Atisha
Atisha.
Bodhichittabhavana
Gampopa
Jatakas
Tripitaka Canon
Kunga Tenzin
Longchenpa
Milarepa
Nagarjuna
Nagasena
Naropa
Padmasambhava
Petrul Rinpoche
Sultim Lodoy
Tantra
Tilopa
Shantideva
is one of the main and most widespread world religions. Adherents of this religion inhabit mainly the regions of Central, Southern and South East Asia. However, the sphere of influence extends beyond the specified region of the globe: its followers are also found on other continents, although in smaller numbers. There are also a large number of Buddhists in Russia, mainly in Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva.Along with Christianity and Islam, it belongs to the so-called world religions, which, unlike national religions (Judaism), have an interethnic character.
The emergence of world religions is the result of a long development of political, economic and cultural contacts between different countries and peoples.
The cosmopolitan nature of Christianity and Islam allowed them to transcend national boundaries and spread widely across the globe.
World religions, to a greater or lesser extent, are characterized by belief in a single, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God. Such a God, as it were, combines in one image all those qualities and properties that were inherent in the numerous gods of polytheism.
Ask a Buddhist how the religion he follows arose, and you will receive the answer that more than two and a half thousand years ago it was announced to people by Buddha Shakyamuni.
Another based on religious tradition birth legend is a story about the life of the wandering preacher Siddhartha, who called himself Buddha, which means “enlightened by the highest knowledge,” “overshadowed by the truth.”
The emergence was associated with the appearance of a number of works that were later included in the canonical body of Buddhism - the Tipitaka. Tipitaki means "three vessels" (more precisely three baskets) in Pali.
The Tipitaka was codified around the 3rd century. The text of the Tipitaka is divided into three parts and is devoted to the rules of behavior of monks and the order in monastic Buddhist communities, contains a huge number of stories about individual episodes of the life of the Buddha and his sayings on various occasions, and also includes sermons and teachings on ethical and abstract philosophical topics.
While still alive, a person could voluntarily take the righteous path by joining a monastic community (sanghaya), begin to follow the tradition of Buddhism, which means renouncing caste, family, property, and introducing strict rules and prohibitions to the world.
Long before its emergence, India had original religious teachings, cultures and traditions.
Subjectively, it arose as a reaction of certain layers of ancient Indian society to teachings that recognized the authority of the Vedas and their interpretations, but at the same time followed the caste system of Brahmanism.
Already in the first centuries of its existence, it was divided into 18 directions, disagreements between which caused the convening of councils in Rajagriha in 447 BC, in Vaishavi in 367 BC, in Patalirutra in the 3rd century BC. and led at the beginning of our era to the division into two branches: Hinayana
(“small vehicle”) and Mahayana (“big vehicle”).
This division in the Buddhist tradition was caused primarily by differences in the socio-political conditions of life in certain parts of India.
Closely associated with the early one, it recognizes the Buddha as a man who found the path to salvation, which is considered achievable only through withdrawal from the world - into monasticism.
It proceeds from the possibility of salvation not only for hermit monks, but also for the laity, and the emphasis is on active preaching activities, on intervention in public and state life. Mahayana, unlike Hinayana, was more easily adapted to spread outside India, giving rise to many interpretations and movements.
The early one is characterized by simplicity and ritualism. The main element is the cult of Buddha, preaching, veneration of holy places associated with the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama, worship of stupas - religious buildings where relics are kept.
Over time in Buddhist tradition a special form of religious behavior was added - bhavana, which means delving into oneself, into one’s inner world with the goal of concentrated reflection on the truths of faith, which became further widespread in such directions of Buddhism as “Chan” (in China) and “Zen” (in Japan).
Many believe that ethics occupies a central place and this makes it more of an ethical, philosophical teaching, rather than a religion. Most of the concepts are vague and ambiguous, which makes it more flexible and well adaptable to local cults and beliefs, capable of transformation. Buddha's followers formed numerous monastic communities, which became the main centers of spread.
In the VI - VII centuries. n. e. The decline of Buddhism in India began, due to the decline of the slave system and the growth of feudal fragmentation, as well as the opposition of the ideas of Buddhism to the caste system sanctified by Brahmanism.
By the XII - XIII centuries. Buddhism is losing its former position in the country of its origin and moving to other areas of Asia, where it is transformed taking into account local conditions.
For example, Chan Buddhism is one of the most interesting phenomena not only in the Eastern, but also in the world religious tradition. Chan is a Chinese name, although the Japanese reading of the hieroglyph denoting this branch of Buddhism, Zen, has turned out to be more common in the world.
The Chinese word “chan” comes from the Sanskrit term dhyana (in Chinese, channa). Literally this means contemplation, meditation, which quite accurately conveys the nature of Chan practice.
The contemplative movement arose in Indian schools of Buddhism. Dhyana was mainly based on complex yogic practice, which sometimes lasted for long hours. But in China, dhyana acquired a slightly different character; the followers of Chan did not limit themselves only to silent self-absorption in solitude. They wandered around the country, practiced calligraphy and martial arts, cultivated the land and taught literature, maintaining inner silence in the thick of life.
The first ideas of Zen Budjima came to Japan from China in the 8th-9th centuries. For Japan, this was a time of deep social crisis, brutal civil strife, the decline of the authority of the imperial power, the promotion of the samurai military class, with their harsh cult of perseverance in the face of any hardships, loyalty to the shogun, contempt for death and suffering.
The practice of Zen, well compatible with martial arts, became widespread here. Zen was not particularly popular among peasants. Zen places special emphasis on a refined appreciation of the beauty of all things in all their forms. Zen Buddhism developed traditions of flower arranging, the tea ceremony, and others that are completely Japanese in their cultural characteristics.
The ritual side of Buddhism is diverse; in its many schools and directions, the emphasis is on various elements of the Buddhist cult. The actual cult practice, obligatory for all believers, in Buddhism did not receive such detail and regularity as in other religions. More precisely, the practice of monastic asceticism in Buddhism, as it were, supplants worship and aims the monk at direct contact with the supernatural. On the other hand, the religious cult of lay followers of Buddhism is so blurred and harmoniously merged with earlier religious and cult layers, especially Hindu ones, that it loses other important properties of the cult - detail, stability. True, the degree of regularity of the Buddhist cult very much depends on the Sangha: in those countries and regions where the Sangha is numerous and influential, the cult is orderly; where the Sangha is weak, non-Buddhist religious components become very prominent in the cult.
The religious life of believers comes down to visiting “holy” places - the birth, enlightenment, death of Buddha, stupas with some relic, or a local temple. It is significant that most Buddhist temples are dedicated to general Hindu or local deities, to which historical figures are sometimes associated (in Mongolia, for example, they worship Genghis Khan). The central place in Buddhist sanctuaries, as a rule, is occupied by a multi-meter statue of Buddha made of wood, stone, precious metals with inlays from precious stones. Most often, Buddha is depicted in the lotus position, although more than 40 of his favorite poses are known, each of which carries a deep religious meaning that is understandable only to a believer.
The most common religious practices of Buddhism are worship and offering. When Buddhists enter a temple or room where there is a Buddha statue, they can approach it, kneel down and bow three times, touching their forehead to the ground, which symbolizes the Buddhist "three treasures". As a rule, offerings to a Buddha statue are made of three kinds - in the form of candles, which symbolize the light of the teaching in the darkness of human ignorance, flowers, indicating the variability of the world, and aromas, which represent the spread of the teaching. But it is quite acceptable to simply place food in front of the statue, which symbolizes mercy.
Ceremonial services are carried out according to traditional lunar calendar monthly on new and full moon days. Believers come to these services with offerings to Buddha and gifts for the monks. These days, they very often also take special vows - to lead a more ascetic life for a certain period of time (abstain from eating meat, give up jewelry and entertainment, sex life, etc.).
The cult practice of lay followers of Tibetan Buddhism, which has become widespread in our country, is distinguished by a certain originality. It implies the participation of the laity in ordinary daily and solemn services in monasteries and annual major holidays (great khurals) organized there. Any monastery (datsan, khural) is a complex architectural complex of religious, utility, and educational buildings, surrounded by a whitewashed fence. In some monasteries there lived at times 6, 8 and even 10 thousand monks. Along the monastery fence there are so-called prayer wheels (khurde), which are cylinders filled with volumes of sacred literature, mounted on a vertical axis. Illiterate believers actively use them to perform prayer. One mechanical rotation of the cylinder is equivalent to reading all the prayers contained in it.
The inside of any Lamaist temple is filled, or even overflowing, with paintings and sculptures of religious content. In front of the images of deities there is a sacrificial table covered with fabric with sacred ritual objects. There is a separate platform for the llamas, located between the rows of columns supporting the roof. During daily services (often twice or thrice a day), lamas sit on it on silk cushions (the higher the rank of the lama, the higher the platform and the more pillows under it), reading the text of the book distributed to them page by page. All the lamas read their pages at the same time. Sometimes, interrupting the reading, the lamas begin to sing, accompanying religious hymns with the sounds of various ritual instruments.
Lay believers, as a rule, are not present at divine services. They wait near the temple for the end of the prayer service to bow to the ground before the images of the deities and leave modest offerings for them.
A special layer of the Buddhist cult includes the observance of ethical precepts, daily sacrifices before the home altar, ritual fortune-telling for various everyday occasions, and the performance of rituals life cycle, especially funerals. The rituals accompanying death and burial are especially important, since their failure to observe them, even in individual details, will inevitably lead to new deaths in the family. They are based on the doctrine of bardo, the intermediate state between reincarnations. Particularly important for the future life is the state in which “la”, a kind of vital force of the deceased, is present for 49 days after death. After death, the La Saints go to heaven along a five-color rainbow. The laity of ordinary lay people must be taken out of the body by a monk-lama. Usually, a monk invited for this purpose sits at the head of the deceased and reads to him the “Book of the Dead” (Bardo Thodol), which describes in detail the wanderings of the soul in the intervals between new reincarnations. Next, the lama is obliged to remove the soul from the body with the help of special rituals, and then send it to heaven.
Buddhist holidays are celebrated according to the lunar calendar and are not as numerous as in other religions. The thing is that the three most significant events in the life of the Buddha - birth, enlightenment and immersion in nirvana - occurred on the same day of the May full moon. This day is considered the main holiday in Buddhism, and it is celebrated in April-May with grandiose carnival processions and daily readings of sacred texts dedicated to the life and rebirths of Buddha. In February-March, the holiday of Buddha revealing the basic principles of his teaching to people is celebrated. In June-July, a festival occurs that marks the beginning of the monsoon season in India. According to legend, Buddha ascended in his meditative contemplation to the seventh heaven and there preached his teachings to the gods and to his mother, who received a favorable rebirth as a result of her premature death. Therefore, it is believed that the monks, who are forbidden to leave the walls of the monastery on this day, strive to repeat the spiritual feat of the Buddha. It is the rainy season that is considered especially favorable for taking temporary monastic vows. On these days, monks receive especially many gifts; they are also given clothes that they will use throughout the next year. As a matter of fact, the monastic community selects the fabric in advance, and then within a day they need to sew monastic clothes from it. The finished outfit is given to the laity so that they have another opportunity to make an offering to the monks. Such an elaborate ceremony should encourage monks to set a spiritual example for their lay followers, and their lay followers to demonstrate their charity.
The end of the rainy season is celebrated in October-November with magnificent processions around pagodas (stupas) with the recitation of sutras, which marks the successful return of the Buddha to Earth. In many Buddhist countries, it is a common custom to remove Buddha statues from their pedestals and carry them around the streets. Streets, houses, monasteries, stupas, sacred trees illuminated oil lamps, candles and colored light bulbs, which symbolizes the enlightenment brought into the world.
In the regions where Tibetan Buddhism spreads, the birthday of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa school, is celebrated. There are also a significant number of holidays and rituals that are celebrated in Buddhist countries and have a traditional flavor in each of them.
Buddhism in Russia
The first evidence of the existence of Buddhism on the territory of modern Russia dates back to VIII century n. e. and are associated with the state of Bohai, which in 698-926. occupied part of today's Primorye and Amur region. The Bohai people, whose culture was greatly influenced by neighboring China, Korea and Manchuria, professed Mahayana Buddhism.
Buddhism began to spread within the Russian state about four hundred years ago. The traditional areas where Buddhism is practiced are Buryatia, Tyva, Kalmykia, Chita and Irkutsk regions, and the peoples belonging to Buddhism are Kalmyks, Buryats, and Tuvans.
