Achi Chökyi Drolma and Bön

[Summers]

Was Achi Chökyi Drolma originally a Bön diety? She is depicted in the style of one, which is interesting considering Jigten Sumgön's anti-Bön stance.

[Könchok Thrinley]

It could be possible that she is in some way a buddhist version of such deity. However, according to the stories she is Jigten Sumgon's grandmother and an emanation of Tara (Achi = grandma, Drolma = Tara). Maybe the reason why she looks like a Bön deity is because she originated in Tibet and not in India like other buddhist deities.

[Summers]

However, according to the stories she is Jigten Sumgon's grandmother and an emanation of Tara (Achi = grandma, Drolma = Tara). Maybe the reason why she looks like a Bön deity is because she originated in Tibet and not in India like other buddhist deities.

This is possible.
Though there are goddesses in Bön with Drolma in their names aswell. Jigten Sumgön's mother was also a Bönpo.

[Könchok Thrinley]

However, according to the stories she is Jigten Sumgon's grandmother and an emanation of Tara (Achi = grandma, Drolma = Tara). Maybe the reason why she looks like a Bön deity is because she originated in Tibet and not in India like other buddhist deities.

This is possible.
Though there are goddesses in Bön with Drolma in their names aswell. Jigten Sumgön's mother was also a Bönpo.

Yes, but Achi was a great grandmother from the father's side and she was for sure buddhist just like her son. She was also supposed to be prophecised in chakrasamvara tantra. Don't know really maybe Palzang will know more, he is the local Drikung scholar .

Quite honestly what matters the most is her compassion and activity which are without boundaries.

[kalden yungdrung]

However, according to the stories she is Jigten Sumgon's grandmother and an emanation of Tara (Achi = grandma, Drolma = Tara). Maybe the reason why she looks like a Bön deity is because she originated in Tibet and not in India like other buddhist deities.

This is possible.
Though there are goddesses in Bön with Drolma in their names aswell. Jigten Sumgön's mother was also a Bönpo.

Tashi delek,

In Drikung Kagyu are the most converted Bönpos, that is well known in Bön, many have Bön family names. In Nyingma are also ver married Bönpos and they have a mix "Buddhism".

Kyungpo Näldjor , the founder of Shangpa Kagyu was also Bönpo etc.

All not a problem because we have and know that also in Bön Sarma.
Important is that they have Compassion and Wisdom on their Path to Enlightenment.
These are the very basics of the Tibetan 5 Traditions, with all their different Lineages and since after 1967, they are all very well befriended. In the west the war is over, a good side of the Exodus.

[Malcolm]

Was Achi Chökyi Drolma originally a Bön diety? She is depicted in the style of one, which is interesting considering Jigten Sumgön's anti-Bön stance.

No, she was Jigten Sumgon's great grandmother.

http://www.rigdzindharma.org/achi-chokyi-drolma.html

[Summers]

Yes, but Achi was a great grandmother from the father's side and she was for sure buddhist just like her son. She was also supposed to be prophecised in chakrasamvara tantra. Don't know really maybe Palzang will know more, he is the local Drikung scholar .

Quite honestly what matters the most is her compassion and activity which are without boundaries.

It still doesn't explain why Achi is depicted like a Bön diety while other Tibetan figures like Machig Labdrön, Yeshe Tsogyal, are not. Kristen Kail Muldowney in her thesis paper written on Achi talks about the Bön iconography though I don't remember if she tracked down a reason for it. I have to read it again.

I'm asking out of curiosity, lol.

[Palzang Jangchub]

Yes, but Achi was a great grandmother from the father's side and she was for sure buddhist just like her son. She was also supposed to be prophecised in chakrasamvara tantra. Don't know really maybe Palzang will know more, he is the local Drikung scholar .

Miroku, you flattered you... I would never put myself on the level of a true scholar, but appreciate the compliment and take it as a sign that my small bit of university training combined with my natural curiosity has at least been helping others learn about the lineage

In Drikung Kagyu are the most converted Bönpos, that is well known in Bön, many have Bön family names. In Nyingma are also ver married Bönpos and they have a mix "Buddhism".

I would agree with this, though I just found it out recently. I've seen a translator whose family name was Bhuchung, which has Bön origins. Even one of our most illustrious teachers, Lho Ontul Rinpoche, holds the lineage of some Bön Dharma, part of which is because his current incarnation's family line was Bön at the outset.

Ontül Rinpoche's family lineage is called Göpe, or also Pebön Thogtrul, which is one of the thirteen noble family lineages which are again explained as stemming from the inner lineage of Lodan Nyingpo, who is one of the four ancient Tulkus of Bön religion, before Padmasambhava's time.

http://www.dharma-media.org/ratnashripj ... ontul.html

I have several Drikungpa friends here in North America who have an affinity for Bön because they've found accessing Bönpo centers more easy, and because it has enriched their practice.

My "Chocho" (elder brother) in Boudha, Kathmandu, Nepal is a Tamang Drikungpa thangka artist. He and the others at his art school definitely see no problem in painting Bön lamas and deities. You can see a lot of his work on his personal FB page, and I've been encouraging him to put his stuff on Instagram lately.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1149907832

It still doesn't explain why Achi is depicted like a Bön diety while other Tibetan figures like Machig Labdrön, Yeshe Tsogyal, are not. Kristen Kail Muldowney in her thesis paper written on Achi talks about the Bön iconography though I don't remember if she tracked down a reason for it. I have to read it again.

Kristen, a friend and fellow classmate of mine from our FSU days, is the only scholar who has treated Achi so thoroughly as far as I know. She is also a student of Drupön Thinley Nyingpo Rinpoche Rinpoche, and used him as one of her main sources, so her master's thesis should be seen as a nice synthesis of scholarly and practical knowledge.

Perhaps some more readings on Achi would help elucidate this issue for you. I have found the following site very helpful, as it contains several resources (not the least of which is Achi's life story): http://drigung.com/translations.html

[Summers]

Kristen, a friend and fellow classmate of mine from our FSU days, is the only scholar who has treated Achi so thoroughly as far as I know. She is also a student of Drupön Thinley Nyingpo Rinpoche Rinpoche, and used him as one of her main sources, so her master's thesis should be seen as a nice synthesis of scholarly and practical knowledge.

Perhaps some more readings on Achi would help elucidate this issue for you. I have found the following site very helpful, as it contains several resources (not the least of which is Achi's life story): http://drigung.com/translations.html

Hi Palzang, thank you for the information and resources. I'll certainly check them out.