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Buddhism makes a comeback in Mongolia

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Only one monastery remained open during the communist crackdown on Buddhism in Mongolia, making Gandan not only the symbol of decades of religious resistance against persecution, but also a symbol of its resurgence in the Asian country.

Erected on a hill in Ulan Bator, Mongolia’s capital, the Gadan (an abbreviation of Gandantegchinlin) monastery opens onto Peace Avenue, an arterial road that runs from end to end in the city, which, with 1.3 million inhabitants, is home to nearly half the country’s population.

With resplendent colors drawn from its Tibetan roots, hundreds of monks live, pray and meet within the monastery’s premises.

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Gankhuyag, 32, is sure of why he decided to dedicate his life to Buddhism.

“My grandparents lived near Gandan, so it was natural for me to come here, where everything, from the space to its aroma, is familiar to me and makes me feel good,” he told EFE.

In a soft and melodic tone, Gankhuyag said he became a monk “to satisfy the wishes of his grandmother,” and for him the decision would mean “dedicating time for meditation and reflection, in order to serve the people better.”

“Modern life,” he continued, “has too many daily activities. We tell people that there is another life possible ... peaceful and quiet.”

The monk then lamented the difficulty of teaching this other way of life during the nearly 70 years of the communist rule from 1921 to 1990 under the Soviets, a time when religious centers and their teachings were destroyed, similar to China’s 19661976 Cultural Revolution.

Around 100,000 people were persecuted and some 20,000 lamas, or Buddhist masters, and 10,000 monks were executed, while 10,000 others were sent to labor camps in Siberia.

Approximately 20,000 monasteries were destroyed, drying up the spiritual energy of a country with centuries of Buddhist tradition.

“It was a great loss,” the monk said, adding that “the more you study Buddhism, the more you like it.”

Tales of oppression have motivated the new generation, following the dissolution of the regime, to exercise their religious freedom and recover the Buddhist teachings for the future.

Narantuya and Narantungalag are 18yearolds who came to spend the morning at Gandan and identified themselves as Buddhists because there is the freedom to do so.

“Before, religion was banned. Now there is freedom, an opening toward being religious,” Narantuya said.

Her friend sat down and recalled the stories told by her parents, who said that “when they were young, it was very difficult to profess one’s religion, but now it is allowed and we appreciate it.”

The young women and the monk agreed on the understanding of their faith as a form of homage to their parents and grandparents, who had to practice it behind closed doors, and see it as a legacy to keep alive.

Being a monk, moreover, is a prestigious way of life in Mongolia, which regained its two main identities after the end of communism: Buddhism and Genghis Khan, the founder of the great Mongol Empire in the 13th century whose memory the proSoviet government tried to wipe out.

Otgondolgor, a former nomad now living in Ulan Bator, proudly revealed that two of her eight children have become lamas and another will go to complete his training in India soon.

“Being a lama is socially demanding, many people call them for any occasion and for any service,” the matriarch, also a Buddhist, told EFE, showing pictures of her children attired in saffron robes.

Another factor for the resurgence of Buddhism in Mongolia, in contrast to neighboring China, is that the government helps finance temples and monasteries, and has no qualms about receiving the Dalai Lama, who has visited the country on numerous occasions.

By Paloma Almoguera.