Until this day people of Spiti practice a folk religious tradition that is closely related to Buddhism but also has many elements of what can be found in the First Four Ways of Bon. Similar to Bon is Spitian’s practice of lha-pa’, those who can communicate with spiritual beings. These practices can be used for fortune-telling, medicine, astrology and exorcisms.  

Particular ceremony that is still cultivated in Pin Valley is Braking the Stone Ceremony by Buchen Lamas. Master of the ceremony, Me-Me Buchen, is a lha-pa. He becomes one by practice – first during retreat, then among his people in the village. Buchen Lamas live a simple life of Himalayan highlanders and farmers. They have their homes and families. But they are believed to posses this particular power that they make a use of when there is a need. 

The Braking Stone Ceremony is usually performed for request. It could be individual, a village or a group of villages. The aim of the ceremony is to subdue the demon causing disease. The demon is not being eliminated as the ceremony is performed in Buddhist tradition fulfilled with compassion. One of ritual’s patron is boddhisatwa (tib. Yungdrug Sempa) of compassion Chenrezi, whose mantra OM MANI PADME HUM knows every Tibetan child. 

Buchen Lamas believe the origins of their practice of subduing the Demon are in activities of Thang-ston rgyal-po, the King of the Dessert, sorcerer, great builder of bridges in Tibet and a father of Lha-mo, Tibetan opera. This great practitioner subdued an epidemic in Lhasa.  

Buchen Lamas perform not only in Pin Valley. They travel to Ladakh and all around Spiti, performing in places where people believe in the power of their ceremony.  

There are only 30 Buchen Lamas left. They carry the knowledge about this remarkable tradition that joins simple or even trivial things with spiritual practice. This  also describes Spitians attitude in general. They are very simple and straightforward people but also overfilled with wisdom taken from the endless sky which is a wonderful space for manifestation of the highest mountains of our world.