From a historical and doctrinal perspective, Bon and Buddhism in Tibet are best understood as two distinct yet deeply intertwined religious traditions. Bon is rooted in Tibet’s indigenous religious heritage and developed its own scriptures, pantheon, and lineages prior to and alongside the spread of Buddhism. Its central founding figure is Tonpa Shenrab rather than Buddha Śākyamuni, and it maintains a separate canon, cosmology, and ritual system. Even though Bon has, over the centuries, adopted and adapted many Buddhist-style doctrines—such as teachings on emptiness, karma, and rebirth—it preserves pre-Buddhist elements and its own institutional structures. On these grounds, religious studies scholarship typically treats Bon as a separate religion, albeit one that has been profoundly “Buddhicized” through long coexistence with Tibetan Buddhism.

At the same time, the relationship between the two is not one of simple opposition. Prolonged interaction has led to shared practices, similar monastic forms, and parallel philosophical systems; in some areas, Bon and Tibetan Buddhist rituals and contemplative disciplines are strikingly close. This convergence has shaped how the traditions are perceived in Tibetan society. The Tibetan government-in-exile, for example, officially recognizes Bon as one of Tibet’s five main spiritual traditions, placing it alongside the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Some prominent religious figures have also spoken of Bon in terms that highlight its proximity to the Buddhist schools, emphasizing common ground in advanced contemplative teachings and monastic life.

Yet institutional recognition and external classification do not fully determine religious identity. Most Bon practitioners, or Bonpos, tend to regard themselves first and foremost as followers of Bon rather than as Buddhists, even when they affirm that Bon and Buddhism ultimately point toward the same spiritual truth. Their self-understanding reflects a sense of continuity with Tibet’s indigenous religious past and a desire to maintain a distinct lineage, even amidst shared practices and mutual influence. Thus, while Bon is sometimes grouped with Tibetan Buddhism for reasons of cultural unity and practical categorization, it remains, in the eyes of both scholars and most adherents, a separate tradition that stands alongside, rather than within, Buddhism.