There are a great variety of Buddhist texts. Buddhists place varying value on them: attitudes range from worship of the text itself, to dismissal of some texts as falsification of the ineffable truth. They therefore cannot be called "scripture" in the sense of other religions. The texts can be categorized in a number of ways, but the most fundamental division is that between canonical and non-canonical texts. The former, also called the Sutras (Sanskrit) or Suttas (Pali), are held to be, literally or metaphoricall ...

Including:

• Buddhist texts - Canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Texts of the Nikaya Schools
• Buddhist texts - Vinaya
• Buddhist texts - Sutta
• Buddhist texts - Abhidharma
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Mahayana texts
• Buddhist texts - Perfection of Wisdom Texts
• Buddhist texts - Saddharma-pundarika
• Buddhist texts - Pure Land Sutras
• Buddhist texts - The Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra
• Buddhist texts - Samadhi Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Confession Sutras
• Buddhist texts - The Avatamsaka Sutra
• Buddhist texts - Third Turning Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Tathagatagarbha class sutras
• Buddhist texts - Collected Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Transmigration Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Discipline Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Sutras Devoted to Individual Figures
• Buddhist texts - Proto-Mahayana Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - References
• Buddhist texts - Vajrayana Texts
• Buddhist texts - Buddhist tantras
• Buddhist texts - Other products of the Vajrayana literature

Read more here: » Buddhist texts: Encyclopedia - Buddhist texts

See also:

Buddhist texts, Buddhist texts - Canonical texts, Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts, Buddhist texts - Texts of the Nikaya Schools, Buddhist texts - Vinaya, Buddhist texts - Sutta, Buddhist texts - Abhidharma, Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts, Buddhist texts - Mahayana texts, Buddhist texts - Perfection of Wisdom Texts, Buddhist texts - Saddharma-pundarika, Buddhist texts - Pure Land Sutras, Buddhist texts - The Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra, Buddhist texts - Samadhi Sutras, Buddhist texts - Confession Sutras, Buddhist texts - The Avatamsaka Sutra, Buddhist texts - Third Turning Sutras, Buddhist texts - Tathagatagarbha class sutras, Buddhist texts - Collected Sutras, Buddhist texts - Transmigration Sutras, Buddhist texts - Discipline Sutras, Buddhist texts - Sutras Devoted to Individual Figures, Buddhist texts - Proto-Mahayana Sutras, Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts, Buddhist texts - References, Buddhist texts - Vajrayana Texts, Buddhist texts - Buddhist tantras, Buddhist texts - Other products of the Vajrayana literature

Read more here: » Buddhist texts: Encyclopedia II - Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts

These are, in some way or other, texts associated with Gautama, the historical Buddha. Different schools, however, are not always in agreement about which texts are canonical, and the various recensions of the Buddhist Canon contain widely varying numbers and types of texts. Broadly speaking, the texts come in three types: sutras (i.e. discourses), vinaya (relating to the rules of monastic discipline), and abhidharma (analytical texts). Together these three make up what is known in Sanskrit as the Tripitaka and in Pali as the Tipitaka. Both ...

See also:

Buddhist texts, Buddhist texts - Canonical texts, Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts, Buddhist texts - Texts of the Nikaya Schools, Buddhist texts - Vinaya, Buddhist texts - Sutta, Buddhist texts - Abhidharma, Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts, Buddhist texts - Mahayana texts, Buddhist texts - Perfection of Wisdom Texts, Buddhist texts - Saddharma-pundarika, Buddhist texts - Pure Land Sutras, Buddhist texts - The Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra, Buddhist texts - Samadhi Sutras, Buddhist texts - Confession Sutras, Buddhist texts - The Avatamsaka Sutra, Buddhist texts - Third Turning Sutras, Buddhist texts - Tathagatagarbha class sutras, Buddhist texts - Collected Sutras, Buddhist texts - Transmigration Sutras, Buddhist texts - Discipline Sutras, Buddhist texts - Sutras Devoted to Individual Figures, Buddhist texts - Proto-Mahayana Sutras, Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts, Buddhist texts - References, Buddhist texts - Vajrayana Texts, Buddhist texts - Buddhist tantras, Buddhist texts - Other products of the Vajrayana literature

Read more here: » Buddhist texts: Encyclopedia II - Buddhist texts - Canonical texts

There are a great variety of Buddhist texts. Buddhists place varying value on them: attitudes range from worship of the text itself, to dismissal of some texts as falsification of the ineffable truth. They therefore cannot be called "scripture" in the sense of other religions. The texts can be categorized in a number of ways, but the most fundamental division is that between canonical and non-canonical texts. The former, also called the Sutras (Sanskrit) or Suttas (Pali), are held to be, literally or metaphoricall ...

