NANGSHIG: A Tibetan Bonpo Monastery and its Family in Amdo

Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. An overview of the bon religion in Tibet, with particular reference to a mdo. 3. sNang zhig monastery as an important Bonpo religious center. 4. Monastic organization description of the positions in the monastic organization and their function. 5. The hierarchical system among the head Lamas of the monastery and their responsibilities. 6. Economic circumstances. 7. The monastery as an educational center for young monks. 8. Ritual traditions and performances. 9. Local deities-the attitude of sNang zhig monastery towards local deities. 10. The daily life of monks residing in the monastery. 11. Ritual services performed for laymen in villages. 12. The sNang zhig family: a historical account. 13. The family and its religious functions. 14. The yi dam of the sNang zhig Lama. 15. The system of succession in the monastery. 16. Conclusion and perspective. Bibliography. Appendices. 

In the Eleventh Century a Bonpo master named Do ‘phags Yon tan rgyal mtshan established a hermitage in the rNga Khog region of eastern Tibet, corresponding to modern-day-rNga ba (Chinese Aba) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province. This hermitage was the nucleus of a religious center that would culminate in 1168, in the foundation of Nangshig (sNang zhig) monastery. sNang zhig has survived centuries of sectarian rivalry and political uncertainty to become the largest Bonpo monastery in the entire Tibetan cultural region. The result of years of textual enquiry and field-based investigation by an eminent Tibetan scholars, this volume—the first monograph of a Bonpo monastery in PRC—represents an important contribution to the cultural and religious history of Tibet.