home Citizenship Ivolginsky datsan is the center of Buddhism in Russia! Unique places in Russia that you have hardly heard of: Ivolginsky Datsan, Buryat Monastery of the Wheel of Learning.

Ivolginsky datsan is the center of Buddhism in Russia! Unique places in Russia that you have hardly heard of: Ivolginsky Datsan, Buryat Monastery of the Wheel of Learning.

Russia has its own Buddhist religious tradition, the center of which is located in Buryatia. Here is the Ivolginsky datsan, the center of the Buddhist traditional Sangha of Russia...

In general, in Russia, if I’m not mistaken, three regions officially profess Buddhism: Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva. In other regions, there are Buddhist communities, but they are not the main religion (only about 1%).

They say that Buddhism penetrated into Buryatia a very long time ago, according to some estimates, as early as the 2nd century. BC e. The tradition came from Tibet through Mongolia and was firmly rooted among the Transbaikal peoples. In 1741, by decree of Empress Elizabeth, Buddhism in Buryatia was recognized as the official religion.

Some resistance to the spread of Buddhism in Northern Buryatia, located in the Baikal region, was provided by the traditions of shamanism and the active movement of Christian missionaries. The tradition suffered greatly during the years of Soviet power, when an anti-religious law was passed, Buddhist datsans were closed or destroyed, and lamas were sent to prison and exile.

Today the Buddhist tradition of Buryatia has gained its strength. In Buryatia there is a higher religious institution - the Buddhist Institute "Dashi Choynkhorlin" and several dozen datsans. By the way, the word datsan in the Buddhist tradition refers to a religious educational institution, monastery or monastery-university. Here lamas and their novices master practices, texts, philosophical and medical disciplines.

The center of not only Buryat, but also Russian Buddhism is Ivolginsky datsan(pictured below). Datsan is located a few kilometers from Ulan-Ude in the village of Verkhnyaya Ivolga and is an architectural monument. Rituals and services are held here, monks and novices are trained here, and hundreds of pilgrims and tourists flock here every year.

The monastery complex consists of the main temple, the wooden temple of the Maitreya Buddha, the Choira Faculty of Philosophy and several service and educational buildings housing a library, museum, hotel, etc.

Atsagatsky datsan(pictured below) is one of the oldest in Buryatia, the Agin Buddhist Academy is located here. In general, the architecture of the Buryat datsans is an amazing fusion of Tibetan, Buryat and typically Russian traditions, because Russian carpenters and masons took an active part in the construction of the datsans.

There is no point in describing all the datsans of Buryatia, suffice it to say that these are bright, colorful buildings, which are the abode of one of the deepest spiritual teachings of humanity and they are located on the territory of our country, so it’s not that far to go for enlightenment.

The greatest influence in Buryatia is the direction of Mahayana Buddhism, known as the “Great Vehicle” and also the “Broad Path of Salvation”, called Gelugpa - the school of virtue, this is due to the fact that since ancient times it has had close ties with other peoples of Asia. The school has a special position in the spiritual culture of all the peoples of Central Asia who preach Buddhism - Mongols, Tibetans, Tuvans and others, based on this, the founder of the school, the great spiritual reformer Tsongkhawa (1357-1419) (the name can be read as - Tsongkhapa, Je Tsongkhapla) with his recognized by his disciples as Buddha and revered on a par with Buddha Shakyamuni.

Tsonghawa is a reformer in Tibetan Buddhism, who proposed ideas that influenced the entire teaching as a whole. He combined in his school the achievements of many philosophers, schools of Buddhism in India that existed before him. And combined the practices of spiritual improvement of people, three directions of Buddhism
– Hinayana, known as the “Little Vehicle”, Mahayana, “Great Vehicle”, Vajrayana, “Diamond Vehicle”. Tsonghava also professed strict rules of behavior and morality, created during the life of Shakyamuni, for monks in the Vinaya code of rules, and which fell into decline at that time. The color yellow in the robes and on the heads of Gelugpa monks became a symbol of a return to strict norms. This is due to the fact that in ancient India, those who followed the path of improvement and enlightenment wore rags that were bleached by the sun and therefore yellowed. Therefore, the school is often called the “yellow-hat school”, “yellow faith” (Bur. Shara Shazhin).

Lamaism

Did Hambo Lama (Deputy Hambo Lama) for the Republic. Ivolginsky datsan, .

“Lamaism” is an inaccurate definition and may even be offensive to followers of Buddhism, as the 14th Dalai Lama has repeatedly said. The term was often justified by the fact that in the Gelugpa school there is veneration of the teacher-mentor (Lama), along with the 3 main treasures of Buddhism - Buddha, Dharma (Teaching) and Sangha (monastic community), which are values that help to curb passions and achieve enlightenment. But it is worth considering the fact that the religions that came from the East were mostly based on the veneration of a spiritual teacher-mentor, guru. “Lamaism” as a term defined by German scholars separates the “Yellow Faith” from other schools of Buddhism, which is fundamentally wrong. Undoubtedly, Gelugpa is an integral part of the entire tradition of Buddhism, which is why the residents of Buryatia use the name “teachings of the Buddha.” Under the influence of local religious teachings, cults, pure Buddhism underwent changes. But this was external in nature and was reflected in the forms of preaching the doctrine, methods of practice and rituals carried out by them. The religious system of Tibetan Buddhism has integrated some rites and rituals associated with the cult of mountains, the veneration of spirits () of the earth, lakes, trees and other natural objects. But this is rather a consequence of the popularity of religion in Buryatia.

