Reincarnation of Tilopa Telo tulku holds the position of Chief Lama, Shajin Lama, Kalmykia. His secular name is Erdni Basanovich Ombadykov. However, after he was recognized at the age of 8 as a new rebirth of the famous Mongolian line of Dilova-Khutukht, one can now learn about his secular name only from Wikipedia

Rebirth of Tilopa. Telo Tulku holds the position of Chief Lama, Shadzhin Lama, Kalmykia. His secular name is Erdni Basanovich Ombadykov. However, after he was recognized at the age of 8 as a new rebirth of the famous Mongolian line Dilova-Khutukht, one can now learn about his secular name only from Wikipedia. After Erdni Ombadykov was recognized as a reincarnation by the 14th Dalai Lama himself, he began to wear his official title - Telo tulku, where Telo is the Tibetan pronunciation of the name of the great Indian yogi Tilopa (Dilova in Mongolian). To be recognized as the reincarnation of Tilopa is a great honor and high prestige. So Erdni Basanovich at the age of eight became one of the most respected tulkus (reborn) of the Buddhist world.

American roots. The current rebirth of Tilopa was born in 1972 in the first capital of the United States of America, the city of Philadelphia, in a family of Kalmyk emigrants. About 2,000 Kalmyks live in the United States today. English from childhood became the native language of the little Kalmyk degenerate, but after his parents, on the advice of the XIV Dalai Lama, sent their son to study in India, Tibetan became his second native language.

Disciple of the Dalai Lama. The traditional place of study for Kalmyk lamas in Tibet was the Gomang Faculty of the Drepung Monastery, which was recreated by Tibetan refugees in India. Telo Tulku studied for 13 long years. During his years in India, Telo Tulku became a close disciple of the 14th Dalai Lama and accompanied him during the visits of the Tibetan hierarch to Russia in the early 1990s. Either on the initiative of the chief Tibetan hierarch, or at the request of the Kalmyk Buddhists themselves, in 1991, 19-year-old Telo Tulku was elected the Shajin Lama of Kalmykia.

New Shajin Lama. Before Telo Tulku, the position of the Supreme Lama of the Kalmyks was held by the Buryat Lama Tuvan-Dorzhi, who was sent to Kalmykia by the Central Spiritual Administration of Buddhists, the only official Buddhist organization in the USSR in the first years after its collapse. Probably, the Kalmyks themselves considered the fact that the position of the Supreme Lama of the Kalmyks was occupied by the Buryats as a temporary and forced decision. Therefore, as soon as the figure of Telo Tulku, a high-status and well-educated Kalmyk, appeared on the horizon, the choice became obvious.

Achievements. Kalmykia recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of Telo Tulku as Supreme Lama of the Kalmyks. Over the years, the authority of an active Buddhist figure has been added to the charisma of the reborn. Indeed, in addition to the achievements of the Shajin Lama routinely listed in the media, including the restoration of dozens of monasteries, the construction of the largest Buddhist temple in Russia and Europe, there are others. It would not be an exaggeration to say that in these 20 years Telo Tulku has gained popularity and love among the Buddhists of Kalmykia, who are proud of his education, manners, modesty and closeness to the Dalai Lama. Telo tulku holds meetings with young people, teaches them how to cook vegetarian dishes, gives lectures on how stay buddhist in an urban setting. The Shajin Lama's age, his urban upbringing, and his openness to the modern world, which he inherited from his teacher, also have an effect.

Disciple of the Dalai Lama. The high authority of the 14th Dalai Lama adds respect to Telo Tulku as well. The connection between them can serve as an example of the pure teacher-student relationship so valued in Buddhism. Telo tulku maintains this status as a personal disciple of the leader of the Tibetan Buddhists. The figure of the Kalmyk hierarch stands behind all the initiatives to invite His Holiness to Russia. It was Telo Tulku who, more persistently than other Buddhist leaders in Russia, convinced the Russian authorities of the need to respect the rights of Buddhists in Russia, without stopping at direct criticism of the Minister of Foreign Affairs: “... I was full of hope when Sergey Lavrov, a diplomat from capital letter, representing the Russian Federation in the UN. I was sure that he would find a diplomatic solution acceptable to both sides: Russian citizens of the Buddhist faith, and business partners from the People's Republic of China. But now, reading the transcripts of his statements, I'm starting to think I was wrong." Such an emotional statement, so unusual for a religious leader, made by him after another refusal of a visa to the Dalai Lama, is explained, it seems to me, not by a lack of experience, but by really sincere emotions. These same emotions made him defiantly refuse to participate in the International Religious Summit, which was held in Moscow in 2006, when the Dalai Lama was not on the list of invited leaders. Then the claims of Telo tulku were addressed to one of the organizers of the event, then Metropolitan Kirill. All this does not add love to the leader of the Kalmyk Buddhists on the part of the officials of Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church.

Relations with the Buddhists of Buryatia and Tuva. Telo tulku's visits to Buryatia cannot be called frequent. During his last visit, Telo Tulku met with Khambo Lama Damba Ayusheev. After the meeting, in an interview with SaveTibet.ru, he could not contain his annoyance at what he thought was Ayusheev's lack of zeal in organizing the Dalai Lama's visit to Russia. Relations between the two leaders can be described as cool. The degree of these relations fell even lower after their interests clashed in another Buddhist region of Russia - Tuva. After the election of Suldym-bashka as the new Kamba Lama of Tuva in 2010, the latter led the line of rapprochement with Kalmyk Buddhists, while Buryatia had previously remained the main reference point for Tuva Buddhists. The emerging confrontation, which, fortunately, does not take on open forms, is explained by the difference in the strategic priorities of Telo tulku and Khambo Lama.

strategic priorities. The current Shajin Lama of Kalmykia is often accused of a lack of loyalty to Russia. The reason for such suspicions is not only the fact of his birth in the United States, but also his poor knowledge of the Kalmyk and Russian languages. Despite twenty years of living in Russia, Telo Tulku still does not feel free to speak, so to speak, "profile" languages, gives interviews and makes appeals or official congratulations with holidays in English and Tibetan. The obvious bias of the Kalmyk hierarch's policy towards His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the diaspora of Tibetan refugees in India has already been used by his opponents in Kalmykia. A number of Kalmyk lamas accused Telo tulku of ignoring lamas of Kalmyk origin and creating conditions for the dominance of Tibetans in Kalmykia. It is possible to treat such accusations in different ways, but it is quite obvious that Telo tulku does not try to hide his sympathy for the Tibetan refugees. He is the constant organizer of all major Russian events in "Tibetan India". Largely due to this position, Telo Tulku gained high prestige among Russian Buddhists, who regularly travel to India for the teachings of the Dalai Lama. But he has to pay for this with the distrust and coldness of the Russian authorities, who prefer to focus on the loyal and predictable Pandito Khambo Lama.

Alien in Russia. Despite the ardent love of his Kalmyk followers and young Russian neophytes, Telo tulku remains a stranger to the Russian political elite. Officials are annoyed by the principled and sometimes overly emotional position of the Shajin Lama on the Tibetan issue, his orientation towards the Tibetan diaspora, which is not recognized by the official authorities of Russia. One of the Russian researchers even regards the appointment and activities of Telo tulku as "the refusal of the Kalmyk Buddhists to revive their religion in the Russian regional format and the fairway laid by the Buryat traditionalists." All this, coupled with the American origin of the Shadzhin Lama and the use of an interpreter when communicating with his own people, provides sufficient grounds for his marginalization in the Russian political space. However, the sincerity, perseverance and love of the followers is the best guarantee of Telo Tulku's firm position in his post.

Buddhist monk and scholar Telo Tulku Rinpoche

Kuraev Erenzen

class 10 "a", MBOU "Iki-Burulskaya

School them. BUT. Pyurbeeva, Russian Federation, p. Iki-Burul

Kuraeva Svetlana Viktorovna

scientific adviser, teacher of the highest category, MBOU "Iki-Burulskaya secondary school named after. A. Pyurbeeva, Russian Federation, p. Iki-Burul

Ochirova Galina Dordzhievna

scientific adviser, teacher of the highest category, MBOU "Iki-Burulskaya secondary school named after. A. Pyurbeeva, Russian Federation, settlement Iki-Burul

Chapter 1. Introduction

In the post-revolutionary period, many historical monuments, including churches, were destroyed in the USSR. By order of the authorities, churches began to be closed or even destroyed. So in Kalmykia before the revolution there were 90 churches that were destroyed. It was believed that in the new state there should be no place for religion, which distracts people from building a happy life.

There are many religious teachings in the world that benefit people, but the goal of all religions is the same - to help humanity find happiness. The basis of religion is mutual understanding between people and fraternal relations between them. After all, we are all one big family, and therefore we must try to find mutual language and mutual understanding. If this is not the case, then problems appear in society. The well-known Buddhist monk, Professor Norbu Shastri noted that “we are all first of all people, and only then there is a division along national, religious lines, etc., and the Dalai Lama XIV is the spiritual leader of the Buddhists, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate ( 1989), Ph.D., explains: “We must consider all people as part of one big “We”. It is precisely because of the lack of understanding of this that disasters such as September 11, 2001 in the USA, the events on Manezhnaya Square in Moscow in December 2010 occur.

For many years in Russia they grew up without spiritual education, without high instruction. The last decades of the last millennium were marked by a great surge in the revival of Buddhism in Kalmykia. The arrival of the young energetic Kirsan Nikolaevich Ilyumzhinov, the first President of the Republic of Kalmykia, played a big role in this, as well as the election of Shajin Lama in 1992 by Telo Tulku Rinpoche. This tandem contributed to the construction of many places of worship in Elista and regions of the republic, the translation of mantras from Tibetan into Kalmyk, the restoration of the names of famous enlighteners, theologians, and religious figures. Telo Tulku Rinpoche can be called one of the brightest representatives of the Kalmyk clergy of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

The purpose of my research work: learn about the activities of Shajin Lama Telo Tulku Rinpoche - the Supreme Lama of Kalmykia, the President of the Buddhist Association of Kalmykia, the representative of the 14th Dalai Lama in Russia.

Tasks: through research to understand the role of Buddhism and Telo Tulku Rinpoche in the modern world.

“... The Kalmyk people have good karma, because they have a precious mentor - Telo Tulku Rinpoche. However, such great mentors are not born where they are not needed. The tireless work of the supreme lama of our republic, who practically from scratch began the revival of the spiritual traditions of the people 20 years ago, brought tangible results and returned to him a hundredfold in the form of great love and faith of people.

