Buryats: religion, temples and monasteries. Shamanism, Buddhism and Orthodoxy in Buryatia

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

The culture and religion of the Buryats are a synthesis of Eastern and European traditions. On the territory of the Republic of Buryatia, you can find Orthodox monasteries and Buddhist temples, as well as attend shamanic rituals. The Buryats are a colorful people with an interesting history that developed on the banks of the majestic Baikal. The religion and traditions of the Buryat people will be discussed in our article.

Who are the Buryats?

This ethnic group lives on the territory of the Russian Federation, Mongolia and China. More than half of the total number of Buryats live in Russia: in the Republic of Buryatia, in the Irkutsk region (Ust-Ordynsky district), the Trans-Baikal Territory (Aginsky district). They are also found in other regions of the country, but in smaller numbers. The Buryats are the most ancient people of the Baikal region. Modern genetic analyzes have shown that their closest relatives are Koreans.

According to one version, the name of the people comes from the Mongolian word "bul", meaning "hunter", "forest man". So the ancient Mongols called all the tribes that lived on the banks ofBaikal. For a long time, the Buryats were under the influence of their closest neighbors and paid taxes to them for 450 years. Proximity with Mongolia contributed to the spread of Buddhism in Buryatia.

The history of the origin of the nation

The Buryats originated from various Mongolian tribes and at the beginning of their formation (XVI-XVII centuries) consisted of several tribal groups. A new impetus in the development of the ethnic group came with the arrival of the first Russian settlers in Eastern Siberia. With the accession of the Baikal lands to the Russian state in the middle of the 16th century, part of the Buryats moved to Mongolia. Later, the reverse process took place, and before the beginning of the 18th century they returned to their native lands. Existence in the conditions of Russian statehood led to the fact that the Buryat tribes and groups began to unite due to social and cultural interaction. This led to the formation of a new ethnic group at the end of the 19th century. The independent statehood of the Buryats (Buryat-Mongolia) began to take shape in the first half of the 20th century. In 1992, the Republic of Buryatia was formed as part of the Russian Federation, Ulan-Ude became its capital.

Beliefs

The Buryats were under the influence of the Mongol tribes for a long time, then the period of Russian statehood followed. This could not but affect the religion of the Buryats. Like many Mongolian tribes, initially the Buryats were adherents of shamanism. Other terms are also used for this complex of beliefs: Tengrianism, pantheism. And the Mongols called it "hara shashyn", which means "blackVera". Buddhism spread in Buryatia at the end of the 16th century. And from the middle of the 18th century, Christianity began to actively develop. Today, these three Buryat religions harmoniously coexist on the same territory.

Shamanism

The local people have always had a special relationship to nature, which is reflected in their ancient faith - shamanism. They revered the Eternal Blue Sky (Khuhe Munhe Tengri), which was considered the supreme deity. Nature and natural forces were considered spiritualized. Shamanistic rituals were performed at certain outdoor objects in order to achieve unity between man and the forces of water, earth, fire and air. Taylagans (ritual festivities) were held on the territories adjacent to Lake Baikal in especially revered places. Through sacrifices and observance of certain rules and traditions, the Buryats influenced spirits and gods.

Shamans were a special caste in the social hierarchy of the ancient Buryats. They combined the skill of a healer, a psychologist who manipulates consciousness, and a storyteller. Only one who had shamanic roots could become one. The ceremonies made a strong impression on the spectators, who gathered up to several thousand. With the spread of Buddhism and Christianity, shamanism in Buryatia began to be oppressed. But this ancient belief, underlying the worldview of the Buryat people, could not be completely destroyed. Many traditions of shamanism have been preserved and have come down to our days. Spiritual monuments of that period, in particular sacred places, are an important part of the cultural heritageBuryat people.

Buddhism

Inhabitants of the western coast of Lake Baikal remained adherents of this religion, while the Buryats, who lived on the eastern shore, turned to Buddhism under the influence of their Mongols.

In the 17th century, Lamaism, one of the forms of Buddhism, penetrated from Tibet through Mongolia to Buryatia. As the name suggests, lamas play an important role in this religious direction. They were revered as teachers and guides on the path to enlightenment. This religion, new to the Buryats, is characterized by a special splendor of ceremonies. Rites are held according to strict rules. A striking example is the tsam-khural ritual. This theatrical rite of worship included sacred dances and pantomimes.

