Buddhist rites. Rituals and rituals in Buddhism Conducting worship to the owner of the water

LUSAD TAHIHA - THE RITE OF HONORING "THE OWNERS OF THE WATER"
The rite of honoring the spirits of water is one of the rites designed to achieve any temporary goals, whether it be sending down rain for abundant harvests, eliminating problems, asking for happiness and peace for the inhabitants of a particular area. They are performed on the so-called “lus days” (lusyn buudal, Bur.). These days are most favorable to honor them. Buddhist treatises speak of a great variety of unusual creatures classified as "8 classes of worldly gods and demons", one of which is the class of water spirits (nagas - Skt.). It is believed that water spirits do not tolerate pollution of their habitat, i.e. rivers, lakes, springs, etc. The unreasonable actions of people in relation to nature are reflected in the state of spirits, from which they suffer damage and, being angry, can harm people. In particular, it is believed that a person receives harm from the Nagas in the form of various diseases when he pollutes water bodies, rivers, and air.
For the ceremony, lamas prepare various substances, called “three whites” - milk, butter, curdled milk, “three sweets” - sugar, honey, molasses, as well as various jewelry - gold, silver, copper, turquoise, corals, pearls, crystal. During the ritual, the lamas, through meditation practice, mentally transform all these offerings into jewelry and medicines for the water spirits, after which, accompanied by the sounds of ritual instruments, they respectfully throw the offerings into the water.
If the lamas have recommended that you attend the Lusa Tahiha ritual, then you need to bring milk taken from a red cow or a white goat. It should, at least the day before, do not eat garlic, onions, meat.

OBOO TAHILGA
Oboo is a cult sanctuary located in one or another remarkable natural place, like a mountain top, a mountain pass, a water barrier, a rock, etc. It is believed that oboo is the seat of the owner of the area (ezen, Bur.). With the penetration of Buddhism into the regions of Tibet, Mongolia and to the north, local cult deities and spirits were introduced into the Buddhist pantheon as local worldly deities. Buddhism retained from pre-Buddhist beliefs the rite of reverence, but not the worship of these deities.
Each family, clan, tribe among traditional Buddhists has its own cult tribal oboo, the veneration of the owner of which is held on one of the auspicious days of the first summer month. Local residents, with the help of lamas-astrologers, choose the day for the oboo takhilga ceremony. On this day, they bring dairy and sweet treats, wine, etc. to the oboo. Lamas from a nearby datsan are invited to conduct the ceremony. Believers, with the help of lamas, turn to the owners (sabdak, Tib.) with a request for rainfall, elimination of fires and other disasters, as well as for well-being and prosperity native land. If the owner is supportive, then favorable signs appear: a fine drizzle, a rainbow, good dreams etc. It is believed that the owner himself can come to the place of the oboo, turning into a bird or beast. During the prayer service, the oboo reads the main texts from the Buddhist canon about the blessing of prosperity and happiness. In general, the prayer service takes place in accordance with the structural systematics of the khurals read in the datsans themselves, but with the addition of a special appeal to the owners of the area with an offering and a request for their favor.
After the oboo rite, folk games are traditionally held: horse racing, wrestling, archery. In some places, stupas are erected on the oboo so that people have the opportunity to accumulate virtues by making respectful detours and prostrating in front of it. In some Buddhist regions, altars are erected on mountain passes, valleys and other places, stones are stacked in a special way. Passing by the above-named places, they usually make offerings of food (deezhe, bur.), coins, matches, pieces of matter (sumelge), etc., while reading the mantra “OM-A-HUM”. We do not recommend making an offering with alcohol, otherwise you risk accumulating non-virtue.

RITE "DALLAGA" - INVOICE
HAPPINESS AND WELFARE
During the dallagh rite, believers sit in a certain direction, which depends on the lunar month. Before the lamas begin to read the text, believers should unbutton the top button, put on a headdress and take on their hands the symbols of giving and receiving “dallag” in the form of sweets, sweets, pastries, etc. beautifully folded on a pyramid-shaped dish. The rite of invoking well-being and happiness is necessarily accompanied by the performance of circular movements. When the lama exclaims “A-hurai”, the believers follow them in a circular rotation of the dishes with offerings. After the lama finishes reading the text, he pronounces the following words, and after him the believers exclaim:
- Has happiness and prosperity descended? - Yes, it's gone!
- Have the conceived thoughts been fulfilled according to the Teaching?! - Yes, they did!
- A-hurai! - May it be good!
After this, the dedication to virtue is read.
Buddhism is currently experiencing a revival. More and more people come to datsans for support, advice, help and get it. Although rites and rituals are no longer so significant in life modern society, but still it is worth noting that the traditional ritual of Buddhism has retained its effectiveness and carries a deeply positive moral significance for the believer. The key factor in the realization of the good intentions and desires of the believer is his pure and sincere faith in the lamas-priests who carry the continuous tradition of the Teaching.

In Kalmyk culture, the world of nature is considered sacred and revered, filled with creatures visible and invisible. Secret Buddhist texts speak of a great variety of unusual creatures living on our earth. Among them are water

Spirits (nagas). An ordinary person cannot see them. They consider themselves the true masters of the area. There are many things in modern human activity that cause great damage to the environment. Usual things for us - huge landfills, plowing the land, pollution environment, consumer and wild attitude to nature cause great harm to the spirits of the earth and water. They get angry.

Nagas consider themselves the true masters of rivers and reservoirs, forests, and steppes. They do not like it when people pollute their habitats - rivers, lakes, reservoirs, forests and fields. They do not like it when they thoughtlessly cut or break trees, leave garbage by the rivers, at picnics, turn fields into dumps. When their habitat is polluted, they begin to get sick, and these diseases are transmitted to people. Most often, these are sudden rashes on the hands, ulcers, skin diseases that are difficult to treat. It is impossible for an ordinary person to determine the diseases that nagas send. Only clairvoyant Buddhist monks can see this. Nagas get sick and angry. As a consequence of this, there natural disasters, droughts, epidemics, crop failures and loss of livestock. Many natural disasters, human diseases, especially skin diseases, diseases of the kidneys, gallbladder, depression, apathy, anxiety, unreasonable fears and worries, are often caused by the anger of the Nagas. This can also include domestic troubles, unexpected accidents and breakdowns in the house.

