Clark: In the town of Ivolginsk in south eastern Siberia, the essential rhythm of life has changed little for centuries.
The Tsars and the Communists have come and gone, but Buryatians have managed to hang on to their faith.
For the novices and lamas at the Ivolginsk monastery, the day begins with ritual devotions.
The people of Buryatia follow Tibetan Buddhism. Their spiritual head is the Dalai Lama, whose own history as a political exile has political resonance here.
Like most minorities during the Soviet era, and especially under Stalin, the Buryat were persecuted. Thousands were sent to labour camps, monasteries and temples were destroyed.
The republic of Buryatia is the centre of Buddhism in Russia, and if there’s to be a reflowering of Buddhism in this country, it will come from here.
By the standards of the spiritual world, Buddhism is relative newcomer here. It only arrived about 300 years ago. But by the beginning of this century it was well and truly entrenched. And just before the Bolshevik Revolution there were 46 Buddhist temples in Buryatia alone.
By the Second World War, though, that number had dropped to just one. And it’s only since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the last few years that there’s been any serious revival.
The monastery’s main function is to train new lamas. But the head lama, Ganshur Dadnayev also acts as a doctor and general adviser to the local community — on just about anything.
Lama: Children must always feel free to do what they want — run, play outside, have fresh air.
Woman: She’s too active. She sweats.
Lama: She should be active. There’s nothing wrong with that. Sweating is normal.
Woman: And what’s wrong with her head?
Lama: Does it hurt, or do you get strange thoughts.
Woman: NO, not strange thoughts, just a strange feeling.
Lama: Does it feel like an empty barrel when you knock it?
Clark: Is there a genuine revival of Buddhism in Buryatia?
Lama: I think the revival is immense. Buddhism is not just for Buryats but for Russians as well. It’s being revived all over Russia. Temples are being opened in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vilnius, Riga, Tashkent where Muslims live — Vladivostok — everywhere.
The head lama told me of his plans for a larger institute here. They already have 80 students. But the real test will be how local people take to the faith again.
Bimba Dorzhiyev is a Buryat. His ancestors came here from Mongolia, along the same route that brought the Buddhist faith to this part of Russia.
For Bimba and his wife Tamara, the daily routine includes following Buddhist rituals in the home, and passing the tradition on to their children.
Tamara: Everybody needs faith. Every person must believe in something. Life is hard without it. That’s why we adopted Buddhism.
Clark: The Buryat have suffered decades of persecution for their beliefs, decades of being told religion wasn’t necessary. Rebuilding their faith is the key to maintaining their identity.
Negus: Chris Clark. I actually spent some time with the Buryat Buddhists myself — fascinating people. That’s it for now. See you next time.
The Tsars and the Communists have come and gone, but Buryatians have managed to hang on to their faith.
For the novices and lamas at the Ivolginsk monastery, the day begins with ritual devotions.
The people of Buryatia follow Tibetan Buddhism. Their spiritual head is the Dalai Lama, whose own history as a political exile has political resonance here.
Like most minorities during the Soviet era, and especially under Stalin, the Buryat were persecuted. Thousands were sent to labour camps, monasteries and temples were destroyed.
The republic of Buryatia is the centre of Buddhism in Russia, and if there’s to be a reflowering of Buddhism in this country, it will come from here.
By the standards of the spiritual world, Buddhism is relative newcomer here. It only arrived about 300 years ago. But by the beginning of this century it was well and truly entrenched. And just before the Bolshevik Revolution there were 46 Buddhist temples in Buryatia alone.
By the Second World War, though, that number had dropped to just one. And it’s only since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the last few years that there’s been any serious revival.
The monastery’s main function is to train new lamas. But the head lama, Ganshur Dadnayev also acts as a doctor and general adviser to the local community — on just about anything.
Lama: Children must always feel free to do what they want — run, play outside, have fresh air.
Woman: She’s too active. She sweats.
Lama: She should be active. There’s nothing wrong with that. Sweating is normal.
Woman: And what’s wrong with her head?
Lama: Does it hurt, or do you get strange thoughts.
Woman: NO, not strange thoughts, just a strange feeling.
Lama: Does it feel like an empty barrel when you knock it?
Clark: Is there a genuine revival of Buddhism in Buryatia?
Lama: I think the revival is immense. Buddhism is not just for Buryats but for Russians as well. It’s being revived all over Russia. Temples are being opened in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vilnius, Riga, Tashkent where Muslims live — Vladivostok — everywhere.
The head lama told me of his plans for a larger institute here. They already have 80 students. But the real test will be how local people take to the faith again.
Bimba Dorzhiyev is a Buryat. His ancestors came here from Mongolia, along the same route that brought the Buddhist faith to this part of Russia.
For Bimba and his wife Tamara, the daily routine includes following Buddhist rituals in the home, and passing the tradition on to their children.
Tamara: Everybody needs faith. Every person must believe in something. Life is hard without it. That’s why we adopted Buddhism.
Clark: The Buryat have suffered decades of persecution for their beliefs, decades of being told religion wasn’t necessary. Rebuilding their faith is the key to maintaining their identity.
Negus: Chris Clark. I actually spent some time with the Buryat Buddhists myself — fascinating people. That’s it for now. See you next time.