Devotion to shamanism among the Buryats was so great that even in Lamaism they introduced such attributes of the ancient belief as the spiritualization of natural forces and the veneration of the guardian spirits of the clan (Ezhins). Together with Buddhism, the culture of Tibet and Mongolia comes to Buryatia. More than 100 Tibetan and Mongolian lamas arrived in Transbaikalia, datsans (Buddhist monasteries) began to open. Schools functioned at datsans, books were published, and applied arts developed. And they were also a kind of universities that trained future clergy.

1741 is considered a turning point in the history of the formation of Buddhism as a religion of the Buryats. Empress Ekaterina Petrovna signed a decree recognizing Lamaism as one of the official religions in Russia. A staff of 150 lamas was officially approved,who were exempt from paying taxes. And datsans became the center of development of Tibetan philosophy, medicine and literature in Buryatia.

For almost two centuries, Lamaism has been actively developing, gaining more and more followers. After the revolution of 1917, when the Bolsheviks came to power, the Buddhist tradition of the Buryats began to decline. The datsans were closed and destroyed, and the lamas were repressed. Only in the 1990s did a revival of Buddhism begin. 10 new datsans were built. However, back in 1947, not far from the capital of Buryatia, Ulan-Ude, the Ivolginsky datsan was founded, and Aginsky began to work again.

Now the Republic of Buryatia is the center of Buddhism in Russia. In the Egituysky datsan there is a statue of Buddha made of sandalwood. A room was even built for her, in which a certain microclimate is maintained.

Buddhist temples and monasteries

The Buryats were nomads. They lived, like many Turkic tribes, in yurts. Therefore, initially they did not have permanent temples. Datsans were located in yurts, equipped in a special way, and "wandered" along with lamas. The first stationary temple, the Tamchansky datsan, was built at the end of the 16th century. Monasteries are divided into several categories:

• Dugan is a monastery temple, the name comes from the Tibetan word meaning "meeting hall".
• Datsan – among the Buryats means “monastery”, and in Tibet this was the name of the educational faculties at a large monastery.
• Khurul is the name given to all Buddhist temples of the Kalmyks and Tuvans. The name comes from the Mongolian "khural", which means"gathering".

The architecture of Buddhist monasteries and temples of Buryatia is interesting, in which 3 styles can be traced:

• Mongolian style - represented by structures resembling yurts and tents. The first temples were mobile and were located in temporary structures. Stationary temples were first built in the form of six- or twelve-sided buildings, and then became square. The roofs were made in a shape resembling the top of a tent.
• Tibetan style - typical of early Buddhist temples. The architecture is represented by rectangular structures with white walls and a flat roof. Temples made in pure Tibetan style are rare.
• Chinese style - implying luxurious decoration, one-story buildings and gable roofs made of tiles.

Many churches were built in a mixed style, for example, the Aginsky datsan.

Ivolginsky Monastery

This datsan was founded in 1947, 40 km from Ulan-Ude. It served as the residence of the Spiritual Administration of Buddhists in Russia. In the datsan there is a sacred statue of Buddha and the throne of the XIV Dalai Lama. Every year large khurals are held in the temple. At the beginning of spring, the New Year is celebrated according to the Eastern calendar, and in the summer - the Maydari holiday.

Ivolginsky temple is famous for the fact that the incorrupt body of Lama Itigelov is stored there. According to legend, in 1927, the lama bequeathed to his students to examine his body after 75 years, then sat down in meditation and went into nirvana. He was buried in the same position in a cedar cube. According to the will in 2002, the cube wasopened and the body examined. It was in an unchanged state. Appropriate ceremonies and ritual actions were carried out, and the imperishable body of Lama Itigelov was transferred to the Ivolginsky datsan.

