Hinduism in Mongolia

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Hinduism In Mongolia
Flag of Mongolia.svg
Om in Mongolian script.png
"Om" symbol in Mongolian
Total population
0.5% of religious Mongolians follow a religion other than Buddhism, Shamanism, Islam or Christianity.
Languages
Mongolian
Religion
Hinduism

Hinduism in Mongolia is a minority religion; it has few followers and only began to appear in Mongolia in the late twentieth century. [1] According to the 2010 and 2011 Mongolian census, the majority of people that identify as religious follow Buddhism (86%), Shamanism (4.7), Islam (4.9%) or Christianity (3.5). Only 0.5% of the population follow other religions. [1]

Contents

During the twentieth century, the socialist Mongolian People's republic restricted religious practices and enforced atheism across the country. [2] The fall of the communist regime in the late 1990s signalled the beginning of an era of religious pluralism and experimentation. [2] Mongolians began practising Hinduism and other world religions and spiritualities, including Mormonism and Christianity. [3]

Spiritual congregations that teach Hindu philosophies including The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, The Art of Living foundation and the Ananda Marga organisation operate in Ulaanbataar. [4] Practices that gain inspiration from Hinduism such as Patanjali Yoga and spiritual vegetarianism are practised in Mongolia; according to Saskia Abraahms-Kavunenko, Mongolian Buddhists have begun to incorporate Hindu spirituality and concepts into their Buddhist customs. [3] Hindu symbols have influenced Mongolian myth, legend, culture and tradition. [5]

History

The expansion of the Mongol Empire from 1206 to 1294. Mongol Empire map 2.gif
The expansion of the Mongol Empire from 1206 to 1294.

Hinduism in the Mongol Empire

The Mongol Empire was religiously tolerant. [6] Genghis Khan was open to religious diversity and the nations that Genghis Khan conquered continued to practice their own native religions. [7] For this reason, Buddhism, Shamanism, Islam and Christianity were all reportedly practised under the Mongolian emperor. [7]

Hindu Allusions In Mongolia History

Mongolia is a Buddhist majority nation. [8] According to author Sharad Soni, because of this Mongolia and India are spiritual neighbours. [9] [10] Many of the Hindu allusions, gods, deities and practices are present in Buddhist beliefs. [10] Hinduism in Mongolia is prevalent and understood because Mongolian History and belief systems contain many Hindu allusions. For example, the Grand Lama of Mongolia in the 1500s was said to be an incarnation of the Hindu and Buddhist god Maitreya; Mongolians worship the Mahakala as a manifestation of the Hindu god Shiva. [11]

Hinduism In the Mongolian Peoples Republic

Preceding the shift to communism, Mongolia's political system and culture intersected with Buddhist systems and practices. [12] The soviet-style Mongolians People Republic repressed religious freedom. [2] The republic destroyed monasteries and religious symbols and enforced the public to adopt atheism. [2] As stated by academic Evan Marie-Dominique: Following the era of spiritual oppression, the collapse of the communist regime in 1999 saw Mongolia return to its religious identity." [2] Buddhism returned to being Mongolia's predominant religion. Since 1990, Mongolians have begun to experiment with other religious identities and collectives. [13]

Hinduism In Mongolian Myth and Legend

The Hindu God Shiva

A Statue of the Hindu God Shiva On the river bank of the Ganges in Rishikesh, India. Shiva-God-Statue.jpg
A Statue of the Hindu God Shiva On the river bank of the Ganges in Rishikesh, India.

According to Berthold Laufer, in Mongolian mythology, an inspirational dream featuring the Hindu God Shiva instigated the conversion of the Mongol emperors to Buddhism. [5] The Myth that is narrated by Mongolian Chronicle Sanang Setsen states that the Mongolian Grand Kublai Khan summoned a monk to respond to his questions surrounding a book of Tantras. The monk did not know the answer to the Khans questions and could barely comprehend the emperors questioning. The Myth states that that night, the monk was visited in a dream by the Hindu god Shiva; in the Hindu belief system the god Shiva represents the god of inspiration and is said to be accountable for the Indian Sanskrit text the Pāṇini. [5] Shiva produced a book of Tantras that the monk memorised during his sleep. [5] The day after being visited by the Hindu god, the monk returned  and was able to respond to all of Kublai Khans questions, resulting in his appointment by the Khan as the Holy Lama and the King of Doctrine in China, Tibet and Mongolia. [14] During this era, the monk Phagpa reshaped Mongolian courts and scriptures to more heavily reflect Tibetan Buddhism and lay the foundation of Mongolia's Buddhist future. [14]

