All his teaching, as Hambo Lama said, spreads in space and reaches the most different corners peace, and the incorruptible body of the great teacher has been resting in the palace of the Ivolginsky datsan for 15 years.
Last weekend, the VI international conference dedicated to this phenomenon took place in a place sacred to all Buddhists. The format of the conference was very different from what could be seen before and, as Khambo Lama Ayusheev said, “... this year we did not set a goal to gather scientists and academicians. We want the common people to be ready to understand and accept Itigelov’s teachings.” The MK correspondent looked into what messages come from there and why it is needed.
From a different angle
The phenomenon of the XII Khambo Lama Itigelov was first discussed in 2002. Now every Buddhist knows about this amazing and mystical history. In 1927, at the age of 75, having gathered his close disciples, Lama Itigelov assumed the lotus position and told his disciples that he was leaving for 1000 years. According to the will he drew up, 75 years later he was raised from the ground, and the Precious and Inexhaustible body of Hambo Lama appeared to the world - the scientific world shuddered. Outwardly, the monk was not only recognizable, but also showed all the signs of a living body: soft skin without any signs of decay, his nose, ears, eyes, fingers, and so on were preserved. They were never able to unravel the secret; the phenomenon remained unknown. In 2005, at the insistence of the head of Russian Buddhists, Khambo Lama Ayusheev, access to the incorruptible body was closed to scientists. Since then, research into the phenomenon has been carried out only within the framework of conferences organized by the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia.
If you omit everything known facts and scientific conclusions, the most important thing will remain - Itigelov’s messages that come from him to our world every day. This is what the traditional Sangha is now focusing on. Khambo Lama Ayusheev actively maintains a page on Faceebook, where he uploads the teacher’s messages translated into Russian and leaves his own comments. In addition, an active distribution policy is being pursued on other network resources. And most importantly, Itigelov’s teachings go towards China, to inner Mongolia, where datsan ministers and parishioners comprehend secret knowledge.
We receive teachings not in order to become wiser, and not for enlightenment,” said Ayusheev. - And in order to live longer. Unfortunately, a person’s life is very short, but Itigelov, having lived for 165 years, proved the opposite to us. In his teachings he says: I live a long time and therefore I give you my knowledge about life so that you repeat my path. This is what it is main meaning messages. And the fact that our acting Chapters Alexey Sambuevich will achieve enlightenment and become smarter than he is now, this is already the second. The main thing is that Alexey Tsydenov, together with Tsydenzhap Batuev (deputy of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus - Author) live long and well. If these two comrades understand, then it’s not in vain that we gathered here.
Message to the world
In Buryatia there are more than 1000 lamas who practice Buddhism, but only one receives Itigelov’s teachings - Bimba Dorzhiev, the main custodian of Hambo Lama Itigelov. For a monk this is a huge responsibility. Every day he wakes up early in the morning and comes to the palace to the incorruptible body. Every day he reads the sutra about the defenders of Itigelov, raises the mantra and performs other rituals. Then, for 20 minutes, closing his eyes, he meditates, waiting for the teaching. This is a real phenomenon that no science can explain. It can only be understood by studying the knowledge left behind. The monks of the Ivolginsky datsan began receiving teachings in 2012, during which time a huge number of them have accumulated and they all require clarification and commentary. As Khambo Lama Ayusheev himself says, each new message is a revelation: “I will tell you honestly. When I receive a message from Bimba Dorzhiev, I don’t understand anything for the first 15 minutes,” admits Ayusheev. “Then I start to think, figure things out, and understand the meaning.”
Nadezhda Berkengeym (center) gives answers to questions from the laity.
Lamas of the Ivolginsky datsan and conference participants.
The conference was conducted in sections: in Buryat, Russian, and Mongolian languages. Everyone had the opportunity to get acquainted with the messages, read them in a language they understood and discuss those points that might seem incomprehensible or were simply the most relevant or interesting. Thus, messages related to virtue aroused the greatest interest; their discussions lasted until the evening of the first day of the conference. Nevertheless, the main question remained how Itigelov’s messages could help people in our time.
One of the moderators of the Russian-speaking group was the vice-president of the “Tibetan House” in Moscow, Nadezhda Berkengeym. According to her, Bimba Lama is not the only person who receives messages from Hambo Lama: “Traditional Buddhism and many other religious movements also have their own oracles, or, better said, guides who transmit the acquired knowledge to the world. Now it’s difficult to understand how this happens; sometimes even people themselves are unable to explain these phenomena.” Nadezhda also noted that this kind of conference should be held as often as possible, and it would be even better to organize courses on studying these messages in small groups.
Lyubov Viktorovna Preshchep came to the conference from Krasnodar, she also hears Itigelov’s messages, but does not consider herself a real Buddhist: “I am a different story,” says Lyubov Viktorovna. - I never aspired to something like this, and even when the first contact occurred, there was no special desire. Everything came with time. I have been receiving messages since 2002, but I still cannot say that I am in Buddhism. The knowledge that I have gives me the opportunity to understand this or that message. Ultimately, everything depends not on the vessel in which the knowledge we receive is contained, but on what is inside it and how we understand this or that saying.
Unfortunately, the woman could not talk about exactly how the messages arrive and what Itigelov tells her, saying that this is a very broad topic and requires a lot of time. This is understandable, the question is really difficult, and few people would want to reveal their secrets.
According to Lyubov Viktorovna, Itigelov’s messages allow people to think about their lives, look at it from the other side, answer questions of interest to themselves, and even find solutions to difficult situations.
In our time, in order to come to peace and harmony not only with ourselves, but also with other people, it is necessary to force humanity to think. And it is precisely the phenomenon of Hambo Lama that invites us to think about it,” she says.
It's never too late
Gleb from Novokuznetsk. He has been visiting the Ivolginsky datsan since 2012 and came to the conference for the first time.
IN social network On facebook, I saw information that not only scientists, lamas, people of power, but also ordinary lay people - like me - can come to the sixth conference dedicated to the phenomenon of the twelfth Pandito Khambo Lama Itigelov.
Gleb does not hide the fact that he was also interested in biological miracles.
The man spent 75 years underground, but we cannot say that he died. The dead are cold, and it has body temperature, people feel the heat emanating from the body. It’s hard to believe, I wanted to see it.
At 57 years old, Gleb Dorofeev is sure that he strives for the best and it is never too late to improve himself, and in life nothing is completely lost. And teaching is like the light of a beacon that shines in any bad weather. “Have you noticed that no one here talks about Itigelov in the past tense? - the participant shares his observation. - Everyone believes that he is here with us. The scientific world got what it wanted, tests, tests, all kinds of measurements, but we, as lay people, get completely different information from meeting with teachers. I would like to say in the words of our common teacher: Buddhism is not a faith, not a philosophy - it is the freedom of the soul.”