Kalmyks are the only people in Europe who profess Buddhism. Historically, the Kalmyks are the western branch of the Mongolian ethnic group of the Oirats (Dzungars), who inhabited the north-west of modern China. IN late XVI century, due to depletion of pastures and military pressure from China, part of the Oirats moved to the South Siberian steppes and received the name Kalmyks (“Kalmak” - separated). Moving west, they began to trade with the Russians. In 1608, Kalmyk ambassadors were received in Moscow by Vasily Shuisky and received the right to roam the uninhabited outskirts of the Russian state. In the 60-70s of the 17th century, the Kalmyk Khanate was created, located in the lower reaches of the Yaik and Volga, and became part of Russia on the condition of serving the “white king” - the sovereign of Moscow.
During the same period, there was a massive spread of Buddhism among the Kalmyks, who became acquainted with it in the 13th century. Kalmyk taishi (princes) ordain one of their sons as a lama (monk). In 1640, a congress was held in the area of Tarbagatai (Northern Kazakhstan), at which a general Oirat code of laws was adopted - the “Great Code”, according to which Buddhism of the Gelug school became the state religion in all Oirat uluses. The translation of Buddhist literature into the Kalmyk language began, and the legal status of the Buddhist clergy and monasteries (khuruls) was determined. For a long time, the Volga Kalmyks had only prayer tents - sume, of which there were 11 by the end of the 17th century. A spiritual connection with Tibet was maintained; The Dalai Lamas asserted the power of the Khan.
The Russian leadership did not interfere with the practice of Buddhism, but encouraged the transition to Orthodoxy, in particular, exempting Buddhist feudal lords from taxes and dependence. In 1724, Khan Baksaday Dorzhi (Peter Taishin), who received a camp church as a gift from Peter I, was baptized. In 1737, by decree of Anna Ioanovna in the name of Princess Anna Taishina (widow of Peter Taishin), a city was created for the settlement of baptized Kalmyks, named Stavropol-on-Volga. But, despite the measures taken by the government, most Kalmyks were reluctant to change their faith and way of life, remaining Buddhists and nomads.
In the second half of the 18th century, the Russian government began to limit the independence of the Kalmyk Khanate, and in 1771 liquidated it. After this, three quarters of the Kalmyk population, led by Khan Ubashi, decided to return back to Dzungaria, but a significant part died on the way. There are about fifty thousand Kalmyks left in Russia. The Khan's power was abolished, as was the power of a single spiritual leader appointed by the Dalai Lama. Instead of him, each Kalmyk ulus elected its own supreme lama. But in 1803, the Russian government approved the “Lama of the Kalmyk people” - the spiritual head of all Astrakhan Kalmyks with a residence near Astrakhan and a salary from the treasury. The Astrakhan Governor-General elected this position from among the submitted candidates, and approved it by the Senate. The lama was in charge of all issues of spiritual life and partly civil ones relating to family relations. At the turn of the 18th–19th centuries, stationary khuruls appeared. By the 30s of the 19th century, the number of khuruls in the Kalmyk steppe reached 105, and the number of lamas - about 5 thousand. In 1836, the Russian government limited the number of khuruls and the staff of the Kalmyk clergy, receiving funds from the treasury, to 76 khuruls and 2,650 lamas. The monks who were not included in the staff could continue to exist, but without privileges and maintenance.
In connection with the departure of the majority of the Kalmyk population to Dzungaria and the severance of ties with the spiritual centers of Mongolia and Tibet, already from the end of the 18th century, signs of transformation of religious life began to appear. Along with the centralization of spiritual power and an increase in the number of monks, the conscious perception of the foundations of the Buddhist faith was replaced by ritualism and superstition. Specific features of traditional Kalmyk Buddhism also emerge: the close connection of monasteries and clergy with clan communities (khuruls, as a rule, were “assigned” to specific clans); the presence among the Kalmyks not only of representatives of the Gelug-pa school, but also of other traditions.
The Buryats are the largest Russian ethnic group, historically professing Buddhism. In Buryatia, as elsewhere, the Buddhist cult interacted with traditional cult systems, transforming under the influence of local archaic beliefs: the veneration of the spirits of the earth, mountains, rivers and trees, the cult of holy places. The Buryat ethnic group took shape in the 17th-18th centuries on the basis of the northern branch of the Eastern Mongols, after they became part of the Russian state. The active spread of Buddhism among the Buryats dates back to the same period. But the Russian government, accepting the Buryats as its citizenship, obliged them “to Orthodox faith do not force,” although voluntary Christianization was encouraged. As a result, some Buryats remain faithful to traditional shamanism, while others accept Buddhism and Orthodoxy.
The connections between the Buryats and Mongolian and Tibetan Buddhists were especially strong during this period. In 1712, fleeing the Manchu occupation, one hundred Mongolian and fifty Tibetan lamas arrived in the settlements of the Selengian Buryats. The spiritual head of the Buryat lamas was considered the highest Buddhist hierarch of Mongolia, Jebtsung-damba-hutukhtu, located in the city of Urga (modern Ulaanbaatar), who initiated lamas and approved hierarchical titles, but at the same time was under the control of the Chinese government, relations with which were sometimes tense. With the signing of the Treaty of Kyakhta in 1727, which demarcated the Russian-Chinese border, the Russian authorities began to prevent Mongolian lamas from entering Russian territory. This decision laid the foundation for an autonomous Buryat Buddhist organization, but since this ban was not strictly observed, permanent ties between Buryat Buddhism and the spiritual centers of Mongolia and Tibet were preserved.
