Mr. Heyde, However, Once On A Journey In Our Neighbouring
County Of Langskar, Saw A Man Clothed In Black With Blue Borders, Who
The People Said Was A Bonpo."
[Mr. Rockhill (Journey , 63) saw at Kao miao-tzu "a red-gowned,
long-haired Boenbo Lama," and at Kumbum (p.
68), "was surprised to see quite
a large number of Boenbo Lamas, recognisable by their huge mops of hair and
their red gowns, and also from their being dirtier than the ordinary run
of people." - H. C.]
The identity of the Bonpo and Taosse seems to have been accepted by Csoma
de Koroes, who identifies the Chinese founder of the latter, Lao-tseu, with
the Shen-rabs of the Tibetan Bonpos. Klaproth also says, "Bhonbp'o,
Bhanpo, and Shen, are the names by which are commonly designated (in
Tibetan) the Taoszu, or follower of the Chinese philosopher Laotseu."[11]
Schlagintweit refers to Schmidt's Tibetan Grammar (p. 209) and to the
Calcutta edition of the Fo-koue-ki (p. 218) for the like identification,
but I do not know how far any two of these are independent testimonies.
General Cunningham, however, fully accepts the identity, and writes to me:
"Fahian (ch. xxiii.) calls the heretics who assembled at Ramagrama
Taosse,[12] thus identifying them with the Chinese Finitimists. The
Taosse are, therefore, the same as the Swastikas, or worshippers of the
mystic cross Swasti, who are also Tirthakaras, or 'Pure-doers.' The
synonymous word Punya is probably the origin of Pon or Bon, the
Tibetan Finitimists.
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