The Ganga Lake

According to Mongolian writer Gombojav Mend-ooyo, Mongolian legend claims that the Ganga Lake in Mongolia's Sükhbaatar Province originated from two flasks of water brought by a Mongolian Nobleman from the River Ganges in India. [15] The Ganges is an influential Hindu symbol that gives one the possibility to bathe in order to renounce their sins. [16] The legends of the Ganga lake in Mongolia mirrors the Hindu belief of redemption from the Ganges, and according to the Mongolian folklore, the water from the Ganga lake has both healing and purifying qualities. [15]

Hinduism in Modern Mongolia

Hinduism is the third most practiced religion in the world and is growing by 1.9% per year. [17] According to the Yearbook of International Religious Demography records of 2014, today, 98.3% of the worlds Hindus live in South Asia. [17] Hinduism is an umbrella term that refers to many diverse groups that direct their practice towards different gods, and different scriptures. In Mongolia, societies and practices that refer to certain aspects of Hinduism are growing.

Mongolia Buddhist Art in the Gandan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Mongolia Buddhist Art 26.JPG
Mongolia Buddhist Art in the Gandan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

The Mongolian religious revival

The fall of the Mongolian People's Republic in 1990 ended an era of enforced atheism and the Mongolian people's national and cultural interest in religion was reignited. [18] During its rule, The Soviet inspired government destroyed an estimated 700 Buddhist monasteries, as well as an unknown number of religious congregations and buildings. [19]   There was also a decline of known religious custodians and practitioners. [18] According to Saskia Abrahms-Kavunenko, the lack of formalised Buddhist institutions and practitioners resulted in religious insecurity and uncertainty in Mongolia; when paired with the resurgence of religiosity, it enables the growth of trans-local religious and spiritual groups in the capital. [18] The International Society for Krishna consciousness, the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar collective and the Ananda Marga organisation are popular congregations that explore Hindu spirituality and philosophies in Ulaanbaatar. [4] Some Mongolians fill gaps in their understandings of Buddhism with the alternative religious discourses, ideas and practices that they learn from these spiritual groups. [18] In a study conducted by Abrahms-Kavunenko, one-third of the Mongolian Buddhists that she interviewed had attended at least one of Sri Sri's Hindu spiritual retreats. [4] Patanjali Yoga and vegetarian diets, both important Hindu values have also become normalised characteristics of Mongolian Buddhism. [4] Due to the philosophical similarities between Hindu and Buddhist concepts including, for example, reincarnation, Karma and meditation, Buddhist Mongols have begun to incorporate Hindu spiritual ideas and practices into their Buddhist philosophies since 1999; this is to fill the explanatory gaps in their understanding of Buddhism. [18]

The Practices of Mongolian Hindus

Hinduism is a minority religion in Mongolia; there are no formalised nationwide events or celebrations. Due to the influx of Hindu based philosophical societies and spiritual congregations in Ulaanbaatar, aspects of Hindu spirituality and practice are noticeable in the capital. [3]

Vegetarianism in Mongolia

Mongolian diets traditionally contain a lot of meat and livestock produce. [20] The Hindu-based spiritual group's Ananda Marga and the Art of Living preach vegetarian lifestyles because it helps attendees attain a higher spiritual state. [4] The Ananda Marga collective opened the first Vegetarian restaurant in Ulaanbaatar in 2006. Since then, more than ten vegetarian restaurants associated with Hindu spiritual collectives have opened. [4]

Hindu Literature in Mongolia

Texts that explore Hindu spiritual philosophies are not uncommon in Mongolia. Based on an ethnographic study conducted in Ulaanbaatar, Abrahms-Kavunenko claims that in Mongolian bookstores texts written by the Hindu guru Osho and by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar are often found in the best sellers aisle. [4]

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressing the gathering at the Community Reception and Yoga Event, organised by "Art of Living", in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on May 17, 2015 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressing the gathering at the Community Reception and Yoga Event, organised by "Art of Living", in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on May 17, 2015.jpg
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressing the gathering at the Community Reception and Yoga Event, organised by "Art of Living", in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on May 17, 2015

Krishna society of Mongolia, or International Society for Krishna Consciousness, actively translated many books of its founding Guru Srila Prabhupada including Bhagavadgita As It Is into Mongolian. The books are sold online through Facebook as well as on physical stores. [21] Catching up with Hare Krishnas, devotees of Art of Living Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar have translated many of their Guru's pamphlets and commentaries on classical Indian philosophical discourses such as Upanishads and Yoga Sutra.