Phenomenon
On Sunday, when the results of the conference were summed up and the resolution was signed, Khambo Lama Ayusheev, in his final speech, quoted the words of his teacher, the venerable Itigelov: “When you turn the wheel of teachings, prices in stores will decrease.”
This is what I mean,” continued Hambo Lama. - Officials don’t understand that when a real Buddhist spins the drum, prices drop for him. This happens because people understand that there is not only material, but also spiritual food. That it is much nicer and better, and helps us in later life.
The head of Russian Buddhists attended the 100th anniversary of the datsan in St. Petersburg and answered questions from Metro. Can a woman become a lama? Is Ayusheev talking to Etigelov?
Photo by Alena Bobrovich
XXIV Pandito Khambo Lama Damba Ayusheev lives in Buryatia. For the last 20 years he has headed the Buddhist Traditional Sangha (community) of Russia. Damba Ayusheev talks to the federal newspaper METRO about faith and lamas, about his fears and hopes
You were elected Hambo Lama at the age of 33. It wasn't scary at this time at a young age become the head of Russian Buddhists?
If I were older, I would think about it. And perhaps he would have refused. But at 33, I didn’t realize what was in store for me. Therefore, now I am appointing young lamas as abbots of the datsans, who do not yet understand what difficulties they will have to go through.
What is your mission?
In the revival of Buddhism, which was destroyed for 70 years Soviet power. Now I have completed my mission by 80 percent - I have restored all the datsans that existed before the revolution. But you don’t need a lot of intelligence to build a temple. The main thing is inner life. It is important that modern people rushed to the datsan. It used to be that Buddhist temples were the center of education, science, culture and religion. And now young people have many other opportunities. Moreover, if there is only one son in a family, the young man cannot be forced to take a vow of monasticism. We will push away even those who want to serve in the datsan. Therefore, now we are going with a flexible option: many lamas have families.
How long does it take to become a lama?
Graduate from a Buddhist university and live in a datsan for at least 12 years - that is, a full astrological cycle. During this time, a person gets used to being a lama. It's like in any other profession. If someone has worked as a school teacher for 12 years and then is asked to change their profession, it will be difficult to change their career. In Buryatia, we have already raised our own lamas, and now they have become teachers. Once upon a time there were a lot of Tibetans in the republic, and they still remain. They gather people and give them teaching. One day I was talking with “Tibetan students.” They told me this thing: “A Tibetan lama is a jewel, mongolian lama“is a sage, and the Buryats are a misunderstanding.” He asked them: “Who taught you, Buryats, not to love your people so much?” I am against such teachers and believe that smart lamas are in their own country, and even better - in their own datsan. And those who go on training exercises are simply not in demand in their homeland.
Can a woman become a lama?
With all due respect to women, they are not able to comprehend Buddhist philosophy. In the tantric sense, please: we have female deities. But in the philosophical sense, no. Let a woman dream of finding a llama in her son. In this case, he will pray for his mother all his life.
Now the Ivolginsky datsan in Buryatia is considered the Mecca of Russian Buddhism. There is the incorruptible body of Hambo Lama Etigelov. What has changed in the life of the republic?
We built a palace for Hambo Lama. During major holidays, we let him down into the yard and he takes part in the services. A lot of people come - each with their own questions and requests. Now the border with Mongolia has been opened, and a stream of believers is coming from there. I know that Hambo Lama helped many.
Can you talk to him?
This is my most big dream! But I only have the right to ask a very important question, and there is no such thing yet. His guardian and oracle Bimba Lama communicates with Hambo Lama and conveys his teachings to us. Someday we will be able to decipher them. I think that the significance of the teachings of a person who managed to defeat time is priceless.
Presidents, scientists, artists came to Khambo Lama Etigelov...
It's easier to say who didn't come. Of course, both Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev were there. Etigelov is a challenge for any sane person. He invites you over and asks: “Do you want to look at me and make sure that not everything in this world is as you think?”
You are a member of the Council for Interaction with Religious Associations under the President of Russia. Do you often have to communicate with Vladimir Putin?
Fortunately, no. If I converted often, it would mean that Buddhists have problems. After all, they don’t go to the president with joy.
Until 1917, all Russian emperors were considered the earthly incarnation of the goddess White Tara. Has anything changed now?
This tradition began with Catherine the Second - it was during her reign that the institution of Russian Hambo Lamas appeared. Now nothing has changed, the state still exists. The President has enormous power and has enormous responsibility. Is this given as punishment or happiness? Most likely, as a punishment, because no one becomes healthier from the burden of responsibility. So you need to cover it up.
What would you like to achieve?
Catch the emptiness. If I catch her, then I can choose who I will be in my future life. But except for Khambo Lama Etigelov, no one has succeeded in this so far.
You know who you were in past life?
No. But I know that in this life I am a failure, because I found a human body in an ocean of suffering. Figuratively speaking, I am in prison. Who cares who I was before? Much more important is how and where I get out of this prison. Buddhists should live not in the past, but in the present - then the future awaits us.
I found what I was looking for
One of the places of pilgrimage in Buryatia is a stone with the face of the dancing goddess Yanzhima - the patroness of motherhood, arts, sciences and wisdom. Who became the discoverer of Yanzhima?
I have known about this stone in the Barguzin region for many years. Local residents found a pyramid depicting a thousand Buddhas next to the boulder. Everyone thought that it was here that the statues of the Barguzin datsan, destroyed during the years of Soviet power, were buried. I also came there with these thoughts. For several hours the local residents and I tried to move the stones. As a result, we found out that there was nothing there. I got angry and kicked Burkhan. And when he raised his eyes, he saw the face of the goddess Yanzhima appearing on the stone. People who were nearby also saw her.
“I found what I was looking for,” I said. It turned out that the lama, who left an identification mark in the form of a pyramid near the stone, pointed his descendants precisely to this face. One local man remarked: “But she looks like she’s pregnant...”
Then I asked which villages were nearby. It turned out that one of the villages during the USSR became a record holder for the birth rate of children. And the other is the birthplace of many famous Buryat politicians, artists and athletes. This means that Yanzhima helps in childbirth, and is also the goddess of arts, sciences and wisdom.
Some see her dancing, others see her pregnant. Now believers come here not only from Buryatia. They come from all regions of Russia, European countries, from China. Many then return to show the goddess Yanzhima their children
Personal matter. "It's better to have a dirty face but a clean stomach"
You live in a very modest residence on the territory of the Ivolginsky datsan. Would you like to move to a more comfortable conditions?
I practically never do. I used to be in search. Studied in Mongolia. In India I went to all the holy places of Buddha, I was in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Japan. But after the return of Hambo Lama Etigelov, there is no need for this. I found everything I was looking for. Let them come to us now - after all, any normal Buddhist wants to see Hambo Lama Etigelov.
Do you see doctors?
No. I believe that the best medicine is hot boiled water in the morning before breakfast. We wash our body and face, right? And when we drink boiling water, we wash our body from the inside. I'd rather have a dirty face but a clean stomach. Although ideally you need to keep everything clean. I live by this principle.