Of the six worlds on this continent, the nagas are animal worlds, they are subject to emotions and, when angry, can cause considerable harm to others. There are people who, due to their ignorance, perceive them as deities and worship them, which is extremely wrong. Buddhists know that they can turn to them for any help, but at the same time they do not forget that these spirits are not objects for the expression of faith and worship. A special ritual of washing, cleansing the area, offerings can eliminate the harm caused by the spirits of water, earth, if they are deprived of their usual habitats. AT lunar calendar days are specially marked when offerings to the nagas are favorable. Most often, such rites are performed in the holy month of Ur sar.

According to ancient, established traditions, a special ceremony is held annually in a particular area - offerings to the nagas. The monks perform special rituals, inviting guests (nagas), asking them to accept offerings, change their anger to mercy, respond to the peacefulness of people.

class="eliadunit">

For offerings, as a rule, they bring: sour cream, milk, butter, sugar, honey, molasses, fruits, xianggin idyan (incense), flour.

It is undesirable to eat garlic, onions and meat on the day of the ritual. Offering rituals improve the quality of life, promote healing and provide protection from harmful influences and diseases. They help people get rid of lethargy, strengthen health, strength and a joyful perception of life. It is very important for those present to have a good motivation, a good attitude towards everyone and a prayer for the well-being of not only their relatives, but for the well-being of all living beings on earth. This is true spiritual practice. It is no coincidence that high masters of Buddhist practice say: “If you perform the practices of the spiritual path with the right understanding and diligence, they bear fruit. Fruit strengthens faith. When faith is strong and based on certainty, it is conducive to practice. Faith and practice together lead to wisdom and happiness.” And in order to protect yourself from the harmful influence of angry nagas, you must treat nature reasonably and carefully.