Geshe Dugda, professor, mentor and teacher of the Buddhists of Kalmykia.

1.2. Shajin Lama Telo Tulku Rinpoche

When selecting additional material for a lesson in social studies on the topics “Moral Choice is Responsibility” and “Religion as a Form of Culture”, I saw in the family archive in a picture of a monk praying after a departing plane, which greatly surprised me. Immediately I had several questions: “Who is this monk? Where is he from? Why is he praying after a departing plane?” It turned out that this TeloTulku Rinpoche. His father is a native of the Iki-Burul region, and a representative of the Dzhedzhikin tribe. And it turned out that the Iki-Burul land was the birthplace of the Shajin Lama's ancestors. The places here are very beautiful. A long time ago, the old man Dzhidzha settled near the cold springs, and soon his relatives reached out to him, and this place was called Dzhedzhikina. In the 19th century there were 98 wagons. In the 1930s, khurul majestically flaunted here.

Figure 1. Photo from the family archive

During my research work, I found out that I am related to Telo Tulku Rinpoche in the fourth generation. (Fig. 8) We are representatives of the ilҗәkhn clan of the Dzhedzhekin tribe. (Fig. 2).

Figure 2

Telo Tulku Rinpoche (Erdni Ombadykov in the world) was born in 1972 in Philadelphia (USA) in a large family of Kalmyk emigrants. At the age of six, he first met the Dalai Lama XIV, who came on a pilgrimage visit to America, who recommended that the boy's parents send him to a monastery. Mom Erdni Ombadykov did just that - a few months later he began to study at the Drepun Gomang monastery in India. This Buddhist monastery is located in southern India. Here he studied in depth the canons of Buddhism and its philosophy for 12 years. The teaching did not end there. Telo Tulku Rinpoche is preparing in 1996 to compete for the title of getshe, which corresponds to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

In 1991, a young Kalmyk monk first came to his historical homeland as part of a delegation of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, and a year later His Holiness recognized him as the reincarnation of Mahasith Tilopa and gave him the name TeloTulku Rinpoche. In July 1992, at a Buddhist conference in Elista, he was elected Shajin Lama for life.

Telo Tulku Rinpoche writes, “When my instant election happened, I didn't have time to think deeply about it. His Holiness the Dalai Lama then told me that there was no other way for me and suggested that I put aside my doubts and try. I confess that in 1993 I had a moment of truth, and I left at the end of the year, but returned very soon with the full conviction that Kalmykia was my karma and my responsibility. And that there is no reason why we could not build our future.” The appearance in Kalmykia after more than half a century of oblivion of the religion of the supreme lama, elected in accordance with the canons at the behest of believers and the monastic community, marked the beginning of the process of the revival of Buddhism, the spiritual rehabilitation of the Kalmyk people. This is all the more symbolic since the Kalmyk Buddhist sangha was headed not just by a clergyman, but by a true reincarnation of one of the great preachers who stood at the origins of Buddhist teachings. For the current generation of Kalmyks, among whom no rinpoche was born for several centuries, this was a gift of fate, a sign from above.

Shajin Lama considers the preservation of the national culture, mentality and, at the same time, the upbringing in children of a good habit of being open to everyone, an important task in his work. What does the Buddhist religion teach? The 14th Dalai Lama states: “Buddhism is interesting to modern man both as a phenomenon of philosophical thought and as a religion”

The enduring value of the teachings of Buddhism is especially brightly highlighted at the beginning of the 21st century against the backdrop of growing lack of spirituality, the destruction of traditional family upbringing and the search for new concepts of the formation of an individual personality. It was not easy for Telo Tulku Rinpoche to manage the affairs of khuruls and religious communities, to take care of preserving religion and introducing the population to it. And it could not have been otherwise at that difficult time, when there were neither real lamas, nor prayer houses, nor genuine knowledge of Buddhist theory and practice among people in the republic. Over time, a circle of close people of TeloTulku Rinpoche, his like-minded people and students, who created the Union of Buddhists of Kalmykia, formed, an understanding of the goals and objectives of the development of Buddhism in the republic came.

The strong character of the young Shajin Lama was also manifested in the way he firmly and consistently defended his position on the Tibetan issue and, in particular, on the issue of inviting the Dalai Lama to Russia. It was a matter of honor for him, a disciple of His Holiness, who actually gave the young monk a start in life, to protect his spiritual mentor. Just like the Dalai Lama, he is a supporter of non-violent problem solving, but every time he has great difficulty restraining his indignation when the Russian authorities once again refuse His Holiness to come to the country. And how happy the Shadzhin Lama was, like all the inhabitants of Kalmykia, when at the end of 2005 the long-awaited visit of the Dalai Lama nevertheless took place! The negotiations were extremely difficult. The stay of His Holiness took place from 29 November to 1 December. The visit of the Dalai Lama left a very strong imprint on every inhabitant. The tears of joy that he could not hold back when meeting the Teacher at the airport were touching…. And now Telo Tulku Rinpoche is still at the forefront of the struggle for the rights of believers. He became the leader of the united movement of Russian Buddhists. He sees his task in ensuring that all the forces of spiritual and secular power are united in a common strategy for the preservation of national culture and religion.

It is extremely important, he believes, to strengthen relations between Kalmyk Buddhists and representatives of Russian Buddhist centers in Buryatia, Tyva, and international organizations abroad. IN last years he successfully establishes contacts with all the Buddhist regions of Russia abroad, conducts a dialogue with other religious denominations so that the dream of thousands of his co-religionists can come true. In order to strengthen the relationship of Buddhists, the Shajin Lama took an unprecedented step - through the joint efforts of the three Buddhist republics of Russia and Mongolia, to hold a festival of art of multilingual peoples in Dharamsala and prayers for the long life of His Holiness, which would become a kind of collective offering of Buddhists to the Teacher. It was there, in the Indian town, that the puja was held for the long life of the Dalai Lama. Residents of Kalmykia, Buryatia and Tuva, Russian Buddhists have a unique opportunity to receive teachings and blessings from a spiritual mentor, teacher of the Nobel Peace Prize winner His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The pilgrimage will begin from November 22 to December 30, 2009. Telo Tulku Rinpoche states that, "We all feel great pride and joy that His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a figure of truly cosmic proportions, is our spiritual leader."

Diagram 1. Growth of pilgrimage to India for the Teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

And we are very happy that he decided to devote time to the Buddhists of Russia and give the teaching according to the text of Atisha “Light on the Path to Enlightenment”. For several years now, Rinpoche has been tirelessly organizing pilgrimages to holy places, organizing His Holiness's teachings for Russian Buddhists in India. There are more and more people wishing to listen to Teacher's lectures every year. These people want to know something, to learn something. And these teachings of the Dalai Lama for Russian Buddhists most significantly affect the state of Buddhism in Russia.

Thanks to the activities of the shajin lama, temples, stupas, suburgans, mandalas, and pagodas are being built in Kalmykia. So on the territory of the Iki-Burul region there are two khurulas, seven stupas and suburgans have been erected. A lot has been done in 20 years. In a short period of time, the "Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni" was erected, which since 2005 has been the residence of Telo Tulku Rinpoche and is recognized as the largest Buddhist temple in Russia and Europe. (Fig. 3).

Figure 3. Residence of the Shajin Lama "Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni", Elista, Republic of Kalmykia

On November 16, 2008, the Stupa of Enlightenment was opened in the vicinity of the former village of Dzhedzhikiny. The shajin lama took part in the opening of the suburgan. For him, who consecrated such stupas more than once, the current event had a symbolic meaning. It was a special mission, since the suburgan was built on his father's ancestral land. “The sense of belonging, the worship of one's roots should be passed on from generation to generation,” Shajin Lama noted in his speech. - “For me, this is a special day, in memory of my father, who until the last days of his life dreamed of visiting his small homeland. I am very glad that now my uncle and relatives share these moments of happiness with me.

Shadzhin Lama and Kirsan Nikolaevich gave us a real fairy tale that needs to be protected and preserved. When I visit the Temple of the Golden Abode, I always visit the corner for prostration, where you can get advice from the monks. I was interested to know that American scientists found out that prostration is the best form of exercise. Once they thought that running was a very good exercise, then they learned that if you run a lot, then after a while it can damage the tendons. That is, on the one hand, it is good, on the other, it is harmful. But when they examined the prostration, they found that it was a completely harmless exercise. It is good for the whole body. They are especially useful for those who have problems with nerves, they will become much calmer. In general, prostrations are very beneficial for health, as they are done to purify negative karma and accumulate positive ones, so that a person has reached Buddhahood for the benefit of all living beings.

In Elista in 2008 in the temple "Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni", from August 16 to 24, unique Buddhist relics from the collection of Lama Zopa Rinpoche were exhibited. The exhibition was visited by over 70 thousand residents of Elista and other regions of Russia, as well as Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and other countries. The organizers of the exhibition, who accompanied the relics, noted that of all the countries and cities where the collection had previously been exhibited, the exhibition was held with the greatest success in the capital of Kalmykia. Thanks to the efforts of the shajin lama, thousands of people received blessings in accordance with all Buddhist canons. In October 2013, an exhibition of the famous tank painter Nikolai Dutko was opened for the first time. She gave people knowledge about Buddhism and spiritual practice. I saw how people, entering the hall, immediately folded their hands and began to pray, and their faces became more spiritual.

At the invitation of the central khurul, monks come and build mandalas. Hundreds of believers come to watch the action. After the destruction ceremony, the monks go to the villages and the sand of the divine abode sinks into the water. The water spirits are asked to accept it and spread blessings throughout the republic. The monks read a prayer, bestowing good wishes on all the inhabitants of the Republic of Kalmykia. Thanks to the activities of the Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni and Shajin Lama, in April 2009 an unforgettable spectacle of the Mystery Tsam was organized by the dancing lamas of the Dzonkar Chode monastery. Tsam is a very important Buddhist ritual. Before the revolution, traditions of its performance existed in Kalmykia. It was lost during the years of repressions and great upheavals. Tsam is an expression of gratitude to the Dharamapa Lamas, the defenders of Buddhist teachings, for the guardianship and protection that they surrounded us with in past years: it is also a ritual for world peace and the happiness of all living beings. He always promotes the spread of Buddhism and all other religious denominations in which there is no bias. He removes suffering that none of us desires and brings happiness and peace to our hearts.

Tsam is a large-scale ritual of summoning protectors and removing obstacles.

The Mystery of Tsam is a bridge between the world of enlightened beings and the world of people. Free Kalmyk language courses resumed in the central khurul. Three-month courses are designed for anyone who wants to master the skills of oral conversation. In 2013, at the initiative of Telo Tulku Rinpoche and with the support of the Buddhist centers of Elista and the republic, the tradition of joint reading of sutras in the Kalmyk language began to be revived.

Kalmykia is currently the only region in Russia where there is a complete electronic library of Buddhist texts. These are texts of various world publishing houses about various areas of Buddhist teachings in Tibetan, Sanskrit, Bali. Currently, scientists and translators are getting acquainted with it. In the central khurul, the translation of sacred Buddhist books into Kalmyk and Russian is actively carried out, competitions for knowledge are held mother tongue, festivals, olympiads.

Thanks to the joint activities of the Dalai Lama and Telo Tulku Rinpoche, who organized the cooperation of American and Kalmyk doctors, a unique device was purchased for the republican anti-tuberculosis dispensary, capable of effectively fighting tuberculosis at the stage of its inception.

Telo Tulku Rinpoche's biggest dream is to build a Chenrezig meditation center, where a Sunday school is planned. Kalmyk language lessons will be conducted here. This is very important, since the Kalmyks have a rich original culture, a beautiful colorful language, and this national treasure must be preserved.

What attracts people who are not native Buddhists to Buddhism?

First of all, the presence of a developed system of psychotechnics, since Buddhism is a type of spiritual therapy. Secondly, Buddhist meditation attracts modern psychologists because it can be used to effectively deal with depressive states of the psyche. Thirdly, many concepts of modern science find parallels in Buddhist thought. Albert Einstein praised Buddhism: “Buddhism is the religion of the future, it will be a cosmic religion. If there is a religion that can meet modern scientific needs, it is Buddhism.

Sympathy for Buddhism is also explained by its tolerance, the desire for dialogue with other faiths. The religions of the Far East, Buddhism, are considered highly ecological, as they emphasize the importance of a respectful attitude not only to humans, but to all living things in general. This is evidenced by the main mantra (of love and compassion): "Om Mani Padme hum". Therefore, I believe that the ecological principles of Buddhist culture can be in demand in the very near future.

By virtue of its tolerance and pacifism, Buddhism has managed to avoid wars against other religions. In fact, the Buddha was the first in world history to proclaim the principle of religious tolerance, according to which one should not impose religious ideas on anyone.

2.1. "Acts of Telo Tulku Rinpoche"

The immediate plan is the lama's shadzhin, the creation of a Buddhist educational institution is already being implemented. An agreement was signed between Kalmyk State University and the central khurul of the republic on mutual cooperation in the field of spiritual and secular education. A group of students upon graduation from the university will receive two diplomas: a state diploma of secondary specialized education and a course on the basics of Buddhism. The graduate has the opportunity to continue his studies at the institutes and monastic universities of India and receive the specialty of translators, astrologers, and clergymen. Rinpoche believes that the republic needs serious research in the field of Buddhism, publication of books, translations.

Shajin Lama, Geshe (Doctor of Philosophy) collaborates a lot with magazines, newspapers, organizes symposiums, conferences, meetings, gives interviews, gives lectures, is the author of many articles:

· Buddhism is not only a faith;

· Common cultural space of the peoples of Kalmykia;

· Education of unity in the youth environment;

· Philosophy in the dialogue of cultures;

The right way of thinking is important;

· Believe in your own strength;

· Good deeds are investments in any long-term successful project.

Diagram 2. The results of the survey of students

In the course of writing the work, I organized a survey on the topic "Religious Figures" among students in grades 6-11 of the Iki-Burul school. The survey covered 130 students. The results of the survey showed that students know religious figures. Survey results:

· List world religions and their founders - 76%;

· What are the names of religious figures of the XXI century.

2.2. "Precious Mentor"

In a relatively short period of time, the republic was able to overcome many difficulties in the revival of primordial traditions, the return of their faith. This is the merit of Telo Tulku Rinpoche and the people who support their supreme head of the Buddhists in everything. Shajin Lama, who has been serving in this capacity for more than 20 years, believes that his primary task is to give instructions. These are, first of all, advice on how to develop the mind, increase the level of knowledge in the field of Buddhist teachings. And the methods of work can be different: through films, music, art, painting, sports ... And all this in order to increase the interest of young people. On January 25, Kalmykia took over the Olympic torch relay. Olympic medalists, European champions, politicians, public figures were involved in this solemn procedure. Among the torchbearers is the shajin lama. (Fig. 4) The appearance of the Olympic flame made such an impression on the people of Elista that the people at this stage of the relay race, where the fire was carried by Telo Tulku Rinpoche, ran after him. I closely followed the Olympic torch relay. It seems to me that in the entire history of the Olympic flame, this is the first time that a monk has taken part in such a high and responsible event. But most importantly, the participation of the Shajin Lama in the relay race is the promotion of a healthy lifestyle.

Figure 4. Shajin Lama with the Olympic Flame

Today, drug addiction, alcoholism, juvenile delinquency are rapidly spreading in the world - these are questions of ethical standards, morality, and here the point is that Buddhism offers to teach the right way of thinking, regardless of whether you live in a poor or rich country: you can be happy . Shajin Lama during the prayer service of the celebration of Ur Sar explains why giving up alcohol is important for the family, mental, physical health, how it will affect life, and having made a decision, people take a vow in the face of all holy beings, in front of the Buddha, in front of relatives for a certain period . Many take vows for life and this is significant. Shajin Lama is doing a lot of work, which enables people to deepen and expand their knowledge.

Figure 5. Promoting a healthy lifestyle and cultural values

By systematically reading articles on the topic of spirituality, the author of which is shajin lama, I study in Everyday life be compassionate, give people love, kindness, a smile. Your help is the basis of many good deeds, it is help to people, the country, the world, as well as all animal beings. They will be so happy. I am convinced that: “The modern generation is interested in Buddhism both as a phenomenon of philosophical thought and as a religion…”. I think that the subject “Fundamentals of Religious Culture and Secular Ethics” has begun to be taught in Russian schools very well and in a timely manner, which will promote peace and harmony in society. I deeply believe that the more knowledge we have about other cultures and religions, the better.

At the moment, when the religious is closely connected with the national, when the rise of national self-consciousness increases interest in the culture of the people and their religion, research in the field of the history of Buddhism is extremely relevant. Buddhism is interesting to the current generation both as a phenomenon of philosophical thought, and as a religion that has won adherents on all continents of the world, but above all - as the religion of the Kalmyks.

Buddhism is an Eastern philosophy, a system of self-education, self-development of a person. The philosophy of Buddhism explains many things that were just a mystery to us. With the advent of Buddhism, many people's way of life has changed. For example, before the thought of death, which comes sooner or later, did not leave especially the elderly for a minute, and this greatly depressed them. When they began to be interested in the teachings of the Buddha, it became clear that a person lives forever, being reborn, and can even reach the state of nirvana. The goal of a Buddhist is to achieve enlightenment, to become as perfect as the Buddha.

It is gratifying to note that recently young people are eager to study Buddhist philosophy. This means that our people have a future, and we will preserve and develop our primordial faith in the future. However, we cannot deny the growing interest of representatives of other nationalities, and therefore we want to invite them along with us on this amazing journey, not with the aim of converting anyone to our faith, but with the sole purpose of providing them with spiritual help. I fully agree with the words of Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov that the Russians can get a lot of interesting and useful things by turning to the east.

Buddhism is increasingly attracting people of various nationalities living not only on the territory of Kalmykia and beyond. And largely thanks to the authority and exceptional personality of TeloTulkuRinpoche. Shajin Lama is incredibly simple in communication, modest and with the greatest respect for other people, religions. Inspired by the activities of Shajin Lama Telo Tulku Rinpoche, I wrote a syncwine about him:

Shajin Lama:

Purposeful, tolerant

Enlighten, unite, build

Khuruls, stupas, suburgans

Buddhist monk, scholar Telo Tulku Rinpoche.

Conclusions. My little discoveries

In the course of writing a research paper, I was surprised and admired the breadth of the Shajin Lama's views, his extensive activities for the benefit of all Buddhists in particular, and for Russia and the world in general. The amazing is nearby, you just need to start acting, stretch out your hand to everything new, useful for the whole society. The activities of the shajin lama confirm this:

1. Shadzhin Lama of Kalmykia, over the years of 20 years of work, considers teachings as a priority, during which he gives advice on how to develop the mind, increase the level of knowledge in the field of Buddhist teachings, using films, music, art, painting and claims that Buddhism - it is not only faith, it is philosophy, culture, science. But still, the main goal of his ascetic work is that each person perfects himself.

2. Under his leadership, the largest Buddhist temple "The Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni", stupas, temples, pagodas, prayer houses were erected, which became not only religious, but also cultural centers of Kalmykia, where many events necessary for society are held.

3. Under the leadership of Telo Tulku Rinpoche, there is a revival of Kalmyk traditions, customs closely related to Buddhist teachings and Buddhist culture.

4. The creative work of Telo Tulku Rinpoche contributes to the strengthening of tolerance and the development of harmony on the territory of our region, republic. Shajin Lama states: “The main thing is to be a compassionate, decent person, think not only about your own happiness, but also about the happiness of others.” He firmly believes that the vast majority of people internally reject evil, intolerance and violence. Their natural desire for moral purity is one of the main principles of Buddhism. This desire in every way supports, encourages, strengthens and directs all his strength and knowledge Buddhist monk, president, uniting the Buddhists of Kalmykia, the teachings of Telo Tulku Rinpoche, the spiritual director of the Save Tibet Foundation.

5. The Supreme Lama of the Republic of Kalmykia is pursuing a policy of comprehensive support for the peaceful coexistence and cooperation of representatives of the traditional confessions of Kalmykia: Buddhism, Christianity and Islam.

6. At the personal invitation of Telo Tulku Rinpoche in recent years, the head of the Sakya school, His Holiness Sakya Trizin Rinpoche, the abbot of the Drepung Gomang Yonten Damcho monastery, the ex-abbot of the Namgyal Chado Tulku Rinpoche monastery, leading Buddhist teachers Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, Geshe Lhakdor, Barry Kerzin , Tenzin Priyadarshe, Robert Thurman, Alan Wallace and many others.

7. I think that in general, a good result has been achieved in 20 years, which is based not on the number of religious buildings built, but on the acquired Buddhist knowledge. When I visit khurul, I see not only the elderly, but also the younger generation. So, all these years have not been in vain.

Every person should have a homeland. Rinpoche is lucky. At the moment he has three homelands. First, it is the place of the ancestors. Where his father lived. His grandfather's grandfather. And the khoton is called Dzhedzhikiny (Iki-Burulsky district). The second place is the USA, where he was born and raised. And third, Kalmykia, where he now lives and revives spirituality.

Telo Tulku Rinpoche

Exceptional, humble

Leading, bestowing, reviving

Lost spiritual traditions

My countryman, the pride of the Jejekins.

Attachment 1.

Glossary

Geshe - Doctor of Philosophy

Dalai Lama - high priest of lamaist church monument

Dharma - teaching

The Jejekins are a tribe

Karma is destiny

lama - buddhist monk

Mantra - prayer

Suburgan - a monument on the grave of a clergyman

Khurul - Buddhist monastery

Shajin Lama - Supreme Lama of Kalmykia

Figure 6. Shajin Lama family tree

Table 1.

Milestones of Telo Tulku Rinpoche

	Born in USA
	Recognized as a living incarnation of the Buddhist apostle Telo Rinpoche (reincarnated)
1978-1996	Study in India
	Elected Supreme Lama (Shajin Lama) of Kalmykia
	Applying for the title of Getshe is the equivalent of a Doctor of Philosophy degree
	Spiritual Director of the Save Tibet Foundation
	Representative of the Dalai Lama XIV in Russia

Bibliography:

2. "News of Kalmykia", Art. "Buddhism and the modern world", M. Ulanov, 05.02.2011

3. Klimenko A.V., Rumynina V.V. Social Studies: Textbook for Applicants to Law Schools, 2002

4. "Mandala" Magazine No. 1, 1992, article "President of the Association of Buddhists of Kalmykia, Shajin Lama Telo Tulku Rinpoche."

5. Mashkin N.L., Rassolov I.M. Religion in the Modern World, Phoenix, 2002

6. "Partnership through understanding", newspaper, dated 28.08.2013

7. Urusova G. Continuing the art of the Buddha.

8. Teachings for Buddhists in Russia-2013, comments.

11. [Electronic resource] - Access mode. - URL:

Telo Tulku Rinpoche told his parents at the age of four that he wanted to become a monk. When he was six years old, he had the good fortune to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who advised his parents to send the boy to study at a Tibetan monastery in India. There, when the boy played with other students, he imagined himself as a high lama. Sometimes he shared such important knowledge of Buddhism that he still could not know according to his age. The teachers took notice. The Dalai Lama recognized Telo Rinpoche as the new reincarnation of the great Indian saint Tilopa, who incarnated twice in Inner Mongolia and three times in Mongolia. Telo Tulku Rinpoche is a man of amazing destiny who went through difficult moments of painful experiences and loss of self-confidence. He resigned his monastic vows, completely changing his way of life, and again gained meaning thanks to the knowledge of Buddhism, and today he bears the great responsibility of the Supreme Lama of Kalmykia.

In the Kalmyk steppe. Photo: Konstantin Mamyshev.

Telo Rinpoche, you were born in America, and at the age of four you told your parents about your desire to become a monk, is that true? How did you tell your parents about it? And what was the idea of ​​a four-year-old child about monastic life?

Yes this is true. For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to become a monk. My peers dreamed of becoming a policeman, doctor or president, but I dreamed of living in a monastery. Whenever we visited a Buddhist temple, I felt joy, as if from a meeting with something very close and familiar. I must say that both my parents and my grandparents were very religious people. We often visited the Buddhist temple built by the Kalmyk diaspora in Philadelphia. I do not remember exactly when I first told my parents about my desire to become a monk. But that happened when I was still very young. To be honest, I didn’t think about what it means to be a monk, what life in a monastery would be like. I just felt a very strong karmic connection with everything that had to do with monasticism and Buddhist monasteries.

And at the age of six you met the Dalai Lama. Tell us about this meeting! How did you feel when you saw the Dalai Lama?

In 1979, having arrived on the North American continent for the first time, the Dalai Lama visited a Buddhist center founded by the Kalmyk monk and scholar-philosopher Geshe Wangyal. (Geshe is a doctor of Buddhist philosophy. Wangyal, a Kalmyk by origin. Having been educated in the monasteries of Lhasa, in Tibet, Geshe Wangyal (1901-1983) contributed to the growth of interest in Buddhism in the West. Among his students are such famous people like Professor Robert Thurman, Alexander Berzin, Geoffrey Hopkins and artist Ted Seth Jacobs. In the homeland of Geshe Wangyal, with the assistance of Boris Grebenshchikov and the Aquarium group, a Buddhist stupa was built. - Approx. Ed.) Then it was one of the largest and most prominent Buddhist centers in America. During his visit to the center, His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave teachings to the general public, which brought together many members of the Kalmyk diaspora. At that time I was already preparing to become a monk: I wore monastic clothes and lived with monks at a Kalmyk Buddhist temple in New Jersey. Therefore, during the teachings during all the ceremonies, I sat with other monks, close to His Holiness. A few days later, we were fortunate enough to have a personal audience with the Dalai Lama. My parents were there, as well as one of the senior monks of our community and another monk, a close friend of our family. During the audience, the monks told His Holiness about my desire to become a monk. I don't know exactly what they were talking about, because the conversation was in Tibetan, and at that time I didn't know Tibetan.

Be that as it may, the Dalai Lama called me, sat me on his lap and began to ask if I really wanted to become a monk, wondered what class I was in, in a word, asked the most general questions.

And then His Holiness turned to my parents and advised them to send me to India. After all, in America there were no Buddhist monasteries or centers where one could receive proper training, and in India, the Tibetans recreated several monastic universities in which all the necessary disciplines were taught. My parents immediately made the decision to follow His Holiness's advice. So, in 1980, I ended up in India, in the Tibetan monastery of Drepung Gomang, one of the largest monastic universities, where representatives of the Mongolian peoples have traditionally studied since ancient times.

You spent thirteen years at Drepung Gomang Tibetan Monastery in India. Tell us about your years of study. What were you taught? Which subject was given better, which did you like, which caused difficulties?

When I entered the monastery, I was only seven years old, and immediately began preparatory classes: I learned to read and write in Tibetan, studied grammar, memorized sacred texts, and so on. And later he began to study Buddhist philosophy, we were taught logic, the art of philosophical debate.

Since we studied in a monastery, all disciplines were somehow connected with Buddhist philosophy. When I entered the monastery, there were about one hundred and thirty monks studying there. They were mostly Tibetan monks who left Tibet for India after the country was seized by Chinese troops. Over the years, their number gradually grew with the arrival of new refugees, as well as the arrival of residents of the Himalayan regions of India, neighboring Bhutan, Nepal, to the monasteries revived in India.

When I entered the monastery, I was the only foreigner there. The order of life and discipline in the monastery were very strict. At that time, the monastery did not yet receive material support from the government of Tibet in exile or major international organizations and had to provide for its existence on its own. So for six months of the year, all the monks had to work in the fields, cultivate rice or corn. But at the same time they continued to study. The children, of course, were exempted from working in the fields, so I and other younger monks were only studying.

I was never the best student, but I tried very hard to study well. It is difficult for me now to remember which subject was the most difficult. I remember at that age, of course, I wanted to have fun more than to study.

Have you allowed yourself any pranks or hooliganism, like all guys at this age?

Like many boys my age, I liked to play pranks, but I never misbehaved. I was like others. I only stood out among them because of my origin: I was still a Western child - in terms of my culture and mentality. So some features of life in the monastery were at first incomprehensible to me. Since childhood, I got used to honestly and openly say what I think. He always spoke his mind, and it often got me into trouble. You know that in Asian culture in general, it is customary to show special signs of respect to elders. They cannot be countered. But due to a different upbringing, I did not obey these rules and often openly said what I thought.

You have brothers and sisters. Did any of them, like you, choose the path of monasticism?

We have a very large family, I have five brothers and three sisters. I am the youngest, ninth, child in the family. None of my brothers wanted to become a monk, and indeed, of all the brothers and sisters, perhaps I was the only one who had such a deep interest in Buddhism and felt a special connection with this religion. All my brothers and sisters grew up to be real Americans, they left quite early and began to lead an independent life. All of them work in various fields: in medicine, programming, in the construction business. One of my brothers is a firefighter. So their life is very different from mine, we have completely different life paths, different interests.

At the statue of Atisha, one of the 17 statues of Nalanda Pandits erected around the "Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha"
on the recommendation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Photo: Konstantin Mamyshev.

At the end of your studies at the monastery, you were recognized as the new reincarnation of the great Indian saint Tilopa. How did it happen?

In fact, this did not happen at the end of the training, but at the very beginning. I was recognized as the reincarnation of Tilopa a few months after I entered the monastery. How did it happen? I did certain things, uttered certain words that were completely out of character for my age. The senior monks probably saw some signs that I could be the reincarnation of a high lama.

I myself do not remember exactly what I did and said that could lead to such assumptions. But I do remember my childhood games. Usually little girls play with dolls, as if they had guests and they put treats on the table, and boys play superheroes, Superman or Batman. When we played with other children of my age, I was always a tall lama, I had to be carried on the shoulders, and I gave teachings, commanded. It must have been unusual. The abbot of our monastery met with the Dalai Lama and asked him if it was possible that I was the reincarnation of a high lama. His Holiness replied that it was possible and asked the abbot to bring him a list of high Mongolian lamas who had passed away in the last fifteen or twenty years or so. The abbot brought a list of fifteen names, His Holiness shortened it considerably. My immediate predecessor was a Mongol by origin.

When His Holiness recognized me as the reincarnation of Tilopa, I didn't feel anything special. There were no celebrations for this occasion. The monastery at that time did not have extra funds, so there was no magnificent enthronement ceremony. In general, the transition to a new state for me went pretty smoothly. At that time, I lived with a teacher who looked after me. Almost nothing has changed in our way of life. My teacher took very good care of me, he was both a father and a brother to me. But he did not particularly single me out, he generally treated all the students who lived with us very well.

I know a story that your parents told you that you are not a Kalmyk, but a Mongol. How important, in your opinion, is to know your roots, family origins, family history, experiences of previous generations for understanding yourself and the world order? Many do not know this, moreover, they learn about the feelings and experiences of relatives after they leave, finding letters or documents ...

This is not entirely true. Our parents didn't exactly tell us that we were not Kalmyks, they just always emphasized that as ethnic Kalmyks we belong to the Mongolian peoples.

In general, parents and their parents never talked about what they had to endure. Probably, these memories were too painful for them, besides, I think, they wanted to protect us in this way from the impact of those sufferings, mental and physical, through which they themselves went. They did not want their memories to somehow negatively affect us. So our family history was never discussed. And we didn't even ask. This is natural, children up to a certain age are little interested in such issues. Of course, with age, I became interested in the history of the Kalmyk people, but by the time I began to have questions, there was no one to ask them, since my parents had already died.

In 1991, when I first came to Kalmykia, I tried to find one of my paternal and maternal relatives. My father had a younger brother who lived in Kalmykia, but he had no idea if his older brother was alive or where he was. And so, I find him and he tells me how they lived all these years, not knowing anything, even about their closest relatives. These stories evoked the deepest feelings in me. Perhaps only then did I begin to truly realize what suffering my parents had suffered, how much they had endured. My mother was born in Belgrade, in Yugoslavia, and her brothers and sisters were born in other countries. Getting acquainted with this geography, you understand how much they had to wander all over Eastern Europe in order to avoid persecution. They ended up in the USA. I think with amazement how much work they put in, each time starting anew life in a new place. No one wants to leave the country where you were born, but circumstances sometimes leave us no other choice. My parents did not have such a choice, but, overcoming difficulties, they always sought to set a good example for us, to surround us with the warmth and love that every child needs.

In general, I believe that it is very important to know your roots, to know where you live and where you come from. There are so many on earth different cultures, ethnic groups, religions. And the more we learn not only about our roots, but also about other cultures and customs, the richer we become culturally and spiritually. This knowledge gives us wisdom, the more we know about each other, the better we understand each other, the more harmonious our relationship. Learning about others, we learn peaceful coexistence in a society of people, we learn to overcome the difficulties that stand in our way, to overcome doubts and mutual misunderstanding.

Having received an education in a Tibetan monastery, knowing Buddhism, feeling Buddhism - tell me, for you personally - what is Buddhism? Philosophy, lifestyle, science, or an important connection with yourself and your past?

For me, Buddhism is useful in many ways. The philosophy of Buddhism helped me become stronger, increased my self-esteem, gave me an incentive to live, take care of my health, both physical and mental.

Buddhism is also a science, the science of the structure and functioning of consciousness, which teaches how to deal with destructive emotions, how to pacify the negative emotions inherent in us from birth. And here the Buddha, in his compassion and altruism, showed us a wonderful example, not only in his teaching, but in his whole life. For me, the story of the life of the Buddha is a source of great inspiration. He taught people a realistic view of things. Buddhism is also a religion for me. As a Buddhist, I seek refuge in the Buddha, in his teachings, and in a monastic community that keeps the lineage of the Buddha's teachings pure.

Were there areas of Buddhism that were the most difficult for you to learn?

Buddhism is like an endless ocean. Once you start studying Buddhism, you will never be able to say that you have learned everything. The teaching of the Buddha himself has more than a hundred volumes of writings. In addition, there are the works of the great mentors from the ancient Indian monastery-university of Nalanda, who wrote commentaries on the teachings of the Buddha, explaining and developing it. And later, the followers of Buddhism, great philosophers and thinkers, continued to comment not only on the teachings of the Buddha, but also on the works of Nalanda's mentors. And today we have a truly vast collection of works and commentaries on Buddhism.

Were there areas of Buddhism that I struggled with? I don’t know… In general, it all depends on faith in yourself. If you say to yourself: this is difficult, I can’t do it, then it will be so. But if there is a strong desire to learn something, then you can master any knowledge. The main thing here is to overcome the already established own idea that you have a very difficult subject in front of you.

If we talk about me personally, then due to my duties, it is sometimes difficult for me to find time to engage in spiritual practices, to read, to study something. But again, it's a matter of self-discipline. If I make an effort, I can plan my schedule so that there is time for everything.

In answer to your question, was it difficult for me to study Buddhism, I would say that we usually create difficulties for ourselves and are able to overcome them.

Mongolian followers present Telo Rinpoche with a tapestry of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Photo: Konstantin Mamyshev.

What kind of knowledge came to you with ease?

It was easy for me to understand that the nature of life is suffering, and none of us wants to suffer. The goal of my life is to achieve liberation, liberation from suffering. This is the goal of every being.

Tell us about your inner development as a spiritual leader? How was your spiritual growth? What thoughts did you visit at seven, thirteen, twenty, thirty years old? What are you thinking about today?

Over the years, we must learn to control our consciousness, achieve purity of intentions, learn to direct our thoughts for the benefit of all living beings. These tasks should be faced not only by the spiritual leader, by the lama, recognized as the rebirth of some saint, but also by each of us. Everyone should strive to be of benefit to everyone, to do everything in our power to save from the torment of all who suffer in body and soul. After all, suffering comes to a person in various forms ...

How was my spiritual growth? I grew up in a very strict monastery-university atmosphere, where we had almost no opportunity to explore the world outside the monastery walls. I have always been interested in what is happening in the world, how everything works there, what people of different cultures eat, what kind of music they listen to, what kind of mentality they have. I was lucky that I had the opportunity to travel around different countries, look at different cultures. It has always fascinated me. Wherever I go, I never treat it like a tourist trip. Traveling has always been important for me to learn something new. This gave me the opportunity to get in touch with the wisdom of different cultures and peoples of the world.

What was I like at the age of seven? I can say that back then I was only interested in games. I always enjoyed playing with other monks when the opportunity arose. At thirteen, you become a teenager, your way of thinking changes, your character changes. At fifteen, you think you know everything in the world, but you really don't know anything. You think that you no longer need discipline, when the opposite is true. And at the age of twenty I was appointed head of the Buddhists of Kalmykia. For me it was very unexpected. Suddenly, a huge responsibility fell on me. This marked the beginning of a new path, but at the same time it was the end of childhood. I lost the freedom I had as a child. At this age, my life completely changed. At the age of thirty, difficult times came for me. To some extent, I lost respect for myself, I had many painful experiences, regrets about my own past. All sorts of thoughts came to me: why didn’t I show more diligence in my studies, why didn’t I ask my teachers more questions, why didn’t I spend more time with my parents, why didn’t I ask them about their lives? Why didn't you follow wise advice teachers and parents? By that time, I had already completely changed my lifestyle, resigned my monastic vows, got married, and my son was born. It was a time of painful regrets and guilt. But later everything began to change for the better. When I was thirty-one, thirty-two years old, I began to notice that the teachings of the Buddha began to take on a new meaning for me. I began to understand them better, began to feel them not only on a spiritual or mental level, but physically. And I can definitely say that I became a much better lay Buddhist than I was a monk. As a monk, you take a lot for granted. In a sense, life in the monastery takes place in a very comfortable atmosphere. In your daily life, you experience much less suffering while living in a monastery. And the life of a layman takes place in a completely different environment. You face many more obstacles and understand the nature of suffering much better when you live among people than in a monastery. This is absolutely correct. So my thirtieth birthday became a kind of milestone for me, I began to become a more mature person.

I think about my age every day. As you get older, you begin to feel the changes that are happening inside. In Buddhism, this type of suffering is called "the suffering associated with old age." These changes occur on both the physical and mental levels. Today, when I am forty years old, my abilities are very different from what I had at fifteen or twenty. The memory is no longer so good, you constantly have to make an effort to remain vigilant. Meditation classes help me cope with this, I try to read more, analyze more, devote more time to contemplative practices.

Be that as it may, we Buddhists believe in impermanence, we believe that there are no guarantees in life. I may not live to be eighty or ninety. And these thoughts instill in me the desire to do everything in my power to make this world a better place, to help protect the environment, to do a lot of good deeds. I constantly think about it, think about how to achieve this, how to spend the time allotted to me the most effective way. It's like I'm running against the clock.

Telo Rinpoche and Yelo Rinpoche in Buryatia. Photo from the archive of Lama Tengon.

What feelings did you experience when you were appointed Supreme Lama of Kalmykia?

It is important to emphasize that this was not my aspiration, it was not part of my plans. I was chosen and appointed, I think, because at that time there was no other choice. I was the only Kalmyk monk at that time who also received the appropriate education. But I immediately felt the desire to do something useful, despite my age, despite the lack of experience and proper training. I was determined to try my hand.

Who do you consider your main teacher in life and spiritual life?

The teacher I grew up with is no longer with me. And I really regret that while he was alive, I did not spend more time with him. I miss him very much. At the moment, I consider His Holiness the Dalai Lama as my main teacher. He is my root teacher, my main adviser in life matters, my mentor and protector. He will always be an example to me, and I hope to have the same wisdom and compassion as his.

What tips have been most valuable to you?

When I was still small, my teacher always told me: your happiness is in your hands, while others will only bring you endless suffering. And I had the opportunity to see the wisdom of this advice. Other people can bring us pleasure, but over time I realized that this pleasure is temporary, it never lasts. And this is not the absolute happiness to which we aspire. So, whether I will be happy depends entirely on myself. This is the best advice my teacher ever gave me. Man himself is the master of his own happiness, because others bring him suffering.

There is a very good saying of the Fifth Dalai Lama: everything that was in the past has dissolved into space. What matters most now is the future. The future depends on the present, and the present is in your hands. I believe this is true. Whatever happened in the past is already gone, there is no way we can change it. But we can learn from past mistakes and successes, and try not to make such mistakes in the future. Our future is created in every single moment of the present. And every minute I try to be filled with the intention to do something positive, to improve not only my own life, but also the lives of other people.

Why do you love music? What exactly do you love about music - some kind of magical connection between sounds and our subconscious?

I really love music, all kinds of music. What kind of music I like at a particular moment depends on my mood. Sometimes you want to listen to classical music, sometimes spiritual, and sometimes you are in the mood to listen to rap or reggae. I think that the sound of music has a very versatile effect on us. Everyone has different tastes, everyone likes different musical styles and trends. About myself I can say that I like music in general, regardless of what style it is classified as. We can learn a lot by listening to music of various styles. Take rap for example. Not only the music itself is important here, but also the words. Listening to texts, often filled with pain and anger, you better understand a person, the suffering that he experiences, his aspirations. Thus, listening to music, you will learn about the realities of this world. That is why I love listening to these songs: in them I hear suffering, pain, joy, hope, aspirations. Some songs can be a source of inspiration. For example, if a song talks about some kind of achievement, about happiness, then this inspires joy from the fact that so many wonderful people live on earth. If the song sings about pain and suffering, then this instills in you the determination to change something.

It's true that sometimes you take off your clothes and live like a common person? Of course, as not quite ordinary ... Is there a difference - between these two lives inside you?

I prefer to separate these two aspects of life - my life as a family man, and my spiritual life. As the spiritual leader of the Buddhists of Kalmykia, I have many obligations. Including the obligation to promote the dissemination of universal human values. In addition, I feel responsible for the revival of Buddhism in Kalmykia. By revival, I mean not only the restoration of old or the construction of new temples, but above all the development of various aspects of Buddhism - philosophical, scientific, religious and spiritual - and the spread of interest in them. My duties as the Supreme Lama of Kalmykia are connected mainly with the spiritual sphere.

When I return home, I find myself in a completely different environment. My family does not see me as a spiritual leader, but as a husband and father. We have the same relationship with our son as other parents have with their children. And, of course, I try to set an example for him, to cultivate in him the ability to love, to be a kind and compassionate person. Every family goes through different periods. I think that over the years, thanks to the study of Buddhism, I became a more mature person. Buddhism certainly helps me find balance in my life as a spiritual leader and in my family life.

With Robert Thurman in Shin Mer, home of Geshe Wangyal.
Photo: Konstantin Mamyshev.

Telo Rinpoche, what qualities do you think are rare in modern man?

Today, in the 21st century, people have become more dependent on material well-being, relying more on money and wealth. It is very difficult to lead a healthy lifestyle and simply survive if you do not have material means of subsistence. In a modern person, you rarely find the right balance of the spiritual and the material, the ability to understand the limitations of material wealth. This applies not only to secular society, but also to spiritual communities. I would not say that we are witnessing a moral decline, but still there is some neglect of spiritual values.

Okay. But today it is customary to talk about a person as strong or weak. The strong are respected, the weak are not. Where is the line between strength and weakness? Does she exist? Does it make sense to use these words...

I think that dividing people into weak and strong is undoubtedly wrong. Each person has the ability to learn, improve himself, to become a leader. Just to each person you need to find the right approach to help him, to guide him. With whomever I meet, I always see a person with great potential and opportunities that he needs to help develop. It makes no sense to give people such definitions. Calling a person weak is wrong from a moral point of view. If someone feels stronger than others, then he should be able to find the strength in himself to show compassion and become a source of inspiration for those who are considered weak, help them rise to their level. It will be right.

What does it mean to be whole? Know integrity? Achieve integrity? A lot of people talk about it, but it's not clear...

I think being whole means living a meaningful life. I see a whole person whose life is filled with compassion. If a person, having received a good education, does not apply his knowledge properly, then such a person seems to me short-sighted and not very moral. That's how I understand integrity.

Which do you think is more important, duty or love? Responsibility or happiness? Often, unfortunately, people make a choice between these two concepts. And, choosing, they are unhappy ...

When people love each other, they also have mutual obligations. So, although you have separated these two concepts, I believe that there is a strong relationship between them. I am sure that each of us has a responsibility to do good deeds, to make our world a better place, to raise children so that they become worthy members of society, to teach them to distinguish good from bad. To achieve this, we need knowledge combined with love. Love and commitment must go hand in hand. Responsibility is also associated with obligations. Love is a responsibility not only in relation to relatives, friends, but also to all mankind. We must love the nature around us, the planet, home, country, culture.

The real purpose of our life is happiness. And I am sure that in order to be happy, we must do good. We must love the person in ourselves, and we are responsible for the happiness of each of the people as for our own. So I think. Let people be unhappy today, but they have the right to happiness, and they have every opportunity to become happy.

Masha Ilyina
Translation by Natalia Inozemtseva
Egoist generation, No. 4 (102), April 2013

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The Foundation for the Promotion of the Preservation of the Cultural and Philosophical Traditions of Tibetan Buddhism "Save Tibet" and the Youth Association of Buddhists in Moscow invite you to a meeting with the Honorary Representative of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in Russia, Mongolia and the CIS countries, the Shajin Lama (Supreme Lama) of Kalmykia Telo Tulku Rinpoche. Within the framework of the meeting, a presentation of a new book “Dilova Khutukhta of Mongolia. Political Memoirs and Autobiography of the Reincarnation of a Buddhist Lama".

The Foundation for the Promotion of the Preservation of the Cultural and Philosophical Traditions of Tibetan Buddhism "Save Tibet" and the Youth Association of Buddhists in Moscow invite you to a meeting with the Honorary Representative of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in Russia, Mongolia and the CIS countries, the Shajin Lama (Supreme Lama) of Kalmykia Telo Tulku Rinpoche.

Within the framework of the meeting, a presentation of a new book “Dilova Khutukhta of Mongolia. Political Memoirs and Autobiography of the Reincarnation of a Buddhist Lama, which tells about the previous incarnation of Telo Tulku Rinpoche. The book was published in 2018 by the Save Tibet Foundation for the Promotion of the Preservation of the Cultural and Philosophical Traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. The executive editor of the publication S.L. Kuzmin, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Candidate of Biological Sciences, Leading Researcher of the Department of Korea and Mongolia of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Telo Tulku Rinpoche will give a talk on the topic “What does it mean to be a tulku? My personal experience” and will answer the questions of the participants of the meeting.

The meeting will take place on November 11 (Sunday) at 14:00 at the Open World Center (Moscow, Pavlovskaya st., 18, Expo hall, Tulskaya metro station).

Admission is free, registration is required.

About the book

Dilova Khutukhta of Mongolia. Political Memoirs and Autobiography of the Reincarnation of a Buddhist Lama
The memoirs of Dilov-Khutukhty Bashlugiin Jamsranzhava (1884–1965) occupy a special place among the sources on the history of Mongolia in modern times. Their author is one of the highest lamas of Mongolia, the incarnation of Tilopa (Tib.: Telo) - a sacred figure for the followers of Tibetan Buddhism. The current reincarnation of Tilopa (following Jamsranjav) is Telo Tulku Rinpoche, the honorary representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Russia, Mongolia and the CIS countries, the Supreme Lama (Shajin Lama) of Kalmykia.

Dilova-Khutukhta B. Dzhamsranzhav is known to historians primarily as a religious, political and statesman Mongolia. He was one of the highest reincarnating lamas of Mongolia - Khutukht. During the period of repression in the 1930s, which, under the leadership of the Bolsheviks, was carried out by the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP), he, the only one of the surviving Khutukhts, managed to stay alive and leave the Mongolian People's Republic (MPR). He left behind political memoirs and an autobiography, which, although not without some inaccuracies, give a realistic picture of events and contain important information about a number of little-known episodes of history.

Translation from English by E. V. Gordienko
Managing editors of the Russian edition S. L. Kuzmin and J. Oyuunchimeg
Literary editor of the Russian edition N. G. Inozemtseva
Save Tibet Foundation, 2018.
352 p., 11 illustrations.
ISBN 978-5-905792-28-1

Telo Tulku Rinpoche

- Honorary Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Russia, Mongolia and the CIS countries, President of the Centralized Religious Organization "Association of Buddhists of Kalmykia", Spiritual Director of the Foundation for the Promotion of the Preservation of the Cultural and Philosophical Traditions of Tibetan Buddhism "Save Tibet" (Moscow), Spiritual Director of the Tilopa Center ( Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia).

Telo Tulku Rinpoche was born on October 27, 1972 to a family of Kalmyk emigrants in the United States. At the age of four, the future Supreme Lama of Kalmykia told his parents about his desire to become a monk. And when he was six years old, he had the opportunity to meet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who advised him to send the boy to study at the Drepung Gomang Tibetan Monastery in India. He spent 13 years there studying Buddhist philosophy under eminent Tibetan teachers. In the late 1980s, during his monastic years, he was recognized as the new reincarnation of the great Indian saint Tilopa, who incarnated twice in Inner Mongolia and three times in Mongolia.

In 1991, Telo Tulku Rinpoche first came to Kalmykia as part of a delegation from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. The first meeting with his historical homeland was followed by an invitation to lead the process of spiritual revival of the steppe republic, which was in dire need of his knowledge and spiritual experience.

In 1992, Telo Tulku Rinpoche was elected the Shajin Lama (Supreme Lama) of Kalmykia. In recent years, under his leadership, more than 30 Buddhist temples and prayer houses have been erected, which were destroyed in the years Soviet power. Since 2005, the residence of Telo Tulku Rinpoche has been located in the main temple of Kalmykia, the Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha, which is recognized as the largest Buddhist temple in Russia and Europe.

While serving as Shajin Lama, Telo Tulku Rinpoche makes great efforts to strengthen the religious and cultural ties that have existed for centuries between the traditional Buddhist regions of Russia and the Tibetan community, led by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

Telo Tulku Rinpoche accompanied the Dalai Lama during his first visits to Kalmykia in the early 1990s, which became the starting point for the restoration of Buddhism in the republic. With his active participation, the long-awaited visit of the Dalai Lama to Russia in November 2004 was carried out, which gave a new impetus to the process of reviving traditional Buddhist values ​​in Kalmykia and Russia as a whole.

At the personal invitation of Telo Tulku Rinpoche, in recent years, the head of the Sakya school, His Holiness Sakya Trizin Rinpoche, the abbot of the Drepung Gomang Yonten Damcho monastery, the former abbot of the Namgyal Chado Tulku Rinpoche monastery, leading Buddhist teachers Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, Geshe Lhakdor, Barry Kerzin, Tenzin Priyadarshi, Robert Thurman, Alan Wallace and many others.

Yulia Zhironkina.
Hello, now for my part I greet you very warmly. We are very happy - we were all able to come to you to complete the sand mandala. You can’t even imagine how lucky you are today that, in addition to this delegation of monks from the Drepung Gaman Monastery, you have such amazing, truly amazing guests in your city today. It is with great pleasure that I give the floor to Tel Tulku Rinpoche, the head of the Buddhists of Kalmykia, who for us Russians is a connecting thread with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. At the request and thanks to the great efforts of Rinpoche, today Russians have the opportunity to go to India and receive teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and taking this opportunity, I want to say that the next teachings of the Dalai Lama in India will be this year in December. And I know that many residents of Krasnodar have already attended the teachings organized by Telo Tulku Rinpoche in India. We invite everyone, we are very glad, regardless of what denomination you belong to and what views you hold. It is with great pleasure that I give the floor to Telo Tulku Rinpoche and hope that he will share his wise thoughts with you.

