New Spiritual Head of the Bon religion of Tibet

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By Tenzin Samten / January 6, 2018;

Geshe Dawa Dhargay, the 34th Menri Trizin

Followers of the Bon religious sect enthroned their new spiritual head on January 1. Geshe Dawa Dhargay was appointed 34th Menri Trizin, elected from 60 candidates. Bon or Bonism is the ancient Tibetan religion believed to exist before the advent of Buddhism.

The enthronement ceremony was held at Pal Shenten Menri Ling Monastery at Dolanji in the Solan District of Himachal Pradesh and was attended by all senior spiritual leaders of the Bon tradition including monks, lamas and lay dignitaries. Ven Karma Gelek Yuthok, Minister of the Central Tibetan Administration’s (CTA) Department of Religion and Culture was among those who attended the ceremony. “I heartily extend my warm congratulations and Tashi Delek to Geshe Dawa Dhargay, the new Menri Trizin of the Bon tradition. I wish him all the success as the head of the Bon tradition and pray all your efforts and hard work for the benefit of all sentient beings bear fruition,” he said.

Geshe Dawa Dhargay, the 34thMenriTrizin was born in Sharkhog in northeastern Tibet’s Amdo province.

The previous Menri Trizinwas Lungtok Tenpai Nyima. Lungtok Tenpai Nyima passed away on September 14 last year at the age of 90 while meditating in the thukdam state*in his residence at the monastery.

* According to Tibetan Buddhist Tantric practice, Thukdam is a state of deep meditation, in which the body retains heat, shows no signs of decay, and emits no odours despite being clinically dead.