Sangpo Bumtri. One of the four transcendent lords (bder gshegs gtso bzhi), the four main peaceful deities in the Bön tradition. Within this group, sangs po 'bum khri is called the “procreator” (srid pa). This refers to his role in the Bön cosmogonic narrative, in which he emerges from an egg of light at the beginning of the world, and then unites with his companion chu lcam rgyal mo to give birth to the beings in the world. In the Bön pantheon, sangs po 'bum khri also forms an important triad with ston pa gshen rab and gshen lha 'od dkar. Here, gshen lha 'od dkar serves as the chief supervisor of ston pa gshen rab, while sangs po 'bum khri acts as ston pa gshen rab’s companion, assisting him by maintaining the order of the world.

Etymology

Basic Syllabic Etymology:

One etymology suggests that the name sangs po 'bum khri indicates that he was enlightened (sangs) at the beginning of time, and is the lord of the hundred-thousand ('bum) beings; this etymology does not explain khri, though it implies that it might be read as khrid “to lead.” The name is also etymologized as indicating that he is accompanied by a hundred thousand ('bum) male and female “procreators.”

Further Details