The Four Wheels of Bön

Found in Zijyi, the long biography of Tönpa Shenrab Miwoche, the Buddha of Yungdrung Bön. Below is a short abbreviated outline of the contents of the Four Wheels of Bon.

The Four Wheels are:

☸️ Take the highest view.

☸️ Step up your activities, starting from the smallest virtues.

☸️ Whatever practice you do, take compassion as the base.

☸️ Practice the Ten Paramitas with determination.

☸️ The First Wheel - The View

🔹The root of suffering (cause)

🔹Ignorance

🔹How to purify ignorance

🔹The Nine Ways of Bon (Cause & Result) 

☸️ The Second Wheel - The Activities

🔹Ten Negative Actions

🔹Three Negative Actions of the Body

• • Killing

  • Stealing

  • Sexual misconduct

🔹Four Negative Actions of Speech

• Idle talk & gossip

• Wrathful speech

• Slander

• Lies

🔹Three Negative Actions of the Mind

• Jealousy/Envy

• Bearing grudges

• Holding wrong views 

🔹The Ten Virtues

🔹Three Virtuous Actions of the Body

• Not Killing, but saving lives

• Not stealing, but practicing Generosity

• Refraining from sexual misconduct through practicing Moral Discipline

🔹Four Virtuous Actions of Speech

• Peaceful speech

• Pleasant words

• Telling the truth

• Avoiding slander

🔹Three Virtuous Actions of the Mind

• Altrusistic mind

• Loving-kindness

• The opposite of holding wrong views, holding right view

☸️ The Third Wheel of Bon

🔹Compassion 

🔹The Four Immeasurables

• • Immeasurable compassion

  • Immeasurable loving-kindness

  • Immeasurable equanimity

  • Immeasurable happiness

🔹The Seven Points of Bodhichita

• • All beings are our mother (Ma She)

  • The need to repay our mother's kindness (Drin Dren)

  • How to repay your mother (Drin du Zo)

  • Have loving-kindness towards all sentient beings (Jampa)

  • Have great compassion towards all sentient beings (Nying Je)

  • Have the strong altruistic intention to lead all sentient beings from Samsara to Nirvana (Lhak Sam)

  • Generate the intention to achieve Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings- full Bodhichitta (Jang Chub Sem)

☸️ The Fourth Wheel of Bon

The Ten Paramitas

🔹Generosity (Jin pa)

🔹Moral Discipline (Tsultrim)

🔹Patience (Zopa)

🔹Determination (Tsondru)

🔹Contemplation (Samten)

🔹Power/Strength (Tob)

🔹Loving-kindness (Nyingje)

🔹Prayer (Monlam)

🔹Method (Tab)

🔹Wisdom  (Yeshe)