BÖNPO CHÖD PILGRIMAGE: The Sacrifice of the Self

In the heart of the Himalayas a few rare practitioners – followers of Bön, the ancient pre-Buddhist religion of Tibet – undertake a long ritual pilgrimage through the “power places” of the Dolpo region: sacred sites inhabited by mountain deities and water genii; wild places infested by ferocious demons and dangerous ghosts. In a universe perceived as a delicate interaction between human beings and the invisible forces that inhabit the cosmos, the main purpose of the pilgrimage is to placate local spirits,