Exploring Bonpo mendrup Ritual Texts: On Flexibilities of Interpretation, Potencies of Ritual and Medicinal Substances, and the Implications for their Translation

Abstract

Among the healing rituals of Tibet the Bonpo mendrup (sman sgrub) ritual stands as one of the most elaborate. The Bonpo mendrup organized by monasteries is one of the biggest, most important, demanding, expensive, and rarely performed rituals of the Bonpos.

It was last conducted in 2013 at the Triten Norbutse (Khri brtan nor bu rtse) monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal. My research is based on this event.

When making the mendrup, the authoritative text of the recipe is followed as closely as possible. However, in practice the tradition must stay flexible and allow reinterpretation and adjustment to contemporary conditions.

In this presentation, I explore the basis on which ingredients are understood, used, substituted, or even sometimes omitted. Who is in charge of making these decisions and on which knowledge are such decisions based? Which substances are regarded as more important and potent than others, and why? Which can be substituted and which cannot in order to maintain the ritual's efficacy? What is the role of the phabta? I also discuss the implications of such reinterpretation processes for the translation of ritual healing texts.