The history of chess has at least one and a half thousand years. Invented in India in the 5th-6th century, chess has spread throughout the world, becoming an integral part of human culture. There is an ancient legend that attributes the creation of chess to a certain Brahmin. For his invention, he asked the raja for an insignificant, at first glance, reward: as many wheat grains as there would be on a chessboard if one grain was placed on the first cell, two grains on the second, four grains on the third, etc. It turned out , that there is no such amount of grain on the entire planet (it is equal to 264 − 1 ≈ 1.845 × 1019 grains, which is enough to fill the storage with a volume of 180 km³). So it was, or not quite, hard to say, but, one way or another, India is the birthplace of chess. Not later than the beginning of the 6th century, the first game known to us related to chess appeared in northwestern India - chaturanga. It already had a completely recognizable “chess” look, but fundamentally differed from modern chess in two features: there were four players, not two (they played pair against pair), and moves were made in accordance with the results of throwing dice. Each player had four pieces (chariot (rook), knight, bishop, king) and four pawns. The knight and king moved in the same way as in chess, the chariot and bishop were much weaker than the current chess rook and bishop. There was no queen at all. To win the game, it was necessary to destroy the entire army of opponents. The transformation of chess into an international sport Since the 16th century, chess clubs began to appear, where amateurs and semi-professionals gathered, often playing for a cash bet. Over the next two centuries, the spread of chess led to the emergence of national tournaments in most European countries . There are chess publications, at first sporadic and irregular, but over time gaining more and more popularity. The first chess magazine Palamede was published in 1836 by the French chess player Louis Charles Labourdonnet. In 1837 a chess magazine appeared in Great Britain, and in 1846 in Germany. In the 19th century, international matches (since 1821) and tournaments (since 1851) began to be held. The first such tournament, held in London in 1851, was won by Adolf Andersen. It was he who became the unofficial "chess king", that is, the one who was considered the strongest chess player in the world. Subsequently, this title was challenged by Paul Morphy (USA), who won the match in 1858 with a score of + 7-2 = 2, however, after Morphy left the chess scene in 1859, Andersen again became the first, and only in 1866 Wilhelm Steinitz won the match against Andersen with a score of + 8- 6 and became the new "Uncrowned King". The first world chess champion who officially held this title was the same Wilhelm Steinitz, who defeated Johann Zuckertort in the first match in history, in the agreement on which the expression "world championship match" appeared. Thus, a system of succession of the title was formed on a whim basis: the one who won the match against the previous one became the new world champion, while the current champion reserved the right to agree to the match or reject the opponent, and also determined the conditions and venue of the match. The only mechanism capable of forcing the champion to play with a challenger was public opinion: if a strong, admittedly, chess player could not win the right to a match with the champion for a long time, this was considered as a sign of the champion’s cowardice, and he, saving face, found himself forced to accept the challenge. Typically, the match agreement provided for the champion's right to a rematch if they lost; victory in such a match returned the title to the previous owner. In the second half of the 19th century, time control began to be used in chess tournaments. At first, an ordinary hourglass was used for this (the time per move was limited), which was rather inconvenient, but soon the English amateur chess player Thomas Bright Wilson (T.B.Wilson) invented special chess clocks that made it possible to conveniently implement a time limit for the entire game or for a certain number of moves . Time control quickly entered into chess practice and soon began to be used everywhere. By the end of the 19th century, official tournaments and matches without time control were practically non-existent. Simultaneously with the advent of time control, the concept of "time pressure" appeared. Thanks to the introduction of time control, special forms of chess tournaments with a greatly reduced time limit arose: "quick chess" with a limit of about 30 minutes per game for each player and "blitz" - 5-10 minutes. However, they became widespread much later. Chess in the 20th century At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, the development of chess in Europe and America was very active, chess organizations grew larger, more and more international tournaments were held. In 1924, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) was created, initially organizing the World Chess Olympiads. Until 1948, the system of succession to the title of world champion that had developed in the 19th century was preserved: the challenger challenged the champion to a match, the winner of which became the new champion. Until 1921, Emanuel Lasker remained the champion (the second, after Steinitz, the official world champion, who won this title in 1894), from 1921 to 1927 - Jose Raul Capablanca, from 1927 to 1946 - Alexander Alekhine (in 1935, Alekhin lost the world championship match to Max Euwe, but In 1937 he regained the title in a rematch and held it until his death in 1946). After the death in 1946 of Alekhine, who remained undefeated, FIDE took over the organization of the world championship. The first official world chess championship was held in 1948, the Soviet grandmaster Mikhail Botvinnik became the winner. FIDE introduced a system of tournaments for winning the title of champion: the winners of the qualifying stages advanced to the zonal tournaments, the winners of the zonal competitions advanced to the interzonal tournament, and the winners of the best results in the latter took part in the candidate tournament, where the winner was determined in a series of knockout games, who had to play the match against the reigning champion. The formula for the title match has changed several times. Now the winners of zonal tournaments participate in a single tournament with the best (by rating) players in the world; the winner becomes the world champion. The Soviet chess school played a huge role in the history of chess, especially in the second half of the 20th century. The wide popularity of chess, active, purposeful teaching of it and the identification of capable players from childhood (there was a chess section, a children's chess school in any city in the USSR, there were chess clubs at educational institutions , enterprises and organizations, tournaments were constantly held, a large amount of specialized literature was published) contributed to the high level of play of Soviet chess players. Attention to chess was shown at the highest level. The result was that from the end of the 1940s until the collapse of the USSR, Soviet chess players almost completely dominated world chess. Of the 21 chess Olympiads that took place from 1950 to 1990, the USSR team won 18 and became a silver medalist in one more, out of 14 chess Olympiads for women during the same period, 11 were won and 2 "silver" were taken. Of the 18 draws for the title of world champion among men in 40 years, only once a non-Soviet chess player became the winner (it was the American Robert Fischer), and twice more the contender for the title was not from the USSR (moreover, the contender also represented the Soviet chess school, it was Viktor Korchnoi, fled from the USSR to the West). In 1993, Garry Kasparov, who was then world champion, and Nigel Short, who became the winner of the qualifying round, refused to play another match for the world championship under the auspices of FIDE, accusing the federation leadership of unprofessionalism and corruption. Kasparov and Short formed a new organization, the PCA, and played a match under its auspices. There was a split in the chess movement. FIDE stripped Kasparov of his title, and Anatoly Karpov and Jan Timman competed for the title of FIDE world champion, who at that time had the highest chess rating after Kasparov and Short. At the same time, Kasparov continued to consider himself a "real" world champion, since he defended the title in a match with a legitimate contender - Short, and part of the chess community was in solidarity with him. In 1996, the PCHA ceased to exist as a result of the loss of a sponsor, after which the champions of the PCA began to be called the "world champion in classical chess." In fact, Kasparov revived the old title transfer system, when the champion himself accepted the challenge of the challenger and played a match with him. The next "classic" champion was Vladimir Kramnik, who won a match against Kasparov in 2000 and defended the title in a match with Peter Leko in 2004. Until 1998, FIDE continued to play the title of champion in the traditional order (Anatoly Karpov remained FIDE champion during this period), but from 1999 to In 2004, the format of the championship changed dramatically: instead of a match between the challenger and the champion, the title was played in a knockout tournament in which the current champion had to participate on a general basis. As a result, the title constantly changed hands and five champions changed in six years. In general, in the 1990s, FIDE undertook whole line attempts to make chess competitions more dynamic and interesting, and thus attractive to potential sponsors. First of all, this was expressed in the transition in a number of competitions from the Swiss or round robin system to the knockout system (in each round there is a match of three knockout games). Since the knockout system requires an unequivocal outcome of the round, additional games in rapid chess and even blitz games have appeared in the tournament regulations: if the main series of games with the usual time control ends in a draw, an additional game is played with a shortened time control. Sophisticated time control schemes began to be used to protect against hard time trouble, in particular, the “Fischer clock” - time control with an addition after each move. The last decade of the 20th century in chess was marked by another important event- computer chess reached enough high level to surpass the human chess player. In 1996, Garry Kasparov lost a game to a computer for the first time, and in 1997, he also lost a match to Deep Blue by a one-point margin. An avalanche-like increase in the performance and memory capacity of computers, combined with the improvement of algorithms, led to the fact that by the beginning of the 21st century, public programs appeared that could play at the level of grandmasters in real time. The ability to connect to them pre-accumulated bases of openings and tables of small-figure endings further increases the power of the machine's play, completely relieves it of the danger of making a mistake in a known position. Now the computer can effectively prompt a human chess player even at the highest level competitions. The consequence of this was a change in the format of high-level competitions: tournaments began to use special measures to protect against computer prompts, in addition, they completely abandoned the practice of postponing games. The time allotted for a game has also been reduced: if in the middle of the 20th century the norm was 2.5 hours for 40 moves, then by the end of the century it decreased to 2 hours (in other cases, even up to 100 minutes) for 40 moves. Current state and prospects After the Kramnik-Topalov unification match in 2006, FIDE's monopoly on holding the world championship and awarding the title of world chess champion was restored. The first "unified" world champion was Vladimir Kramnik (Russia), who won this match. Until 2013, the world champion was Viswanathan Anand, who won the 2007 world championship. In 2008, a rematch between Anand and Kramnik took place, Anand retained his title. In 2010, another match was held, in which Anand and Veselin Topalov took part; Anand again defended the title of champion. In 2012, a match was held in which Anand and Gelfand took part; Anand defended the champion's title in a tie-break. In 2013, Anand lost the title of world champion to Magnus Carlsen, who won the match ahead of schedule with a score of 6½:3½. The championship formula is being adjusted by FIDE. In the last championship, the title was played in a tournament involving the champion, four winners of the challenger tournament and three personally selected players with the highest rating. However, FIDE has also retained the tradition of holding personal matches between a champion and a challenger: according to the existing rules, a grandmaster with a rating of 2700 or higher has the right to challenge the champion to a match (the champion cannot refuse), provided that funding is secured and deadlines are met: the match must end no later than six months before start of the next World Cup. The progress of computer chess mentioned above has become one of the reasons for the growing popularity of non-classical chess variants. Since 2000, Fischer chess tournaments have been held in which the initial arrangement of pieces is chosen randomly from 960 options before the game. Under such conditions, the huge array of opening variations accumulated by chess theory becomes useless, which, according to many, has a positive effect on the creative component of the game, and when playing against a machine, it significantly limits the advantage of the computer in the opening stage of the game.

UDC 947.084:39(571.53) © E.M. Tsydenov

TO SOME RITES IN MODERN BURYAT SHAMANISM

(The work was supported by the Program of Fundamental Research of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences No. 33.3 "Traditions and Innovations in History and Culture", project No. 01201253168)

The article discusses some rituals in modern Buryat shamanism.

Key words: Buryats, shamanism, blacksmith cult, healing.

E.M. Tsydenov ON THE SOME RITES IN THE MODERN BURYAT SHAMANISM

The paper is devoted to some rites in the modern buryat shamanism. Key words: buryats, shamanism, smith's cult, healing.

One of distinctive features socio-cultural space of the city of Ulan-Ude has become a frequent appeal of citizens to Buddhist lamas and shamans in difficult times. life situations. The growing role of shamanism in the spiritual life of the Buryat population of the city led to the revival of many shamanistic practices that were almost completely lost during the Soviet period. One of the initiative groups for the revival and development of Buryat shamanism is the local religious organization of shamans "Tengeri" in Ulan-Ude, created in 2003 by B.Zh. Tsyrendorzhiev. In this article we will try to give a description and analysis of some of the shamanistic practices that were carried out by the shamans of "Tengeri" in 2009 in the vicinity of Ulan-Ude.

Worship of blacksmith deities. The blacksmith cult plays a very important role in Buryat shamanism. It goes back to archaic times, when iron and metal tools were extremely important in the life of society. There is no exact data on the time of the emergence of this cult, but at least it is obvious that it already existed by the period of extraction and processing of iron [Abaeva, 1987, p. 3].

At present, the blacksmith cult has lost its original practical purpose and is associated with the veneration of the ancestors of blacksmith families. Blacksmithing - darkhanism - is considered in Buryat shamanism not only as a craft, such as forging metal, chasing, woodcarving, but in a broader sense, in relation to any branch of changing the material world. Darkhans, they are also painters and sculptors, that is, creative people, as they say among the Buryats: Uranus of the Zones are skillful people. They say about people who have blacksmith ancestors: darkhan ug-tai - a blacksmith's family. Actually, in every clan, the Buryats in the past had ancestors - blacksmiths,

in some ways more skillful, and in some less so.

Blacksmith deities - darkhan tengeri - occupy a somewhat isolated position in the shamanic pantheon of deities, these deities are not part of the 99 tengerii and do not depend on any other deities, however, like everyone else, they obey the supreme creator god. Blacksmith deities are located in the northwestern side of the sky. They are considered very strong and severe, the punishment of these deities occurs immediately and the instrument of punishment, in the first place, are iron objects. It is believed that blacksmith ancestors can punish their descendants with car accidents or such accidents when some parts of the body are damaged precisely by iron objects [Tsydypov V.D.].

At present, shamans associate the veneration of blacksmith deities, first of all, with the cult of blacksmith ancestors and recommend treating them with special reverence precisely to those people, mostly males, who are engaged in activities one way or another connected with the craft: construction, engineering, then there are dealing with iron.

The worship of blacksmith deities occurs in different ways. The simplest is the offering - sergem (libation with sacrificial drinks), mainly archi - vodka, also milk, tea and white food. A more complex worship is zula takhil (worship in which an altar is prepared with offerings: whitened tea, white food, vodka, milk, zula lamps, hadak, silk, shirt, and others), which is performed with the invitation of a shaman or shaman-blacksmith.

The biggest worship is dar-hanai Xynde (blacksmith worship), on which

they bring along with the altar - zula takhil - trees and a sacrificial ram. At this rite, a red-colored goat (peterlehe) can also be dedicated to blacksmith deities.

Blacksmith shamans (darkhan-bvvnYYd) are considered the most powerful among shamans, as they are patronized by blacksmith deities, who are believed to have great magical power. They get this power from the fire in which they forge iron, and fire, according to shamanic beliefs, has a cleansing power. At blacksmith rites, shaman blacksmiths heat iron and forge it for ritual purposes. Shamanic tradition believes that blacksmiths can drive away evil spirits and heal diseases. Blacksmiths are thus prescribed the ability to heal and purify negative impact[Tsydypov V.D.].

Honoring the masters of the fire. The veneration of fire is primarily associated with the veneration of the hearth, and only then in general, fire as an element. To worship the hearth, a fire is lit in a dwelling (in modern conditions, usually in a stove). There are simple daily offerings of primary food to the owner of the hearth, they can be made by each person. There is also a more complex ceremony of honoring the owner of the hearth with the invitation of a shaman. It is arranged in the event that it is necessary to revive (awaken) the hearth in a new house, or to revive a forgotten (extinct) hearth, or to cleanse an already existing defiled hearth. Zula takhil is prepared for the ceremony (worship, in which an altar is prepared with offerings: whitened tea, white food, vodka, milk, zula lamps, hadak, silk, shirt). The shaman puts on his attributes and calls on spirits and deities, and also calls on the owner of the fire himself and his wife - Sahyaadai buural baabay Zayaday khatan ezhy. Melted butter, mutton brisket, internal fat of ram and white food are brought to the fire, vodka and tea and milk are also brought. The shaman asks the owner of the hearth for happiness and family well-being in the house, patronage to the inhabitants of this house.

Fire is considered a pure substance, and many prohibitions are associated with it. Thus, it is forbidden to burn garbage in a fire, extinguish it with water, touch it with sharp objects, and generally treat it disrespectfully. Shamans believe that whoever violates the purity of the fire can get sick because of it. The shamans call the owner of the fire for each of their prayers, asking him for strength, well-being and good luck in business.

Honoring the owners of water. In modern Buryat shamanism, one of the spirits that influence people's lives is the owners of water and the underworld - lusad (from the word lus-snakes, water nagas). They occupy the space of the lower world, everything below the surface of the earth: water and all the space of the underworld up to the kingdom of Erlig Khan. As the shamans say, they are blind, mute, but have a well-developed sense of smell and hearing. Lusad spirits are revered primarily because they are the givers of earthly goods and health. The abundance and richness of rivers, reservoirs and springs, the productivity of land, and, as a result, the condition of livestock and crops depend on them. Also in their jurisdiction are deposits of minerals underground.

