was originally a land deity of the basin, but was converted to a guardian deity of the Buddhist side after the subjugation of Kunley. However, the local people still worship Amchokim and hold a grand festival once a year to pray to her for their wishes.
3. Kubung ； A temple that combines Bon and Buddhism in popjika valley
(1) The Temple of Yunｇdrung Bon
Kubun Temple is a remote mountain monastery built on a gentle slope in the Popjikha Valley. It is commonly known among the masses as Kumbu Temple, but its official name is Kubun. It is now a Buddhist monastery of the Druk school, but at first was a Yungdrung Bon temple. It is probably the only former Bon Monastery in Bhutan. The founder was Tsenden Dewa. The square stupa that stands a few hundred meters in front of the precincts is said to be his tomb. The survival dates of Dewa have been the subject of some debate. According to L.K.Thinley [2013], Dewa was a Bon shabdrung (lord) who fell from Lalayun monastery in Tibet to Bhutan. Thinley estimates the date to be after the 13th century, before the Rabjung calendar in Tibet. The mural on the first floor of the main hall of Kubun Temple depicts Tsenden Dewa flying in with the flag of the Bon religion as a paraglider. It expresses the compatibility with Nyingma school of Buddhism in terms of depicting the founder of Bhutanese Buddhism, Guru Rinpoche, along with his changes.
In front of the precincts of Kubun precinct, there are masonry wall ruins that are thought to be the site of the former main hall, and next to the wall, there remains a dead Cypress tree that is said to have been planted by the founder Tsenden Dewa. It was toppled by a great wind in 1987 and lies as a dead tree, but is hollowed out inside due to decay. In the winter of 2022, at the suggestion of the head priest, we took chips of the dead tree back and the innermost annual rings of the tree were radiocarbon dated.The results are as follows;
1504-1597 cal AD (confidence limit 75.69%)
1617-1644 cal AD (confidence limit 19.76%)
Tsenden Dewa tree fell in 1987, so the remaining portion of the tree is between 483 - 343 years old. The innermost rings are estimated to be 16th century, and adding the number of rings in the hollow part of the tree, which is about 300, the tree is estimated to have been planted around the 13th century, which is consistent with Tinley's chronology, also fits the dating of the Kvaerne's Ⅲ period (Yungdrung Bon).
(2) Goddess enshrined in the secret inner room Gyeongkhanｇ
The entire first floor and the central room on the second floor of the Kubun Temple are used as the Buddha halls. The second floor's hall is especially magnificent. However, even more important than the Buddha hall is Gyeongkhang, a room in the back corner of the second floor. Gyeongkhang paints the walls black on all sides in the secret inner room, which is dedicated to the guardian deity of the land. Skull decorations are everywhere, giving the room black magic atmosphere.