Having decided to formalize Buddhism legally, the Russian government in 1741 issued a decree, according to which one hundred and fifty lamas of eleven mobile datsans were sworn in in Transbaikalia. In the same year, by decree of Empress Elizabeth, the “Lamai religion” was recognized in Russian Empire officially. Lamas were exempt from paying taxes and received the right to preach Buddhism to “nomadic foreigners,” Buryats and Evenks. In the middle of the 18th century in Transbaikalia, instead of mobile datsans-yurts, they began to build stationary wooden ones. The center of Transbaikal Buddhism until 1809 was the Tsongol datsan, and then the Gusinoozersky datsan. In 1764, its abbot Damba Dorzhi Zayaev received from the Russian government the title of “Chief Bandido-Khambo Lama (“learned abbot”) of all Buddhists living on the southern side of Lake Baikal.” Thus, at the turn of the 18th – 19th centuries, Buddhists in Russia (Kalmyks and Buryats), on the initiative of the government, received an independent organization, financial and political support from the clergy. Buddhism in Russia receives the status of a “permitted” religion, along with Protestantism, Catholicism, and Islam, which implies the possibility of preaching in a certain ethno-confessional environment. The Buddhist clergy, in response to this situation, declares all Russian autocrats - “white kings”, starting with Empress Catherine II, the earthly incarnation of the merciful goddess Tsagan-Dara-ehe (“White Tara”). In 1796, there were 16 datsans and 700 lamas in Transbaikalia. By the middle of the 19th century, their number reached 34, and the number of lamas was five and a half thousand. On average, there was one lama per 20 thousand people, but in some tribal communities the ratio of monks to the male population was one to two, and such lamas differed little in lifestyle from the rest of the population. The rapid growth in the number of lamas is, first of all, the result of a custom according to which in Buryat families one of the sons was dedicated to lama. But the Russian authorities were alarmed by this situation, as it led to a reduction in tax revenues. In 1853, it was decided to reduce the number of datsans and the number of lamas. “Regulations on the Lamai clergy Eastern Siberia» provided for staffing for 34 datsans and 285 lamas receiving land and salary(500 dessiatines – for the Bandido Hambo Lama; 30–60 dessiatines (depending on the degree of initiation) – for the lama; 15 dessiatines – for the student). Lamas who were not included in the state had to return to their villages. The creation of new datsans was prohibited, and the construction of new temples (“idols”) was permitted only with the permission of the governor general. But, despite this order, the number of datsans and lamas still increased.
The third people on the territory of Russia who traditionally profess Buddhism are the Tuvans. This is the only Turkic-speaking ethnic group, although heavily Mongolized, that adopted the world's oldest religion. The first Buddhist missionaries appeared in the Sayan Mountains in the first centuries of our era, which, in particular, is confirmed by rock paintings on the territory of modern Khakassia. Then, in the 6th century. The elite of Turkic society begins to accept Buddhism. However, the widespread penetration of Buddhism into these territories was associated with the power of the Mongols, who adopted Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism). The mass introduction of the ancestors of Tuvans to the fundamentals of Buddhism occurred in the 16th–17th centuries. The first mobile monasteries (khuree) appeared in Tandy-Uriankhai (then name of Tyva) in the 20s of the 18th century, and in 1753 Buddhism was recognized as a state religion along with shamanism.
From 1757 to 1911, Tandy-Uriankhai was subordinate to the Manchu rulers of China, who were never able to establish their direct dominance here. This made it possible to preserve the cultural and ethnic identity of the Tuvans; in addition, ties with the Buddhist spiritual centers of Mongolia and Tibet were strengthened. As a result of long coexistence with shamanism, Tuvan Buddhism adopted its traditions: the cult of ovaa - the spirit masters of the area; cult of eerens - family guardians. Along with lamas, shamans often took part in Buddhist ceremonies, and in khuree there was a special category of clergy - burkhan boo (“shaman lamas”). In the 70s of the 18th century, stationary khurees began to be built on the territory of Tyva. The Mongolian hierarch Jebtsun-damba-hutukhta in Urga was considered the highest spiritual head of Tuvan Buddhists, and all Tuvan lamas were subordinate to the abbot of the Lower Chaadan khuree (daa-lama).
The period at the turn of the 19th – 20th centuries was the time of the flourishing of Buddhism and the intensification of religious life, which largely coincides with the trends observed in both Orthodox Christianity and Islam on the territory of the Russian Empire. During this period, a movement for the renewal of Buddhism arose among the Kalmyks. Beginning in 1906, the communities of the Kalmyk uluses themselves began to elect chief lamas, and in 1917, 28 large and 64 small (mobile) khuruls operated in Kalmykia, they were served by about two thousand lamas, and two academies operated. This period can be called the heyday of the Buddhist culture of Transbaikalia. Higher philosophical schools operated in Gusinoozersky, Tsugolsky, Aginsky datsans.
The history of Russian Buddhism is connected with the name of the Buryat Agvan Dorzhiev (1853-1938), an outstanding religious figure, founder of a Buddhist temple in St. Petersburg. He was the closest confidant of the young Dalai Lama XIII (1876-1933). Since 1908, Dorzhiev lived for a long time in Russia, fulfilling the mission of the unofficial representative of the Dalai Lama to the Russian government. At the initiative of Dorzhiev, the 13th Dalai Lama turned to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a request to open a Buddhist temple in St. Petersburg, which, following foreign policy arguments and the desire to strengthen the loyalty of the Buryats and Kalmyks, was granted. At that time, the Buddhist community of St. Petersburg was extremely small: only 184 people - Kalmyk, Buryat and Mongolian merchants, as well as diplomatic workers from China, Japan, and Siam. Worship took place there in 1913 and it became the first Buddhist temple in Europe.
In Tyva in 1912, after the fall of the Qing Empire as a result of the Xinhai Revolution, pro-Russian sentiments prevailed. The Kurultai, with the participation of the highest lamas, appealed to the Russian government with a request to accept Tandy-Uriankhai into Russia, and in June 1914, Tyva (under the name Uriankhai Territory) became part of Russia. The capital became the city of Belotsarsk, now Kyzyl. One of the conditions for entry was the preservation of Lamaism. The Russian administration did not interfere in the spiritual affairs of the territory.
The events of 1917 became a turning point in the history of the country and the fate of religions on its territory. Buddhism was no exception. After the February Revolution of 1917, the Petrograd Buddhist Temple became the center of the national life of the Buryats and Kalmyks, but after the October Revolution, difficult times came for it. Fleeing persecution, the lamas who served there left the city. The temple housed military units and was completely looted. In the summer of 1918, Dorzhiev was arrested.
After February 1917, active renovation processes took place in the Kalmyk religious environment, as a result of which it was planned to significantly increase the number of khuruls and introduce the teaching of Buddhist doctrine in secular Kalmyk schools. But during Civil War many khuruls were destroyed, part of the clergy emigrated. In Buryatia, the renovation movement is also intensifying, which proclaims the ideas of election and collegiality of spiritual power, national liberation and cooperation with Soviet power (flags with a hammer and sickle began to fly over the datsans). During the Civil War, this idea, supported by part of the Buddhist clergy, came into confrontation with the actions of one of the leaders of the white movement, ataman of the Transbaikal Cossacks G. Semenov, who had Buryat roots. The leaders of the renovation movement, fearing reprisals, fled Transbaikalia. During the same period, the third, so-called “Balagat” movement, led by the ascetic lama Lubsan-Sandan Tsydenov, took shape. In 1919, he proclaimed the creation of the state “Kodunay erhij balgasan”, which is considered theocratic, since it was headed by a clergyman. Tsydenov preached leaving the official datsans, which distorted the true teaching. The leadership of the Balagat movement was persecuted by both whites and reds. Over the course of three years, Tsydenov was arrested several times. From prison, he appointed as his successor an eight-year-old boy, Bidia Dandaron, whom he considered to be the reincarnation of one of the Tibetan lamas. The revolution again confronted Tuva with the choice of a further path of development. In 1921, the People's Republic of Tannu-Tuva, which was in allied relations with Soviet Russia, was proclaimed at the All-Tuvin Constituent Khural.
