Parinirvana of Buddha Tönpa Shenrab Miwoche

Today (9th month, 30th day) we are celebrating Nyangenledepa (mya ngan las ‘das pa) / Parinirvana of Tönpa Shenrab Miwoche, Buddha of Yungdrung Bön. So it is fitting to read some of his words to his followers, as translated by Yongdzin Rinpoche:

“At that time, the Buddha himself was seated on the throne, and his colour was golden. He was sitting cross-legged and his right hand was resting on his knee while his left hand was in the mudrа of equipoise. He was dressed in the six garments of a monk and he was smiling. So many luminous lights radiated out from his smile and body in all directions. After this the Buddha spoke, saying:

‘All you attendant Bodhisattvas and all you high Bodhisattvas and Arhats! All of you Devas, Asuras, humans, and all you smell-eaters, male and female – all of you who are present here! What I am teaching here is extremely precious and true. Everybody must listen carefully. If any of you here is not listening attentively or intently, then you will be continuously deluded and will fall down into Samsara again and again. If, on the other hand, you follow this Teaching, obey it and practise it, then gradually you will enter the great path of precious release from Samsara. Then you will no longer be deluded or be lost in Samsara. Gradually, if you continue to practise with virtuous motivation, you will achieve the precious result of Tharpa, liberation in the highest realms such as Ogmin Zhingkham, and, ultimately, Buddhahood.’”

From: THE FOUR WHEELS OF BÖN ༎བོན་འཁོར་ཚིག་བཞི།།, Oral Teachings by Yongdzin Lopön Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, Transcribed, compiled and edited by Carol Ermakova and Dmitry Ermakov, FPYB, 2016, pp.7-8.