http://earlytibet.com/2008/10/27/between-death-and-the-tomb/

Thanks for that insight into bcu ba; it works very well. I think a new translation is in order, after your and Malcolm’s comments. I wouldn’t too concerned about the lack of overlap with Pha bong ka’s note, given the span of time between the two texts.

And yes, “the bonpo-s of Tibet”… Perhaps relevant to the issue of to what extent the bonpo should be considered a ‘religion’ before the 10th/11th century. The author of this tract does seem to identify them as a group, even if only to point out that they have no coherent narrative to justify their rituals. And why the need to specify Tibet? Where were the other bonpo-s from? Perhaps relevant to this is the fact that “bon po” was used to translate terms for heretical teachers in Chinese sutras (as RA Stein pointed out), so – perhaps – for Buddhist writers, “bon po” could refer to any non-Buddhist ritualist. Thus the need to specify the Tibetan brand. Anyway, it is clear that the author links these Tibetan bonpo-s specifically with funeral rituals.

S.

Fits nicely with the embalming theory.

Then again, at a glance these terms don’t overlap much with Pha bong ka’s short note on embalming (Uebach in Tibet Journal 30.2)

On the form of this document, see Heather Stoddard’s article on stitched books in Chayet, et al, Edition, Editions. Stoddard suggests that stitched books, like those in Dga’ thang stupa, might have at one time been a largely bon/Bon form. (see p. 377.)

What I find most interesting? The phrase bod kyi bon po rnams.

Many thanks for your insights on *rjes bcad* in this text. I like your interpretation of this as an embalming process, and the connections with later medical literature are fascinating. It seems that the term *dpyad* really can’t mean diagnosis in this context. Any idea of how it might have been used here?

S.

How about the “that erasure of tracks itself is ten-fold”.

“rjes bcad” in medicine means “erasing the tracks” i.e. for example, the leftover heat after a fever. dpyad here means the treatments used for erasing the tracks, usually bloodletting or moxa.

The reason medical terms are used, I would speculate, is that whole process refers to embalmment. So, the rjes bcad and dpyad would refer to the process of preparing the cadaver in some fashion, the sman is the substances used to preserve the cadaver once prepared and then of course the cadaver is gussied up.

Just some speculations…

Malcolm

Please go to the above mentioned link to get more informations regarding Bon and the Bonpos

Best wishes
Kalden Yungdrung
President foundation Yungdrung Rignga Ling / the netherlands

Thank you for the idea about sman. We also have rjes bcad which in the later medical tradition means “wiping away the traces”, as in (I think) completely eradicating a disease, but it could have a different significance here.

As for gtshen, I’ve amended my reading of this syllable to gnon which at least is a recognizable word, though it’s significance in this context is still not clear to me.

S.

Maybe sman was also used in a broader sense “to benefit,” thus generally improving [the condition of] the corpse? Also, what did you find for gtshen?

Thanks again. I’ve really enjoyed your posts.