The end of the Civil War and the establishment of Soviet power became a new, although not long-lasting, stage in the religious life of Russian Buddhists. In order to maintain support from the population of the national borderlands, their beliefs are not persecuted. But at the same time, the Soviet leadership is trying to strengthen the split between “traditionalists” and “renovationists” that emerged at the beginning of the twentieth century, supporting the latter. Moreover, the idea of reorganizing life on communist principles found sympathy in the ranks of the renovationists. Agvan Dorzhiev, who was released from prison on Lenin’s orders and became the head of the Buddhist renewal movement, directly stated “Buddhism is Marxism.” He was appointed representative of the Dalai Lama's government in Soviet Russia, which was supposed to be used to “export the world revolution.” Thanks to his efforts, the Petrograd Buddhist Temple became the seat of the Tibetan diplomatic mission, which made it possible to resume worship there and make it the center of all-Union Buddhism and Buddhology.
In 1920, the Kalmykskaya Autonomous region as part of Soviet Russia, in which there were 35 khuruls with 1 thousand clergy. Several Buddhist councils took place in Transbaikalia (1922, 1925, 1928), at which attempts were made to reorganize the confessional life of Buddhists in Buryatia. The authorities supported the initiatives of the renovationists in confrontation with the traditionalists. In 1923 there were 43 datsans in Buryatia. In the independent Tuvan People's Republic (renamed in 1927), despite its pro-Soviet nature, the first ten years of its existence were favorable to Buddhism. By the end of the 1920s, the number of khurees in Tyva reached 28, and the number of lamas - 3.5 thousand.
But from the second half of the 1920s in the USSR, ideological pressure on religions increased, and after this, persecution of its representatives began, which turned into mass repressions by the beginning of the 1930s. In 1926, by decree of the state leadership of the Buryat-Mongolian Autonomous Republic, the property of datsans was nationalized and religious schools were closed. Religious buildings were destroyed, works of Buddhist art were stolen and destroyed, books and manuscripts were confiscated, mass shootings lamas and novices. By November 1938, more than 1,800, and according to other sources, more than 15,000 representatives of the Buddhist clergy were arrested. The last datsan was closed at the end of 1930. By the early 1940s, the Kalmyk Buddhist organization was completely destroyed. Under pressure from the Soviet leadership on the authorities of the Tuvan People's Republic, the persecution of Buddhism also began. The Leningrad Buddhist Temple was closed in 1935. The lamas and other people who lived at the temple (Buryat educators, Russian orientalists) were arrested and shot in 1937. Dorzhiev left Leningrad in January 1937 and arrived in Buryatia, his homeland, where in November of the same year he was arrested and died in a prison hospital in Irkutsk. Since 1938, the building of the Leningrad Buddhist Temple has been used by the state as a physical training base. Thus, by the beginning of the 1940s, on the territory of the USSR and the Tuvan Republic under its control, there was not a single Buddhist monastery or temple left, not one allowed by the Lama authorities (although some of the representatives of the Buddhist clergy who remained at large secretly carried out rituals).
During the Great Patriotic War, the difficult situation with religious life among Buddhist peoples only worsened. From August 1942 to January 1943, a large territory of Kalmykia was occupied by fascist troops, who allowed the practice of worship. Several houses of worship were opened. But some lamas refused to cooperate with the Germans, while others, on the contrary, not only resumed religious activities, but even emigrated with the occupying forces. On December 28, 1943, for collaboration with the Germans, the Kalmyks were declared enemies of the people, and the Kalmyk Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was liquidated. The population was deported to the eastern regions of the USSR, where persecution of former clergy continued. With dispersed settlement, it became impossible for believers to turn to them. If possible, the family took away religious objects with them, but the bulk of the temple things were irretrievably lost. Buddhism among the Kalmyks continued to be preserved only at the everyday level, within the framework of family traditions. The Tuvan People's Republic was incorporated into the USSR in 1944, and the processes taking place in it became even more interconnected with the all-Union ones.
In the post-war period, the legalization of religions and the easing of policies in relations between Soviet state and existing religions in the country. But this process only partially affected Buddhism. In 1945, the freed lamas turned to Stalin with a request for permission to open some datsans in Buryatia, to which consent was given; two were opened - the Ivolginsky and Aginsky monasteries. In 1946, with the consent of the authorities and on the initiative of believers and a group of lamas, a meeting of the clergy was held in Ulan-Ud, at which the Regulations on the Buddhist clergy in the USSR were adopted, containing the basic principles of cooperation between the Buddhist sangha and the Soviet state. This document emphasized the patriotic motives of the Buddhist clergy and their loyalty to the socialist system. The Central Spiritual Administration of Buddhists of the USSR (CDUB) was recreated, headed by the Chairman of the Bandido Hambo Lama P. Dorji. This structure, like other centralized religious organizations in the USSR, was involved in the propaganda of Soviet foreign policy. Thus, the Buddhist organization was restored, but under the strict control of the authorities and only in Buryatia. There were still no Buddhist communities in Tyva and Kalmykia. In addition, due to ideological pressure, many Buryat believers were afraid to visit datsans.
Khrushchev’s policy towards religions cannot be called a “thaw”; ideological pressure and anti-religious propaganda are only intensifying. Therefore, the already difficult situation of Buddhism among the peoples who traditionally profess it does not change in any way. True, in 1957 the Kalmyks were rehabilitated and the Kalmyk Autonomous Republic was restored, but religious life was still unofficial, underground.
