108 
Sarat Chandra Das —Contributions on Tibet. 
[No. 3, 
the progress of the Bon religion is traced from the reign of king Di-gum - 
tsanpo. This stage of the Bon religion is also called Gyu Bon Chhab-nag. 9 
2nd Stage, Khyar-Bon. 
When king Digum tsanpo was assassinated, the Bon priests, not know¬ 
ing how to conduct the funeral rites (so as to prevent his spirit from doing 
mischief to the living), invited three Bon priests, one from Kashmir, a 
second from the Duska country and a third from the country of Shan-shun, 
to perform the “funeral of the stabbed”. One of these priests propitiated. 
Ge-god khyun and Me-lha the god of fire, and thereby was enabled to 
travel in the sky, mounted on a tambourine, and to discover mines. He could 
perform miraculous feats, such as cutting iron with the quills of birds, <fcc. 
Another priest was skilled in delivering oracles and telling fortunes by Jutika 
and by deciphering mystic symbols on the fresh human shoulder-bone and 
thereby divining good and evil. The third priest was famed for his 
skill in conducting the funeral ceremonies of the dead, especially of 
those murdered with knives, &c. 
Previous to the appearance of these Bon priests there existed no Bon 
religious theories. Since their time the Bon doctrines have come into 
existence. This stage of the Bon religion called Khyar-Bon (i. e., erroneous 
Bon) was mixed up with the S'aiva doctrine of the Tirthikas. 
The 3rd Stage or Gyur-Bon. 
This is divided into three Sub-stages. 
1st Sub-stage. 
* 
An Indian Pandit, having profaned some sacred Buddhist Achara and 
having been charged with immorality, was expelled from his congregation. 
He went towards the north of Kashmir where, dressed in a blue gown, 
lie proclaimed himself a great teacher. Pie wrote some heretical works, 
which he hid under the ground. After the lapse of a few years, he invited 
the public to witness the discovery by him of some ancient religious works. 
Thus a change was wrought in the Bon religion. 
pollution of the hearth, and having got its wings, has fled towards the sky where 
he is out of reach. This indicates that a long time has elapsed since the defilement 
of the hearth. If a larva is found, it is immediately killed to ensure the cure of the leper. 
A dead larva inside the hall shows that the cure is at hand. The hall of earth is 
used as a charm against evil spirits. If the officiating priest fail to discover the defiled 
hall, he is considered an impostor. If it is found, no matter what its contents are, 
the priest must he rewarded suitably. He generally claims the limhs and head 
of the sacrificial animal, be it a cow or a pig, together with a complete suit of wearing- 
apparel, called Lu-gan . These rewards collectively are called Legs-sol. Animal sacri¬ 
fices form an important part in the religious observances of the Bonpo. 
9 Or the original Bon of the dark valley , meaning dark age. 
