Ancient Buddhist monasteries in Mongolia

 Ancient Buddhist monasteries in Mongolia

Gandantegchinten Monastery

"Buddhism, the main religion of Mongolia, has a long and unique history and has shaped the traditional traditions and way of life of the people of Mongolia. Buddhism was first introduced to Mongolia two thousand years ago by traders and tourists who came from India along the Silk Road. During the heyday of Buddhism, there were more than 700 Buddhist monasteries in Mongolia and more than 100,000 monks. Today, there are about 130 Buddhist monasteries and about 5,000 monks engaged in religious activities."

Emperor Genghis Khan, who built the second largest emperor in world history, should be mentioned when examining how ancient Buddhist monasteries began in Mongolia. His empire stretched over an area of ​​13.71 million square miles, from the west to Poland, a large part of Eurasia, the Middle East lavender, and much of China. Although Genghis Khan was a believer in the religion of Tengrism (the religion of ghosts and dead ancestors living in Central Asia and Eurasian grasslands), people in all countries of his empire were free to practice their own religion. Zen maintained close relations with Haiyun, a Buddhist monk, and Qiu chuji, a Taoist, and obtained their teachings. His association with Buddhist monks led to the spread of Buddhism in Mongolia.

 In 1585, Emperor Abtai Sen Khan, his grandson who came to power after Genghis Khan, instructed the construction of Erdene Zuu, the first monastery in Mongolia. The monastery is located 434 km from the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar, about 4 km from the town of Corkorin. 2 is located to the northeast. Ruins from the ancient capital of Mongolia, Karakoram, were used to build the monastery.

 Ardenzo Monastery is a monastery associated with Tibetan Buddhism. Following a discussion with the Third Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism was declared the state religion of Mongolia. Although it was originally planned to build a wall around the monastery and build 108 stupas in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, it could not be completed due to the subsequent riots and the severe repressive policies of the Communist regime. The roof of the temple is made of green tiles according to the Chinese tradition. In 1688, battles between the Dungas and the Kalka tribes caused extensive damage to the monastery. Even the wood in the monastery had been rescued by the rebels. The monastery was rebuilt in the 18th century and by 1872 62 temples had been built and enlarged to accommodate 1000 monks.

Arden Sue Monastery

In 1921, Mongolia came under Communist rule, and in 1939, Soviet Communist leader Joseph Stalin ordered the Communist ruler of Mongolia, Kologin Choibalson, to destroy all Buddhist shrines in Mongolia. The order destroyed hundreds of Buddhist shrines and killed more than 15,000 monks. Buddhism was completely banned, and some monks were forcibly recruited as workers of the communist regime and some by the Communist army.

 Only the wall with three small temples and stupas in the monastery complex had not been destroyed. There were strong international protests against the religious persecution of the communist regime. Therefore, in 1944, Joseph Stalin instructed Choibalson to reopen the monastery. Accordingly, the monastery was open only to international tourists and was restricted to international exhibitions only. This was a ploy by Henry Wallace, then Vice President of the United States, to show that religious freedom was protected under Communist rule. In 1947, the communist regime turned the temples into museums. Communist power in Mongolia collapsed in 1990, and the Lamas were able to renovate and restore the monastery. Ardenzo Monastery, one of the three largest monasteries in Mongolia, has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

 The Tovkhon Buddhist Monastery is located in central Mongolia, on the border with the provinces of Ovorkhangai and Orkhangai. 47 miles away. According to Chinese, Mongolian and Tibetan influences, the monastery was built in 1648 under the patronage of the then 14-year-old Mongolian spiritual leader Sandhasar, known as the first Jebsundamba Kutuktu. Educated in Tibet, Ven. Sanabazar returned to Mongolia in 1653 and mastered the art of painting and music, using his technical knowledge. The monastery was also destroyed in 1688 during the battles fought by the Oiral Mongol tribes against the eastern Khalkha tribes. The monastery was renovated in 1773 but was demolished again in 1930 by communist rulers. Renovation work on the monastery began in 1992 after the fall of Communist power in 1990, and by 1947 several new buildings had been erected.

 Amarbayasgalan Monastery In 1727, Emperor Enkh Amgalan Khan of the Qin Dynasty built a monastery in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar in honor of the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader Sanabazar. It is located at the foot of Mount Burenkan, 350 km away, in the Ewen Valley near the Seylan River. The monastery is built according to Chinese Mongolian and Tibetan traditions. 3730 kilograms of silver was used to finish the monastery beautifully and it is the third largest monastery complex in Mongolia. During the heyday of Buddhism, the monastery had more than 50 temples and is home to more than 6,000 monks.

 There is a very high artistic harmony in the temples built in different styles. The monastery is said to be similar to the Yangzheng Palace in Beijing. The monastery is built in a symmetrical pattern with a wall 207 meters long and 175 meters wide. In 1937, all the monks who lived here were killed by the communist rulers and the monastery was destroyed. Only the middle part of the building remained intact. The most valuable artefacts in the monastery, statues and Buddhist books were looted by the communist rulers. Renovation work on the monastery began in 1988. The financial contribution has been made by UNESCO and the devotees. In the early days the monastery had 40 temples but today there are only 28 temples. The monastery complex is built in a way that is in perfect harmony with the Dhamma and the environment.

 The main temple of the monastery is 32 meters long and wide. The rainwater collected from the roof is designed to flow inside four towers. The monastery has been under the care of the government since 1944 and has become a great religious and spiritual center for the pastoralists living in the area.

 The monastery houses the original writings on philosophy, medicine, geography, art, science, music and astronomy, as well as ancient knowledge and cultural heritage.

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