Including:

• Buddhist texts - Canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Texts of the Nikaya Schools
• Buddhist texts - Sutta
• Buddhist texts - Abhidharma
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Mahayana texts
• Buddhist texts - Perfection of Wisdom Texts
• Buddhist texts - Saddharma-pundarika
• Buddhist texts - Pure Land Sutras
• Buddhist texts - The Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra
• Buddhist texts - Samadhi Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Confession Sutras
• Buddhist texts - The Avatamsaka Sutra
• Buddhist texts - Third Turning Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Tathagatagarbha class sutras
• Buddhist texts - Collected Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Transmigration Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Discipline Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Sutras Devoted to Individual Figures
• Buddhist texts - Proto-Mahayana Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - References
• Buddhist texts - Vajrayana Texts
• Buddhist texts - Buddhist tantras
• Buddhist texts - Other products of the Vajrayana literature

Read more here: » Buddhist texts

The Pali Canon is one the earliest existing scripture collections of the Buddhist tradition. These scriptures were recited orally from the time of the Buddha and were put into writing in Sri Lanka around 30 BC. Written in the Pali language, these texts form the scriptures of the Theravada school of Buddhism. Versions of many Pali canon scriptures also form the basis of the canon of many non-Theravada schools. These schools canons typically contain an incomplete selection of scriptures from the Pali canon, often with minor additions or alterations, and are usually recorded in Sanskr ...

Read more here: » Pali Canon: Encyclopedia - Pali Canon

The Anunatva-Apurnatva-Nirdesa ("Exposition of Non-Decrease and Non-Increase") is a Buddhist sutra belonging to the Tathagatagarbha class of sutras. It is noteworthy for its teaching (delivered, in this text, by the Buddha to Sariputra) that Nirvana is not cessation of being or utter vacuity, but is the realm of the Tathagatagarbha, the unfabricated, utterly pure and everlasting essence of all creatures and beings. The Buddha links the Tathagatagarbha to the spotless immaculacy of the "Dharmakaya" (ultimate true nature of the Buddha) ...

Read more here: » Anunatva-Apurnatva-Nirdesa: Encyclopedia - Anunatva-Apurnatva-Nirdesa

Ašvaghosa (?80-?150 CE) was an Indian philosopher-poet, born in Saketa in Central India. He is believed to have been the first Sanskrit dramatist, and is considered the greatest Indian poet before Kalidasa. He was first a student of non-Buddhist teaching, but upon losing an argument with Parshva converted to Buddhism. He became a religious adviser to the Kushan king Kanishka. He is said to be the author of the influential Buddhist text Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana. He also wrote a life of the Buddha called Buddhac ...

Read more here: » Asvaghosa: Encyclopedia - Asvaghosa

Advaita Vedanta (IAST advaita vedānta; Devanagari अद्वैत वेदान्त; IPA [ədvaitə vé:dα:ntə]) is probably the best known of all Vedanta schools of philosophy of Hinduism, the others being Dvaita and Vishishtadvaita (total six). "Advaita" literally means "not two", an ...

Including:

• Advaita Vedanta - Adi Sankara: The Pillar of Advaita
• Advaita Vedanta - Salient Features of Advaitism
• Advaita Vedanta - Three levels of Truth
• Advaita Vedanta - Brahman
• Advaita Vedanta - Māyā
• Advaita Vedanta - God
• Advaita Vedanta - Atman
• Advaita Vedanta - Salvation
• Advaita Vedanta - Other points
• Advaita Vedanta - Are the world and God wholly false?
• Advaita Vedanta - Status of the world
• Advaita Vedanta - Status of God
• Advaita Vedanta - Status of ethics
• Advaita Vedanta - Shankara's theory of creation
• Advaita Vedanta - Comparison with the Buddhist school of Shunyavada
• Advaita Vedanta - Adi Sankara's thoughts in a summary
• Advaita Vedanta - The Impact of Advaita
• Advaita Vedanta - Advaita and Science
• Advaita Vedanta - Important Books and Figures of Advaita Vedanta
• Advaita Vedanta - Mahavakya
• Advaita Vedanta - Founders & key texts
• Advaita Vedanta - Demigods Sages and Saints of Advaitins
• Advaita Vedanta - Later teachers and proponents
• Advaita Vedanta - Other References

