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Hidden Chamber in Mustang Region Yields 9th-Century 'Sutras of Radiant Emptiness' Blending Bon and Early Vedantic Monism

📅 April 10, 2026 📰 National Geographic
Hidden Chamber in Mustang Region Yields 9th-Century 'Sutras of Radiant Emptiness' Blending Bon and Early Vedantic Monism

A high-altitude expedition in Nepal's Mustang region has discovered a sealed library chamber within a remote cliffside monastery. Among the finds is a collection of silk-wrapped manuscripts titled the Sutras of Radiant Emptiness. The texts appear to be a rare philosophical synthesis, blending the indigenous Bon tradition's elemental metaphysics with early Advaita Vedantic theories of consciousness.

Scholars at the site note that the manuscripts discuss the concept of Rigpa (awareness) in a way that directly parallels the Upanishadic Atman, suggesting a deep intellectual exchange across the Himalayas during the early medieval period. This discovery is expected to reshape our understanding of how non-dualist philosophies evolved in isolation along high-altitude trade routes.

Original source: National Geographic