The myth of the Cosmic Egg

Discussion of the fifth religious tradition of Tibet.

The myth of the Cosmic Egg

Postby kalden yungdrung » Wed Jun 01, 2011 10:33 am

Tashi delek :),

According Bon we have the undermentioned story about the origin of existence.

Best wishes


On the basis of the explanations contained in the ritual tradition of the ‘Human Generations of the Origin of Existence’ we can comprehend the term mang to denote the ‘proclamation or declaration of the power of the truth’ (bden pa ‘i smrang) by which the officiant opens communications with the specific class of beings to which the rite is addressed.

This proclamation is always based on the particular origin myth (chog rabs), which generally starts by narrating how in primordial times, when the outer universe formed, the dimension of existence of our world was born and the origins of the generations of mankind came into being.

At the base of the rites of the ‘Human Generations’ there is the myth of Sidpa Yemön Gyelpo (King of the Primordial Aspiration of Existence), which describes the origin of existence (srid pa ‘i grol phug) in the following way.

First of all, being arose from nothingness, then, from the junction of congruent causes, the elements came into being. Then, from the deities of the dear light existence manifested, and from the deities mankind descended, becoming differentiated into special and ordinary men. Thus there arose the four ritual traditions known as ‘The Human Generations of the Origins of Existence’: the ‘Great Rites of the Original Formation of the Kalpa’ (bskal srid chags pa’i gzhung chen), the ‘4 Divisions of the Fortresses of Aspiration’ (smon lam mkhar gyi gling bzhi), the ‘100.000 Human Generations of the Origin of Existence’ (srid pa mi’u’i rguud ‘bum) and the ‘Great Rites for the Armed Protector Drala’ (mtshon mgon sgra bla ‘i gzhung chen).

From these 4 traditions there branch of the 24 secondary systems from which, in response to the diverse needs of man, there arose in turn a multitude of ritual systems as numerous as the number ‘of trees in a forest’. This tradition of the ‘Human Generations’ is also known as the ‘Bön of the Original Lineage of Existence, the Black Waters’ (chab nag srid pa rgyud kyi bon).


The myth of the origin of existence (srid pa’i grol phug) is narrated in detail in the Treasury of the Origin of Existence (Srid pa’i mdzod phug) and in Drenpa Namkha’s commentary.

It describes 2 ‘cosmic eggs’ (srid pa’i sgong nga), one luminous and the other dark, which give rise, respectively, to the dimensions of being and non being, of light and of darkness. Here is a summary: In the beginning in the dimension of empty space, thanks to the power of Trigyel Khugpa there formed the winds (the air element) tsentin, whose nature was to retain and not allow to disperse, nentin, whose substance had the characteristic to support and not allow to fail, and trinni which had a screen of heat.

The movement of the winds produced a vortex of light that whirled vigorously from whose energy heat was emitted, and (the element) fire was formed. Then from the cold vapour of the wind that supported and from the heat of the fire (the element) water was formed as dew and rime, on which minute particles of matter (rdul phra rab: the earth element) condensed. These particles, shaken and blended by the wind whirling swiftly in space, formed the earth and the mountains. From the essence of the 5 elements (thus formed) there came into being two eggs, an egg of light (‘od kyi sgong nga) and an egg of darkess (mun pa ‘i sgong nga). Due to the power of the aspiration vow of the deity (Trigyel Khugpa) from the pure essence of the 5 elements the egg of light formed, with 4 faces and 8 corners, the size of a 7 year old female yak (grus ma). From the impure essence, and due to the aspiration vow of Medbum Nagpo (Infinite Black Non Being) the egg of darkness formed, with 3 corners and as big as a 3 year old bull (shad) lying down.

The luminous egg hatched by the force of its own light and its own rays, and from the dear light that spread in space were born the 360 Thorse (‘thor gsas: Scattered Deities), men of light who took on the task of protecting virtuous actions. From the rays that gushed downwards were born the Dase (mda’ gsas: Arrow Deities), 10.000 men with one 100.000 horses who took on the task of sustaining heroism in deities and men. From the inner essence of the egg was born the emanation of Trigyel Khugpa called Sidpa Sangpo Bumtri, a divine manifestation in human form, a white man with 7 turquoise plaits down to his armpits. He is the king of existence, of plenitude, of the good (dkar: literally, ‘white’) and of virtue.

The black egg hatched in the dimension of black darkness, and from the black light that was emitted upwards were born darkness, obfuscation (thibs) and obscuration (rmugs). From the rays that spread falling downwards were born madness, obfuscation and obscuration. From the inner essence of the egg was born a man of black light with his hair tied in 3 big plaits. Medbum Nagpo gave him the name Munpa Serden (Radiant Black Darkness). He is a king who likes to annihilate and to empty, to interrupt and to destroy.

The myth continues by recounting how the ‘18 Brothers and Sisters, Ancestors of Mankind’ were born from Sidpa Sangpo Bumtri’s union with Chuchag Gyelmo, a woman miraculously born from an ‘egg of blue light’: The blue lake was stirred by the wind and a bubble the size of a tent was formed, from which was born an egg of blue light. When the egg hatched a blue woman appeared with her hair tied in 7 plaits that reached her armpits. Sangpo Bumtri gave her the name Köpa Chuchag Gyelmo. They then lay together, and from their union were born eighteen brothers and sisters, the ‘9 Primordial Males’ (srid pa pho dgu) and the ‘9 Primordial Females’ (srid pa mo dgu).

The 9 males were:

1. White Lord that Controls Existence (Smid rje ‘brang dkar);
2. Lord of Order with a White Staff (sKos rje drang dkar);
3. Lord of the Cha Dressed in White (Phywa rje ring dkar);11
4. Powerful Narrator of the Divine Genealogies (iHa rabs gnyan mum rje);
5. Awakened Lord of the Mu (Thum thum mal med rje);
6. Lord that Governs the Atmosphere (sKyin dang ngar gyi rje);
7. Miraculous King of Primordial Knowledge (Ye mkhyen ‘phrul gyi rgyal);
8. Lord of the 100.000 Protector Deities of the Earth (Sa iha mgon ‘bum rje);
9. Lord of Plants and of the Cycle of Existence (IJon phyug ‘khor ba rje).

The 9 females were:

1. Ancestress Queen of the Sky (gNam phyi gung rgyal);
2. White Menmo of the Sky (gNam sman dkar mo);
3. Woman Who Does Not Talk (sMra ste mi mkhan nw mo);
4. Female Tiger (Za ma stug mo);
5. She who Develops and Strengthens (Shed za na ma);
6. Sharp Flaming Point (dBal so rnon mo);
7. She who Rides a Deer and Protects Livestock (Ya sha phyug ma);
8. Queen of the Cha and of Longevity (Phywa thse’i rgyal mo);
9. White Goddess (iHa mo dkar mo).

The various human races and generations then descended from each of these 18 ancestors, as described in Drenpa Namkha’s commentary.
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