Buryat
Shamanism
“Tenger, humans, fire and water, those are the elements. If we
think about it, there
is the vast arch of the sky, and the sun and moon, like Tenger’s
eyes. If we look,
the sun is fire, the moon is water.
In 50 years’ time all of humanity will realize that clean air and
pure water are the
most important things in the world.”
Urgunge Onon
The thing most commonly associated with the Buryat-Mongolian
culture from a Westerner’s standpoint is the tradition of
shamanism. No book about shamanism fails to mention Buryat or
Mongolian shamanism. It is without a doubt one of the oldest
religious and cultural traditions in the world.
So why is
shamanism so important to world culture? The simplest answer is
that it espouses a view of the world that is vital to man’s
survival in the future. Perhaps better than almost any other
people, Buryats and Mongols have understood the importance of
keeping the world in balance and to revere the air, waters, and
land. From the traditional Buryat point of view, the world is not a
dead place, but vibrantly alive with spirits and souls in every
thing and in every place, also that all animals and plants have
sentient souls much like ourselves. For that reason respect for the
spirits of nature and living things shaped a religion and life
ethics that minimizes negative impact on the earth. For that reason
also, for the many thousands of years that man has lived in Siberia
there was minimal negative impact on the environment until the
current time. This is a way of life which is radically different
from that of European peoples, whose philosophy considers most of
the world to be lacking sentience and useful only for
exploitation.
This outlook is the root of all our environmental problems today,
whether in Russia, the United States, or in other parts of the
world where this essential connection to and respect for Mother
Earth has been forgotten. Until humankind remembers this connection
we will continue to endanger our own future. It is well known that
pollution of the earth, air, and water is the biggest threat to
human health today, and this will only become a progressively
severe problem unless we take a different course.
Now these words
should not be construed as being anti-technology, but a call for a
re-considering of how it is used. Indeed, Mongols and Buryats have
not traditionally been anti-technology. Rather, their traditional
lifestyle adapted to technological change but yet still retained a
balance with their own environment. There are three basic ideas in
Buryat-Mongol shamanism that are very essential for the future
lifestyle of all people:
The ideal for living in Mongolian-Buryat shamanism is best
described by the word tegsh, which means being in balance. This
implies doing things in moderation and also with consideration of
the effects of one’s actions on others. For instance, one’s own
personal power is directly related to one’s positive and negative
actions, and although no human is capable of doing only positive
actions, as long as the positive and negative are in balance with
each other one can live in health, peace, and safety. When one’s
actions are too negative one’s personal spiritual power will be
depleted and one will be susceptible to disease and other dangers.
In such cases a shaman would be called to restore balance. From a
modern standpoint, the essential meaning of this is to live
temperately and conscientiously; keeping negative and positive
actions in balance.
Respect for the environment is the most essential for survival into
the future. While not all people will share the traditional Buryat
view of the spiritual dimension of nature, nevertheless a reverence
for the air, rivers, earth, forests, and mountains will transform
the current attitude towards the environment that is the root of
all our current problems of pollution. Mother Earth and Father Sky
have created us and nurtured us for millions of years and deserve
our respect. This principle also blends with the idea of balance in
that Buryats and Siberian people in general have always used the
resources around them in a way that their resources will be renewed
and there will not be permanent damage to the environment. This has
been encoded in the language of respecting the forest, mountain,
and animal spirits, but the underlying principle is very important.
These people have traditionally believed that if these resources
are taken without thanking the spirits for what they have given,
they will not return again.
Personal responsibility is the third important aspect of Buryat
shamanist philosophy. This is often expressed in the Buryat
expression “tenger medne.” The ultimate relationship every person
has is with Father Heaven, no one stands in between. There are no
holy books, no priests, and not even shamans come in between this
basic relationship. This means that every person is responsible for
one’s own actions, and Tenger sees all that is done and is the
ultimate judge and shaper of destiny. This is the highest form of
religion, the most free, and the most modern.
Most people believe
that there is a supernatural force, many have their own names for
it, but ultimately the relationship between a man and the universe
is very personal. This is the very reason why Chinggis Khan in his
time tolerated all religions within the great Mongolian Empire. In
the past and even now in the present time the divisions between
religions have been the cause of war and suffering in many parts of
the world. This transcendent view which was held by the “barbarian”
Chinggis Khan is very useful for the future as our world becomes
ever smaller and people must learn to live in brotherhood and
peace.
In writing this, I have the sincere hope that people will
read this with an open mind. At no time am I trying to create
divisions among people by writing about the positive contributions
of the Buryat people to history; rather I hope to help promote
self-respect among Buryat people. In this modern age we have a dual
challenge: at this time we have an information revolution in which
information about cultures and history can be spread rapidly and
Buryat culture and other cultures may be understood better than in
the past. Secondly, our society is becoming global and
cosmopolitan, and all nations must live together in peace while
preserving those truly unique and valuable things that they
individually have preserved from their own ancient traditions. This
is true for Russia, the United States, and the world in general.
Therefore I want to do my small part in helping to preserve and
promote the unique traditions of the Buryat and Mongolian peoples
for the future.