Since the mid-1960s, interest in Buddhism has been observed in the circles of the intelligentsia in Leningrad and Moscow. Small groups of Russian (European) youth and intellectuals interested in Buddhism form here. In 1968, the building of the Leningrad Church was declared an architectural monument of local significance. In the same year, the USSR was visited by Lama B. Rimpoche, who secretly met with representatives of Moscow, Leningrad, and Baltic Buddhist groups, thereby establishing their connection with world Buddhism. The above-mentioned B. Dandaron was rightfully considered the spiritual mentor of these groups. By that time, having spent 20 years in the camps, becoming a researcher and a lama, he formulated teachings at the intersection of traditional Tibetan Buddhism, European philosophy and science, which made him popular in this environment. But this causes concern to the authorities, and in 1972, in the so-called “Dandaron case,” he was accused of creating a sect, sentenced to 5 years and died in a camp, and a number of his followers were sent to compulsory psychiatric treatment. But secret, although very small communities of Buddhists continue to exist in the future.
Since the second half of the 1980s, under the influence of socio-political processes, religious life in the country has been intensifying. Buddhism was no exception. In 1988, the Leningrad Society of Buddhists was created, which two years later sought to transfer the temple into the hands of believers and transform it into a datsan. The temple community unites both Buddhists and Kalmyks, as well as Russian Buddhists, which subsequently leads to contradictions and splits. The monopoly existence of the Gelug school is being replaced by many Tibetan traditions, common to which remains the recognition of the high authority of the Dalai Lama and sympathy for the freedom of Tibet.
One such tradition can be called Karma Kagyu. The first Buddhist center of the Karma Kagyu school was registered in Leningrad in 1991. The religious association includes more than forty communities and one and a half thousand believers. The practice in many centers in Russia, the CIS countries and the West is led by the Danish Lama Ole Nydahl.
During perestroika, the revival of Buddhism began in Buryatia, which became a hotbed for the spread of Buddhism among other Siberian peoples. At the beginning of 1990, twelve datsans began to operate. By the end of the 20th century, 90 percent of the Buryat population called themselves Buddhists. Since 1992, the Central Spiritual Administration of Buddhists in Ulan-Ude received the status of an all-Russian Buddhist structure. In 1991, at a conference of Buddhists of Kalmykia and Astrakhan region The Association of Buddhists of Kalmykia was created, independent of the Central Spiritual Administration of Buddhists in Ulan-Ude. Kalmyk lamas began to study in Mongolia and India. By the end of the 20th century, 14 khurals and prayer houses operated in Kalmykia. In the Republic of Tuva in 1993, there were nine Buddhist communities.
The Spiritual Council of Buddhist Ministers, held in Buryatia in 1996, adopted a new charter, in which the Central Spiritual Administration of Buddhists of Russia was renamed the Traditional Buddhist Sangha of Russia. The head of this organization was Bandido Hambo Lama Damba Ayusheev. Activities of this new organization associated with the restoration of traditional Buddhism (participation in rituals, astrological assistance, Tibetan medicine, prayers), its assessment as the original religion of the Buryats, and the eradication of shamanistic traditions. The centralized organization of the Sangha is based on the subordination of datsans (Buddhist monasteries) to it. Hambo Lama took a firm position regarding the preaching of Buddhism only from the Gelug school, and the Sangha should treat the rest, such as Zen Buddhism or Karma Kagyu, “as the Orthodox treat the Pentecostals.” Ayushev expresses hopes that the Traditional Sangha will unite all Russian Buddhists belonging to the Gelug school, but Kalmykia and Tyva are creating their own centralized organizations, and dissatisfaction with the authoritarianism of the Hambo Lama has led to splits among Buddhists in Buryatia itself.
Thus, in modern Buddhism in Russia there are two main types of Buddhist organizations. The first is the communities of the traditional school of Tibetan Buddhism Gelug, distributed primarily in the territories inhabited by Kalmyks, Buryats, and Tuvans. It is quite conservative, and involves many years of training in a monastery with strict discipline. The majority of believers are the rural population, involved in Buddhist practice, rituals and services that are held in Buddhist monasteries (datsans, khuruls, khurees). In their minds, religious and everyday faith largely prevails; as a rule, they do little to study Buddhist philosophy.
The second is the various communities and groups that consider themselves to be schools of Buddhism that do not belong to the Gelug school, and sometimes are not even associated with the Tibetan form of Buddhism. In the scientific literature it is called “global Buddhism” and is associated with the European development of the spiritual culture of the East. Currently, it represents a certain intellectual and spiritual source of a philosophical and religious nature, accessible to everyone, which, in fact, confirms the status of Buddhism as a world religion. It is becoming increasingly secular and transnational. His followers tend to come from a variety of nationalities. But they often have more high level education, are more interested in the philosophy of Buddhism and various Buddhist practices. Currently, there are already more than 200 Buddhist communities, groups and organizations in Russia.
Researchers believe that the total number of Buddhists in Russia of all nationalities, schools and directions is about a million people, which is less than one percent of the country's population. Despite this, Buddhism is recognized by the 1997 “Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations” as one of the traditional religions for modern Russia, playing a significant role in the history of its peoples, the development of culture and spirituality.
Brief summary
Buddhism is the oldest of the world's religions, which arose in India in the middle of the 1st millennium BC.
The founder, Siddhardha Gautama, a prince from the Shakya family, who achieved enlightenment and became Buddha, laid the foundations of the religion.
Today you can find a large number of followers of Buddhism. This religion has many holidays, legends, and customs.
Buddhism can easily be called one of the first religions in history. But comparing Buddhism with other religions is quite difficult, because... They don’t talk about God here, because he is not here. Buddhism is more of a philosophical system.
Speaking about Buddhism, one cannot fail to mention the interesting traditions of this religion. For example, marriage is treated differently here. There is no coercion, but there is no betrayal either. Buddhism gives some advice on how to make your family life happy. So, such advice is given by the founder of Buddhism: be faithful, do not flirt, nurture feelings exclusively for your spouse. Outside of marriage, it is not allowed to have sex, and, of course, to lead a riotous lifestyle.
If a person does not want a family relationship, he is not forced to do this, everything is quite voluntary. If people cannot live together, it’s hard for them, then they can come to an agreement and separate. But if you follow all the recommendations of the Buddha, such an outcome of family life is extremely rare. The luminary also did not advise people with a huge age difference to get married.
What does family life mean for Buddhism?
For this religion, marriage and family life are presented as an opportunity to develop together and support a loved one in everything. Also, marriage is an excellent opportunity not to be lonely if this factor frightens someone.
Followers usually live in temple communities. In our understanding, and in terms of Buddhism, monks are different people. In Buddhism, monks are not priests. These are people who study in the temple. They meditate and study sacred texts. If desired, both a woman and a man can become part of such a community.