First to translate books on transcendental meditation into Mongolian were devotees of late guru Sri Chinmoy. [22]

Delving more into intricate concepts and nuances of Hindu philosophy, a book entitled "Outline of Indian Philosophical Systems in Mongolian language" appeared in book stores of Ulaanbaatar in July, 2021. The boom reviewz concepts of traditional 6 Hindu darshanas (Charvaka, Mimamsa, Nyaya, Vaisesika, Sankhya, Yoga) with emphasis in Advaita Vedanta, and is authored by Adi Shankara. [23]

Outline of Indian Philosophical Systems in Mongolian language Outline of Indian Philosophical Systems in Mongolian language.jpg
Outline of Indian Philosophical Systems in Mongolian language

Meditation in Mongolia

Hindu spiritual groups such as the Art of living organisation and the Hare Krishna propagate meditation through the Hindu-based philosophical framework that views meditation as an instrument to achieve a greater degree of self-awareness. [4]

Patanjali Yoga In Mongolia

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's retreats incorporate and teach the ideas of Patanjali yoga. [24] A yogic system that is based on Hindu sutras and thought and that explores the relationship between matter and spirit. [25] One-third of Mongolian Lay Buddhists have attended at least one of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's retreats and thus are familiar with the Patanjali philosophy. It is easy to find Yoga centres in Ulaanbaatar. [4]

Religious tolerance in Mongolia

By law, the Mongolian government ensures religious freedom and the separation of religious institutions and the state. [26] Religious collectives in Mongolia must be registered by authorities. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHR), Smaller religious organisations and institutions in Mongolia have reported that they face discrimination when applying to register to the authorities as an official religious collective. [26] Other minority groups claim that they face similar problems when trying to renew past registrations. Unregistered religious collectives and minority religious groups claim to be disproportionately harassed by government officials, tax collectors and police for no identifiable legal reason. [26]

Hindu Congregations and Societies In Modern Mongolia

Hare Krishna in Mongolia

The first congregation In Mongolia that practiced Hindu beliefs and that attempted to become a government registered society is a Krishna collective in Mongolia's Capital Ulaanbaatar. [27] According to Graham M. Schewig, Krishna Consciousness is a branch of Hinduism that originates from the Hindu sect Vaishnavism and centres around the worship of the Hindu deity Vishnu, or Krishna. [28] The Mongolian Krishna society is a branch of The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), or the Hare Krishna movement. [29]

Hare Krishna was first brought to Mongolia in 1999 by Lakshmi Narayana. Narayana was a devoted ISKCON senior who travelled as a missionary from East Siberia to Mongolia in order to run a series of public Hare Krishna programs. [27] According to ISKCON, Many Mongolians showed an immediate interest in the practice. Local devotees began hosting their own weekly worship sessions, and, upon the translation of Srila Prabhupada's spiritual texts into Mongolian, the congregation reached a wider audience. [27] As of 2009, the Hare Krishna spiritual practice has 25 devotees with more undergoing training in India, as well as many students that practice Krishna Consciousness. The congregation plan to expand and become a government registered society. [30]

Hare Krishna Temples

In 2009, the society attempted to become a registered society under the Mongolian government, the government accepted the request upon the condition that the congregation build an official temple. In 2009, ISKON announced the plan to construct a Vedic temple in Ulaanbaatar. Before the proposed construction of the temple, the society held weekly sessions in a local yurt. [30] In 2009, ISKON stated that the funding of the temple would be a challenge as it relied on donations; there have been no updates on the progression of the temple since this announcement.

