THINKING
This article examines the influence of the Tibetan Bon religion on the Dongba religion of the Naxi (Moxie) people during the Tang Dynasty. When Tibetan military forces controlled northwestern Yunnan and western Sichuan, areas inhabited by the Naxi, Bon religion exerted considerable influence on local beliefs. Although early Tang rulers, notably Songtsen Gampo, promoted Buddhism among the Tibetan elite, Bon remained deeply rooted among common people and retained ritual authority, as evidenced by Bon priests presiding over Tang-Tibet covenant ceremonies. Later, as Tibetan rulers pursued a policy of "supporting Buddhism and suppressing Bon," persecuted Bon priests fled or were exiled into Naxi territories, further reinforcing Bon's impact on indigenous Naxi religion. The author argues that this historical influence is clearly reflected in the deity system of Dongba religion and in close textual parallels between Dongba scriptures and Dunhuang Tibetan manuscripts, demonstrating a significant religious and cultural connection between Tang-era Tibetan Bon and Naxi Dongba traditions.
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