Advice
The teaching has several directions, and each of them has its own rules. And these rules must be followed. Some rules say to give up meat, some say to stop farming. And some say not to be a participant in social life and politics. What do monks live on, you ask? The monks live from alms. If a person decides to follow the Buddha, then he must follow the rules.
In Buddhism, holidays have a special status. There are no riotous celebrations here, as is customary here. In this religion, a holiday is a special day on which a person meets big amount restrictions. In Buddhism, it is believed that on a holiday, all thoughts and actions have great power - and it does not matter what actions are meant: bad or good. If you observe everything correctly, especially on holidays, then the essence of the teaching will be comprehended much faster, and a person will approach the absolute.
A holiday is a time when there should be cleanliness inside and outside. To achieve purity, it is necessary to perform certain rituals, repeat mantras, and play musical instruments. A person, performing all the necessary rituals, restores his subtle structure, his consciousness undergoes purification. On the holiday, everyone goes to the temple and makes an offering.
Advice
If it was decided to celebrate some holiday at home, then this is normal. The main thing is that a person has the right attitude and understands that this is important for him in the first place.
There are different holidays in Buddhism: Visakha Pujda, for example. This holiday is dedicated to the founder of the doctrine. On this day, temples are decorated and monks read prayers. Lay people listen to stories about Buddha. The holiday lasts a week.
Another holiday is Asalkha. It was coined to celebrate the achievement of enlightenment. The holiday takes place in July during the full moon. And this is only part of the special religious holidays.
One cannot ignore the holiday called the Mystery of Tsam. The holiday takes place every year and lasts several days. It can happen at any time of the year and is celebrated in monasteries. It was customary to stage plays or ritual dances. The mystery was done for different purposes. For example, to frighten the enemies of the teaching, to show what the teaching really is.
Important!!!
Buddhism is rich in holidays, not only religious ones, but also more secular ones. For example, New Year, Kalachakra holiday and a number of other holidays. Buddhism has a fairly large number of holidays. At the same time, not only religious ones are considered important, but also others - they are all very important and do not have a solemn scope. Everyone celebrates quite modestly.
Conclusion:
The teaching is aimed at enlightenment, so its customs and traditions (for example, weddings) lead people to exactly this. It is necessary to live in harmony with yourself and the world around you. Even on holidays, followers of the teaching do not deviate from the rules.
The forms of cult in Buddhism are very diverse. This is due to the fact that, spreading in various countries, Buddhism widely assimilated local cults and included in its ritual practice the customs that had taken root among a given people. The Buddhist clergy gave these rituals a new interpretation, connecting them with the tenets of Buddhism and with mythical events from the life of the Buddha, his disciples and prominent figures of the Buddhist church. We will dwell only on those rituals and holidays that have been preserved among Buddhists living on the territory of the USSR, that is, among the Buryats, Kalmyks and Tuvans professing Lamaism.
This is the name of the “holy rite”, which takes place in late autumn. Datsan churches are illuminated outside and inside with many candles, by the light of which believers, in front of the image of the gods, repent of all cases of mistreatment of domestic animals. Poor food, beatings, backbreaking work that makes animals suffer - grave sins, causing supposedly bad degeneration. After all, in every domestic animal, according to Lamaist ideas, a reincarnated deceased relative of a believer can live. Repentance should free the believer from guilt towards the dead. It is possible that in its origins the dzul-khural goes back to the Indian cult of “sacred” animals.
A ritual dedicated to hermits (naidans), elevated to the rank of deities. It also takes place in the fall. By hanging images of naidans, emphasizing their decrepitude and indifference to everything around them, the lamas tell believers that they were once found by worldly people, but having gone into hermitage, they deserved “salvation.” Naidani Khural emphasizes the danger of any attachment to life, for this attachment leads to bad rebirths.
Obo is a ritual adopted by Lamaism from shamanism. Usually in Buryatia it is performed in the summer, before the start of haymaking. Near a heap of stones piled on the top of a hill, on a mountainside, on a pass, lamas and believers read prayers in which they ask for help from the spirits - the “masters of the area.” They leave sacrifices on the stones - food, coins, silk scarves (hadaks). They pray especially intensely around the lake during a drought, since the lamas assure that the rain is sent by the “masters of the area.” During the obo, cattle are often slaughtered.
There are also obos dedicated to the deities of the Lamaist pantheon.
In the Kalmyk Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, a close-to-ritual ritual of usu tyayalgn, i.e., sacrifice to the spirit - “the owner of the water,” is occasionally observed. To increase the fish catch, when there is a large gathering of members of the fishing artel, a kid of the goat is slaughtered on a specially constructed raft driven out to sea, whose blood flows into a cauldron with freshly boiled fish soup while reading spells.
In a number of places in Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva there are places declared “sacred” by lamas. Believers make pilgrimages to them. Particularly famous are Mount Alkhanay in the Aginsky Autonomous National Okrug of the Chita Region and Arshan in the Tunkinsky aimag of the BASSR. It is usually believed that springs (arshans), as well as rocks and stones of unusual shape, provide magical healing assistance. So, on the slope of Alkhanaya there is a rock with a small hole through which pregnant women climb, believing that this will bring them a successful birth. People often seek help from infertility, chronic diseases, etc. from “holy” places.
In every home of a Buryat, Kalmyk, or Tuvan believer, a low cabinet with a shelf in front of it is placed in a place of honor. Inside there are metal, clay, and wooden sculptures of deities of the Buddhist pantheon (burhans), small icons painted on canvas, silk or wood, and various “sacred” objects. On the shelf there are bronze cups for sacrifices, smoking candles, and flowers. The production of icons and figurines of deities was monopolized by the lamas and brought them large incomes.
Prayers addressed to bodisat-vas were usually simply mechanically memorized by believers, since their language (Tibetan) remained incomprehensible. In addition to prayers, believers had to memorize many spells (tarni) in order to protect themselves from the action of evil spirits and all kinds of misfortunes. Those who wished could keep a “record” of the spoken prayers and spells using special rosaries. Some especially pious believers collected these rosaries in a bag and gave them to the person traveling to worship the shrines of Tibet, so that the gods would learn more accurately about his - the believer's - piety.
Along with this, Lamaism introduced a kind of “mechanization” of prayer. Prayer texts are placed in the so-called khurde - hollow, usually metal, cylinders. Cylinders come in a variety of sizes: diameter and height from a few centimeters to several meters. An axis is passed through the centers of the lid and bottom of the cylinder, around which the entire structure can rotate. It is believed that one revolution of the cylinder is equivalent to reading all the prayers and sacred texts contained in it.
