On the Relationship between Dongba Religion and the Ancient Bon Religion as Seen through Mythological Classics and Their Associated Cultural Factors
This article examines the close historical and religious ties between Dongba, the primal religion of the Naxi people, and ancient Tibetan Bon (Bönpo). Because Tibet's surviving Bon has been heavily absorbed into Buddhism, losing much of its original character, Dongba culture is argued to preserve Bon's primordial features more faithfully. Tracing shared ancestry to ancient Qiang nomadic tribes, the author compares worldview, objects of worship, religious concepts, and ritual forms, concluding both traditions stem from a common primitive religious source. A key focus is linguistic and etymological analysis of terms like "Bon," "Xin" (辛), and "Dongba/Dunba," linking Naxi words for "light" and "chanting" to Persian/Indian roots and Tibetan priestly titles, and connecting Naxi ethnonyms ("Xi/Xin/Xie/Sie") to ancient Bon priesthood categories, thereby reinforcing the argument for shared origin and continuity between Dongba religion and archaic Bon.
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