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The monastery is different with other monasteries
since it is an important religious center of Tibet indigenous religion
- Bon, which lost its dominance in Tibet after Buddhism overwhelmed it.
The monastery lies at the foot of Zezhol Hill, 37 kilometers (23 miles)
from Tingchen county. History of the monastery can be traced back to as
far as 3,000 years ago. It was rebuilt in the middle of the 14th century.
In Tibetan, the name of the monastery means Six Peaks due to its topography
around. The old Bon faith, which had ruled Tibet, had to retreat to untraversed
regions after its failure in religious contest with Buddhism. Zezhol is
one of the few largest Bon monasteries existing in Tibet, which still
keeps many followers and most complete Bon religious rituals. Its religious
college can interpret, systematically, Bon sutras and teach old and mysterious
cultivation methods as Bon Yoga. In particular, the monastery still keeps
a weird Bon religious tradition - naked group dancing.
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