Khambo Lama Damba Ayusheev: “My dear relatives, learn to respect yourself and learn to be proud of yourself.” This is the appeal to the head of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia, the largest association of Buddhist communities in our country.
Damba Ayusheev has held this position since 1995. He is one of those about whom legends are made and songs are sung. People love Ayusheev, but Buddhist intellectuals, not so much. He is too much of a peasant on the throne, not an esthete, not enough spirituality. The Russian Reporter correspondent listened to Hambo Lama for five hours and was not at all tired. The features of logic and speech of the country's main Buddhist are left unchanged.
Prologue
“I can’t pretend to be smart.” Buddhism is a living religion, we should speak normally. When I stop joking, I become boring to myself. Making yourself smarter than you are - we have many more such people, you know. It’s better if they think I’m a fool.
About bodhichite and enlightenment
“If you haven’t done anything bad in your life, if your life was right, this is not a guarantee that you will go to heaven.” This is not enough. My Buddhism is different. I say: help people. All the Buddha's teachings are about this. When everything is right, it means wrong. When everything is good, it is bad. Well, what did you want? Or maybe I should say something else? Practice bothichita, cultivate some qualities in yourself for enlightenment. You don’t need much intelligence here at all.
The most important thing: I do not rely on Buddha. Do you know why? I don't have a god. Buddha will definitely not come. Do you know why I'm a Buddhist? Do you know why I will follow Buddha all my life and not be disappointed in it? Do you know? Because I will never catch up with him. But I will follow the best, the strongest man of civilization. I am the one who follows Buddha. I don’t have time to prove that I’m good, that I’m gentle or sensitive - I have to go, I have to help people.
About the dignity of the people
Hambo Lama was asked: how many Buddhist believers are there now?
- Oh, I don't know. This is an interesting question. We are such a mysterious people, we don’t know how many people are drilling on earth. And if I suddenly find out, I’ll die right away. But my people have the responsibility. If my people live well, it means that here, from the Irkutsk to the Amur regions, there is calm and peace. This is what I am responsible for.
We are used to thinking of ourselves as who? Third-rate. What do we say here? The Tibetan lama is a jewel, the Mongolian lama is a smart girl, and the Buryat lama is a misunderstanding. 80% of our intellectuals say so. My dear relatives, learn to respect yourself and learn to be proud of yourself. When you are near Hambo Lama Itigelov, be worthy of him. In general, I want to say that every nation considers itself worthy, every nation respects its values and has support within itself.
About Orthodoxy and parallels
- If I had the right to appoint heads of districts, half of these heads would not have passed - I would have checked them for lice. If he has a cool car, I would immediately chase him with a filthy broom. But they would have quickly realized and arrived on the Zaporozhets. Some officials come to me and say: “I’m Orthodox, I want to find a parallel.” I say: “Get out of here with your parallels. You don’t understand anything about Orthodoxy, you fool. You also want to understand Buddhism! Get out of here."
You respect your religion and respect mine. Don't talk down to me, don't. I am a Buddhist, I am not afraid of death. And if I'm not afraid of death, I'm not afraid of anything.
About the great Russian people
— Russians themselves are an experimental people. Everything bad that happens in the world will definitely pass through Russia. Whatever idea appears in the world, it will definitely come to Russia and will definitely end in either a revolution or some kind of crisis. This great people.
What's the worst thing about us? The space is huge. Any good idea, which originated in Primorye, will die by the time it reaches Moscow. Any idea that arises in Moscow, until it reaches Vladivostok... We do not hear each other. Let’s do it this way: we’ll send the Russians to Germany, and we’ll bring the Germans here. Let them try to live in such territories: they will survive - they will not survive. Well, just experimental.
For some reason, many Russians inside are now a little weaker. Why do we have nationalism? He comes when the people weaken and begin to be afraid. And when a person is healthy, this does not exist at all. I believe that this is nationalism. If a nation is healthy, it has no time for this.
About Putin and White Tara
The teacher asked: what do you think about Putin?
“When they ask me why I don’t go against our head, I say: “I can’t go, because he is White Tara for me, I can’t go against my goddess.” A man who has power over one-sixth of the earth's land mass, who can start a war with one button - this man has enormous power. It's ten times worse for him than for me.
I should help him, and not say: let’s change him, if I don’t like him, we’ll appoint someone else. This is the easiest thing. And when people tell me:
“Who do you love more, the Dalai Lama or the President?” - I say: “Listen, dear comrades, who feeds me, who gives my old people money - a foreign big lama or the president of the country?”
They say to me: “But our president is Russian, not a Buddhist.” What difference does it make to me? I respect this person and I respect this position. De facto and de jure, today I serve President Putin. Medvedev will become president again, and I will serve him. If Zyuganov becomes president, I will be forced to serve him.
And don’t say: “Why are you so boring, you have no imagination!” There are 500 thousand Buryats behind me, and you want me to risk them? It doesn’t take much intelligence to say that I great man, and throw people to the slaughter. I'm not saying that I'm afraid of anyone. I can't be scared. I can answer in such a way that it will not seem a little.
If some new president of the Republic of Buryatia comes here, fine, go and take command. Just remember one thing: I won’t ask you for anything. You will soon ask me for peace and - what? And peace.
Olga Andreeva
Pandito Hambo Lama translated from Tibetan means “respected great teacher" This is the appeal to the head of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia, the largest association of Buddhist communities in our country. Damba Ayusheev has held this position since 1995. He is one of those about whom legends are made and songs are sung. People love Ayusheev, but Buddhist intellectuals, not so much. He is too much of a peasant on the throne, not an esthete, not enough spirituality. The RR correspondent listened to Hambo Lama for five hours and was not at all tired. The features of logic and speech of the country's main Buddhist are left unchanged.
Prologue
Hambo Lama said:
I can't pretend to be smart. Buddhism is a living religion, we should speak normally. When I stop joking, I become boring to myself. Making yourself smarter than you are - we have many more such people, you know. It’s better if they think I’m a fool.
About what it's worth noble husband
Hambo Lama was asked: is there an idea of an ideal state in Buddhism?
In Buddhism there is about ideal person performance,” the teacher answered. - At one time, Nagarjuna wrote a letter to Raja Udayana. He said, “To lead a country, a person must possess the seven jewels.” When I communicate with leaders, I think about those seven qualities. The lowest thing a person has is the mind. Only a collective farm fool can tell her children: I wish you were smart. Such a Buryat woman should be driven out of our society with a filthy broom.
If a person puts his mind above everything, what does he become? All the dictators who headed our states had intelligence. Nobody will say that Hitler was a fool. These were smart people, they managed to destroy entire nations and entire countries. The mind is the last of the jewels.
Behind it stands the conscience of a person. Conscience is when he controls himself. How he feels about himself. Shame follows. I arrive in the village in a jeep, dressed in lordly clothes. I walk around and say: I can buy you, I can sell you. What does such a person have? No shame.
