Bon is the essence of Tibet, the home grown religion of the country. The Pagan Tibetan religion, if you may so like to call it, out of your christian prejudices. Like all elementary religions of the world, Bonism is a bundle of observations spaced over centuries (often millenia) and survives on the basic tenets of the Triumph of good over evil. Strange eh? but so it is.

Legend has it (and only we manage to call it a legend) that Bon originated from a place in west Tibet known as Olmo Lungring. Here, some 16000 years ago, Tonpo Shenrab, the patriarch of Bon religion was born in a kings family. Married at an early age, he was educated in high heavens with his 2 brothers and upon completion of his studies, he renounced his life to be an austere ascetic and a preacher, a duty bestowed upon him by the deity of love. Lord Shenrab spent the rest of his terrestrial life fighting evil till he tirned them to good.

The lord descended on Tibet by chance. He was chasing demons who had stolen horses, an errand rather unbecoming of a God. However, holiness finds it way to men like the river would go to sea. And so Shenrab landed in Tibet, preaching the locals of the divine path.

Tonpa Shenrab died at the age of 82 Shen years, that translates to 8200 terrestrial human years!!

Baffled? Well. To the believer, carbon dating makes no more sense than the hoot of an owl. Religion was never the true interest of an archeologist, though often it was his Bread and Butter.

Religion

15 years back when i started my search for this thing called truth i belonged to a community called agnostics. I identified with them and loved them. I belonged to them.

I still know a handful of these elements. And they, unlike you or me, are at peace with the world around them.

So what has changed. Me? No.. No way. Yet somewhere deep down I know I don't belong to them anymore. And I am striving hard to contain my anguish, my pains.

Do I look unhappy??? What scares me?? Why do I talk of their peace?? Have I feigned my allegiance to the faithless all these years??? Or does jealousy transcend brotherhood, like it does for commoners???

but am not a commoner!!! I was not brought up to be one!!

At the end of this long tunnel of life... one thing remains with all of us...Contradictions!!! They stay with you like your religion.

We will start with "Bon" & the inner fires of a believer tomorrow.