Boo - a talisman - is worn by almost all Lamaists. It consists of a piece of paper or cloth on which are written the texts of prayers and spells - for long life, for protection from illness or violent death, etc. The folded text is covered with leather and worn on a cord around the neck. Considered more effective is a gu - a small statue of Buddha or part of the clothing of a “living god”, also worn around the neck in a wooden or silver case decorated with embossing. After the ceremony performed when naming a newborn, the lama ties paper talismans to the child’s neck, arms and legs, which should ward off illness and misfortune from the newborn.
Any event in the life of a lamaist forces him to seek advice from a lama-zurkhachin, i.e., a fortuneteller-astrologer. The latter indicates to the believer what rituals and spells must be performed in order to successfully migrate to another place, when buying livestock or marrying off a daughter, during the illness and funeral of a relative, etc. The Indian calendar accepted in Buddhism plays a significant role in this. In it, the years are named by the names of the signs of the zodiac circle: mouse, bull, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, chicken, dog, pig. These names are combined with one of the five “elements” - wood, fire, earth, iron, water. The result is sixty-year cycles starting from 1027 of our chronology. Now we are in the 16th cycle. It was this calendar, usually called the Japanese calendar, that formed the basis of some neo-mystical ideas that became widespread in last years. Months are also called zodiac signs or simply serial numbers. The days of the week are the names of the seven luminaries. Having calculated all the “data”, the astrologer lama draws up a horoscope for the newborn, in which, based on the qualitative features of the year of birth (“fire dragon”, “water hen”, etc.), day and month of birth, etc. ., “predicts” what and when a person entering the path of life should be wary of, what spells to cast, who he can marry, etc.
In less critical cases, they guess by looking at the cracks that form when a red-hot lamb shoulder is lowered into cold water, by dice (shoo), etc. When the “cause” of an illness, theft, or natural disaster is “established,” a special exorcist lama (abaralchin, or gurumchin) often performs a complex and expensive ritual—gurum, or abaral. Especially many gurums are associated with the idea of evil spirits as the cause of human illness and death, loss of livestock, etc. One of the popular gurums is aminzolic, which previously, if appointed by a lama, was mandatory for believers, even if it led to complete ruin. The lama made a straw effigy in the yurt, dressing it in best clothes sick. Then, through spells, he “drove” the evil spirits that caused the disease there, after which he took the stuffed animal to the steppe along with payment for the gurum. Gurum "zhaldoy" demanded the construction on a special table of images of people or animals sculpted from dough or clay to whom "help" should be provided. They are surrounded by a fence of sticks, sabers and arrows. They were driven here too evil spirits. During the gurum "ukhedel darakha" lamas supposedly catch devils and can even defeat death.
Many rituals and superstitions are associated with the idea that happiness is something semi-material that can be “given” or “taken away” from a given home. To “maintain” happiness in the house when part of the property is removed from it (when selling livestock, milk), believers leave a particle of what was removed in the house - a tuft of sheep’s wool, a few drops of milk spilled on the floor.
In the dying hours, according to Lamaist custom, a lama should be invited to the dying person to perform a farewell ritual - zurdain-sudur, during which the lama talks in detail about what the soul will encounter on its way after parting with the body. After death occurs, one of the relatives will find out from the zurkhachin who can prepare the deceased for burial, what khurals must be served, what day to bury, at what hour and in which direction the body should be taken out, and in what way to bury. If you do not follow all the instructions and take all measures, you should expect new deaths in the family. The funeral specialist - buyanchi - gives the deceased the desired position, washes and dresses the deceased, sews up his eyelids, etc. According to the rules, the body must be devoted to one of the five “elements” - earth, water, fire, air or wood. However, in practice, usually the corpse was simply left in the steppe, where it was devoured by dogs or wolves. After the funeral, “cleansing” rites, prayers and rituals are carried out to protect the living from misfortune. Seven weeks after death, measures are taken to “ensure” the deceased a good rebirth. The death of livestock, the mutilation of a child, theft that occurred after death indicate that the soul “has a reverse attraction to the family” and must again be “driven away” with prayers, rituals and donations.
All surviving rituals and holidays of Lamaism harm believers, reinforcing an anti-scientific religious ideology and placing a heavy economic burden on their shoulders.
There are relatively few holidays in modern Lamaism. However, they are celebrated with great pomp and are accompanied by complex rituals. Ministers of worship do everything possible to exert the strongest emotional influence on believers.
Tsagalgan (tsagansara, i.e. white month) is one of the most famous and still observed holidays of Lamaism. It coincides with the beginning of the new year according to the ancient Mongolian (lunar) calendar. During the 16 days of this holiday, a whole series of rituals are held, dedicated, according to the lamas, to the “twelve miracles of Buddha.” However, it is easy to establish the shamanistic origin of these rituals. Most of them are associated with the expectation of the appearance of Lhamo and are aimed at combating disbelief and heterodoxy. The lamas ceremoniously cut into 12 pieces a figurine of a naked man (linga), molded from dough, personifying the “enemies of the faith.” Lamas construct from wood, paper and dough a kind of huge arrowhead crowned with a skull (dug-zhuba, or litter) and, while chanting prayers, they throw their product into a straw hut set on fire in the steppe, which should also lead to the destruction of the “enemies of the faith.”
The Tsagalgan holiday serves the lamas to instill in believers the idea of the exclusivity of Buddhism. Only in this faith can a person allegedly find his happiness.
The rotation of Maidari, or May-dari-khural, is the most magnificent holiday currently held in datsans. Usually it takes place in the presence of a large crowd of believers, who are inspired that holding this holiday should speed up the coming of the future Buddha to earth and the establishment of a “happy and joyful life” for him. The festival is held in the summer months, at the height of agricultural work. Throughout the holiday, the solemn procession moves slowly across the steppe around the datsan. In the center of the procession there is a chariot with a gilded large image of Maidari, sacred books, incense candles, censers, etc. The chariot is harnessed to a stuffed elephant or horse, which is pulled by the long straps of the lama. The chariot is surrounded by musicians of the Datsan orchestra, whose voices are covered by the roar of huge trumpets (ukhyr-bure), supposedly imitating the voice of a heavenly elephant. The procession is guarded by lamas armed with whips, who ferociously drive away those who dare to approach the chariot of believers. Each of the believers leaves some kind of offering in the datsan - money, clothes, food, which in the evening will be divided among the monks by the datsan treasurer.
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