Read more here: » Advaita Vedanta: Encyclopedia - Advaita Vedanta

Tibetan Buddhist canon - Organisation of Tantric texts. Tibetan Buddhism typically divides the Tantras into four hierarchical categories, namely, Kriyayoga Charyayoga Yogatantra Anuttarayogatantra further divided into "mother", "father" and "non-dual" tantras. An alternate division is used by the Nyingma school: Three Outer Tantras: Kriyayoga Charyayoga Yogatantra Three Inner Tan ...

See also:

Tibetan Buddhist canon, Tibetan Buddhist canon - Exoteric tradition, Tibetan Buddhist canon - Important Indian scholars, Tibetan Buddhist canon - Five traditional topics of study, Tibetan Buddhist canon - Five treatises of Maitreya, Tibetan Buddhist canon - Esoteric tradition, Tibetan Buddhist canon - Organisation of Tantric texts

Read more here: » Tibetan Buddhist canon: Encyclopedia II - Tibetan Buddhist canon - Esoteric tradition

Advaita Vedanta - Status of the world. People often get confused by Advaita teachings that the universe is false. Shankara says that the world is not true, it is an illusion, but this is because of some logical reasons. Let us first analyse Shankara's definition of Truth, and hence why the world is not considered true. Shankara says that whatever thing remains eternal is true, and whatever is non-eternal is untrue. Since the world is created and destroyed, is is not true. Truth is the thing ...

See also:

Advaita Vedanta, Advaita Vedanta - Adi Sankara: The Pillar of Advaita, Advaita Vedanta - Salient Features of Advaitism, Advaita Vedanta - Three levels of Truth, Advaita Vedanta - Brahman, Advaita Vedanta - Māyā, Advaita Vedanta - God, Advaita Vedanta - Atman, Advaita Vedanta - Salvation, Advaita Vedanta - Other points, Advaita Vedanta - Are the world and God wholly false?, Advaita Vedanta - Status of the world, Advaita Vedanta - Status of God, Advaita Vedanta - Status of ethics, Advaita Vedanta - Shankara's theory of creation, Advaita Vedanta - Comparison with the Buddhist school of Shunyavada, Advaita Vedanta - Adi Sankara's thoughts in a summary, Advaita Vedanta - The Impact of Advaita, Advaita Vedanta - Advaita and Science, Advaita Vedanta - Important Books and Figures of Advaita Vedanta, Advaita Vedanta - Mahavakya, Advaita Vedanta - Founders & key texts, Advaita Vedanta - Demigods Sages and Saints of Advaitins, Advaita Vedanta - Later teachers and proponents, Advaita Vedanta - Other References

Read more here: » Advaita Vedanta: Encyclopedia II - Advaita Vedanta - Are the world and God wholly false?

Adi Sankara's treatises on the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras are his principal and almost undeniably his own works. Although he mostly adhered to traditional means of commenting on the Brahma Sutra, there are a number of original ideas and arguments. He taught that it was only through knowledge and wisdom of nonduality that one could be enlightened. Sankara's opponents accused him of teaching Buddhism in the garb of Hinduism, because his non-dualistic ideals were a bit radical to contemporary Hindu philosophy. Ho ...