Behind shame comes the desire to learn. Here I am talking to Seryoga, saying interesting things, but I don’t see any fire in Seryoga’s eyes. The person doesn't want to learn. Behind the desire to learn comes spiritual wealth. A person must be generous. If he is not generous, he is not a great man.
Above generosity is an oath. If I blurted out that I would kill him, I should kill him. An official comes and says: I promise to build a water supply system in your village. Yeah, he was chosen, five years later he comes and what does he say? Choose me again, right? Someone blurted out: you promised running water but didn’t deliver. He gave his word! And he is chosen again.
But the highest thing there is is faith. Intelligence, conscience, shame, desire to learn, spiritual wealth, oath and faith - this is not there: this bad person.
About man and woman
Hambo Lama said:
How is a man different from a woman? When a woman takes, she does not think that she will lose. I found a husband, bought a car - everything, life was good. But a man, before he takes something, he must think: what will I give for this? If I give much more than I take, then I don't take it.
Once again about the noble husband
The teacher asked:
Who is the head of the Eravninsky district today?
Shagdarov.
Shagdarov is Songolian. Because the people chose him. Do you agree, right? And, for example, Nagovitsyn, the head of Buryatia, is a talangut, that is, appointed. And I am Songol, I was chosen by the people to spread the teachings of Buddha, I am chosen for this. You can only become a Songol. You can be born a Horitumat, but you can be an Irkutsk Buryat - please be born. But you cannot be born a Songol. And then, over time, we will call our republic Songol. A?
You understand correctly, a normal Buddhist is also... I, for example, am not going to live here further, on this earth. I’m not going to be born back and become the nephew of our Khandayev (Deputy Minister of Construction of the Republic of Belarus, convicted of embezzlement of state funds - “RR”) - why do I need such a punishment? Only a fool would want to return to the human body and go through this school again, kindergarten. There are other places besides our poor land, and that's for sure good places. The whole world is like our desire. Millions of people once said that there is heaven. And a person’s desire - it materializes.
I am rude, unceremonious, I cannot speak intelligently. I can swear. But I will not betray my ideals, my history. Sorry.
About Bodhichita and Enlightenment
Hambo Lama said:
If you have not done anything wrong in your life, if your life has been correct, this is not a guarantee that you will go to heaven. This is not enough. My Buddhism is different. I say: help people. All the Buddha's teachings are about this. When everything is right, it means wrong. When everything is good, it is bad. Well, what did you want? Or maybe I should say something else? Practice bothichita, cultivate some qualities in yourself for enlightenment. You don’t need much intelligence here at all.
The most important thing: I do not rely on Buddha. Do you know why? I don't have a god. Buddha will definitely not come. Do you know why I'm a Buddhist? Do you know why I will follow Buddha all my life and not be disappointed in it? Do you know? Because I will never catch up with him. But I will follow the best, the strongest man of civilization. I am the one who follows Buddha. I don’t have time to prove that I’m good, that I’m gentle or sensitive - I have to go, I have to help people.
About the dignity of the people
Hambo Lama was asked: how many Buddhist believers are there now?
Oh, I don't know. This is an interesting question. We are such a mysterious people, we don’t know how many people are drilling on earth. And if I suddenly find out, I’ll die right away. But my people have the responsibility. If my people live well, it means that here, from the Irkutsk to the Amur regions, there is calm and peace. This is what I am responsible for.
We are used to thinking of ourselves as who? Third-rate. What do we say here? A Tibetan lama is a jewel, a Mongolian lama is a smart girl, and a Buryat lama is a misunderstanding. 80% of our intellectuals say so. My dear relatives, learn to respect yourself and learn to be proud of yourself. When you are near Hambo Lama Itigelov, be worthy of him. In general, I want to say that every nation considers itself worthy, every nation respects its values and has support within itself.
About Orthodoxy and parallels
The teacher said:
If I had the right to appoint heads of districts, half of these heads would not have passed - I would have checked them for lice. If he has a cool car, I would immediately chase him with a filthy broom. But they would have realized quickly and arrived in a Zaporozhets. Some officials come to me and say: “I’m Orthodox, I want to find a parallel.” I say: “Get out of here with your parallels. You don’t understand anything about Orthodoxy, you fool,” I say. - You also want to understand Buddhism! Get out of here."
You respect your religion and respect mine. Don't talk down to me, don't. I am a Buddhist, I am not afraid of death. And if I'm not afraid of death, I'm not afraid of anything.
About the good and the beautiful
Hambo Lama said:
Who are the Japanese fighting for at their competitions? For the Japanese Emperor. Mongols are fighting for the President of Mongolia.
What are our people fighting for? - asked the teachers.
For Buddha! I will fight for Shakyamuni Buddha. That's the idea. The goal is to have the most wonderful idea. The Japanese are a Buddhist country. Mongols are a Buddhist country. But they are fighting for identity. And you will fight for the good, for the beautiful.
About the Buryats
The teacher was asked: what needs to be done to Buryat people became great?
I have never seen in my life more stupid than these Buryat people. Imagine: the Buryats, our ancestors, created the great Buryat breed of sheep, a breed of horses, cows, and dogs. And thanks to these animals, in these unimaginable conditions, in forty-degree frost, we survived. And imagine: the communists came, and in just 40 years the bastard Buryats lost their sheep because they needed merino. These Buryats will say that the Yakuts are a little stupid. Chukchi and Evenki what? They froze there. But all these peoples - they did not give up their reindeer. The only people, who bent over so that his back became round, is you, Buryats.
So write: Irkutsk Buryats are cave communists-shamanists. Buddha Shakyamuni showed a miracle, demonstrated his unearthly capabilities. If he did not have such capabilities, his teaching would have long been what? It would be lost, right? Just as much as the Chinese promote their Confucius, the Greeks promoted Aristotle. The Germans - Nietzsche along with Hitler. And where are these smart people? But if people need Buddha’s teachings after three thousand years, it’s probably worth thinking about. The Irkutsk Buryats, who run after the shaman, as in cave communism, are probably worth thinking about.
In our republic we have a problem with the Khori-Buryats. Why? Because the Khorin dialect, which is taken as a basis, which starts with “ha,” is the smallest dialect among the Mongolian people. Today, only 300 thousand Buryats speak it. Whereas six million Mongolians speak “sa,” you know? It is easier for the Selenga Buryats, who are sakaya, to speak, for example, with the Mongols. And the Khorin Buryats cannot talk to anyone. The question is asked: these 300 thousand Buryats, well, can they have an influence on the saplings? They can't. And today the Buryats are losing their language. What to do? My opinion is to transfer everyone to the pricking dialect. Keep in mind, I'm going against my people. I'm a hacker.
About Buryats and sheep
And then the Hambo Lama was asked again: what needs to be done for the Buryat people to become great?