School spread

The spread of the school is associated with the support of the Mongol khans, thanks to which Gelugpa took a leading role in Tibet, and in Mongolia it became the main school. In the second half of the 16th century. The Mongol khans - Abatai Khan of Khalkhas, Altan Khan of Tumeti, Chakhar Legden Khan, Se-tsen Khan of Ordos and the Oirat princes adopted Buddhism of the Gelugpa school. It quickly spreads among all the Mongols, as well as tribes in the future called “s”. In the 70s of the 16th century. Altan Khan conquers Tibet, and in 1576 near the lake. Kuku-nur convened a large diet of various clans and tribes of Inner and Outer Mongolia, which was attended by the Supreme Lama of Tibet Sodnom-Zhamtso, who later became the Dalai Lama, and it was there that Gelugpa Buddhism was proclaimed the official religion of all Mongols.

At the beginning of the 17th century. Buddhism spreads across the territory of modern Buryatia among ethnic groups subject to the khans of Mongolia. Evidence of this is the report of the Cossack K. Moskvitin, who in 1646 visited a mobile dugan at the headquarters of Turukhai-Tabunan on the bend of Chikoy and Selenga, where he migrated from the Mongol civil strife. Gradually, mobile prayer yurts are replaced by temples made of stone and wood, then entire complexes with various religious, educational, residential and other buildings appear. Before the revolution, there were more than 40 monasteries in Buryatia. Faculties in philosophy, logic, astrology, medicine, etc. were organized under the datsans. Religious, scientific and artistic texts, and popular didactic literature were published. There were their own workshops in which painters, woodcarvers, sculptors, scribes, etc. worked. Before the revolution of 1917, Buddhist monasteries were the spiritual and cultural centers of Chinese society and influenced all spheres of life.

At the end of the 17th - first half of the 18th century, Buddhism spread in the Trans-Baikal (eastern) part of ethnic Buryatia. In 1741, the Buddhist faith received official recognition from the Russian government in the person of Empress Elizabeth, who signed a decree codifying the legal status of the religion. The government allowed monks to preach among monks, freeing them from duties. In 1764, the chief lama of the Tsongol datsan was recognized as the Supreme Lama of Transbaikalia, with the title Pandito Khambo Lama - “Learned High Priest,” which secured the administrative independence of the Buryat Church from Tibet and Mongolia, but the authority of the Tibetan Dalai Lamas in Buryatia is unshakable. At the end of the 19th century. The penetration of Buddhism into western (pre-Baikal) Buryatia began, despite some resistance from shamans and the Orthodox clergy. At the beginning of the 20th century. Buddhism is also spreading in the European part of the Russian Empire, especially in the circles of the Russian intelligentsia and in the Baltic states. An important event for Tibetan Buddhism in Russia was the construction of the datsan in 1909-1915. in St. Petersburg through the efforts of Russian, Ski and Kalmyk believers, with the financial and moral support of Tibet.

XIX-XX centuries in Buryatia, the movement is being modernized by lay Buddhists and the clergy, some aspects of doctrine and ritual are changing in accordance with new conditions in accordance with the latest achievements of European science and culture. This was supported by Russian and Kalmyk Buddhists, but its further development was prevented by political cataclysms (the First World War, the revolutions of 1905 and 1917, the civil war in Russia, etc.). An active figure and leader was the famous Agvan Lopsan Dorzhiev - Hambo Lama, lharamba, advisor to the Dalai Lama XIII, founder of the St. Petersburg Buddhist monastery, organizer of the Naran magazine. After the establishment of Soviet power in Buryatia, the movement was persecuted by the authorities, like the rest of the “conservative” Buddhists of Buryatia, and during the repression of followers of all religions, in the late 1930s it ended with the virtual destruction of the Buddhist church.

After 1945, part of the Buddhist church organization was restored, which was under administrative and ideological control. On the territory of the Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic and the Chita region, from 1946 until perestroika, there were only two datsans - Ivolginsky and Aginsky, headed by the Central Spiritual Administration of Buddhists (CDUB).

Present tense

In recent years, there has been a spiritual and cultural revival of the peoples of Russia, a revival of lost ethnocultural and religious traditions. Old churches are being restored and new ones are being built. Currently, about 50 datsans have been opened on the territory of the Republic, and an institute has been opened at the Ivolginsky datsan; not only Mongolian and Mongolian lamas, but also Tibetan lamas take part in teaching various disciplines. Relations between the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia (BTSR) and other Buddhist organizations are expanding. And an increasing number of lay Buddhists and monks can visit foreign cultural and religious centers, make pilgrimages, and study in countries where Buddhism traditionally spreads. The process of reviving Buddhism in Buryatia is quite constructive in nature and contributes to the establishment of healthy interethnic relations in the republic, strengthening international relations, which ultimately contributes to the further development of tolerant interregional relations in the republic.

Photos by Irkipedia.ru

The Ivolginsky datsan is located in Buryatia, 30 km west of the city of Ulan-Ude. Here, on five hectares of the valley, there is a complex of Buddhist temples (dugans), a monastery, and since 1991, the Buddhist University “Dashi Choynkhorlin”.

The young men who study there live together with the lamas in huts. There are stoves everywhere, life is ascetic, the clothes of lamas and students differ only in their hats.

3. Lama Huts

According to Buddhist monks, the three most terrible things that can happen to a person are beauty, fame and wealth.

Itigelov said that Buddhism is not a religion, not a science or a philosophy. This is freedom. So they are torn from our world of suffering and things.

Since 1937, there have been no officially operating Buddhist religious centers in Transbaikalia. Thanks to the efforts of old lamas who returned from exile and camps in 1945, in December 1945 it was allowed to open “Khambinskoe Sume” in the village of Verkhnyaya Ivolga in the Republic of Buryatia. Datsan was given the name “Tvges Bayaskhalantay Ulzy Nomoy Khrdyn Khiid” (Monastery founded in the place where the Wheel of Teaching rotates, bringing Happiness and filled with Joy). Since then, the Ivolginsky datsan has been the only Buddhist religious center on the territory of Buryatia.

When entering the datsan, you walk around it according to the movement of the Sun (clockwise, if you like), spin the reels with mantras inscribed on them, and place small coins. The circuit is completed 3, 7, 21, 108 times. These are the so-called “round” ritual numbers.

6 Khurde prayer wheels

7 I would also like to know what is written here...

Stupas. They are believed to contribute to the preservation of peace and have a positive impact on space. People taking part in their construction, as well as those living nearby, perceive their positive impact.

Inside the dugan you move the same way. Around the cleansing fire, which was just being burned. And, as in a children's game, you cannot turn towards the fire.

The main temple of the Ivolginsky datsan is Sokshon dugan.

The main dugan of the Ivolginsky datsan generally resembles a large children's room inside - with the manners of local icon painting, the faces of deities, and their special plasticity. Ornaments, rich colors. If it’s green, then it’s a rich, vibrant green, if it’s blue, then it’s warm, deep.

Palace of Khambo Lama Itigelov

21 I’ll make a wish, what’s there...)

25 Not far from the datsan there is a spring with cold and very tasty water. There’s nothing unusual associated with it (or maybe they just didn’t tell me, there were coins generously thrown into it), but it’s nice to drink fresh water.

Return of XII Pandito Khambo Lama Itigelov

The most perfect thing about people is that they die one day. The most important achievement of humanity is the awareness of human mortality...
And then Itigelov appears. With our shocking relationship with death. Buried in 1927. It was dug up in 2002. For 75 years, his body was not even touched by decay. This year it will be ten years since Itigelov has been with us. Here. He doesn't change. He has the warm hands of an old man and many days of stubble. He's sweating. Physiological processes take place in his body. He sits, not supported by anything or anyone, and, contrary to all the laws of biology and physics, physiology and gravity, with a straight back, in the lotus position.

Scientists testify: in many respects it gives the impression of the body of a living person. There is no explanation for this; its existence explodes the foundations of modern science. It is generally accepted that there are three states of the body after physical death. The first is mummification, when the body is completely dehydrated. The second is the state of peat tanning, when the human body, falling into a swamp, turns red and is deprived of liquid. The third state is fat-wax. Scientists call Itigelov’s phenomenon the “fourth state of death.” A miracle cannot be interpreted. That's why it's a miracle.

The fact is that Itigelov was 75 years at a depth of 2.5 m in a wooden box (cedar box) surrounded by salt.

If Itigelov had been in the state of a person who had died an ordinary physical death, then the salt would have corroded all the contents. But when Itigelov was raised, the cedar box (bumkhan) and body were perfectly preserved. Moreover, the pathologists were confident that after lifting the body, it would turn into decay in three to four hours. After all, sudden changes in external conditions usually lead to just such consequences. But this did not happen with Itigelov. How did a person remain unchanged after being in salt for 75 years?

Now Itigelov has been in the Ivolginsky datsan for almost five years. The lotus position, in which it was kept for 75 years in a cedar box, after being removed from it, is preserved without the use of any supporting or fixing devices. Although in summer the heat in Buryatia reaches 40 degrees and there are no refrigeration units, Itigelov’s body does not rot or decompose. There is no access to light or artificial lighting in the room - only dim light penetrates from the first floor.

Spectral analysis of hair, nails and a piece of skin from Khambo Lama Itigelov did not reveal any destructive changes. The organic composition of Hambo Lama's tissues corresponds to the organic composition of the tissues of an ordinary person. The internal organs are intact. According to two forensic examination reports, no traces of embalming were found on the llama’s body. This is not similar to the processes of mummification or tanning. Scientists also exclude the state of lethargic sleep. There is not a single officially registered fact of this kind in the world.

On June 15, 1927, at the age of 75, HP Pandito Khambo Lama Itigelov, in the presence of the lamas of the Yangazhinsky datsan, asked to read the prayer “Good wishes to the departing” (Nuga Namshi) for him. The lamas could not make up their mind and then he began to read it himself. The lamas joined the reading of the prayer after the end of the ceremony, and in accordance with the will of D.D. Itigelov, they placed him in the lotus position in a bumkhan (sarcophagus) and left him in a burial place in the area of Khukhe Zurkhen (in the Ivolginsky region of the Republic of Buryatia).

In 1955, in accordance with the will of Itigelov, XVII Pandito Khambo Lama Lubsan Nima Darmaev and a group of lamas raised the sarcophagus with the body of Kh. Pandito Khambo Lama Itigelov and, making sure that his body was unchanged, performed the necessary rituals, changed clothes and again placed it in the bumkhan.

In 1973, XIX Pandito Khambo Lama Zhambal Dorzho Gomboyev with the lamas of the Ivolginsky datsan re-examined the body of KhP Pandito Khambo Lama Itigelov and, making sure of its safety, placed it in the bumkhan.

On September 10, 2002, XXIV Pandito Khambo Lama Damba Ayusheev with a group of lamas of the Ivolginsky datsan in the presence of secular persons (criminal experts, etc.) opened the bumkhan of Khambo Lama Itigelov and, having performed the necessary ritual actions, transferred it to the Ivolginsky datsan.

The phenomenon of finding the Teacher’s body aroused the activity and interest of Buddhists not only in Russia, but also abroad. After all, he did it consciously, on purpose - he wrote about what was happening to him today when he left, 85 years ago.

On the days of Itigelov’s meetings with people, he breaks out in sweat and gains 100 grams in weight.

In 2002, 3 thousand people came to Itigelov, in 2003 - 20 thousand, the next year again an order of magnitude more - 200 thousand, in 2005 - 350 thousand, in 2006 there were already more than half a million. The line stretches into the valley for a kilometer.

Due to the large number of pilgrims, they decided to cover Itigelov with glass, and people, seeking blessings, no longer touch the body, but the hadaks from his hands, released behind the glass.

Days of Worship 2012 - February 21; March 31; the 6th of May; June 4; July 23; September 19; November 6; December 8

Itigelov has a great-niece, Yanzhima Vasilyeva. Her great-grandmother was the lama's older sister. In 2002, Yanzhima created the information center “Together with Itigelov,” and in 2004, the Itigelov Institute. Smiling and energetic, talking about her relative, she says that most of all she is “afraid of zombifying people,” so in principle she does not insist on anything. She is afraid that Itigelov is turning into a brand. But, of course, the absence of PR for this brand is the best PR. The answer to who she thinks is Khambo Lama Itigelov: “We, due to our modesty, do not say that Buddha has come.” As for the Ivolgin lamas, they are silent, like partisans. Or change the topic...

According to the surviving pedigree, Itigelov was born in 1852 in the area of Ulzy-Dobo (the southeastern shore of Lake Sagaan Nur, now the territory of the Orongoi rural administration of the Ivolginsky district of the Republic of Buryatia). His father Mantagaray Etigal had 3 sons and a daughter. Having lost his parents, Itigelov had to start working early. Since childhood, he was distinguished by his purposeful and independent character.

From the mid-60s of the 19th century, Itigelov studied for more than 20 years in the Aninsky datsan - a large spiritual, philosophical and cultural center located three hundred kilometers from his homeland. The rector of the datsan during this period was Khoito Lamkhai Ayushin Galdan. He determined Itigelov’s scholarship at the expense of the residents of the villages of Oybont, Tokhoryukta, Nurey and Mogoy. Since Itigelov was of the Cossack class and had to serve, the residents of these villages also paid compensation from service for 20 years.

Itigelov’s years of study came at a difficult time for people of other faiths. This was a period of forced baptism of the Buryats and other peoples of Siberia and the Far East, which was accompanied by bribery (they paid a lot of money for baptism, were exempt from taxes, etc.) and the restriction of spiritual ties with Mongolia and Tibet. Itigelov, after studying at the Aninsky datsan, defended the high spiritual titles of gebshi, then gabzhi, and achieved high perfection in the sciences. After completing his studies in the Aninsky datsan and serving in different datsans, Itigelov again began studying at the medical faculty in the Tamchinsky datsan in 1895.

In 1898, Itigelov returned to the Yangazhinsky datsan, where he was enrolled as a full-time lama.

With the beginning of the Russian-Japanese War (1904), the parishioners of the Yangazhinsky datsan, the Cossacks of the Yangazhinsky village, were drafted and sent to the front. Shireete Itigelov conducts rituals to protect fellow countrymen leaving for the front.

During the period of hostilities, in order to perform virtue for the soldiers who died and suffered during the war, especially the alms-giving soldiers of the Yangazhinsky datsan, Choira-dugan and Devazhin-dugan were built under the leadership of Shireete Itigelov, and great efforts were made for educational activities among believers and laity. For the zeal and loyalty of Shireete of the Yangazhinsky datsan, Itigelov was awarded neck and chest medals by royal decrees.

In the spring of 1910, the 11th Pandito Khambo Lama Iroltuev paid a visit to the Yangazhinsky datsan and invited D.D. Itigelov to stand for election for the post of Pandito Khambo Lama, in connection with his own expected resignation. A year later (March 19, 1911), having gone through a difficult election procedure at the Residence of Pandito Khambo Lama (Tamchinsky datsan), D.D. Itigelov was elected and sworn in as the XII Pandito Khambo Lama of the Lamai clergy of Eastern Siberia.

At the beginning of February 1913, the XII Pandito Khambo Lama Itigelov was invited to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty in the capital of the Russian Empire, St. Petersburg. A delegation of Lamaist clergy was received at the Department of Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. On February 19, Pandito Khamba Lama Itigelov held a solemn prayer service for the health and prosperity of the Emperor and the entire royal house at the St. Petersburg Buddhist Temple “Gunzechoiney”. He attended a gala dinner in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty and on behalf of all Buryats, spiritual and secular, delivered a congratulatory speech. Then the delegation was awarded a personal audience with the Emperor, at which Pandito Khambe Lama Itigelov was awarded the Order of St. Stanislaus, III degree, “For excellent zeal.”

Soon after the delegation returned from St. Petersburg, the First World War began. On the initiative of Pandito Khambo Lama Itigelov, the “All-Buryat Society” was created in Verkhneudinsk, which included 120 clergy and secular persons. The main task of the new society was to attract the population to provide financial and material assistance to the state. Thanks to the activities of this society, 130,000 rubles, food, uniforms, medical supplies were collected, and an infirmary was installed in the front line.

In 1915, Pandito Khamba Lama Itigelov with Dambi Kheshektuev toured all the datsans. With the money collected, they purchased clothes, shoes, towels, tobacco products, berries, sugar, and everyday goods and sent them to the active front and to hospitals by Easter. In addition, emchi lamas led by Kensur Khambo Lama Iroltuev were sent to front-line hospitals to provide assistance and treatment to the wounded. For special works and merits in providing assistance to persons called up for war, as well as to the families of the wounded and fallen, Emperor Nicholas II awarded Pandito Khambo Lama Itigelov the Order of St. Anne, II degree and a medal.

D.D. Itigelov was the Chairman of the II All-Buryat Congress, which was held in July 1917 in the Tamchinsky datsan. Soon after this, due to illness, he resigned as Pandito Khambo Lama and returned to the Yangazhinsky datsan, where he was engaged in educational activities and medical practice. He created works on Buddhist philosophy (there are more than 50 of them), wrote a fundamental work on Tibetan pharmacology “Zhor”, and left a spiritual testament to his parishioners, students and descendants.

I cannot ignore another completely new datsan I visited, located in Ulan-Ude:

37 Construction is in full swing.

38 Bell of Four Seals. The first Buddhist bell of this size in Russia. Cast at a factory near Yekaterinburg, weight 700 kg. The sound of the bell carries very far. Beautiful!

In this datsan they were allowed to take photographs inside when there was no service.

Golden Buddha statue. The height is 6 meters, made by special order of the datsan in China from bronze and covered with gold leaf.

The statue is filled with sacred relics specially given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Nowadays the Buddhist clergy is taking active steps aimed at reviving Buddhism in the republic. Old datsans are being revived and new ones are being built.

Buddhism is one of the most interesting pages in the history and modernity of Buryatia, attracting the attention of tourists who can visit datsans, take part in excursions, be received by healing lamas and astrologer lamas, and purchase Tibetan medicines and religious paraphernalia.

There are more than 20 datsans on the territory of Buryatia. In almost all regions of the republic there are Buddhist shrines that are revered by believers throughout the republic. Many pilgrims and tourists from all over the world come to the village. Upper Ivolga for visiting the Ivolginsky datsan. Ivolginsky datsan is a large Buddhist temple and monastery complex. Here is the residence of the XXIV Pandito Khambo Lama Damba Badmaevich Ayusheev, the spiritual head of the Buddhists of Russia.

One of the attractions of the Ivolginsky datsan is the greenhouse for the sacred Bodhi tree. The Bodhi Tree is a legendary tree, by meditating under which Prince Gautama achieved enlightenment and became Buddha.

Bodhi is the tree of enlightenment, which is sacred in several religions. These are religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In many parts of the world this plant is revered, considering it one of the most important symbols of peace and tranquility. And the name actually came from Buddhism, since Buddha Gautama, having gone through torment that lasted 7 weeks, eventually achieved enlightenment under this tree. Legends also say that during birth pangs, his mother held her hands on the branches of this plant.

It has several traditional modern as well as ancient names. Religious texts in Sanskrit contain references to the Ashwattha tree, and in Pali - to the Rukkha plant. In Hindi, the most commonly used name is "Peepal". In Russian, this tree is called “Ficus sacred”. Its modern name in Sinhala (the language of the indigenous people of Sri Lanka) is Bo-tree, and in English it is Sacred fig. In general, its biological name used in scientific reference books is Ficus religiosa. For Buddhists, Bodhi is a tree that is very important in cult rituals, and its wood, in their opinion, has healing properties. People traditionally meditate under it. This has been a practice since ancient times, because according to legend, it was under the arches of this tree that Gautama Buddha meditated.

It is not for nothing that the Buddha Tree is called the tree of enlightenment, because it was under its shade that Gautama received the final answer to the question of his destiny. According to legend, from birth he felt that an unprecedented and supernatural power and energy lived inside, but he had no confidence in this. Gautama decided to test his assumption and went to the Bodhi tree. Before starting the prayer, Gautama walked around the Bodhi tree 3 times and then sat down on the ground under its arches. Having made his vow, he began to meditate. And here, suddenly, torment and suffering began, after going through which, Buddha Gautama became convinced of his destiny.

Bodhi is a tree under which you can mentally get closer to the essence of Buddhism. Its powerful branches cover believers meditating under it, saving them from the heat and giving them peace. Many sacred paintings and sculptures depict Buddha under the arches of the sacred tree. In those parts of the world where this religion is widespread, trees are given very important importance. Millions of pilgrims from all over the world come to the sacred trees to bow before them and make their deepest wishes.

It is known that the main attribute for meditation is the rosary. The Bodhi tree, or rather its seeds, serve as material for making rosaries. Using them, it is easy to achieve the highest concentration in order to get closer to the shrines of Buddhism.

The sacred Bodhi tree belongs to the Ficus genus and the Mulberry family. It is an evergreen tree native to India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and southwest China. A characteristic feature is the presence of strong branches of a gray-brown color and heart-shaped leaves, the size of which varies from 8 to 12 cm. The leaves have smooth edges and a long drip point. The inflorescence is a cauldron that produces inedible purple fruit.

The main temple of the datsan is Sogchen (Tsogchen) dugan. The architecture of the main temple of the Ivolginsky datsan reflected the experience accumulated by Buryat architects over two and a half centuries. This temple is a classic example of a three-story Sogchen, formed in the second half of the 19th century. The building of the main temple is made of wood; the dimensions of the floors show the natural tiered movement of volumetric masses decreasing upward, creating a pyramidal silhouette.

The main temple of the Ivolginsky datsan is a harmonious work of Buryat Buddhist art. In direct comparison with the Sogchens of the 19th century, magnificent and polychrome, Sogchens of the second half of the 20th century. represents a somewhat simplified version of architectural decor.

However, new techniques in decorative decoration were the design of the northern façade with two miniature porches, the cladding of the walls with white brick, and the rustication of the base. In its proportions and volumetric compositional structure, Sogchen Dugan is a direct successor to the traditions of Datsan building art. All the achievements of Buryat Buddhist architecture were embodied in the Ivolginsky Sogchen Dugan with precision and laconicism.

There are also other dugans (temples) located on the territory of the datsan. Choira dugan "Toysam Shchaddublin". The name dugan translates as “fortress of the Buddha’s teachings.” This temple is the first temple of the Ivolginsky datsan, erected in 1946. In November 1948, Pandito Khambo Lama Lubsan Nima Darmaev brought a gilded ganzhir (spire on the roof of the temple) and a khorlo (wheel) with two deer from the Zakamensky district of the Republic of Buryatia. They were solemnly installed on the new dugan. After the 70s there was a library here. Since 1994, after the introduction of training in the subject “Choira” in the datsan, this building was converted into an auditorium for classes in Buddhist philosophy.

The building consists of two combined houses, which were presented to the datsan by believers. The first khural took place here. Dugan until the 60s. was the main temple of the Ivolginsky datsan. Daily khurals were held here, as well as all six major annual khurals. After the construction of Sogchen dugan, he was Sakhyuusan dugan.

Devazhin dugan. The temple is dedicated to the land of Buddha Amitabha. Going to Buddha Amitabha's heaven after death is considered the highest goal in Pure Land Buddhism. Amitabha's artistic image of heaven had a strong influence on the appearance of Japanese gardens during the Heian era. During the years of activity of Pandito Khambo Lama Zhambal Dorzhi Gomboev and under the leadership of the Venerable Shireete Lama Tsyden Tsybenov, an eight-walled round dugan was built in 1970. Here is a model of the Pure Land of Buddha Amitabha (“Buddha of Boundless Light”). The Devazhin building is also a library, housing more than 700 volumes of books on the history of Buddhism, philosophy, tantra and Tibetan medicine. Of these, 108 volumes of the sacred Ganjur (instructions of Buddha Shakyamuni) and 224 volumes of Danzhur (commentaries to them). On the 15th of the lunar calendar, a prayer service is held here, the presence of which helps believers to be reborn in the Pure Land of Sukhavati.

Jude Dugan. Construction of the Jud Dugan began in 2001 according to the design of the artist and architect Bayar Erdyneev; six months later, in October, the consecration ceremony of the temple was held. The volumetric composition is a pyramidal silhouette of three gradually decreasing volumes. The composition is uniform in color, so the building is painted red with white stripes in a checkerboard pattern; Along the line of the cornice there is a painted ornamental row, ending at the corners with decorative triangles.

The second and third floors are decorated with white figured balusters of the surrounding galleries. Attention is drawn to the entrance, which is similar to the design of the loggias of Tibetan temples. The walls of the loggia hide two iron staircases, placed outside, which lead to the second floor, where the classroom is located. This technique was first used in the Tsugolsky Sogchen-Dugan, but at the same time the cast iron stairs had an artistic design. The interior of the temple is spacious, somewhat heavy due to the use of concrete blocks in the ceilings and supports. In the altar there is a statue of Tsongkhapa made by a Buryat master of the 19th-20th centuries. Sanzhi-Tsybik Tsybikova. Here hangs a unique tanka “Yamantaka” by artist Danzan Dondokov, made in the 60s. XX century Modern master Erdem Pavlov, an artist at the VARC studio, created two altar sculptures of Gombo Sakhyuusan (Mahakala - the defender of the teachings of Buddha) and the goddess Green Tara. In the altar there are tankas by datsan artists D.K. Tsybikova, V.V. Tsybikova, Tsyren Sanzhiev “Yamantaka”, “Sandui”, “Demchok”, as well as tanka-nagtan “Bazhig”, specially designed for meditative practice.

A distinctive feature of nagtans is the image of the deity on a black background without bright distracting colors, which allows the meditator to easily concentrate on the object of contemplation.

Sahyusan Dugan was built in 1986, when Zhimba Zhamso Erdyneev was on the throne of Pandito Khambo Lama, and is dedicated to dharmapalas, deities who protect Buddhist teachings and each individual Buddhist. Under the leadership of Shireete Lama Darmadodi and Geskha Lama Dorzhizhap Markhaev, this dugan was rebuilt.

Gunrik dugan. On January 24, 2010, in the northern part of Ivolginsky Datsan, behind the fence, work began on the construction of the Gunrik Dugan, dedicated to Buddha Vairocana. Buddha Vairocana is one of the five Buddhas of Wisdom in Vajrayana Buddhism.

The Dugan of Green Tara took four and a half years to build and was opened in October 2010. The Dugan is an architectural projection of the Nogoon Dari Ehe (Green Tara) mandala. Tara is a female bodhisattva, a female being who has achieved perfection and liberation, but refused to go to nirvana out of compassion for people. The two-tiered building of the temple is decorated with elegant patterns and ornaments, the ganzhir is the crowning dugan, and the zhaltsans (tall cylindrical vessels with lists of prayers inside) are covered with gold leaf. On the altar itself, a cornucopia and figures of peacocks are carved (in Buddhist mythology, the peacock is a symbol of compassion and vigilance). The bright color palette gives the dugan a solemn and elegant look; the predominant green color of the temple symbolizes the goddess herself. The jewel of the altar was the statue of Green Tara, made by Sanzhi-Tsybik Tsybikov, a leading master of the Orongoi school of the early 20th century.

It is believed that Green Tara appeared from the teardrop of the right eye of Bodhisattva Aryabala. The color of her body symbolizes activity and instant fulfillment of any request of the believer. The goddess Green Tara is revered by believers as the mother of all Buddhas and living beings and personifies the feminine essence in Buddhism, which means, like any woman, she is always ready to protect her loved ones.

The most important event in the life of Buryatia was the acquisition by the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia “Erdeni munhe bee” of the Precious body of the 12th Pandito Khambo Lama Dashi-Dorzho Itigelov.

On September 10, 2002, 75 years later, in the area of Khukhe Zurkhen (in the Ivolginsky district) XXIV Pandito Khambo Lama Damba Ayusheev with a group of lamas of the Ivolginsky datsan in the presence of secular persons (criminal experts, etc.) opened the bumkhan of Khambo Lama Itigelov and transferred him to the Ivolginsky datsan. The body of the Great Lama was preserved in excellent condition, in the same lotus position that Itigelov assumed when he meditated. According to forensic expert, Doctor of Medical Sciences Viktor Zvyagin, the llama’s body has no pronounced post-mortem changes. The joints are mobile, the skin is elastic. Using infrared spectrophotometry, it was shown that the protein fractions of Hambo Lama have intravital characteristics. However, since January 2005, all biomedical research on Itigelov’s body was prohibited by a decree of the head of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia.

Arshan Itigelova. On July 28, 2005, in the area of Ulzy Dobo near the village of Orongoy, Ivolginsky district, a well was discovered during the search for the lama’s birthplace, initiated by Hambo Lama Damba Ayusheev. A museum complex was quickly built around the well. The well itself was called “Arshan Ulzyta” (“Arshan that gives good”) and indeed, over time, we, the residents, noticed its healing properties. In particular, there is evidence of tumor resorption, scarring of ulcers, cure of cardiovascular diseases, etc. As a result, the famous scientist Alexander Khachaturov, who visited Buryatia, showed interest in arshan and discovered the properties of living water - as water that does not contain information. A high content of silver ions in water was established. As is known, silver ions prevent the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

On the territory of the Ivolginsky datsan, a dugan-palace was built, dedicated to the sacred incorruptible body of the XII Pandito Khambo Lama D.D. Itigelov. After the illumination of the palace in September 2007, the body was moved to a special closed room. The Khambo Lama's Dugan ranks second in height after the main temple - Tsogchen. The development of the decorative design belongs to the artists of the Ivolginsky datsan: Ts.P. Sanzhiev, D.K. Tsybikov, V.V., Tsybikov. While working on the sketch of the dugan, the artists turned to the appearance of the Maidari dugan of the Yangazhinsky datsan. Judging by archival photographs showing the temple destroyed in the 30s. XX century, the project was based on the general compositional features and silhouette of the pre-revolutionary temple. The fact that the pre-revolutionary temple became the source for the construction of the modern dugan is symbolic, since the Maidari dugan was built by D.D. Itigelov, when he was the shireete of the Yangazhinsky datsan.

Thus, it is necessary to once again emphasize the enormous role that the Ivolginsky datsan plays in the spiritual life of Buddhists in Russia and around the world. Thousands of believers come on major Buddhist holidays to the modern center of Buddhism in Russia - the Ivolginsky Datsan.

Buddhism Buryatia religion Khural

Ivolginsky datsan is the main center of Buddhism in Russia. There are a large number of Buddhist temples in Kalmykia, but it is the Ivolginsky datsan that is considered the main one in our country. It is located 35 kilometers southwest of Ulan-Ude.

1. Main entrance. Today the weather has deteriorated - in the morning the sky is overcast and it is pouring rain. A tour of the datsan is conducted by one of its lamas (i.e. clergy) , and while he leads another group, we, hiding under visors from the rain, examine various trinkets, souvenirs and explore the village adjacent to the datsan.

2. Saturday is wedding time: many Buryat couples come here.

4. The Lama, sheltered from the pouring rain by the warmth of the Party, is ready to meet our group and show them the monastery.

I don’t know much about Buddhism, but to complete the picture, I’ll give some overview information that I read at one time and additionally asked the lama who was conducting a tour of the monastery.

Buddhism came to Transbaikalia from Mongolia at the beginning of the 17th century. Before this, shamanism dominated in Buryatia. People worshiped Baikal itself - the spirit of the great water, the spirits of the area, stone, wood, fire, animals... Elements of shamanism have been preserved in today's Buryatia. Along roads you can often find wooden structures in the form of gates, the so-called “abo”. This is the abode of the spirit of a given area. Buryats, and not only them, always make a stop at the “abo” and leave something on it: a coin, candy... In the second half of the 17th century, Cossack settlers brought Orthodoxy here, and a little earlier Buddhism established itself in Buryatia. Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, by her decree in 1741, approved the recognition of the Lamaist faith in Buryatia. By that time there were already 11 datsans in Buryatia. Mongolian lamas did not infringe on local beliefs, but adapted them to Buddhism. By 1917, in Transbaikalia there were 44 Buddhist monasteries, almost 150 small temples and about 6,000 Buddhist clergy - lamas.

By the beginning of the 30s of the 20th century, all Buddhist monasteries in Russia were closed. The failures of the first years of the Great Patriotic War forced the authorities to seek support from believers, and they somewhat eased the pressure on the churches. In Buryatia, it was allowed to hold services - khurals, but in the entire republic it was possible to find only 15 lamas who remembered how this was done. In 1945, believers came to the government of Buryat Mongolia with a request to open an old Buddhist temple in Tamcha and asked to revive the Tamchi datsan, resume prayers, and hold services in honor of those killed in the war. The government did not agree to this then, but allowed the allocation of a small territory for believers in the steppe near the village of Ivolga. The construction of a new datsan in the village of Ivolga began in early 1946 with the construction of a temple by rebuilding an ordinary residential building donated to the monastery by a Buryat family. Today, the first temple is given over to students of the Buddhist Institute: in the morning they memorize prayers and mantras here in Tibetan and Old Mongolian, and in the evening they hone their debating skills. The pediment of the temple is decorated with the Wheel of Teaching and the figures of two deer looking at it. Walking around the datsan is usually accompanied by the rotation of prayer wheels, the structure of which I have already written about.

One of the most revered shrines by Buddhists in Russia is the Temple of the Pure Land. The precious body of the 12th Khambo Lama Itigelov is kept in this temple. Khambo Lama Itigelov died in the usual sense of the word in 1927. According to the lama, in 1927 he left in a state of meditation and bequeathed to his students that they should come in 30 years and look at his body. In 1955, members of the delegation led by Khambo Lama Barmaev raised the body, made sure of its safety and laid it back in the same place. In 2002, 75 years after the burial of the body, it was raised and transferred to the Ivolginsky datsan. And when two years ago the llama’s body was examined by expert pathologists, they were struck by its fantastic state of preservation - no traces of decay, full mobility of joints, natural skin color. The incorrupt body of Khambo Lama Itigelov attracts crowds of pilgrims to the Ivolginsky datsan. In recent years, the number of people wishing to study at the local Buddhist institute “Dashi Choynkhorlin”, which is translated from Tibetan as “land of happy teaching,” has also increased. This complex of somewhat rustic-looking buildings bears little resemblance to the institute, but “Dashi Choynkhorlin” has a high reputation in the Buddhist world. In five years, young men from the Buryat, Kalmyk, and Tuvan hinterlands become highly educated people here, and in the modern sense of the word. With knowledge of English, computer science, basics of natural science. The institute graduates clergy, Buddhist and orientalist scholars, and specialists in the Old Mongolian and Tibetan languages. The best students are sent to continue their education in India, where the Dalai Lama is in exile, who, by the way, visited Buryatia in 1992 and blessed the land of Transbaikalia and all the peoples living on it. By the way, our lama who conducted the tour is also a graduate of the local institute. In general, Buddhism is a very complex religion for the uninitiated person, the essence of which is not so easy to understand.

P.S. And, yes, our lama got the party jacket after the Russian President’s visit to the Ivolginsky datsan in 2009. :)

5. Lama rotates the prayer wheel. Inside each such drum there are scrolls with mantras. It is counted how many times you turned the drum, how many times you read these mantras, that is, prayed. In the largest drum of the Ivolginsky datsan there is, according to the lamas, a scroll on which one of the main mantras is written a hundred million times. That is, one turn is a hundred million prayers offered.