Bon: Number Sets & Lists

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In the Bon Religious Tradition number sets are primarily concerned with groupings of teachers and deities. The deities generally have two different types. The first concerns a single figure with varied secondary deity configurations. The second type is groupings of related deities based on historical or religious context, family tradition, 'Revealed Treasure' or function/activity.

Video: Bon Number Sets

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Bon Number Sets & Lists:

Three
Three Sempa Lineage Holders
Three Deities of the Bon: Walse, Lhago, Tsochog
Three Protectors: Mi, Du, Tsen

Four
Four Bonpo Families (Dru, Shu, Pa, Me'u)
Four Deathless Ones (Chime Yabse Shi)
Four Guardian Kings
Four Transcendent Lords
Four Drubchen Scholars (Later Period)

Five
Five Bonpo Families (Dru, Shu, Pa, Meu, Shen)
Five Deity Sherab Chamma
Five Excellent Ones of the Se Fortress
Five Gods of the Five Sciences (Yewang Rignga)
Five Kandros of the Elements (Magyu System)
Five Offering Goddesses
Five Personal Gods (Gowai Lha Nga)

Six
Six Guardians of the Six Realms (Dulwa Shen Drug)
Six Great Lamas (Drubchen)
Six Kandros of the Magyu
Six Realms of Existence
Six Sipai Gyalmo Manifestations
Six Teachers of Discipline (Dulwa Shendrug)

Eight
Eight Chamma Protecting From the Eight Fears
Eight Offering Goddesses

Nine
Nine Zhangzhung Sages
Nine Doctrine Holders of Monastic Discipline (Drubchen)
Nine Majestic Subduers (Drubchen)
Nine Mighty Drubchen
Nine Miraculous Naljorma (Drubchen)
Nine Scholar Translators (Drubchen)
Nine Shen of the Lineage of Blessing (Drubchen)

Twelve
Twelve Ritual Deities

Thirteen:
Thirteen Drubchen (Middle Period Teachers)

Twenty-four
Twenty-four Zhangzhung Masters

Thirty-three
Thirty-three Celestial Bon Ritual Experts

Forty-five (Peaceful & Wrathful)
Forty-five Peaceful Deities

Eighty
Eighty Drubtob of the Magyu System

Eighty-six (Peaceful & Wrathful)
Eighty-six Wrathful Deities

One Hundred and Twenty-one
One Hundred and Twenty-one Chorten

Two Hundred and Fifty
Two Hundred and Fifty Deity Sangpo Bumtri
Two Hundred and Fifty Deity Shenlha Okar
Two Hundred and Fifty Deity Sherab Chamma
Two Hundred and Fifty Deity Tonpa Shenrab

One Thousand (250 X 4)
1000 Sanggye of the Bon

Jeff Watt 4-2006 [updated 11-2024]

(The images below are only a selection of examples from the links above).