The tsön gang

Discussion of the fifth religious tradition of Tibet.
Kai lord
Posts: 1166
Joined: Sun May 15, 2022 2:38 am

Re: The tsön gang

Post by Kai lord »

James Sealy wrote: Thu Dec 08, 2022 9:01 pm
Moreover, in certain scriptures there exists the [more rare] explanation of 5 [subtle channels]:
1.The solitary subtle channel (rkyang ma/lalana) on the right side.
2.The flavor subtle channel (ro ma/rasana) on the left side.
3.The tiny piercing subtle channel (rnyung zug) in front.
4.The tiny subtle channel (nyung ma) in the back.
5.The completely vibrating subtle channel (kun ‘dar ma) in the center.
What kind of winds flow in the above five Channels? The five secondary winds or root winds?
Life is like a game, either you win or lose!
Life is like a fight, either you live or die!
Life is like a show, either you laugh or cry!
Life is like a dream, either you know or not!!!
James Sealy
Posts: 132
Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2022 8:48 pm

Re: The tsön gang

Post by James Sealy »

Kai lord wrote: Fri Dec 09, 2022 2:07 pm
James Sealy wrote: Thu Dec 08, 2022 9:01 pm
Moreover, in certain scriptures there exists the [more rare] explanation of 5 [subtle channels]:
1.The solitary subtle channel (rkyang ma/lalana) on the right side.
2.The flavor subtle channel (ro ma/rasana) on the left side.
3.The tiny piercing subtle channel (rnyung zug) in front.
4.The tiny subtle channel (nyung ma) in the back.
5.The completely vibrating subtle channel (kun ‘dar ma) in the center.
What kind of winds flow in the above five Channels? The five secondary winds or root winds?
Consequently, the 5 wheels or cakras such as `The Wheel of Great Bliss´ are counted as one. The fivefold `Luminous Radiance´ [of the subtle channels of the king and the 4 ministers are counted as one. Together with [the subtle channels of] `The 3 Trunks´ it makes 5 subtle channels within which wisdom moves.

So here we see that wisdom moves within these channels.

From [this king of] the subtle channels (tsön gang) within the heart spread the 4 subtle channels of the 4 ministers.

These appearances or visions (snang ba), are the Dharmakaya Light Tsönkang (bon sku’i ye shes ´od tshon gang). That means from this aspect all our visions and everything we perceive arises.

This Öd Tsönkang is light as we say, light of a special symbolic measure. Keep it as wisdom and light.
This is the explanation of the wisdom and the light. The wisdom is the base from where its potential quality is to manifest as light, as a wisdom light.

When we are talking about the clarity it means actually that internally the essence is light. Then when it manifests we see light. That means the essence manifests as its nature on a more gross level, then it transforms into form, sound, touch, smell into different things.


The Nature of the Dharmakaya
The text of the 5th Seal of the 21 Seals (gZer bu nyi shu rtsa gcig) goes on to point out the natural state (gnas lugs) as the inseperable unity of the 2 qualifications of wisdom and light.

The öd tsön kang is called the unchangeable or indestructible body, the yeshe tsön kang is called un-obscured eye.

The wisdom tsön kang gives rise to the light tsön kang and therefore the wisdom is named eye, which is the cause to see or realize the indestructible body or Bönku (bon sku), normally known in Buddhist teachings as Vajrabody (rdo rje sku). There is no separation between light and wisdom, therefore it is called:

The body and the Wisdom inseparable (sku dang ye shes gnyis (su) med (pa)
The body which sees in every direction.

The last means that there exists no front and no back, you see everywhere. It signifies more the experiential level where we find us in an unity and in this there is no direction, nor high and low, nor big and small.
James Sealy
Posts: 132
Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2022 8:48 pm

Re: The tsön gang

Post by James Sealy »

The functions of the tsön gang
There are a variety of functions of the tsön gang. In Nail 10 of the 21 Nails, the wisdom tsön gang gives rise to the 5 lights of appearances.

In Nail 19 of the 21 Nails, the wisdom tsön gang and light tsön gang serve as the base of experience (‘char gzhi) of the body of light in the intermediate state. In The 6 Lamps we learned of the particular function of the tsön gang and light tsön gang in the creation of the human body and its system of channels. In particular:

- Wisdom tsön hon gang: The source of the wind (rlung) of the space [element]; the opener of the central channel (The 6 Lamps, The Lamp of the Soft White Channel)
- Wisdom tsön gang and light tsön gang: The source of the essential body organs as well as the root and branch winds (The 6 Lamps, The Lamp of the Soft White Channel)

Finally, at least with regard to the practice of crossing-over (thod rgal), there is the unique function of the wisdom tsön gang as serving as the source of light within the tsi ta. This is indicated in Nail 9 and further confirmed by Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche, in volume 1 of his Treasury of Space and Awareness.

While much of what is discovered, reinforces the view of contemporary Bön masters that the tsön gang is principally a symbol for the natural state, awareness, Reality Body, and so forth, by bringing to light the tantric roots of the tsön gang, as well as demonstrating its unique functions.

That symbolic meaning was also fully agreed by the Bön Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, then this has to be accepted as such by all Bönpos.
Post Reply

Return to “Bön”