18040th Anniversary of Tönpa Shenrab Miwo’s Birth and Birthday of  Kongtsa Yungdrung Wangden

Tönpa Shenrab – whose original name was Mura Tahen (Tib. Dmu-ra ta-han) – was born on the fifteenth day of the first month of Spring (Tib. me-stag-gi zla-ba) in the country of Olmo Lungring (Tib. ‘Ol-mo lung-ring), the central region of the larger country of Tagzig (Tib. Rtag-gzigs/Stag-gzig). It was in the Wood Male Mouse Year i.e. in 16,017 BC according to traditional Bönpo Chronology (Tib. Bstan-rtsis).

So this year marks the 18040th anniversary of the First Deed of Yungdrung Bön’s Buddha Tönpa Shenrab Miwoche (Tib. Ston pa Gshen rab Mi bo che) – the Deed of Birth (Tib. Sku bltams-pa’i mdzad-pa).

This day also marks the anniversary of Tönpa Shenrab’s son Kongtsa Yungdrung Wangden (Tib. Kong-tsha G.yung-drung dbang-ldan) from whom the Mushen (Tib. Dmu-gshen) blood lineage of Tönpa Shenrab descended and which is still alive today in Tibet. This family upheld the teachings of Yungdrung Bön for millennia and produced such illustrious masters as, for example, great tertön Shenchen Luga (Tib. Gshen-chen klu-dga’).

It is a particularly auspicious day to recite the prayer to Tönpa Shenrab. It is here: