In Bön we also know Sangye Menla like in the other 4 Tibetan Traditions.
I understood that there exist great similarities between bum bzhi and Gyud gzhi , that is said from all sides.
That is at least one big common fact.
So IMO; the core are the translations from Zhang Zhung into Tibetan, from certain medical text.
These texts are then the Bön contributions to the common basic medicine texts.
I will post here the interpretation of JLA . He did in 1998 a translation about medicine Tantras in favour of the request of the Triten Norbutse Khenpo.
Mutsug Marro
KY
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Preface to the gSo rig bdud rtsi sman rgyud ‘bum bzhi Delhi edition
compiled by Tshul khrims sangs rgyas
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Translated from the Tibetan by
Jean-Luc Achard
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- Bön Sangye Menla.jpg (46.26 KiB) Viewed 1057 times
Thus the place where he taught was the core in the Southern Continent of Jambudvipa, of our universe of endurance, in the center of the supreme and noble place of Olmo Lungring, close to the Mount Yungdrung Gutsek.
His retinue was that of the eight great Sages (drang srong chen po brgyad) such as Chebu Trishe (dPyad bu khri shes), the Son of the Victorious One and holder of the Medicine Science, together with the 360 Yungdrung Sempas (g.yung drung sems dpa’) such as Mucho Demdrug (Mu cho ldem drug), the successor to Tonpa Shenrab.
Then, 1800 years after the nirvana of Tonpa Shenrab, the master who took care of the Speech teaching of the Buddha came and distinguished the Words (bka’) [of Tonpa Shenrab] from the Teachings relying on the Words (bka’ rten) before transmitting them to the Six Ornaments of Erudition (mkhas pa rgyan drug) and the four Scholars translators.
According to the Sûtra of Entrustment contained in the large biographical sûtra of Tonpa Shenrab’s deeds, the Buddha said :
“ — Mucho demdrug will be my successor. For the time being, he resides in the place of semi-gods but after my own nirvâna, in the wood-dragon year coming in 1891 years, he will come in the sanctuary of Olmo in Jambudvipa, with his retinue of divine beings from the sky. In the Palace of Karnak Trasel (dKar nag bkra gsal), he will divide the teachings according to my Words and the commentaries relying on my Words. He will teach them according to the intellectual capacities of sentient beings and spread them in all the ten directions of Jambuvidpa. ”
The Six Ornaments and the Four Scholars translated them in the language of each country of Jambudvipa such as Tazig (sTag gzigs), Zhangzhung (Zhang zhung), Gilgit (Bru sha), Kashmir (Kha che), Trom (Phrom), Oddiyana, Thogar (Tho gar), India, China, Tibet, etc. Thus, the sufferings and illnesses of the infinite beings living in this enduring universe were dispelled beyond the limits of existence and the precious teaching of the Buddha greatly diffused and increased.
In particular, in Tibet, our country, at first, when Shenrab Miwo was still alive, because of the demon Khyabpa Lakring, the Teacher himself had to come to the snowy valleys of Tibet, in the special place of Kongpo Bonri.
He there revealed a few teachings such as:
- divinitation (mo)
- healing rituals (gto)
- astrology (rtsis)
- medical diagnosis (dpyad).
After this, during the reign of the first Tibetan king, Nyatri Tsenpo (gNya’ khri btsan po), Namkha Nangwai Dokchen (Nam mkha’ snang ba’i mdog can) and the Four Scholars, etc.,
translated numerous cycles of Sûtras, Tantra and Dzogchen from the Mar (sMar) language of Zhangzhung into Tibetan.
The fact that these teachings existed then is clearly given in details in the Royal Genealogies of Bon and the Histories of the Doctrine.
In the meantime, Buddhsim and Bön spread (in the eight century) and when the abolition of Bön took place, this Blue Sky of Myriad Mind (Thugs ‘bum mkha’ sngon) was hidden as a treasure by seven Bönpos in the Secret Svastika Cave (g.Yung drung gsang phug) of Jema (Bye ma) in Upper Tsang province. Later on (in the eleventh century), the yogi (gShen po) of Tsang, Butso Sipai Gyelpo (Bu ‘tsho srid pa’i rgyal po) opened the treasure and transmitted it to Me’u Khepa Pelchen (rMe’u mkhas pa dpal chen), thus diffusing it.
The three other texts such as the White Myriad of Medicine (sMan ‘bum dkar po), etc., were revealed in the main temple of Samye (bSam yas dbu rtse) in the tenth century by the three buddhist of U (dBus). The physician Yuthokpa (Lha rje g.Yu thog pa) requested the texts from them and up to now they have been intensely diffused, not withstanding the fact that we can affirm that historically, the glorious Four Tantras (rgyud bzhi) of the buddhist tradition are later developpements of them based on these root-texts.
Now this text known as the Blue Sky of Myriad Mind (Thugs ‘bum mkha’ sngon) and its branches known as the White Myriad of Curing Medicine (gSo byed sman ‘bum dkar po), the Multicolor Myriad of Diagnosis and methods of Healing (‘Tsho thabs dpyad ‘bum khra bo) and the Black Myriad of Illnesses to be Cured (gSo bya nad ‘bum nag po) are an incomparable scriptural tradition to be studied by the fortunates interested in the science of Medicine.
Moreover, in our society, the special culture of Zhangzhung and Tibet which has appeared thousand years ago and their numerous histories with wide specificities are esteemed by young people ; in particular, the elders consider each of these ancient traditions as models for the future generations. Its shows the path of education they have to assimilate in their mind and will be at the same time of medical service to all the people of the world.
In addition to that, since this text is the basic treatise of medical studies, Ragshi Menge Tsultrim Sangye (Rag shi sman dge Tshul khrims sangs rgyas) of the School of the Four Myriads of Medical Science following the ancient traditions, is reprinting them here ; the variant spellings included in this medical collection are included as in the original old books and left without corrections. We have preserved the ancient style of composition and utterance of ancient words as a subject of investigation so that this tradition shall be the object of future researches.
Written by Tsultrim Tenzin, the 304th day of 1998, on the 3135th Tibetan year, being the fourteenth day of the first month of the Earth-Tiger year.