Gyeongkhang are also found in many temples and mansions, and are generally placed farthest from the entrance. At Kubun Temple, a statue of the goddess Sippai Gelmo is enshrined. After returning to Japan and checking with literature, Gelmo is definitely the goddess of Yungdrung Bon [National Museum of Ethnology 2009]. The statues identified at Gyeongkhang are newer ones, and the older ones are hidden in the back of the chests. The walls of Gyeongkhang at Kubun Temple depict many animals in Popjikha valley, as well as the intermingling of Agye Gempo, the male guardian deity of the nearby Gante Monastery, and Sippai Gelmo. Apparently there is a fight over livestock, and the scene shows Gempo, who loses the fight, raping Sippai Gelmo out of frustration. It should be noted that the Bon goddess is in conflict with the guardian deity of the Himalayas. Incidentally, Sippai Gelmo changes her residence between summer and winter. Kubun is her summer residence, and a place in Sewgang is her winter residence, and in winter she becomes the guardian deity of Sewgang. ［2/4］
〈Serialized Information〉 Preparation for Thimphu Lecture on September 11
(1) http://asaxlablog.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-2895.html
(2) http://asaxlablog.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-2896.html
(3) http://asaxlablog.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-2897.html
(4) http://asaxlablog.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-2898.html
(1) The Temple of Yunｇdrung Bon
Kubun Temple is a remote mountain monastery built on a gentle slope in the Popjikha Valley. It is commonly known among the masses as Kumbu Temple, but its official name is Kubun. It is now a Buddhist monastery of the Druk school, but at first was a Yungdrung Bon temple. It is probably the only former Bon Monastery in Bhutan. The founder was Tsenden Dewa. The square stupa that stands a few hundred meters in front of the precincts is said to be his tomb. The survival dates of Dewa have been the subject of some debate. According to L.K.Thinley [2013], Dewa was a Bon shabdrung (lord) who fell from Lalayun monastery in Tibet to Bhutan. Thinley estimates the date to be after the 13th century, before the Rabjung calendar in Tibet. The mural on the first floor of the main hall of Kubun Temple depicts Tsenden Dewa flying in with the flag of the Bon religion as a paraglider. It expresses the compatibility with Nyingma school of Buddhism in terms of depicting the founder of Bhutanese Buddhism, Guru Rinpoche, along with his changes.
In front of the precincts of Kubun precinct, there are masonry wall ruins that are thought to be the site of the former main hall, and next to the wall, there remains a dead Cypress tree that is said to have been planted by the founder Tsenden Dewa. It was toppled by a great wind in 1987 and lies as a dead tree, but is hollowed out inside due to decay. In the winter of 2022, at the suggestion of the head priest, we took chips of the dead tree back and the innermost annual rings of the tree were radiocarbon dated.The results are as follows;
1504-1597 cal AD (confidence limit 75.69%)
1617-1644 cal AD (confidence limit 19.76%)
Tsenden Dewa tree fell in 1987, so the remaining portion of the tree is between 483 - 343 years old. The innermost rings are estimated to be 16th century, and adding the number of rings in the hollow part of the tree, which is about 300, the tree is estimated to have been planted around the 13th century, which is consistent with Tinley's chronology, also fits the dating of the Kvaerne's Ⅲ period (Yungdrung Bon).
(2) Goddess enshrined in the secret inner room Gyeongkhanｇ
The entire first floor and the central room on the second floor of the Kubun Temple are used as the Buddha halls. The second floor's hall is especially magnificent. However, even more important than the Buddha hall is Gyeongkhang, a room in the back corner of the second floor. Gyeongkhang paints the walls black on all sides in the secret inner room, which is dedicated to the guardian deity of the land. Skull decorations are everywhere, giving the room black magic atmosphere.
Gyeongkhang are also found in many temples and mansions, and are generally placed farthest from the entrance. At Kubun Temple, a statue of the goddess Sippai Gelmo is enshrined. After returning to Japan and checking with literature, Gelmo is definitely the goddess of Yungdrung Bon [National Museum of Ethnology 2009]. The statues identified at Gyeongkhang are newer ones, and the older ones are hidden in the back of the chests. The walls of Gyeongkhang at Kubun Temple depict many animals in Popjikha valley, as well as the intermingling of Agye Gempo, the male guardian deity of the nearby Gante Monastery, and Sippai Gelmo. Apparently there is a fight over livestock, and the scene shows Gempo, who loses the fight, raping Sippai Gelmo out of frustration. It should be noted that the Bon goddess is in conflict with the guardian deity of the Himalayas. Incidentally, Sippai Gelmo changes her residence between summer and winter. Kubun is her summer residence, and a place in Sewgang is her winter residence, and in winter she becomes the guardian deity of Sewgang. ［2/4］
〈Serialized Information〉 Preparation for Thimphu Lecture on September 11
(1) http://asaxlablog.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-2895.html
(2) http://asaxlablog.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-2896.html
(3) http://asaxlablog.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-2897.html
(4) http://asaxlablog.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-2898.html