The only animal that will save my people is the ram. Why? When the time of Maitreya comes, a person's body will be as big as an elbow, and life on earth will last no more than ten years. All animals will fall and lose height. The only animal that will retain its height, strength and power is the ram.
Why? There was experience in Semipalatinsk. A nuclear bomb was detonated. And there was one sloppiness: they did not notice the flock. Normal Soviet roteness. Well, of course, the nuclear explosion swept away everything. And when, three days later, they took off in a helicopter and began to fly over the site of this defeat, they, to their surprise, found a flock. They drove it in and began to examine it. And when everyone was examined, they were surprised: the meat of the sheep was not contaminated, although they breathed contaminated air and drank contaminated water. Why? Because a sheep's intestine is 46 meters long, and as long as food goes through it, everything stays there. And when it reaches the brain, there is nothing there.
About Buryats and cows
And for the third time the teacher was asked: what needs to be done for the Buryat people to become great?
I told one Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Russia: the billion population achieved by China and India depends on only one animal - the cow. The Chinese don't drink cow's milk, and the Indians don't eat meat; there's no point in keeping a cow. And they reached a billion people.
Why can't we become as numerous? Because we eat this beef. And according to Buddhism, according to the knowledge of the invisible world, it is believed that a celestial woman sits on a cow, who protects the mother’s womb. This means that if a person eats beef, his family will disappear, women will stop giving birth. I told the minister: if you want the population of Russia to increase, remove the beef, just remove the beef. If you want to say that the Chinese and Indians are fools, then tell them directly.
About the great Russian people
Hambo Lama said:
Russians themselves are an experimental people. Everything bad that happens in the world will definitely pass through Russia. Whatever idea appears in the world, it will definitely come to Russia and will definitely end in either a revolution or some kind of crisis. This is a great people.
What's the worst thing about us? The space is huge. Any good idea that arose in Primorye will die by the time it reaches Moscow. Any idea that arises in Moscow, until it reaches Vladivostok... We do not hear each other. Let’s do it this way: we’ll send the Russians to Germany, and we’ll bring the Germans here. Let them try to live in such territories: they will survive - they will not survive. Well, just experimental.
For some reason, many Russians inside are now a little weaker. Why do we have nationalism? He comes when the people weaken and begin to be afraid. And when a person is healthy, this does not exist at all. I believe that this is nationalism. If a nation is healthy, it has no time for this.
About Putin and White Tara
The teacher asked: what do you think about Putin?
Hambo Lama thought and said:
When they ask me why I don’t go against our leader, I say: “I can’t go because he is White Tara for me, I can’t go against my goddess.” A man who has power over one sixth of the landmass of the earth, who can start a war with one button - this man has enormous power. It's ten times worse for him than for me.
I should help him, and not say: let’s change him, if I don’t like him, we’ll appoint someone else. This is the easiest thing. And when people say to me: “Who do you love more, the Dalai Lama or the President?” - I say: “Listen, dear comrades, who feeds me, who gives my old people money - a foreign big lama or the president of the country?”
They say to me: “But our president is Russian, not a Buddhist.” What difference does it make to me? I respect this person and I respect this position. De facto and de jure, today I serve President Putin. Medvedev will become president again, and I will serve him. If Zyuganov becomes president, I will be forced to serve him. And don’t say: “Why are you so boring, you have no imagination!” There are 500 thousand Buryats behind me, and you want me to risk them? It doesn’t take much intelligence to say that I am a great person and throw people to the slaughter. I'm not saying that I'm afraid of anyone. I can't be scared. I can answer in such a way that it will not seem a little.
If some new president of the Republic of Buryatia comes here, fine, go and take command. Just remember one thing: I won’t ask you for anything. You will soon ask me for peace and - what? And peace.
About the search for emptiness
The teacher said:
Do you know why Buddhists can talk about everything? The ultimate goal of a Buddhist is to catch emptiness. Not to see it, not to feel it, but to catch it. How can you catch emptiness that you will never see? And when the question of emptiness begins, it turns out that there is nothing right.
Everything we say is empty words. Every thing is empty in its essence. Why, it turns out, did I study? To understand the emptiness. And to understand emptiness, your mental effort alone, the ability to recite mantras, is not enough. The accumulation of good deeds is necessary, then the door to emptiness will open. Or it may not open at all. The Dalai Lama himself said: “I have not seen a person who has caught emptiness.” Why? Because the one who caught the void will never say it.
Press service of the Sangha of Russia
Tatyana Troyanskaya is in the studio, and I will now greet our guests. Opposite me is Nina Kochelyaeva, director of the New Institute of Cultural Studies, executive director of the project, i.e. the film we are going to talk about today. Hello!
Kochelyaeva N.
Hello!
Troyanskaya T.
Anastasia Razlogova, general director of the Kamer-Ton-Film-Rus company and general producer of the film we will talk about, as well as the general partner of the project.
Razlogova A.
Good afternoon
Troyanskaya T.
And Alla Namsaraeva, head of the press service of the Ivolginsky datsan and chief consultant of the project and film that we will talk about. Allah, good afternoon!
Namsaraeva A.
Good afternoon
Troyanskaya T.
And now about the film itself. This new picture, a film-study of traditional Russian Buddhism as a factor in the harmonious interaction of different ethnic groups and cultures based on materials from the life of Khambo Lama Etigelov. And you are filming a film dedicated to Hambo Lama Etigelov, you are doing this. Well, first I must say that Khambo Lama Etigelov is known as the incorruptible lama, and Alla has just begun to correct me that I am expressing myself incorrectly: “incorruptible lama” - they don’t say that.
Namsaraeva A.
Yes, Tatyana, this has already become a stable expression, but it is wrong. Because it is incorruptible, of course - there was no process of decay. In Buryat they call it “Erdeni Munhe Bee”, and if we translate it into Russian, it sounds like “Precious inexhaustible body”. This is how it was in 2002, when he was taken out of the sarcophagus in which he had been underground for 75 years, and all his joints worked and still work the same way, and his skin turgor is soft. This is what I am now saying in these terms - it was written down, according to our rules, according to Russian laws, in the act of exhumation. But the pathologists who conducted this study, they, of course, were as amazed as all the other people. Because he spent 75 years, as I already said, in this sarcophagus. He lived seventy-five years before and was the head of Russian Buddhists at the beginning of the 20th century. Those. at that time he was 150 years old, last year he turned 165 years old.
Troyanskaya T.
Those. for 15 years now, it turns out he’s been with us?
Namsaraeva A.
He is with us, yes. There are some euphemisms that say, somehow define, “he is with us,” “he has returned,” “he has come.” Because neither science nor Buddhism as such can say how to correctly designate the state in which he is, because it is unknown to both. And when, for example, the Dalai Lama was asked, please comment, and Lama Etigelov came. The Dalai Lama said that I cannot comment on this state because I have never been in this state, and you can comment on it only when you have already experienced it.