Aginsky Monastery

This Buddhist datsan was built in 1816 and lit by Lama Rinchen. The complex consists of the main temple and 7 small sumes. The Aginsky datsan is known for the fact that since its foundation, Maani Khural (worship of Bodhisattva Arya Bala) has been performed there 4 times a day. The monastery printed books on philosophy, medicine, logic, astronomy and astrology. In the late 1930s, the temple was closed, some buildings were partially destroyed, and some were occupied for military and secular needs. In 1946, the Aginsky Monastery was reopened and is still operating.

Gusinoozersky Monastery

Another name is Tamchinsky datsan. Initially, it was not stationary, but was located in a large yurt. In the middle of the 18th century, the first temple was built on a permanent site. And after almost 100 years, the monastery complex already consisted of 17 churches. From the beginning of the 19th to the middle of the 20th century, the Tamchinsky datsan was the main monastery of Buryatia, which at that time was called Buryat-Mongolia. 500 lamas lived there permanently, and another 400 were visiting. With the coming to power of the Bolsheviks, the datsan was abolished, like many other religious objects. Its buildings were occupied for the needs of the state. There was a prison for political prisoners. In the late 50s of the 20th century, the Gusinoozersky datsan was recognized as an architectural monument and work began on its restoration. AgainThe temple opened its doors to believers in 1990. In the same year it was consecrated.

A monument of high historical and cultural value is kept in the datsan. This is the so-called "deer stone", whose age, according to archaeologists, is 3.5 thousand years. This stone got its name because of the images of racing deer carved on it.

Christianity

In 1721, the Irkutsk diocese was created, from which the spread of Orthodoxy in the Baikal region began. Missionary activity was especially successful among the Western Buryats. There, such holidays as Easter, Christmas, Ilyin's Day, etc., became widespread.

The Russian government used Orthodoxy as a way to influence the worldview of the Buryats. At the end of the 17th century, the construction of the Posolsky Monastery began (pictured above), which helped to strengthen the position of the Christian mission. Such methods of attracting followers were also used, such as tax exemption in case of adoption of the Orthodox faith. Interethnic marriages between Russians and the indigenous population were encouraged. By the beginning of the 20th century, about 10% of the total number of Buryats were mestizos.

All these efforts led to the fact that by the end of the 20th century there were 85 thousand Orthodox Buryats. Then came the revolution of 1917, and the Christian mission was liquidated. Church activists were shot or exiled tocamps. After the end of World War II, the revival of some temples began. And the official recognition of the Orthodox Church took place only in 1994.

Selenginsky Trinity Monastery

The opening of churches and monasteries has always been an important event in strengthening Christianity. In 1680, by decree of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, it was ordered to build a monastery on the banks of the Selenga River and make it the center of the Orthodox mission in the region. The new monastery received support in the form of state funds, as well as money, books, utensils and clothes from the king and the nobility. The Holy Trinity Selenginsky Monastery owned lands, fishing grounds, estates. People began to settle around the monastery.

As planned, the monastery became the center of the Orthodox faith and way of life in Transbaikalia. The monastery was revered among the population of nearby villages because it kept the icon of the miracle worker Nicholas of Myra. The monastery was visited by prominent religious, political and state figures. The monastery had an extensive library of 105 books for those times.

In 1921 the Holy Trinity Selenginsky Monastery was closed. For some time, its buildings were occupied by an orphanage, and from 1929 to 1932 the monastery was empty. Then a pioneer sanatorium operated here, and later a children's special colony. During this time, many buildings of the monastery lost their former appearance, some were destroyed. Only since 1998 the monastery began to revive.

Old Believers

In the middle of the 17th century, church reform began in Russia. Rites changed, but not everyone was ready for these changes, which led to a split in the church. Those who disagreed with the new reforms were persecuted, and they were forced to flee to the outskirts of the country and beyond. This is how the Old Believers appeared, and its followers were called Old Believers. They hid in the Urals, Turkey, Romania, Poland and Transbaikalia, where the Buryats lived. The Old Believers settled in large families mainly in the south of Transbaikalia. There they cultivated the land, built houses and churches. There were up to 50 such settlements, 30 of which still exist.

Buryatia is an original, colorful region with beautiful nature and rich history. The enchanting purest waters of Lake Baikal, Buddhist temples and sacred places of shamans attract people who want to plunge into the natural and spiritual atmosphere of the region.