Photo credit: Ernst Schäfer / Wikimedia
The Mun religion practiced by the Lepcha people (who are found in Bhutan, Tibet, Darjeeling and parts of Nepal) is an example of what’s known as religious syncretism—the blending of religious beliefs into an entirely new religious system. This can happen in places that traditionally have many religions present or when a culture has been conquered and the conquerors impose their religious beliefs on a population but fail to entirely wipe out the old beliefs. The Lepcha people were converted to Buddhism in the seventh century, then in the 19th century Scottish missionaries converted many to Christianity. Today, the Mun religion permits worship of both Buddha and Jesus Christ.
