Spiritual developmentReligion

Buddhism in Russia. Peoples of Russia practicing Buddhism

The religious space of the Russian Federation is quite diverse. Occupying an exceptionally large territory and uniting a huge number of peoples and ethnic groups under its political jurisdiction, our country is a platform where different traditions and religions meet in the west and east, in the north and in the south. Christianity and Islam are two world religions common in our state. Together with them the third one, which many peoples of Russia profess, - Buddhism is represented. About where this religion is widespread in our country, we'll talk further.

Buddhism in Russia

Buddhism is a unique religion, unlike any other. Within itself, various Buddhist currents and schools also vary considerably. The origin of his owed to the religious genius of India, in his homeland Buddhism has practically lost weight. Today, traditional countries, professing Buddhist teachings, are Korea, Japan, China, Nepal and others, among which Tibet is especially prominent. To date, Buddhism in Russia is represented by almost all major Buddhist faiths. Among them there are various schools of Mahayana, Vajrayana, Theravada, Zen, Chan and many other traditional and not very unified associations. However, most people who profess Buddhism in Russia are adherents of the Tibetan religious tradition.

Buddhist ethnography of Russia

We suggest answering the question: which peoples of Russia do Buddhism practice today?

Thanks to political events and intercultural contacts, Buddhism first took root among the Kalmyks and Tuvinians. This happened in the 16th century, when the territories of these republics, together with the ethnic groups that inhabited them, were part of the Mongolian state of Altan Khan. A century later Buddhism penetrated to the Buryats, where it successfully competed with the traditional religion of all Siberian nomads - shamanism, or otherwise Tengrism.

Buddhism in Buryatia

Buryatia is a republic of Russia, whose borders start from the eastern shores of Lake Baikal. Being attached to the Russian Empire, it proved to be resistant to Russification and escaped Christianization. On the other hand, close cultural, trade and political ties with Mongolia, and through it with Tibet, made Buddhist teachings popular among the Buryats. The first stone datsans here were erected in the XVIII century.

Although among the Buddhist peoples the Buryats are the last who accepted this religion, today they represent the Buddhist majority and represent Buddhism in Russia. In Buryatia is the administrative center of Russian Buddhists - the traditional Buddhist Sangha of Russia, as well as the main shrines and religious buildings. The most important of them is the Ivolginsky datsan - the residence of Bandido Hambo-lama - the spiritual leader of a significant part of the Buddhists of Russia.

Along with Buddhism, among the Buryats, traditional shamanism, or the so-called black faith, is quite common.

Buddhism in Tuva

Tuva, this is the republic that was accepted into Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, namely, in 1911. Tuvans today profess the same form of teaching as the Buryats, the Mahayana tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. However, this was not always the case: the first centers of Buddhist teaching, mainly in the form of Hinayana, appeared on the territory of Tuva in the second century AD, at the time of the Türkic Kaganate. Subsequently, the Tuvan tribes were subordinate to the Uighurs, who conquered the lands of Tuva from the Turks. Uyghurs professed the Manichaean religion, but they also had influence of Buddhism. Having developed a written language, Uighur scientists began actively translating Buddhist texts from Chinese and Sogdian languages. Over time, translators focused on Tibetan treatises, which determined the further prevalence of the Tibetan tradition. This trend was reinforced in the XIII century by the influence of Mongolian teachers who embraced the Buddhist tradition from Tibetan lamas.

The first monasteries were built in Tuva in 1772 and 1773. Although the Buddhist community of Tuva basically adheres to the Gelug line, which presupposes monastic clergy, local traditions sanction the married institute of the lamas, which is its unique feature. As in Buryatia, on the basis of religion Tuvans are divided into two camps - shamanists and Buddhists.

Buddhism in Kalmykia

Kalmykia, this is the only European region with a predominantly Buddhist population. Representing the hereditary West-Mongolian tribes, the Kalmyks' genealogy dates back to the Oirats who joined the sacraments of Buddhist religion in the 13th century due to the entry into the empire of Genghis Khan. However, at this time, Buddhism was the religion of only the political elite of the Oirats. Popularization of the same doctrine among the ordinary population occurs only in the XVI-XVII centuries. And, as in the case of Buryatia and Tuva, Kalmyk Buddhism also adheres to Tibetan religious traditions. Especially this connection between Tibet and Kalmykia was strengthened after the recognition in the beginning of the 17th century in the Oirat boy of the rebirth of the third Dalai Lama.

The spread of Buddhism among the Oirats also contributed to the formation of a separate Kalmyk ethnos. The latter included Oirat tribes who adopted Buddhism and settled westward within the Russian state. At the same time, obeying the Russian emperor, the Kalmyks formed their own administration - the Kalmyk Khanate. The last existed until 1771, when the decree of Empress Catherine II was abolished. Later Kalmyk Buddhism developed, acquired national features and, like the Buryat and Tuvan sangham, led a religious struggle against shamanism.

Buddhism in the USSR

After the October Revolution, Buddhism in Russia was subject to the then fashionable spiritual trend - renovationism. Synthesis of dharma and Marxism was designed to reorganize the Buddhist communities. In the framework of this movement in Moscow in the 20's. Even the All-Russian Buddhist cathedral was held. However, later the party's policy changed, and mass repression began against religious organizations . The monasteries were closed, the temples were destroyed, and the clergy was persecuted. Before the postwar "thaw", the peoples of Russia, professing Buddhism, lost more than 150 monasteries. In Buryatia, out of 15 thousand lamas by 1948, less than 600 people remained. As for Tuva and Kalmykia, there were only a few dozen surviving priests of 8,000 in both regions.

The peoples of Russia who profess Buddhism in our day

Prior to Perestroika, the Buddhist body coordinating the activities of Buddhist organizations was the Central Dispensation Bureau of the USSR (Central Spiritual Board of Buddhists of the USSR). In the early 90-ies it was renamed the Central Dispatch Office of Russia. Now this body is called the Buddhist traditional sangha of Russia and includes Buddhist communities in Buryatia. Religious associations of Tuva and Kalmykia remain independent. However, not everyone recognizes the authority of BTSR in Buryatia and beyond its borders. As a result of political and ideological differences, Buddhist society has experienced a number of splits and, in addition to the main associations, has several independent associations and independent communities.

In any case, Buddhism in Russia is represented, as before, by three main regions - Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia.

Other Buddhist Communities in Russia

Traditional peoples of Russia, professing Buddhism, are today not the only bearers of Buddhist culture and tradition. Recently, this religion has been visibly popularized among young people and the intelligentsia. In various cities, various religious centers continue to open. Among them, in addition to traditional schools of Tibetan Buddhism, there are representations of Korean, Chinese and Japanese Zen Buddhism, Theravada and Dzogchen traditions. Many spiritual teachers visited Russia over the past few years. In turn, among our compatriots there were also representatives of Buddhist monasticism and clergy.

Conclusion

The fashion for Buddhism in Russia is not unique, and in this sense our country shares the pan-European charm of the East. Often, acquiring in quantity, domestic buddophilia loses in quality, which is fraught with the spread of a superficial, marginal version of Buddhism in Russia.

At the same time, Buddhism - a religion in Russia is just as traditional as Christianity and Islam. Therefore, its status and future prospects are of great importance for the successful development of Russian culture.

Similar articles

 

 

 

 

Trending Now

 

 

 

 

Newest

Copyright © 2018 en.birmiss.com. Theme powered by WordPress.