The word lusad is of Tibetan origin (Tib. Lu - snake) and penetrated to the Mongols and Buryats with the advent of Buddhism. The Western Buryats, who had not experienced the influence of Buddhism, called the owners of the waters uhan khat (khans of the waters) [Khangalov, 1958, p. 114-121]. Lusad is the common name for the masters of the waters and the underworld. The owners of individual rivers, lakes and springs are personified and have their own names. In general, water as an element is considered a pure substance, to violate the purity of which is a sin. Spirits-owners of rivers, lakes, healing springs - arshans, and in general any sources of water and reservoirs, including wells, are capable of punishing a person with diseases due to a disrespectful attitude towards them. Diseases sent by lusad primarily affect the genitourinary system and skin in humans. Shamans in their rites donate their share of offerings to them and call them as assistants in the performance of certain religious rites.

In our time, the following types of sacrifices are offered to worship the spirits of the waters and the underworld. The simplest offering is the donation of nine jewels - yuhen erdeni1. Jewels are placed inside a piece of dough and thrown into the water, while the person making the offering says the words of prayer to the spirits of the water.

There is also a big rite of honoring the spirits of the waters - lusad takhil or lusadai hunde. For this rite, a rectangular, about 50x60 cm, flat board or fiberboard is prepared, 9 x 9, 81 holes are made in it, eighty-one twigs of willow-burgahan are stuck into them. Each twig is decorated with one blue-and-white semelge knitting. At the bottom, nine types of water creatures are placed: fish, frogs

necks, turtles, lizards, snails, shells, crayfish, starfish, snakes, fashioned from unleavened dough, each in nine pieces, and set in nine rows, nine in a row. Also, nine lamps - zula - are molded from the dough, and they are installed in the free space of the board. A blue khadag is spread on the free side of the board, nine jewels and pieces of brocade are placed on it. From above, the entire installation is wrapped in red, gold and silver threads. For the ceremony, it is also necessary to cover the zula takhil. It is accompanied by the invocation of all the spirits, with the help of which the shaman brings the sacrifice (the spirits of the ancestors, thirteen huts, burkhan sagaan garbal), and the invocation of the lusads themselves. Enliven the offering on the board with water from three sources. The ceremony is usually performed near the water, and when it is completed, the offering is lowered into the water or burned on the river bank. If the ceremony is not carried out near the water, then it is burned towards the reservoir, after pouring water from three sources onto the ground, where the offering will be burned. Also from this water they make, through the pronunciation of prayers, lusaday arshan (healing elixir of the spirits of the waters), which allegedly heals from diseases sent by the spirits of the waters. The purpose of the ceremony is to ask for the patronage of the spirits of the waters and their coaxing.

Honoring the owners of the area. The owners of the area in the sacred space of the Asian peoples occupy one of the most important places. Their places of veneration are numerous oboos in ethnic Buryatia and Central Asia, bari-sans, passes - dabans2, since they inhabit the middle world, directly adjacent to people. Some and few of them are of heavenly origin, but the vast majority are earthly. In the hierarchy of the shamanic pantheon, they occupy the lowest position along with the lus, the masters of the waters. Below them are only small spirits of the lowest order: booholdoy, shudher, hell and others. The earthly life of people, the availability of earthly, material goods depend on their favor. As you know, there are local and general territorial owners of the area.

The rites aimed at honoring the owners of the area are more of an appeasing character than a reverence. But, as the shamans say, earthly masters also need to pay tribute because they are in close proximity to us, and their influence on people's lives is great. Offerings are made to the owners of the area mainly when seeking patronage to solve worldly problems, such as: agricultural activities,

trade, travel, issues related to other activities on earth, etc. Nowadays, rituals of honoring the local masters of the area among the Buryats are performed mainly by lamas, only in rare cases shamans undertake this, who conduct such rituals either in their homeland or in tribal cult places of nationwide veneration.

In everyday rituals, during such rituals as zula takhil, shamans donate a special bowl with offerings to the spirits of the area: sergem sagaan tabag or oboo uulyn urgel. White food (sagaan edeen) is placed in this offering bowl and sacrificial drinks are poured: whitened tea, vodka and milk. This bowl is located at a small distance from the cups with the main offerings offered to the heavenly gods. There may be several such bowls at the Zula tahil rite. One is intended for the owners of the area of ​​​​the place where the ceremony is held. The other bowl is for the owners of the area of ​​the shaman's homeland. And the third - for the owners of the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe homeland of the person for whom the ceremony is being performed.

Shamans say that our world is divided into three parts: the top - the sky, the middle: the earth and the bottom - the underworld. And each part has its own rules and laws, which are almost impossible to get around. So, sending the victim up to heaven, we cannot leave the earthly spirits unattended, since the victim cannot immediately go to heaven, but only gradually passes through all levels. And the spirits of the earth convey to the spirits of heaven the sacrifices of people.

Healing rites. Speaking of healing rites, we mean the healing practice of shamans in Ulan-Ude, aimed at the physical healing of the client. In this case, we are not talking about spiritual healing. Shamans in their healing practice use a variety of methods: manual therapy, herbalism, bloodletting, etc. Such treatment does not require shamans to perform rituals, in fact, it can be carried out not by shamans, but simply by people who have a special gift of healing. Here we would like to dwell on two traditional shamanic (folk) healing methods still practiced by the modern shamans of the city. These are: wrapping with a ram (honeor oreoho) and shuddering of the earth (gazaraar dorbooho) [Dorzhiev O.D.].

Wrapping with a sheep, or rather its internal organs, is performed for various diseases and malfunctions. internal organs person. For a person of European culture, this procedure may seem barbaric and unpleasant, but for a descendant

nomadic civilization is quite acceptable and absolutely normal. Shamans attribute miraculous properties to this procedure, envelop it with a halo of mysticism. We have heard numerous stories from people about miraculous healings when using this method. The most impressive was the cure of a woman from a cancerous tumor immediately after the session. Thereby this method continues to be popular.