See also:

Advaita Vedanta, Advaita Vedanta - Adi Sankara: The Pillar of Advaita, Advaita Vedanta - Salient Features of Advaitism, Advaita Vedanta - Three levels of Truth, Advaita Vedanta - Brahman, Advaita Vedanta - Māyā, Advaita Vedanta - God, Advaita Vedanta - Atman, Advaita Vedanta - Salvation, Advaita Vedanta - Other points, Advaita Vedanta - Are the world and God wholly false?, Advaita Vedanta - Status of the world, Advaita Vedanta - Status of God, Advaita Vedanta - Status of ethics, Advaita Vedanta - Shankara's theory of creation, Advaita Vedanta - Comparison with the Buddhist school of Shunyavada, Advaita Vedanta - Adi Sankara's thoughts in a summary, Advaita Vedanta - The Impact of Advaita, Advaita Vedanta - Advaita and Science, Advaita Vedanta - Important Books and Figures of Advaita Vedanta, Advaita Vedanta - Mahavakya, Advaita Vedanta - Founders & key texts, Advaita Vedanta - Demigods Sages and Saints of Advaitins, Advaita Vedanta - Later teachers and proponents, Advaita Vedanta - Other References

Read more here: » Advaita Vedanta: Encyclopedia II - Advaita Vedanta - Adi Sankara's thoughts in a summary

The Milinda Panha is another famous non-canonical Pali Buddhist text that describes the religious dialogues between the famous Indo-Greek king Menander, whose kingdom was in Sagala in today's Punjab, and a Buddhist monk called Nagasena, around 160 BCE. It is today one of the texts of reference of Theravada Buddhism. According to the Milinda Panha (I 32-35), the monk Nagasena, before his encounter with Menander, was once a student of Dharmaraksita and learnt Buddhism and reached enlightenment as an arhat under his guidance in Pa ...

See also:

Dharmaraksita, Dharmaraksita - A Greek Buddhist missionary, Dharmaraksita - Dharmaraksita and Punabbasukutumbikaputta Tissa Thera, Dharmaraksita - Dharmaraksita and the Milinda Panha, Dharmaraksita - Reference

Read more here: » Dharmaraksita: Encyclopedia II - Dharmaraksita - Dharmaraksita and the Milinda Panha

Throughout Buddhist art, Bodhidharma is depicted as a rather ill-tempered, profusely bearded and wide-eyed barbarian. He is described as "The Blue-Eyed Barbarian" in Chinese texts. Chan texts also present Bodhidharma as the 28th Chan Patriarch, in an uninterrupted line starting with the Buddha, through direct and non-verbal transmission. ...

See also:

Bodhidharma, Bodhidharma - Biography, Bodhidharma - Biographical details from the Record of the Buddhist Monasteries of Luoyang 547 by Yang Xuanzhi, Bodhidharma - Biographical details from the Biography of Bodhidharma by Tanlin, Bodhidharma - Biographical details from the Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks 645 by Daoxuan, Bodhidharma - Biographical details from the Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall 952, Bodhidharma - Spiritual approach, Bodhidharma - Portrayals of Bodhidharma, Bodhidharma - Legends, Bodhidharma - Encounter with Emperor Liang, Bodhidharma - Nine years of gazing at a wall, Bodhidharma - Bringing tea to China, Bodhidharma - Daruma dolls, Bodhidharma - Bodhidharma and Huike, Bodhidharma - The lineage of Bodhidharma and his disciples, Bodhidharma - Works attributed to Bodhidharma

Read more here: » Bodhidharma: Encyclopedia II - Bodhidharma - Portrayals of Bodhidharma

One of the earliest mention of Maitreya is a Sanskrit text, the Maitreyavyakarana (The Prophecy of Maitreya), stating that Gods, men and other beings will worship Maitreya and: "will lose their doubts, and the torrents of their cravings will be cut off: free from all misery they will manage to cross the ocean of becoming; and, as a result of Maitreya's teachings, they will lead a holy life. No longer will they regard anything as their own, they will have no possession, no gold or silver, no home, no relatives! But they will ...

See also:

Maitreya, Maitreya - Characteristics, Maitreya - General description, Maitreya - Maitreya's Tusita Heaven, Maitreya - The arrival of Maitreya, Maitreya - Origins, Maitreya - Maitreya claimants, Maitreya - Non-Buddhist views

Read more here: » Maitreya: Encyclopedia II - Maitreya - Characteristics

The first person to consolidate the principles of Advaita was Adi Sankara (आदि शंकर, pronounced as /α:di shənkərə, 788-820 CE, i.e., 788-820 AD). He is also known as Śankarāchārya (शंकराचार्य, pronounced as /shənkərα:chα:ryə/). Continuing the line of thought of some of the Upanishadic teachers, and also that of his own teacher's teacher Gaudapada, (Ajativada). Sankara expounded the doctrine of Advaita — a nondualistic reality. According to Advaitins (followers of Advaita), Sankara expose ...

