As I argued many years ago, Bon Buddhism and Bön Buddhism differ only by an umlaut (“What is Bon Buddhism?” May 31, 1989). But what an umlaut it is! Most texts on Bön Buddhism skip it entirely, the umlaut, as though it is of no importance whatsoever. But Bön is at the very core of Tibetan Buddhism. Its roots are in shamanism, which goes back some ten-thousand years at least. Bon Buddhism is entirely new, though. It goes back only a couple of decades at most. To be exact, its principles came forth almost exactly twenty years ago (“Ten Principles of Bon Buddhism,” April 10, 1992). Stripped of all religious baggage, to which Buddhism is also prone, they are a wonder to behold to this day. In a few more decades, though, Bon Buddhism will come to fruition. And it will become a trodden path to follow. In the meanwhile, it is essential to pay attention to the umlaut. Bon Buddhism and Bön Buddhism differ only by an umlaut, but it is an umlaut of colossal proportions.