Soul Loss and Retrieval
World of Worldly Gods May 6, 2023 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197669860.003.0003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Golengpa people (Tibeto-Burman community) |
| Key findings | Argues that Golengpa beliefs in five fluid life elements and soul loss, embedded in a shamanic worldview, position Bonpos as more effective than lay Buddhist priests in addressing illnesses attributed to supernatural entities that are independent of Buddhist priests. |
Abstract
Abstract This chapter extends the ongoing relevance of Bon by considering the belief in the fluidity of five life elements and their centrality to Golengpas’ everyday lives. It offers ethnographic insights into the complex local cosmology/pantheon and people’s strong beliefs in a deep shamanic worldview. It looks at people’s beliefs about the idea of soul loss and the centrality of five life elements—mana-like substances that inhabit Tibeto-Burman imaginations—which as the foundation of a successful life can be easily threatened by the supernatural beings that make up the complex local cosmology. The chapter suggests that the underlying idea of soul loss and the shamanic mythos constituting the world of various classes of supernatural beings give the Bonpos an upper hand over the lay Buddhist priests in relation to dealing with illnesses believed to be caused by untamed entities, who are independent of Buddhist priests.