Troyanskaya T.
Those. it turns out that no one can comment on this condition, because no one living today has experienced this condition?
Namsaraeva A.
Yes. And in fact, a lot, not a lot, but how many films have been made about him?
Razlogova A.
There are several films about him, this documentaries. Starting from the moment when he was just taken out, it was all filmed on video, and it all went into the film “The Message of Khambo Lama,” the very first film about Etigelov. And, in fact, then this chronicle was used everywhere, it is on the Internet, and those films that already exist about him are of a narrative nature. They talk about his life, about his contribution to Russian statehood and Russian Buddhism.
Troyanskaya T.
I think, Nina, you will tell us how your film actually differs from the films that already exist.
Kochelyaeva N.
Well, first of all, I want to say that the film has a working title, and the working title is very different from the project title that we know. Because the project itself includes two components, the first part is research, on the basis of which an analytical report is being prepared on the role of Russian traditional Buddhism as a factor of harmonious interaction with various religions, ethnic groups and culture of Russia. We all know that Russia is a multinational, multi-ethnic, multi-confessional country, and in this sense, it is important for us to identify those characteristics of Buddhism that are very productive. Because when Buddhism comes to a particular area, it does not rebuild it, but it somehow adapts to this area, including everything that came before it. Those. this is very interesting feature Buddhism, which does not break culture, but which tries to adapt...
Troyanskaya T.
Dissolves.
Kochelyaeva N.
Or he penetrates these cultures himself. This is so very important feature, which Buddhism is different from, and for us it is such a very important beacon. As for the film, it has a working title, perhaps it will be adjusted during the filming process, for now we call it tentatively “The Etigelov Phenomenon. The mystery of the Buryat lama." And, of course, we would not like to go down the already beaten path when creating this film, we would like to look for other structures. A lot of films were shot in narrative genre, in this very linear genre, when it tells where Hambo Lama Etigelov comes from, as a rule, all these films begin with the rise of his body, with this sensation. But when we were in Ulan-Ude, on the first expedition, and were talking, we had a large round table in National Library Buryatia, and one of the participants in this round table asked, in my opinion, one of the key questions: if the figure of Khambo Lama Etigelov is removed, what will remain, around what will this project be structured? And the project will be structured, it seems to me, in people’s perception, the lamas’ perception of this phenomenon, the perception of the residents of Buryatia, and perhaps, in part, by the residents of Russia, because Buddhism is quite widespread. Now we are filming in St. Petersburg in several key places connected with Etigelov’s life - this and State Museum history of religion, and Russian ethnographic museum, who gladly became partners of the project, already at this stage.
Troyanskaya T.
And datsan, of course.
Kochelyaeva N.
And now the filming is taking place in the St. Petersburg datsan, so the director of the film, Elena Demidova, is not with us on the air right now. And what is very important for us is the not so pragmatic side of the issue related to forensic examination or some such things that, it seems to me, somewhat reduce the intensity, they can be interesting as some kind of enticing thing. It is very important for us to try to decipher certain spiritual structures, and it is no coincidence that our partner is the Buddhist Traditional Sankha of Russia; we are very grateful to them for the fact that they undertook to help us with this project. And the Buddhist University in Ivolginsky Datsan provides such constant supervision of this project. It is very important for us to structure the film according to a different principle, and on the advice of Khambo Lama Ayusheev, the current Pandito Khambo Lama, we base it on Etigelov’s messages. These are special texts that are given every day, maybe Alla will tell you about this in more detail.
Troyanskaya T.
What are messages and how do they appear, these messages.
Namsaraeva A.
Messages or teachings - that's what they are called. And the acting Khambo Lama, which Nina has already spoken about, the XXIV Pandito Khambo Lama Damba Ayusheev, he just drew our attention to them when we talked to him, before starting work on this project, on this film. He says that now all Buddhists live according to the teachings that Buddha gave, but that was 2600 years ago, or that Nagarjuna gave, it was the 5th century - this is a great scientist who lived 600 years, by the way. And Tsonghawa is the one who is the founder of the Gelug line, Yellow-Capped Buddhism, and this was the 14th-15th centuries, - i.e. this all happened a very long time ago, and we are familiar with these teachings, already translated and rewritten. We now have the opportunity to receive certain teachings, certain messages from Hambo Lama Etigelov. The fact is that Hambo Lama Etigelov was not just raised at one moment with his sarcophagus together. In 1999, this happened for the first time, when one of the lamas of the Ivolginsky datsan, Bimba Lama Dorzhiev, began to appear in meditation to a certain lama, who began to say that he needed to be taken out, literally from the cemetery. And he went to the abbot of his datsan, and they went together to Khambo Lama, and Khambo Lama scolded them. Because for Buddhists, going to a cemetery, much less carrying out an exhumation, is completely unrealistic. Buddhists try not to go to cemeteries, women never go there at all, even to bury - it is believed that a woman is the keeper of the hearth of the home, and she should not appear in such places. Men go to bury and that’s it, because for Buddhists who believe in reincarnation, it is believed that the body is a shell, consciousness has come out of the shell...
Troyanskaya T.
And the body no longer matters.
Namsaraeva A.
Yes, yes. And then consciousness moves, reincarnates into some new body and continues to develop there. And then he (Hambo Lama Damba Ayusheev) told them, look for some facts that will lead you to the fact that there really is someone there, someone is waiting for us there. And for three years in a row, Bimba Lama, together with the Sheerete Lama at that time, the abbot of the Ivolginsky datsan, Dagba Lama, went in this way to the head of Russian Buddhists. They found some indirect evidence, but then the mother of one of the big lamas died, she happened to come from this area, they went to this cemetery. Khambo Lama said, well, well, since I’m here, it was in 2002, in September, he said, well, let me go there already. And he came to this place. Well, Buddhists always say, you need to see the signs, i.e. he saw some signs that were there, and he approached this place, and his grandfather, who was once a boy and went to this place with his dad and saw how Etigelov was raised and lowered again, he said, yes, yes, you got it all right. And then they found relatives, but indirect relatives, because Hambo Lama Etigelov was a monk, but he had brothers and sisters, they had children and grandchildren, and these great-nephews were found, who gave permission for exhumation.
Troyanskaya T.
Those. Did you just find it, or was there some kind of sign there?
Namsaraeva A.
There were signs. The fact is that in Buryatia there is such a terrain in that area, such small hills, and if laypeople are buried, they are buried lower, but lamas were either burned or buried higher. And there in this place lay a stone that made the watershed so that spring waters they walked around this place so that this sarcophagus, a cedar sarcophagus, would not become saturated with water. And three plants grew there, medicinal plants that are not found in nature in one place. The current Hambo Lama is a healer by his Lama specialization, and he knows perfectly well where everything grows in Buryatia, and he knows that these three plants are never found even nearby, let alone growing from the same place. And then he said, yes, I believe, and they started pestering him. But in fact, as it turned out, Hambo Lama Etigelov was harassed by lamas in this way both in 1955 and in 1973. In 1955, well, as the Buddhists say again, you need to see the signs, there were big winds, hurricanes, and the roofs of houses were blown away, and then they said that he was calling on the element of the wind, and they went to him, got him, performed a ritual, and again they put him there.