Its essence is as follows. For the procedure, a ram is chosen, for a male patient - a male, for a woman - a female. An individual is chosen strong and necessarily healthy. In the room where the procedure will be performed, a bed with a blanket is prepared for the patient. Before the start of the action, the patient is placed on this place, and he waits for the session to begin. At this time, the healer (shaman) and his assistants (if any) begin to slaughter the ram (traditionally through the peritoneum). Butchering the carcass is very fast because the animal's organs must be warm when they are placed on the patient's body. This is one of highlights this procedure. When placing the animal's organs, the patient's diseases are taken into account, the organs are arranged according to their likeness: heart to heart, lungs to lungs, and so on. Having spread out all the organs, the person is tightly wrapped in a blanket. Wrapped in this way, he lies for approximately one hour (time varies individually). During this time, a healer (shaman) approaches him several times and makes different kind actions. From time to time, he pierces the ram's organs, such as the stomach or rumen, with pegs. Drinks freshly brewed lamb broth, puts warm wheat flour on the patient's body. After a certain time, all organs are removed and placed in a separate bag. After some time, the package with the insides is buried in the ground in a certain direction.

The shaman who performed this procedure explained what its essence is. The organs of a healthy and strong animal, in this case a ram, absorb the diseases of the organs of a sick patient and at the same time, apparently give them nourishment healthy body. The shaman also said that after this procedure, a person needs to be very careful about his health. In no case should you cool down, you need a certain time to cool

follow a diet. If these prohibitions are violated, this treatment can bring harm instead of benefit. He also said that this is a very delicate procedure, and with the slightest mistake, it can lose its healing effect. It can be carried out no more than once in a certain period and no more than a few times in a lifetime.

Trembling of the earth (gazaraar dorbooho) is a specific technique for restoring the function of the human brain. This procedure, like the previous one, we were able to see in Ulan-Ude itself.

One person came to the shaman for help. He complained of dizziness and poor sleep. As it turned out later, six months earlier, he had suffered from a fire in his house. Inhaled as a result of the fire carbon monoxide, after which his brain activity was disturbed. He was tormented by headaches and dizziness, memory function was disturbed. The shaman, having felt his pulse, recommended that he conduct a session of shuddering the earth.

On the ground where they were going to perform the ceremony, the shaman's assistants dug a small hole for the patient's head. They put a rag there, and then the patient himself lay down on the ground and put his head with the back of his head in the hole. The shaman's assistant tamped down the earth around the patient's head so that it was close to his head. The shaman then measured the man's pulse, first on one arm and then on the other. Assistant brought small log about one and a half meters in size with attached handles. The shaman told his assistant to hit the ground on the left side of the head a certain number of times. Then he measured the patient's pulse again. Said to hit with right side a certain number of times. He took his pulse again. He said to hit the top of the head so many times. And then he repeated several times a series of blows from different sides, until the patient's pulse returned, in his opinion, to normal.

After the procedure, we turned to the shaman with a request to explain to us the essence of this technique. With a certain sequence, the shaking of the earth, he said, is capable of healing the disturbed functions of the human brain with its vibration. According to him, it has a positive effect on cerebral circulation and restores memory function. To the question: “How exactly does it affect the brain? - he replied - Well, definitely through vibration. Then he explained that in a healthy person, the pulse on both hands should be identical.

chen. And it is by the pulse that he is guided when using this technique.

rituals associated with the soul. In the worldview of the Buryats and other peoples of Central Asia and Siberia, the soul is one of the most important categories. In Buryat shamanism, it is believed that every person has a soul, but it tends to leave the human body for any reason. If this happens, it is believed that the person may become ill or even die. There is a list of rituals associated with the human soul. Firstly: this is a rite of invocation of the soul, secondly, the rite of redemption of the soul or the exchange of lives, and thirdly, the rite of sending the soul of the deceased.

Soul calling. In a person, in any life situations, his soul can fly out (get lost or leave). This can happen in situations such as fright, emotional distress, stress, severe pain, or illness itself. The absence of a soul from a person for a long time can lead to serious illness and death. To return the soul, a simple special rite is performed, since it does not require the erection of an altar and the use of a large number shamanistic attributes. Only an offering in the form of drinks is prepared for him: whitened tea, vodka, milk and sacrificial food, as well as a red thread and the favorite food of the person for whom the session is performed. The shaman calls on his patron spirits, asks them to find the soul of the sick person and return it. He burns the ritual grass and invites the spirits to come down to the offerings. Before starting the ritual, he ties one end of the thread to the right ring finger of the patient, and the other end to his own. The thread here plays the role of a link between the shaman and the person. The shaman summons the spirits and wonders where the lost soul is. He then prays to the spirits to find the soul and bring it back. When the soul approaches, the shaman begins to persuade her to return, if necessary. Invites you to return to the body and taste her favorite food, take possession of the abandoned body and continue to live.

Rite of redemption of the soul or exchange of lives. In shamanic mythology, there is such a character Erlig Nomin Khaan, he is the lord of the underworld and the manager of the souls of dead people (akin to the god Hades in ancient Greek mythology). When a person is severely and for a long time ill, they believe that Erlig Haan took his soul to himself. In this case, they arrange a rite of exchange of lives - Ami nananai an-daldaan. Its essence lies in the redemption of the soul of the patient. As a ransom, fi-

gurka of a dough man and other offerings: pieces of brocade, nine jewels, cuts of satin ribbons, a dough lamp, sacrificial drinks and food. They cover the altar: zula takhil, and to the right of it they set up a box with offerings for Erlig Khan. The shaman puts on his attributes, calls on the deities and indicates the purpose of the rite. He asks his patron deities to bring the victim to the gates of Erlig Khan and redeem the soul of the patient. The patient himself is dressed in dirty, torn clothes and smeared with soot. The meaning of this lies in the redemption of the soul of the patient from the test by the little man. The shaman, kamlaya, says: “Why do you need such a dirty and ugly person? Better take it instead of this clean, white and well-fed!”. Then the shaman introduces into his body the ongon spirit of one of his ancestors. He gets acquainted with the patient and indicates how to carry out the administration of the little man from the dough and other victims. A rope woven from white and black yarn is tied to the hand of the patient and to the neck of the figurine. During the departure, the ongon spirit cuts it with a miniature saber, which is among the shaman's attributes. This rope acts here as a symbol of the unity of opposites: white-

black, life-death, and its ritual cutting symbolizes the separation of life from death or the postponement of the latter. After leaving, he says how many more years of life he bargained with Erlig Khan and how a person should continue to live so that nothing bad happens.

