Tengrian and Buddhist cosmology: A comparative analysis

S.Sh. Ayazbekova

Moscow State University, Kazakhstani Branch, Astana, 010010 Republic of Kazakhstan

E-mail: ayazbekova@mail.ru

Received September 16, 2018

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Abstract

The paper analyses Tengrian and Buddhist cosmologies based on mythology, legends, and epos.

The research was performed with the aim of investigating the roots of Buddhism.

Two groups of methods were used to achieve this goal: 1) scientific methods (philosophy, history, cultural studies, philology, linguistics, interdisciplinary approach); 2) scientific research methods (theoretical, comparative mythology, comparative, structural, hermeneutical, systemic approach).

The paper provides numerous examples stating that:

1. Cosmological tropes testify of deep antiquity and universal commonness of the Mongolian world, as well as its connections and genetic unity with the proto-Turkic and Indian cultural worlds.

2. Similarity between the Central and East Asia is defined by widespread diffusion and the unity of the Altaic language family and Tengrianism.

3. The analogies in the mythology of the Turkic, Mongolian, and Indian nations concern the issues of Porto-beginning, Proto-Creation, the unity of spirit and matter, location of the demiurge, creation process as a division of Heaven and Earth.

4. Tegri and the deriving Tegrians exist both in cosmology of the Turkic-Mongolian worlds and in Buddhist (Mongolian and Indian) cosmology.

The conclusion about the commonness of cosmological concepts, tropes, features, and characteristics in Tengrian and Buddhist myths, tales and writings was made.

An important finding is that the initial images and tropes occurred in Tengrianism in the milieu of the nomadic Proto-Turkic and Proto-Mongolian nations.

Keywords: O.M. Kovalevsky, Tengrian cosmology, Buddhist cosmology, Mongolian cosmology, Indian cosmology, Buddhist writings, Turkic mythology

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For citation: Ayazbekova S.Sh. Tengrian and Buddhist cosmology: A comparative analysis. Uchenye Zapiski Kazanskogo Universiteta. Seriya Gumanitarnye Nauki, 2018, vol. 160, no. 6, pp. 1354–1365. (In Russian)

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