Troyanskaya T.
Well, that is. didn't open the sarcophagus?
Namsaraeva A.
They opened it.
Troyanskaya T.
Did you reveal it? And nothing surprised them?
Namsaraeva A.
No, they were not surprised, because he left a will when he left himself in this state, and they knew that those lamas were alive who knew that he left himself in this state. And in 1973, two years in a row, in 1972 and 1973 there were large floods, i.e. he called with the element of water. And already to beginning of XXI century, these old lamas have not remained. By the way, in the KGB archives there is, in my opinion, a document from 1955, which says that the lamas went to their idol, took it out, dug it up, performed a ritual and buried it back.
Troyanskaya T.
There is a fact.
Namsaraeva A.
And by the beginning of the 21st century nothing was said about this. I asked Hambo Lama a question: why? I believed that such facts, out-of-the-ordinary facts, should have been reported from one Hambo Lama to another.
Troyanskaya T.
Transmit.
Namsaraeva A.
Yes, how the nuclear briefcase is passed from president to president. But at some point they stopped reporting this.
Troyanskaya T.
It is not clear why this was?
Namsaraeva A.
Hambo Lama said that, most likely, they thought that if necessary, they would find out themselves, and if it was not necessary, then they did not need to know. Well, that’s how they got it and transported it to the Ivolginsky datsan, and there was a lot of talk that it would deteriorate there, in the air, you opened this sarcophagus, you got it out. And time passes, a special palace was built for him, in which he is constantly located, and he remains there. And this year he will be 16 years old, and he stays there all the time; eight times a year he is transferred to the main temple of the Ivolginsky datsan for large prayer services. And he, along with the lamas, participates in these prayer services, people come to him to worship.
Troyanskaya T.
Everyone knows that President Vladimir Putin goes there, right?
Namsaraeva A.
In 2011, the president was in the Ivolginsky datsan. It was like this interesting point, he met with Etigelov twice that time. The first time he met him was when he was first brought in; a special throne was erected for him to communicate with Hambo Lama Etigelov. And then, when he had such a planned meeting with the abbots, with the current Hambo Lama, after that he stood up and said: “We must say goodbye to the Hambo Lama.” And everyone thought that he wanted to say goodbye to Hambo Lama Ayusheev, and they began to leave. And the president took it, went out and went to the palace - he meant that he needed to say goodbye to Hambo Lama Etigelov.
Troyanskaya T.
Well, the question for the messages is, how did they appear?
Namsaraeva A.
Somewhere from 2008, since Bimba Lama, to whom all this appeared in meditation, he became the main custodian of Hambo Lama Etigelov. He gets up every morning, and, as usual, the lamas place their offerings before the Buddha before the altar every morning - he also places these offerings in front of Etigelov and conducts a prayer service. And Hambo Lama told him, well, if you have some kind of connection with him, well, ask him some question. And they tried to establish some kind of mental connection. In 2008, some such messages began to come from him, but they began to come on an ongoing basis in 2012. I spoke with both Bimba Lama and Khambo Lama about how this all happens. Bimba Lama enters this meditative state and a certain thought form appears before him, he must only have time to remember what was in this picture, what action was there, what was said, and write it down. Since Etigelov is Buryat by nationality, he native language Buryat, he speaks it all in Buryat language, and Bimba Lama writes in Buryat. Then he brings this to the current head of the Buddhists of Russia, Hambo Lama takes it all, comprehends it, opens his Facebook...
Troyanskaya T.
It's funny, yes, new technologies and Hambo Lama. Kirill, the patriarch, doesn’t have Facebook.
Namsaraeva A.
Well, here are the advanced Buddhists. And Hambo Lama opens his Facebook and first types this message in the Buryat language in the Buryat language and gives his comment on it. And then, after two, three or four hours, he translates it into Russian and also gives his commentary. And this is not always a literal translation. Sometimes, given the different structure of the language, a different mentality, he makes some accents in order to better explain what it was.
Troyanskaya T.
And these messages, as I understand it, are also present in the film, right?
Kochelyaeva N.
Yes, through Alla we all the time receive messages from the current Hambo Lama, messages not of this kind, he expresses himself more literally, but so to speak, wishes on how to structure the film. It seems to me that a very interesting move was found - to structure the film around the messages of Hambo Lama Etigelov. Because we shoot a lot, in different places, we shoot historical things related to Hambo Lama Etigelov, because, being a museum expert by training, it seems to me very important to find objects, to find facts that once existed. But we wanted to structure the entire film around the messages of Hambo Lama Etigelov, opening each chapter of the film with them.
Troyanskaya T.
Well, you know, I read the messages, to be honest, they are very difficult to understand. You will explain them or they will appear in the film and only then what happens next will explain what is in the message.
Razlogova A.
This is what the director must decide, how he will reveal these messages.
Kochelyaeva N.
Absolutely fair point. Here it seems to me that neither producers nor executive directors of projects, in this creative process should not interfere.
Troyanskaya T.
Which continues, I'm talking about the creative process, and which we will return to soon. We continue our conversation about the new film, about Khambo Lama Etigelov, and the filming period is underway now, and the film will be... When, by the way, will it be ready?
Kochelyaeva N.
We plan to finish the painting by mid-July. Filming will have already been completed, editing of the film will be completed and post-production will be completed. This is our plan, quite tough, because I must say that we are working with the support of the Presidential Grants Fund, and, naturally...
Troyanskaya T.
It is no coincidence that Vladimir Vladimirovich went to see the Hambo Lama.
Kochelyaeva N.
Yes. And naturally, when you carry out some project for which money is given, you are obliged to follow a clear plan, and before you submit an application, you are obliged to develop this plan, starting from a plan related to travel, consultations, filming, film preparation and ending with film promotion. Because it is very important that both the film and the report that we are preparing, because from our previous stories it may seem that only the film is such integral part project...
Well, because we, potential viewers, will see the film.
Kochelyaeva N.
Undoubtedly. The report will be read, I hope, by students of humanities universities; it is being prepared for mass distribution, and I hope it will be used. Because it is very important to show not only the Etigelov phenomenon, but to show the role and significance of Buddhism in general. And there will be considered the social practices of Buddhism, and the history of Buddhism, and many other things that, in general, will be left out of the film. Therefore, these are two complementary structures. And the film, of course, will be more lively, more vibrant and, naturally, designed for a larger number of readers and viewers, since the report will be designed for such a rather special audience associated with the teaching of humanities and the teaching of humanities - cultural studies, history of religion etc.
Troyanskaya T.