First of all, let me convey my warmest wishes for this festive occasion, this great day. It is a great pleasure and honor for me to welcome you on this day, when the exhibition, which lasted for a week or more, ends. Several years ago, we already held a similar exhibition in your city. I have been following very closely the reports on how your program “Days of Tibetan Culture” has been held in Krasnodar over the past few days. And because I saw, read and heard, I understand that the interest in the city in our culture is quite high, and this is very joyful. But what I want to especially emphasize is that this event, this exhibition and our visit to you should not be considered as some kind of missionary action. We have no desire to convert anyone to our faith. We have not come to preach our tradition, our religion, but I am deeply convinced that if we communicate with each other, if we rely on art, exhibitions, such cultural events, then we will be able to achieve truly constructive dialogue between us. Today the whole world calls for peace, today the whole world wants harmony. But can we create peace and harmony without spreading our knowledge, without educating people? Therefore, the purpose of our exhibition is educational. For us, this exhibition also allows and gives us the opportunity to learn more about you, about your culture, about your traditions. In fact, Buddhism as a religion has existed on the territory of Russia for the last four centuries. But, unfortunately, not many Russians know about it. Therefore, we feel that it is very important to convey our tradition, our history, how we have existed on the territory of Russia and other countries for the last centuries, and this is one of the goals why we are holding an exhibition in Krasnodar. I know that in previous years similar exhibitions were already held in Krasnodar, but, probably, if you look at the number of people who came today, this program was the most successful. I sincerely hope that these days passed for you with some meaning, that by coming to the walls of this museum, getting acquainted with the exhibits, you learned something useful for yourself, learned something, learned something.

During the previous days, the head of this group of monks, Geshe Lobsang, gave lectures on various aspects of philosophy, and I know that a Tibetan doctor who was part of this group also gave a lecture on Tibetan medicine. You also had the opportunity to watch some movies. And today it is a special pleasure for me to introduce Tenzin Priyadarshi, who has a very unusual experience behind him. He is Indian by origin, he was born in a Hindu family with very strict traditions, his father is an intellectual figure. And, perhaps, I will be right if I say that at a very early age, despite all these strict customs of his family, Tenzin Priyadarshi ran away from home, despite the prohibitions of his parents, in order to start his own spiritual quest. And his own determination to deeply study not only Buddhism, but also the most diverse religious traditions that exist in the world, to comprehend them deeply, this desire of his turned him today into one of the leading scientists of our time. Last year he came to Russia for the first time at our invitation. On his last visit, he read whole line lectures in Kalmykia for scientists, school teachers, for students, and I was very much asked to invite him to Russia again, he also gave lectures in Moscow and it just so happened that the day of his arrival turned out to be the day of the destruction of the mandala in Krasnodar. And we decided at the very last moment to change our plans and come to you. Today's topic, which we will ask our guest to tell, is the topic of happiness, how to become happy. Tenzin Priyadarshi will tell you about how to become happy, how to find happiness. I personally won't talk to you about happiness because I don't want to take the responsibility that if you follow my method and you don't get happiness, what then? Tenzin Priyadarshi and I have a different situation, I am very close to you, only five hundred kilometers away. Tenzin Priyadarshi will spend only a few days with you and fly away to distant lands, it will be much more difficult for you to get to him.

But what is the meaning of human life? I think that every person asks himself this question at least once in his life, and then, probably, many times. I communicate a lot with the younger generation and I always ask them: what is the purpose of life? And what answers do I get to this question? Basically, they are very interesting, but the answers are endless. I ask a student: what is the purpose of your life? Answer: get a good education. Okay. I answer: great, you got a good education, and what's next? They say the next goal is to find Good work. I answer: great, you found a good job, then what? The next answer is: find a husband or wife, start a family, then I ask: what's next? Have kids and then raise them. Okay, the kids are grown, what's next? Then - to become a grandfather, grandmother, And after? You see, this is such an endless story. What conclusion can be drawn that these people never achieve real achievement. Because we just move step by step from one stage to the next. I ask: and, in the end, what is the main achievement of your life? When you have gone through all these steps and got an education, a good job, bought yourself the most wonderful, most expensive things, and so what? And often I get this answer: yes, probably, in the end, there is nothing left. What is our purpose in life? As a result, stay with zero? After all, everyone wants to achieve some kind of achievement. We need to clearly understand what exactly we want to get, how to get there. Someone says: I will get married, I will be happy, well, you will probably be happy. But what kind of happiness is this, is it relative happiness or is it the highest happiness, permanent happiness that will not disappear anywhere? Are you happy now? And the happiness that you experience is it constantly, will it always be with you? How, then, to come to this constant indestructible happiness? Human nature is such that the only time when we think about some philosophical views, about some religion, or turn our eyes to the creator god or the prophets, is the time when we suffer. Takova human nature. Suffering and happiness go hand in hand, as we are programmed by our very nature. Of all living beings, humans are the most intelligent, but at the same time, the human race is the most stupid of all beings. Because we ourselves create the life that we live day by day. We created this table, ourselves, this building, this mandala. The unique quality of Buddhism is that we believe that the creator is the person himself. Man creates good, man creates evil. We are born with a whole bunch of positive and negative qualities. When a baby is born and is only a few weeks old, do you think he comes into the world with compassion? If you think not, do you think he is born with anger in his heart? Why do you think he is born with anger in his heart but not with compassion? Do you think that there is no balance in the world, no equilibrium? In fact, these qualities are love, compassion and any other virtues, we come into the world with them. But on the other hand, we also have attachment and greed and anger. If we are parents, then we must show the child the path of compassion, love, the ability to forgive, that is, to make a choice in favor of positive qualities. When a child is only a couple of weeks old, he can show anger, affection, disappointment, even if the child cannot pronounce it, put it into words, he still feels it. When a child is hungry, he gets upset when his mother does not feed him on time, and he cries with such aggression, it turns out that these negative traits are inherent in him from birth. But exactly to the same degree he has love, the ability to forgive, compassion. We just forget the qualities inherent in us from birth to cherish, develop, and at the same time we all want to be happy. How can we become happy if we do not cultivate in ourselves these qualities of love, compassion, the ability to forgive, the ability to endure. Tenzin Priyadarshi will tell you his thoughts on this topic, but I want to emphasize now that Buddhism is a teaching that has three categories. For some, Buddhism is a religion, a faith, you can look at Buddhism as a philosophy and you can look at Buddhism as a science. What is this science? This is the science of how our consciousness functions, this is the science that tells how our emotions work, how our consciousness works. I am a person who was born in a Buddhist family, of course, for me Buddhism is all three components at once. I never welcome the transition of people from one faith to another, so that they all become Buddhists. Because the transition to another faith is a very serious issue. Our ancestors chose one or another spiritual path for themselves, external conditions could influence Environment , psychological features, Russians chose Orthodoxy for themselves for these numerous reasons. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the doors have opened and people have begun to get acquainted with a variety of teachings, different traditions, a lot of people have begun to come to me and say: I want to become a Buddhist, or have I already become a Buddhist. Of course, as a Buddhist, I cannot say that I am upset that someone says that he has become a Buddhist, I do not feel sad. But I always urge such people to go step by step and to comprehend each step, to think very deeply. And what I'm saying is that if you are interested in Buddhism, if it seems attractive to you, this does not mean at all that you should take Buddhism as your faith, your religion. I am a deep supporter, admirer of the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, who preached the path of non-violence, but from the fact that I take on the non-violent path of Mahatma Gandhi, do I become a Hindu the same as he is. It is his path of non-violence that I borrow from Mahatma Gandhi, despite the fact that this path of non-violence was drawn by Mahatma Gandhi from the deepest heritage of Hinduism. I don't have to be a Hindu to follow the non-violent path, I can just borrow that. I am telling you this because you can do the same. You can borrow some particularly important elements of interest to you from the Buddhist tradition without becoming a Buddhist. But if you still want to become a Buddhist, of course, it is the right of every person to choose their own spiritual path. We live in a free world, a world of free consciousness, where we enjoy the freedom of worship, so it is up to each of us to decide. I will only emphasize that this is your decision, but this decision must be thought out and needs to be thought through. If we return to the description of what Buddhism is, then we can distinguish two more categories, Buddhism as a religion and Buddhism as a Buddhist culture, in fact, these are two completely different views on Buddhism. But these two planes are related to each other. What you have seen here within the walls of this museum in recent days, we have shown you the essence of Buddhist culture. Buddhism as a religion, I think that we did not show this, and in fact we do not even have the right to impose our faith on you. It is really a great honor for me to be with you today in Krasnodar for the second time and to see so many familiar faces today, friendly faces, although I am coming here for a short time, we already have time to become friends. And once again, I want to take this opportunity to invite all of you to Kalmykia when you have the opportunity. The organization of such an event, here within the walls of this city, of course, is not simple task. A lot of people made an effort: the organizers, coordinators, sponsors, the staff of this wonderful museum, many volunteers took part, supported this program, a whole big team of people. People worked hard not to get money or to get fame, honor, reverence, but to make this wonderful event happen. Of course, I must also thank you viewers who come to this exhibition every day, because without your participation this event would not have been so wonderful. I hope you enjoyed it, I really hope that you had a positive experience and these seeds of positive experiences that were sown in your heart, in your mind, they will stay with you and help you in your everyday life. For our part, we will hope that our meeting is not the last and we will return again and come to you. And I would like to thank today Pema Lutovich - the organizer of this event "Days of Tibetan Culture" in Krasnodar, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts, on behalf of the monks who came to Krasnodar and on behalf of our Kalmyk Buddhist community. We have a tradition of presenting walkers, and we want to thank the director of the museum. We thank everyone who helped organize the mandala, everyone who helped guard, everyone, all the people who worked here. We would like to thank Irina and Dmitry, who are our longtime friends, who have helped us in various ways in order for our temple in Kalmykia to develop. We thank you on behalf of all the Buddhists of Kalmykia on behalf of everyone who took part in this exhibition.