See also:

Advaita Vedanta, Advaita Vedanta - Adi Sankara: The Pillar of Advaita, Advaita Vedanta - Salient Features of Advaitism, Advaita Vedanta - Three levels of Truth, Advaita Vedanta - Brahman, Advaita Vedanta - Māyā, Advaita Vedanta - God, Advaita Vedanta - Atman, Advaita Vedanta - Salvation, Advaita Vedanta - Other points, Advaita Vedanta - Are the world and God wholly false?, Advaita Vedanta - Status of the world, Advaita Vedanta - Status of God, Advaita Vedanta - Status of ethics, Advaita Vedanta - Shankara's theory of creation, Advaita Vedanta - Comparison with the Buddhist school of Shunyavada, Advaita Vedanta - Adi Sankara's thoughts in a summary, Advaita Vedanta - The Impact of Advaita, Advaita Vedanta - Advaita and Science, Advaita Vedanta - Important Books and Figures of Advaita Vedanta, Advaita Vedanta - Mahavakya, Advaita Vedanta - Founders & key texts, Advaita Vedanta - Demigods Sages and Saints of Advaitins, Advaita Vedanta - Later teachers and proponents, Advaita Vedanta - Other References

Read more here: » Advaita Vedanta: Encyclopedia II - Advaita Vedanta - Adi Sankara: The Pillar of Advaita

Samkhya Nyaya Vaisheshika Yoga Purva Mimamsa Advaita Vedanta Vishishtadvaita Dvaita Carvaka Jain Buddhist Logic Advaita Vedanta - Three levels of Truth. The transcendental or the Pāramārthika level in which Brahman is the only reality and nothing else; The pragmatic or the Vyāva ...

See also:

Advaita Vedanta, Advaita Vedanta - Adi Sankara: The Pillar of Advaita, Advaita Vedanta - Salient Features of Advaitism, Advaita Vedanta - Three levels of Truth, Advaita Vedanta - Brahman, Advaita Vedanta - Māyā, Advaita Vedanta - God, Advaita Vedanta - Atman, Advaita Vedanta - Salvation, Advaita Vedanta - Other points, Advaita Vedanta - Are the world and God wholly false?, Advaita Vedanta - Status of the world, Advaita Vedanta - Status of God, Advaita Vedanta - Status of ethics, Advaita Vedanta - Shankara's theory of creation, Advaita Vedanta - Comparison with the Buddhist school of Shunyavada, Advaita Vedanta - Adi Sankara's thoughts in a summary, Advaita Vedanta - The Impact of Advaita, Advaita Vedanta - Advaita and Science, Advaita Vedanta - Important Books and Figures of Advaita Vedanta, Advaita Vedanta - Mahavakya, Advaita Vedanta - Founders & key texts, Advaita Vedanta - Demigods Sages and Saints of Advaitins, Advaita Vedanta - Later teachers and proponents, Advaita Vedanta - Other References

Read more here: » Advaita Vedanta: Encyclopedia II - Advaita Vedanta - Salient Features of Advaitism

According to some followers of Advaita, it may very well be a place where the scientific world intersects with the spiritual world. They point to the relationships between mass, frequency, and energy that 20th century physics has established and the Advaitic 'Unity of the Universe' as the common ground. They feel that these relationships, formalized as equations by Planck and Einstein, suggest that the whole mesh of the Universe blend into a One that exhibits itself as many (namely, mass, energy, wave etc), and that this follows Advaita's vi ...

See also:

Advaita Vedanta, Advaita Vedanta - Adi Sankara: The Pillar of Advaita, Advaita Vedanta - Salient Features of Advaitism, Advaita Vedanta - Three levels of Truth, Advaita Vedanta - Brahman, Advaita Vedanta - Māyā, Advaita Vedanta - God, Advaita Vedanta - Atman, Advaita Vedanta - Salvation, Advaita Vedanta - Other points, Advaita Vedanta - Are the world and God wholly false?, Advaita Vedanta - Status of the world, Advaita Vedanta - Status of God, Advaita Vedanta - Status of ethics, Advaita Vedanta - Shankara's theory of creation, Advaita Vedanta - Comparison with the Buddhist school of Shunyavada, Advaita Vedanta - Adi Sankara's thoughts in a summary, Advaita Vedanta - The Impact of Advaita, Advaita Vedanta - Advaita and Science, Advaita Vedanta - Important Books and Figures of Advaita Vedanta, Advaita Vedanta - Mahavakya, Advaita Vedanta - Founders & key texts, Advaita Vedanta - Demigods Sages and Saints of Advaitins, Advaita Vedanta - Later teachers and proponents, Advaita Vedanta - Other References

