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Mongolian Buddhism: The Rise and Fall of the Sangha
Mongolian Buddhism is the first book to explore the development of Mongolia's state religion, from its formation in the thirteenth century around the time of Chinggis Qaan (Genghis Khan) until its demise in the twentieth century under the Soviet Union.
Until its downfall, Mongolian Buddhism had served as a scientific, political, and medical resource for the Mongolian people. During the 1930s, Mongolian Buddhist monasticism, the caretaker of these resources, was methodically and systematically demolished. Lamas were forced to apostatize, and were either enslaved or executed. Now, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Mongolian Buddhism has reemerged in a country that has yet to fully confront its bloody past.
Through historical analysis of Tibetan, Chinese, and Russian accounts of history, Michael Jerryson offers a much-needed religio-political perspective on the ebb and flow of Buddhism and the Sangha in Mongolia.
Until its downfall, Mongolian Buddhism had served as a scientific, political, and medical resource for the Mongolian people. During the 1930s, Mongolian Buddhist monasticism, the caretaker of these resources, was methodically and systematically demolished. Lamas were forced to apostatize, and were either enslaved or executed. Now, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Mongolian Buddhism has reemerged in a country that has yet to fully confront its bloody past.
Through historical analysis of Tibetan, Chinese, and Russian accounts of history, Michael Jerryson offers a much-needed religio-political perspective on the ebb and flow of Buddhism and the Sangha in Mongolia.
240 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2008
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December 10, 2011
An extremely dry and scholarly account of the Buddhist faith in Mongolia; from its early rise as a means of its warlords to strengthen their grip on the population through an era of prosperity when the monasteries and their leaders rose to power and wealth, and their ultimate demise during a Stalin-fuelled rebellion which resulted in wide-spread persecution of monks and the razing of most of the country's religious structures.
The author begins with a longwinded foreword about which spelling method he has used for Mongol names and I was not far from putting the book away already at that point, but since the book is so short I decided to persevere. It does pick up speed later on and contains valuable if somewhat specialized discourse on the historic events and trends that have shaped a unique Mongol variety of Buddhism, and there are many eyewitness accounts to describe what happened during the era of cultural repression. Can't say I would recommend it to anyone except those who have a severe fetish for the arcane.
The author begins with a longwinded foreword about which spelling method he has used for Mongol names and I was not far from putting the book away already at that point, but since the book is so short I decided to persevere. It does pick up speed later on and contains valuable if somewhat specialized discourse on the historic events and trends that have shaped a unique Mongol variety of Buddhism, and there are many eyewitness accounts to describe what happened during the era of cultural repression. Can't say I would recommend it to anyone except those who have a severe fetish for the arcane.
Displaying 1 of 1 review