I want to give the floor to our distinguished guest Tenzin Priyadarshi and I want to ask you today, regardless of what religion you belong to, to support Tenzin Priyadarshi with your prayers, because he recently lost his father, just a few days ago, he was sixty-three years old. He has not quite a simple period in his life, but he still found the opportunity to come to us. It is very difficult when you part with family and friends and at the same time continue to smile and be happy. And that's what he embodies. Of course, there must be some tool, some technique that will allow a person to smile in such difficult times, and this is what we can learn from him. I want to thank the monks who have traveled such a long journey, who have come to Russia, to thank all of you who attended these programs, if there is an interest on your part, then we can always make some effort to keep these exhibitions going. The monks who came to you, they adhere to the Buddhist tradition, but at the same time, as you know, they represent the Himalayan region. They are Indians by nationality, but they came from the Himalayan region, these are places like Ladakh, Zanskar, I know that there are people here who have been to these places, and you can confirm how beautiful these places are, I personally have not been there. Some of the monks who came here to you are the people with whom I studied in the monastery, the teacher who accompanies them, the head of the group is a very sincere spiritual practitioner, with whom we grew up together, when I was a child I was afraid of him, frankly speaking because he is such a big monk, very big, with such a deep booming voice. Probably, speaking egoistically, I have already overcome my fear, I have the deepest respect for him, and I also thank him for lecturing you over the past few days. I also thank Gen Navang Lodoy, who is the administrator of the central Kalmyk khurul, he came here not only to support the monks, but because he has a very warm and sincere friendship with the organizers in Krasnodar, with the inhabitants of Krasnodar. Thanks!

Good morning! It is a great joy for me, a very great joy to be with you. I thank Telo Tulku Rinpoche for his kind invitation to come to Russia again, to return here again, and I am not alone in my admiration for this man for his determination, for his willingness to introduce certain aspects of Buddhist culture to the general population of Russia. I will be brief, I see that many of you are standing, besides, it is getting hot and stuffy here, I am very afraid that you would not return home and say: I went to hear about happiness, but in fact there were only suffering. Then, probably, no one will feel good from such an outcome of events. The first thing we need to understand is what is happiness? Of course, happiness is a very, very subjective experience. And each person will define what happiness is in their own way. Very often, when we talk about happiness, we create certain artificial conditions and we think if I am happy from this, then others will not be happy. But when Buddhists define what happiness is, their definition differs from the usual definition of human beings. Because Buddhists want us to become happy and be happy always, at all times, in any place, wherever we are. How do we usually experience happiness, each of us? When you are happy what do you do? What emotions do you express? Quite right, you scream with happiness, jump for joy, you can hug someone for joy, but then answer me this question: can such happiness be lasting? Can you do any of the above all the time, jump all the time or scream all the time? Screaming with joy all day long? Of course, you can try, but it will be difficult. So, what we call happiness on an ordinary level is a very short-term experience that comes in bursts. But, the happiness that we are talking about is a kind of constant experience, a happiness that does not change, a joy that you do not lose. While experiencing this basic state of happiness, of course, throughout the day you can experience ups and downs, there can be positive experiences or negative ones, but your mind does not follow them and does not fall, that is, it retains this basic experience of joy. How can we achieve this even experience of happiness? We need to start from the premise that absolutely all living beings want to be happy, regardless of what religion we follow, what our nationality is, this unites us, we all want to be happy. Let me show you this. Who woke up this morning and said to himself: I want to be unhappy all day today, suffer and spend the whole day in such unpleasant experiences? There are such? Were they like that yesterday? Has anyone planned to be miserable all day tomorrow? You see, anger is an unhappy state of mind we don't plan on. Likewise, we will not plan that we will be jealous, envious, or unhappy. And wherever I speak in the United States or in India, there is not a single person who plans to be unhappy. Therefore, it would be good if, when you wake up in the morning, you would cultivate this state of joy and think like this: let today pass in such a way that I help myself create conditions conducive to experiencing happiness. First of all, we need to understand, get rid of confusion, understand that there is a difference between the ordinary experience of joy, remember I spoke about this at the beginning, the ordinary experience of joy when we jump for joy and so on, and the deep experience of happiness, there is a difference. It is very important from the very morning, when you wake up, to engender this joyful mood in yourself, let the conditions that I will face, let what I will do help me to strengthen myself in a good mood. Happiness has a very simple equation, we must do as many actions as possible, as many actions as possible, which lead to the experience of happiness. And try with all your might to avoid those actions, those actions that, on the contrary, take you away from happiness. A very simple equation, a formula for happiness, but very difficult to put into practice. Why is it so? Because our mind has primary tendencies. When we have formed in ourselves certain habits, habits of thinking, habits of action, it is very difficult to break these habits. For example, this situation: we understand that we do not want to be unhappy, we do not want to feel angry, but we know for sure that every time we see that particular person, we can say with accuracy that we will definitely get angry, we will definitely get angry . But it makes sense to ask ourselves why it happens that some other person, not ourselves, but another person has such power over our mind, he changes our mental state from plus to minus. So start by cultivating the simple conditions that lead you to happiness. It is not necessary in order to become happy to do something absolutely cardinal from what we usually do. If, for example, you wake up in the morning and say to yourself like this: I want to be happy, and the Buddha said: in order to be happy, you need to meditate for two hours a day. If you try this, you will most likely wake up the next day with sore knees. Very often, when we have something new in front of us, new tasks, new actions, we make too much effort, we experience excessive enthusiasm, and the Buddha suggested that we act gradually, step by step, not overdo it. So, on the one hand, we look at what makes us happy, on the other hand, we work on what makes us unhappy. I can’t explain this technique to you now, but as Telo Rinpoche said, he is only five hundred kilometers from you, so you can always come to him and ask how to become happy. But Rinpoche says that after all I am not the creator of your happiness, I cannot make you happy of my own free will. Another very important element from a Buddhist point of view - all the emotions that we experience, they are interconnected. There are certain actions that you can do consciously that will affect your state of mind. They will influence how you perceive the world around you. What I would like to encourage you to do is one very interesting practice and it is called the Practice of Compassion. After all, it often happens when we see a person whom we dislike for some reason and we see that everything in his life is going well, he is happy, we begin to envy. What kind of automatic thought is born in us? Why is this man so happy, he doesn't deserve happiness? But let's see what happens next. This negative thought of yours, in fact, does not cause any harm to the person you envy, and the envy that was born in your heart changes your inner mood, it makes you unhappy. It takes you away from the state of happiness, the same thing, if you see that some person achieves success, do not envy, just rejoice, this person has achieved success, and I also want to achieve success. Let it be at the level of joy. When we make comparisons between ourselves and other people, and such comparisons are instinctive, it is natural for us human beings. You must develop a new habit in yourself, when you see a person who has achieved success, when you begin to make this comparison, yourself with another person, try to make this comparison positive and if you try to always make a comparison in a positive way, then after a while you notice that your general state of mind is changing for the better. Otherwise, you will never be happy with those relationships (whether close relationships, friendships or family) in which you are involved. Let me give you an example, do you know the Bentley car? Because it happens that if an example does not translate well into another language, then it and the essence cannot be conveyed, so I ask. Several years ago I was invited to give a lecture on the West Coast of the United States. And the organizer came to meet me in a brand new Bentley, he knew that I like different cars, different engines, the whole technical side of life occupies me. And while we were driving with him on the highway, describing to me in all details this new car and you could see as he went into a detailed description of his car, he became happier and happier. He told me that he had been waiting for this car for six months, it has a leather interior, how much this car costs, it has such an engine, it just beamed with happiness. It was clear that he liked to drive this car, to drive this car. And what happened next? After we had driven a few miles, we came across another Bentley, and this Bentley was a little newer than the one he owned. Looking at that Bentley, he began to describe to me the virtues of that second Bentley. He said that the model that just drove it costs so much, the engine is like that, the skin is like that. And the more he delved into the description of that second Bentley, you could see that he was getting sadder and sadder. By the time he finished his description, there was no trace of happiness left. This is what we do on a daily basis. We make such negative comparisons between ourselves and others and lose the ability to appreciate what we have now. Therefore, if we want to be happy, then one practical advice, which definitely works - this is advice to rejoice, that is, to rejoice at what you already have, to feel gratitude for what you have now. It is also very important not to think that happiness is certainly what you deserve today and until the end of your life and that you will find happiness at the end, because this time, this threshold, may never come, no need to postpone . But, if today you say: I want to be happy, right today and start making efforts in this direction, then it is very likely that in a few years and by the end of your life you will really become happy. Thanks a lot.

Now we can briefly answer some of your questions, and then after the Q&A session, we can start breaking down the mandala. I want to apologize to you that after such a lot of hard work that the monks put in to create this beauty, I have to upset you today and say that this mandala will be destroyed. I apologize because it turns out that I am the destroyer of your happiness today. Building a sand mandala is not an art that this group of monks or some particular monastery came up with, it is a spiritual art that has been passed down from generation to generation for many centuries. Buddhism is two and a half thousand years old, and today we can say with great pride that we are glad that we have brought this teaching, this art, to this day. When the Buddha passed away from this life, when he left our world, he said that my teachings would be preserved where you find the true sangha. What is a sangha? These are fully ordained monks who preserve the teachings. The Sangha, the monks, are the people who keep two hundred and fifty-three vows pure. It's very difficult, we often can't keep even five or ten vows, let alone two hundred and fifty-three vows. Being fully ordained monks, these people carry a huge burden of responsibility on their shoulders. When the monks build a sand mandala, they accompany it with certain rituals, as well as meditation, mental constructions. The very beginning of building a sand mandala symbolizes the birth of life. And then, as the mandala grows, we correlate this growing mandala under construction with our life, which also arrives day by day. We have to compare the beauty of this mandala with the beauty of our life and accept the fact that our life is really beautiful, beautiful like this mandala. This is how we think, this is how we meditate, this is how we meditate while creating a mandala. The reality of our lives is such that everything, even our beautiful life, eventually ends. This is a very special day for us, a special occasion - the destruction of the mandala, because we can deeply reflect on the impermanence of everything that exists. Everything that exists in this world, material things, finances, all this is impermanent. We tend to take things for granted, but when a moment comes when we lose something, we lose loved ones or a lot of wealth or property we have accumulated, we are filled with great, great sadness. This is because we do not think about the impermanence of things from the very beginning. If from the very beginning our premise was that everything is impermanent, we would not experience such heartbreaking pain when we lose loved ones or our property or something else. The Buddha's teaching is simple, but it is quite difficult to apply it in your daily life. Why? Because we are too selfish. If we suffer, we think that the gods are to blame. If we are successful, we say, "I am." "I" comes to the fore. This is what I did. This is what I achieved. It's because of me. A very strong sense of "I". I, mine, belong to me. But what is this “I”. What's this? Maybe we should start looking for it? But looking for "I" is difficult. It is difficult to find its definition, it is difficult to say what "I" is. Okay, now you've come to this room. Are you here. Or maybe you won't be alive tomorrow. Who knows? Then where is the "I"? What will become of him? What will happen to what belongs to you? What will happen to what you called "your", "mine"?

The material was prepared by Roman Anoshchenko and Elena Krasnikova based on oral translation by Yulia Zhironkina.