Guru Viking Podcast

Ep321: Tibetan Bon - Lama Vajranatha


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In this episode I am once again joined by John Myrdhin Reynolds, also known as Lama Vajranatha: writer, teacher, translator, and scholar/practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. 
John shares his own decades of contact with the Bon religion, reveals its doctrines and practices, and gives a detailed history of its transmission in the West.
John traces the automythos of Bon, compares it to historical evidence and Buddhist accounts, and addresses the common critique that Bon is merely plagiarised Buddhism.
John also addresses misconceptions about the history of religion in Tibet, explains how to successfully practice multiple religious lineages, and reveals various means of attaining siddhi power through ritual and meditation.
Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep321-tibetan-bon-lama-vajranatha
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
Topics Include:
00:00 - Intro
00:53 - Bon vs Buddhism
01:35 - First contact with Bon and subsequent involvement
06:17 - Namkhai Norbu’s nationalism and promotion of Bon
06:44 - 2 authentic Dzogchen lineages
07:45 - Bon Dzogchen
09:10 - Later transmission period and folk religion syncretism
12:03 - Old Bon vs New Bon
13:06 - Bon’s automythos
14:11 - Snellgrove’s “9 Ways of Bon”
16:37 - Bonpo refugee community in India
18:08 - Reprinting of Bonpo texts in exile
19:31 - Gene Smith’s text preservation work
22:25 - Election of Lungtok Tenpai Nyima as the 33rd Menri Trizin
24:35 - Dalai Lama’s recognition of Bon as the fifth Tibetan school
26:39 - Bon scriptures
28:38 - Are gter ma authentic?
32:17 - Personal contact post-1959 and T Lobsang Rampa
33:27 - Academic work on Bon
34:44 - Geshe Tenzin Wangyal comes to the West
40:03 - Lopon’s interest in translations and USA activities
43:46 - New Age sponsorship of Bon
45:31 - Further USA activities
48:02 - Search for a Bon HQ in Europe + gtum mo studies
51:20 - Guinness sponsor a Bonpo HQ in Europe, blocked by aristocrats over Sogyal scandal
56:11 - Tenzin Wangyal’s USA activities and influx of Bon teachers
58:48 - Geshe Wangyal, Jeffrey Hopkins, and Robert Thurman
59:32 - Jeffrey Hopkin’s influence on Buddhist Studies
01:02:38 - Popularity of podcasts
01:04:11 - Samten Karmay
01:05:27 - Bon vs Buddhism & the question of plagiarism
01:07:34 - Bonpo one-upmanship?
01:12:44 - How to practice different lineages simultaneously
01:18:50 - Namkhai Norbu’s independent status
01:21:16 - Supernatural powers of Bonpo lamas and other spiritual beings
01:24:53 - Chatral Rinpoche’s siddhi powers and the possibility of miracles
01:27:24 - How to attain siddhi powers
01:30:32 - Tibetan vs gter ma in the rest of the world
01:33:06 - Accidental gter ma
01:35:39 - Misconceptions about the history of religion in Tibet
01:37:32 - Animal sacrifice and gtor ma
01:41:40 - Lithuanian’s unusual religious heritage
01:45:44 - Spiritual relations in India and Tibet
Previous episodes with John Myrdhin Reynolds:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=vajranatha
To find our more about John Myrdhin Reynolds visit:
- https://vajranatha.com/
For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James
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