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Bhutan Bon
Before the introduction of Buddhism, animistic worship,
generally categorized as Bon in the Himalayas, was
prevalent in
Bhutan. The sun, moon, sky, and other natural elements
were
worshiped, and doctrine was transmitted orally from
generation to
generation. Bon, from a Tibetan word meaning invocation or
recitation, has priests--bonpo--who perform
exorcisms,
burial rites, and divinations to tame threatening demons
and to
understand the wishes of the gods. Imported from Tibet and
India,
perhaps in the eighth century, Bon doctrine became so
strongly
reinvigorated by Buddhism that by the eleventh century it
reasserted itself as an independent school apart from
Buddhism.
Conversely, Bon influenced popular Buddhism, infusing it
with an
appreciation for omens and demons felt to influence daily
life
profoundly. Bon established a canon of teachings and
continued to
be practiced in modern Bhutan.
Data as of September 1991
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