In this case, I have a question for the general producer of the film, Anastasia Razlogova, who must say where the film will be shown at the festival and when mere mortals, i.e. will we see this picture?
Razlogova A.
Well, as Nina Aleksandrovna already said, we have a clear plan, which we submitted to the fund even before we knew whether we would receive a grant or not. And according to this plan, the film should be shown at the Window to Europe film festival in Vyborg, where the premiere should take place. And then the film will be shown on several more Russian festivals. It will definitely be shown on television, we really hope that the Culture channel will show it.
Troyanskaya T.
Those. most likely this is Culture?
Razlogova A.
Yes. And it will definitely be shown in cinemas, this is also an obligatory part of our plan.
Troyanskaya T.
Will there be a rental?
Razlogova A.
There will be a so-called limited release, which we will try to make as wide a limited release as possible. These will definitely be film clubs, and VGIK and the Guild of Non-Fiction Film and Television, our partners, will help us with this. But these will also be central large cities - St. Petersburg, Moscow definitely, and other cities. Buryatia is one hundred percent where we will do special screenings, and we will try to do them together with the director, and we will try to present and distribute the report simultaneously with the screenings. This is one of ours main tasks- namely the distribution of this film.
Troyanskaya T.
In general, if we talk about shows, it is possible to show it independently or still immerse yourself in the context, i.e. Is there some kind of introduction at the beginning or is the film an independent unit? It is clear that the film is still being filmed, it is difficult to say, but nevertheless?
Razlogova A.
Well, generally speaking, a film should be such an independent unit, i.e. it should convey completely everything we would like to say, without additional explanation. But when there is a director, when there are creators, of course, it is more interesting, viewers can ask questions. Moreover, the theme is this: someone knows about Etigelov, and someone doesn’t know at all, and this film needs to be made in such a way that any viewer...
Troyanskaya T.
So that everyone can understand.
Razlogova A.
- ... could understand and realize what idea, what thought we convey with our film.
Troyanskaya T.
And if we talk about the current Hambo Lama, how closely does he monitor the progress of filming? As I understand it, Alla is such a “medium” between the Hambo Lama and the film crew.
Namsaraeva A.
Well, medium is a strong word, of course. Hambo Lama asks, he asks regularly. When we talked to him about supporting this film, he also asked how, what, why, is the presidential grant fund really, and will it be interesting, and what topic are you applying for, i.e. That's all he asked. And when they gave this grant, and the decision was made, I told him that yes, we were given this grant, he was like, mmm, okay, and what do you assume. And then he gave us such a living idea, yes, he gave us this idea, to use messages, now he recently translated for us the epigraph for this film from the 27th teaching of Nagarjuna. Those. he thinks about it, and now, when I flew here on a business trip to shoot a film in St. Petersburg, he said, okay, where will you shoot? You'll be shooting there, there, there, they sent me photographs, and I'm in correspondence with him.
Kochelyaeva N.
It seems to me that this is very important, this kind of constant support, because, well, let’s say, not all of us are specialists in Buddhism. Yes, we work in some analytical structures, we have experience in preparing analytical reports, we have experience in preparing films. But I was always interested in immersing myself in an atmosphere that would allow me to reveal something that cannot be revealed by science. And so the approach and work with spiritual structures, it, firstly, requires great delicacy, i.e. These are very subtle points. Secondly, it, of course, requires constant interaction, including with the Buddhist traditional Sangha, and constant prompting, i.e. You can perceive this as a guide, or you can perceive it as certain moves that are revealed to you when preparing this or that material. And it is very important that Hambo Lama Damba Ayusheev constantly broadcasts to us some interesting thoughts, moves, etc., this helps a lot in working on the film.
Namsaraeva A.
Well, I think you're right. And I think if he saw that we did not adhere to this, he would stop giving us these ideas and helping us in this regard. Of course, we would have gone to these datsans, where we have filming scheduled at the end of May, but he wouldn’t have kept his finger on the pulse like that. And when he sees that we respond to this, he is also interested in it.
Kochelyaeva N.
You know, in fact, this is a very important work experience for me, because everything in this project turns out to be very responsive, i.e. it somehow took shape even at the stage of submitting an application, when somehow everything responded and suddenly grew together into this wonderful project. Which combines both analytics and creativity. We were at the Buddhist University, wonderful hubaraks who gave absolutely brilliant interviews, and now we...
Troyanskaya T.
Khubaraki are...?
Namsaraeva A.
Students.
Kochelyaeva N.
And now we are preparing a series...
Troyanskaya T.
This is i.e. such future lamas, right?
Kochelyaeva N.
Yes. ...we are preparing a series of such mini-video clips, posting a video about the first expedition on the website, then the second expedition will follow. Because it is important not only to convey this through the film, but we also put some key things into these video materials. And this responsiveness and willingness to work, of course, impressed me very much, and I am of course grateful that everything is happening this way.
Troyanskaya T.
You know, I watched a teaser associated with the film, and there was an interview with, probably, these students, what Buddhism is for you. And amazing, completely different answers came from the students.
Kochelyaeva N.
There were not only students there, there were very different specialists, and it was a little rough cut, because it was not always possible to capture a good clear sound. Because in the library, where we filmed all the materials, there were no microphones on, so something like that. There were really two Khubaraks there, Radna and Valera, they gave wonderful interviews. There was a rector of the Buddhist University, a vice-rector of the Buddhist University, and if we are talking about such figures, you probably know that the Khubaraks study for eight years - these are people who have amazing knowledge. And if we talk about the rector of the Buddhist University, then, as far as I know, he studied for 17 years.
Namsaraeva A.
Sixteen years old, and he defended his degree in “geshe gabju”, this is a doctor of Buddhist philosophy.
Kochelyaeva N.
And we had various secular experts, i.e. from the Institute of Buddhist and Mongolian Studies of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and art historians. Those. It was very important for us to bring into this project, to bring together people of very different views and very different thoughts, and try to identify what Buddhism means to them, and how it works in everyday life. Therefore, even such funny things, when one of the Buryatsky students state university says that if he sleeps through the lecture, the Buddha will be pleased, it’s very fun. And what’s interesting is that VGIK students helped us with this video, and they were able to very quickly...
Troyanskaya T.
Those. did they film?
Kochelyaeva N.
No, they didn't film, they edited it, they put it together. And here is a young look, he allowed us to do such a very dynamic thing.
Troyanskaya T.
Will there be artistic advice from Hambo Lama?
Razlogova A.
We will, of course, show him this film, we will film in Buryatia, we will do an interview with him, and the whole group will listen to some of his instructions and wishes.
Troyanskaya T.
We will wait for the film and it’s good that it premieres not far from St. Petersburg, we’ll all go to Vyborg. I think you will also do some special show for St. Petersburg. So, in our studio we have Nina Kochelyaeva, director of the New Institute of Cultural Studies, Anastasia Razlogova, general producer of the film, Alla Namsaraeva, chief consultant of the project.