At present, all rituals associated with the Buryat burial are performed by Buddhist lamas. Shamans perform only the burial rites of the dead shamans. Only in rare cases do they perform rituals of burial of people. According to shamanic beliefs, the human soul must be reborn after death. But there are times when, for some reason, she cannot do this. This is mainly due to the fact that something is holding him back in this world and preventing him from finding his next rebirth. It can be hindered by a strong attachment to someone from close people or resentment towards someone, or attachment to some unfinished business, things or anything else. It is considered the worst if the soul of the deceased pursues its living relatives. A person who is haunted by the soul of the deceased begins to feel bad (he dreams bad dreams may change his mental state). If this happens, the shamans perform the rite uhehen XYney hanaal tahalha (to free (tear off) the consciousness of a deceased person). The meaning of this rite is to help the soul of the deceased

find the next rebirth and the separation of the consciousness of his living relatives from the soul of the dead. For the ceremony, an altar of zula takhil is prepared, special offerings for this occasion: pieces of brocade, nine jewels, cuts of satin ribbons, fried pieces of lamb, sacrificial food, drinks. Also, to identify the presence of the soul of the dead, a saucer with ashes is prepared (sometimes traces appear on it during the ceremony). And for a kind of conviction of the soul of the deceased, they prepare the thinnest dry blade of grass stuck in something, for example, in a piece of bread. Having started the ceremony, the shaman first calls on all the deities and spirits, for this he uses his attributes: a tambourine, etc. He then summons the soul of the deceased person. When the shaman senses her presence, in the process of the ritual, he begins a dialogue with her, tries to let her know that she has died, is stuck in this world and cannot find her next rebirth. He tells her that she should take pity, stop persecuting her loved ones and let them continue to live in peace. The offerings described above are placed inside a box with a low rim (in order to be able to burn them all at the same time and quickly). After a session of communication with the soul, the shaman introduces the spirit of his ancestor into his body in order for him to send offerings and a request to the gates of Erlik Khan. When the spirit enters, he is persuaded to assist in this enterprise and indicate the place of burning of the offerings and other nuances of this situation. Then someone takes away the offerings and burns, while returning, turns against the movement of the sun (this is explained by the fact that it is believed that if you turn against the sun, then negative energy will not stick to the burner). Also, the person performing these actions must have a long sleeve and a head-

dress, fasten all the buttons and fasten your pockets (it is believed that negative energy penetrates into open places in clothes).

In conclusion, we note that the described practices conducted by the Tengeri shamans follow the surviving tradition of the Agin Buryats, thanks to B.Zh. Tsyrendorzhiev. There is no doubt, however, that the rites themselves, as well as Buryat shamanism as a whole, have undergone a significant transformation associated with global changes in society that have taken place over the course of a whole century. It can be said that urban shamanism, having lost its ethno-local features, has become a common cultural heritage of all Buryats, regardless of their local affiliation. It can be said that urban shamanism and its rituals are gradually becoming a religion that unites all Buryats without exception, and in this capacity they pose a serious challenge to Buddhism.

1 Nine jewels: gold, silver, coral, pearls, turquoise, lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl, copper, steel.

2 Places of worship associated with the veneration of the owners of the area.

Literature

1. Abaeva L.L. Blacksmith cult among the Mongolian-speaking peoples. V International Congress of Mongolian Studies (Ulaanbaatar, September, 1987), reports of the Soviet delegation: archeology, culture, ethnography, philology. M. - Nauka, 1987. S. 3.

2. Khangalov M.N. Collected works. T. 1. - Ulan-Ude, 1958. S. 114-121.

Tsydenov Enkhe Munkoevich, post-graduate student of the Institute of Mongolian Studies, Buddhology and Tibetology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ulan-Ude 670045, e-mail: [email protected]

Tsydenov Enkhe Munkoevich, postgraduate student of the Institute of Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ulan-Ude. 670045, e-mail: [email protected]

Photo by Alexander Garmaev

In summer, residents of all ethnic Buryatia go to mass rituals of worshiping the spirits of the area. Buddhists call them "oboo takhiha", shamanists - "tailgan". But many, taking part in these rituals, do not understand why we carry out this or that action. But in terms of content, this is the second summer holiday of the Buryat people

What is the purpose of this ritual? What is the significance of it in our life? How to properly prepare for it, how to dress? What needs to be done on the oboo, but what can not be done? Find out all this will help our new series of articles.

Let's start with the basics - how to prepare and how these rituals differ between Buddhists and shamanists.

Oboo from the point of view of llamas

The word "oboo" is translated as "mountain", "hill". This is the home of the strongest and most influential spirit of the surrounding area. From time immemorial, local residents have revered them, knowing that there are certain places where people are closest to nature, to mountains, to valleys, to rivers and lakes. Such lands have their owners - sabdaks (sabdaguud).

Sabdaks are the same living beings (spirits) with their minuses and pluses, they can be reborn even those who have not found a human birth. Therefore, Sabdaks are divided into simple and sublime (those who have reached the level of Arya). Shamanists often call these spirits "Ezhins or Ezens".

Each village has its own oboo, usually located on a hill and marked with a specially erected stupa. On the appointed day, according to the lunar calendar, the locals gather near the oboo, they call the lama to perform the ceremony. Also, oboo attracts all those who were born in the area, but live in another village or city. The main purpose of the ceremony is to present treats to the owners of the area, to ask that the summer turn out well, there was no drought, it rained. The lama reads a set of prayers, usually beginning with a prayer to cleanse the area from the negative energy accumulated over the year. People hang on special poles the “hiy morins” they brought with them, on which they write the names of their relatives.

Along with oboo takhiha, the rite “Lusud takhiha” is performed,” explains the rector of the Buddhist University Dymbryl-bagsha. - This is an offering to the owners of water, the ceremony is held near rivers, lakes and streams. Again, each village has its own specific place where this ceremony of offering to the nagas (owners of water) is held.

In order for the spirits to understand, it is better to say a prayer to the owners of the area and water in their language, i.e. Sanskrit, Buryat, Mongolian.