Read more here: » Advaita Vedanta: Encyclopedia II - Advaita Vedanta - Advaita and Science

Advaita Vedanta - Mahavakya. Mahavakya, or "the great sentences," state the unity of Brahman and Atman. They are 4 in number and their variations are found in other Upanishads. Advaita Vedanta - Founders & key texts. Sri Adi Shankaracharya - (attributed work) Viveka Chudamani, the Brahma Sutra Bhashya Bhagavad Gita Bhashya, Upanishad bhashya. Upanishads Vedanta Sutras Vedas Traditional life history of Adi ...

See also:

Advaita Vedanta, Advaita Vedanta - Adi Sankara: The Pillar of Advaita, Advaita Vedanta - Salient Features of Advaitism, Advaita Vedanta - Three levels of Truth, Advaita Vedanta - Brahman, Advaita Vedanta - Māyā, Advaita Vedanta - God, Advaita Vedanta - Atman, Advaita Vedanta - Salvation, Advaita Vedanta - Other points, Advaita Vedanta - Are the world and God wholly false?, Advaita Vedanta - Status of the world, Advaita Vedanta - Status of God, Advaita Vedanta - Status of ethics, Advaita Vedanta - Shankara's theory of creation, Advaita Vedanta - Comparison with the Buddhist school of Shunyavada, Advaita Vedanta - Adi Sankara's thoughts in a summary, Advaita Vedanta - The Impact of Advaita, Advaita Vedanta - Advaita and Science, Advaita Vedanta - Important Books and Figures of Advaita Vedanta, Advaita Vedanta - Mahavakya, Advaita Vedanta - Founders & key texts, Advaita Vedanta - Demigods Sages and Saints of Advaitins, Advaita Vedanta - Later teachers and proponents, Advaita Vedanta - Other References

Read more here: » Advaita Vedanta: Encyclopedia II - Advaita Vedanta - Important Books and Figures of Advaita Vedanta

Dhammapada

(Pali, "Dhamma Verses" or "footsteps of Dhamma") Buddhist scripture containing 423 stanzas on a variety of topics; some are doctrinal, but many are gnomic or moral verses.

It is often considered, especially in the West and in Theravada countries, one of the most representative Buddhist texts, although it contains many stanzas found elsewhere in non-Buddhist Indian literature and barely touches on some of the central doctrines and beliefs of Buddhism.

Its popularity in antiquity, however, seems attested by the number of recensions that have survived in different Buddhist languages, including Pali, "Hybrid" Sanskrit, Gandhari, Prakrit, and classical Sanskrit.

(See also: Dhammapada, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Bon (Tibetan) (possible variation of bod Tibet, or an ancient word meaning invoker)

Also pon and bhon. The Tibetan religion before the introduction of Buddhism in the latter half of the 8th century. The priest and adherents of Bon are called Bonpos (bon po), the ancient invokers for the pre-Buddhist and non-Buddhist kings and nobles of Tibet.

The Bon religion, which survives today, seems based on at least four sources:

1)    the ancient folk religions of the Tibetan people;

2)    the tradition of the ancient "invokers";

3)    a conscious competition with Buddhism in terms of doctrine, texts, institutions, pantheon, and ritual; and

4)    a number of non-Tibetan influences, including Hindu, Iranian, Central Asian, and other elements.

Bon has been influenced by Buddhism to the extent that it has its own Kanjur and Tanjur, its own monks and monasteries, and its own "Buddha," Shen-rab (gshen rab). All existing Bon literature was produced after the introduction of Buddhism, and shows the influence of and competition with Buddhism. Bon has also influenced Tibetan Buddhism, especially the Nyingmapa and Kargyupa sects.

(See also: Bon, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)