Do not ask the spirits too much

As the lamas note, one should not ask too much from the owners of the area.

People often make wishes, ask for a cure for illnesses or some great desires,” Dimbryl Lama said. - Unfortunately, the owners of the area are not able to satisfy the requests, among them there are many samsaric beings, that is, those who are in the wheel of samsara, therefore, when making offerings to them, you should not ask them for everything.

The owners of the area tend to solve more everyday problems: so that there is no misfortune on the way, so that everything is safe at home, so that there are no strong natural disasters such as flood, drought.

Tailgan from the point of view of shamans

The word "tailgan" (takhil) comes from the ancient common Mongolian form "takhihu", which turned into "taikhu", which means "honoring" the gods. Usually, tailgans were arranged on the tops of mountains, from where a wide view of the uluses located at the foot opens. After all, the owner of the area usually lives where he can survey his possessions. Sometimes tailgans were arranged at the foot of a mountain, on the banks of a river or lake, each tailgan had its own permanent, picturesque venue.

Open heaven's gate

One of the largest tailgans is considered the rite "Opening the gates of heaven." It is usually held in the last days of May. As shamans say, it must be held at a certain time, which can be recognized by natural signs: flowering began, the cuckoo cuckooed, trees blossomed, grass turned green - all these evidences of summer indicate that it is time to open the heavenly gates. To do this, at the appointed time, shamans gather (about 50 people this year) and perform a ritual. The main goal is to ask the deities - 13 Khats, or, as they are also commonly called, the Northern Noyons - prosperity, prosperity, peace and tranquility. For the ceremony, a 2 - 3-year-old black ram, necessarily castrated, is specially sought. It is hammered, the meat is boiled in a common cauldron, and the most valuable part - the head ("toole") - is used as offerings to the deities.

Planting a birch grove

In addition, shamans land " Birch Grove". These are young birch trees dug in at the place of offerings of a certain number - 3, 12 or 14. They are decorated with white and blue (symbolizing "silver"), red and yellow ("gold") knitting, a hadak is tied at a distance of an elbow from the top (usually of blue color). In addition, the first birch is called "ur" - it is decorated with three nests made of wool, each of which contains three "golden" eggs. Images of animals are cut out of the fabric - squirrel, gouran, hare. The symbols of the sun and moon, also suspended from a birch, are connected by images of nine girls, also carved from fabric. In addition, birches are decorated with silk. Lamps are made from dough. All this is done so that the called deities and spirits come and enjoy the treats presented to them.

Fifty shamans begin to sing. In their prayers, they talk about themselves, explain why the ritual is performed, for whom it is done. First of all, they enter a trance and establish a connection with their shaman ancestors, so that they become a kind of curators of the ongoing ritual. They ask to convey to the deities that people send them offerings, pray for well-being. Then 13 Huts descend in turn, the patrons of all living things from the Urals to the Pacific Ocean. The last to descend is the supreme hut Bukha Noyon. Shamans, through their ancestors, ask him for permission about whether it is possible to present treats to the deities. Then the birch grove is burned. After burning the grove, the head shaman throws the bowl. If she fell upside down, then everything is done correctly. Shamans begin to read prayers for good luck. Then all the deities and ancestors are escorted with treats. All those present sprinkle milk, tea and vodka, throw the offerings they have brought in the direction the shaman points out. Then the shamans sit down and ask for well-being from all six directions: west, east, south and north, heaven and earth. For three days after the ceremony, everyone who was present there should not be given anything to anyone, so as not to miss the luck received.

Map of holy places of Buryatia

Click on the picture to enlarge

How to prepare according to the rules?

Despite the differences in the rituals themselves, the preparation for them is largely similar.

It is necessary to determine exactly where and when it is carried out. Buddhist oboos are held according to auspicious dates in the lunar calendar. Find out the exact number in the local datsan.

What foods to bring Buddhists:

Strong black brewed tea without milk Rice From dairy: milk, sour cream or butter. Sweets: cookies and candies

Attention! Vodka or any other alcohol is not advised to be carried on the oboo.

Buddhists eventually refuse offerings of vodka, because they do not want to poison the spirits with alcohol, says Dymbryl-bagsha.

Don't forget to prepare chii morinas in advance

Hii morins, which people hung on Sagaalgan, lose their strength over time. Good luck prayers inscribed on hiy morins are erased under the influence of natural conditions, so they need to be renewed at the oboo rite, says Dymbryl-bagsha.

Recall that it is preferable to write one name on one hiy morin - your relative, friend, colleague or your own. They come in five colors, which color you need depends on the symbol of your year of birth, you can find out about this in the datsan of the lamas.

Don't be tied to a specific area

Contrary to stereotypes, shamans do not strictly tie rituals to the locality.

Ancestors will come to you in any case, this applies to ancestral tailgans, it is not necessary to go to the place where you were born, where your ancestors lived. The spirits of the ancestors, in any case, will hear you and respond to the call. If we are talking about an offering to the spirits of the area, then you need to go to a certain place, for example, a tailgun at Five Fingers or in honor of Bukhe Bator in Omulevka, - said Radna Dashitsyrenova, deputy chairman of the supreme shaman of Tengeri. - Dates and places of tailgans are appointed by the supreme shaman immediately after Sagaalgan.

On the tailgun, you must definitely take a blue hadak with you, symbolizing heaven.

What products to bring to shamanists:

Strong black tea with milk brewed in the morning Arrange biscuits, sweets and butter on a plate. Buy a small bottle of vodka and milk.

Bring with you a list of friends, relatives or colleagues - all those for whom you want to pray, and a fee to the shaman (any amount) that is attached to the list.

Whose boot to go?

The question often arises: on whose oboo should a person ride? Father or mother?

Of course, it is preferable to go to the ceremony in the father's homeland. However, in our country there are cases when a child grows up in an incomplete family. In this case, he needs to go to the ceremony in the homeland of the parent with whom he lives, the lamas answer.

Whose oboo should a wife go to: her native area or where her husband was born?

Here the issue is resolved simply: after marriage, a woman goes to her husband's family and, according to tradition, must follow him everywhere, including going to oboo rituals. However, there is no particular strictness here, if there is a desire, then she can visit her native village to conduct the ceremony, the lamas say.