The Art Of Living

The Art of Living foundation is a spiritual, educational and humanitarian movement that was founded by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in 1981.[ citation needed ] The organisation operates in 152 countries and propagates Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's philosophy of peace and compassion. [31] Ravi Shankar teaches the essence of spirituality and promotes Hindu values, practices, systems and traditions. [32] The Art of living is not a religious organisation;  It a spiritual one that borrows Hindu practices such as yoga, puja and chanting and Hindu values such as gratitude, love, belongingness and compassion. [33]

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, in Bangalore on September 23, 2014 (cropped) Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, in Bangalore on September 23, 2014 (cropped).jpg
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, in Bangalore on September 23, 2014 (cropped)

An Art Of Living (AOL) class was first held in Ulaanbaatar in 1995. [34] The Meditation centre in Mongolia is currently training over one hundred teachers how to conduct courses conceptualised by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and over one million Mongols have attended at least one Art Of living course or retreat. [34] A Mongolian interviewee of writer Narayani Ganesh who attends the Art Of Living courses affirmed that he did not give up Buddhism to adopt Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's philosophies; that instead, the two systems complement each other. [34] According to Saskia Abrahms-Kavunenko, one in three Lay Buddhists have attended at least one of Art Of Living retreats. [4] Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has visited Mongolia three times, each time he has been greeted with an audience of between Three thousand and Five thousand people. [34] An international Art Of Living Ashram is being built on a site near Ulaanbataar. [34] According to Narayani Ganesh, the Art of Living spiritual organisation has been successful in former soviet countries such as Russia, Poland and Mongolia that lack spiritual guidance due to the years of religious repression. [34]

Ananda Marga

Ananda Marga is a socio-spiritual organisation that was founded by Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar in India in 1955. [35] Ananda Marga is a Hindu-based philosophical and yogic system. [36] It does not worship a deity but has selected certain teachings of Hindu origin to form its philosophy.[ citation needed ] Ananda Marga is recognised as a religious denomination of Hinduism and propagates personal-development and the improvement of society.[ citation needed ]

Didi Ananda Kalika, formerly known as Gabrielle Dowling, is an Ananda Marga nun that moved to Ulaanbaatar in 1993 where she opened an orphanage and began practising Ananda Marga spirituality. [4] The lotus children's school is an orphanage in Ulaanbaatar that promotes Ananda Magara spirituality.[ citation needed ] Didi Ananda Kalika also runs the Ananda Yoga Centre, Mongolia where they teach yoga, meditative practices and Ananda Marga ideologies.[ citation needed ] Didi Ananda Kalika opened the first Vegetarian restaurant in Ulaanbaatar named the Ananda Cafe in 2006 following the Ananda Marga philosophical values and spiritual movement that promotes vegetarianism. [4]

Related Research Articles

The meaning of spirituality has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape of man", oriented at "the image of God" as exemplified by the founders and sacred texts of the religions of the world. The term was used within early Christianity to refer to a life oriented toward the Holy Spirit and broadened during the Late Middle Ages to include mental aspects of life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada</span> Indian spiritual teacher (1896–1977)

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was a spiritual, philosophical, and religious teacher from India who spread the Hare Krishna mantra and the teachings of "Krishna consciousness" to the world. Born as Abhay Charan De and later legally named Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami, he is often referred to as "Bhaktivedanta Swami", "Srila Prabhupada", or simply "Prabhupada".

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Hinduism:

Bhakti is a term common in Indian religions which means attachment, fondness for, devotion to, trust, homage, worship, piety, faith, or love. In Indian religions, it may refer to loving devotion for a personal God, a formless ultimate reality or for an enlightened being. Bhakti is often a deeply emotional devotion based on a relationship between a devotee and the object of devotion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ravi Shankar (spiritual leader)</span> Indian spiritual leader

Ravi Shankar is an Indian guru and spiritual leader. He is also referred to as Sri Sri or Gurudev. From around the mid 1970s, he worked as an apprentice under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation. In 1981, he founded the Art of Living foundation.

Bhakti yoga, also called Bhakti marga, is a spiritual path or spiritual practice within Hinduism focused on loving devotion towards any personal deity. It is one of the three classical paths in Hinduism which lead to moksha, the other paths being jnana yoga and karma yoga.

<i>Kirtan</i> Musically recited story in Indian traditions

Kirtana, also rendered as Kirtan or Keertan, is a Sanskrit word that means "narrating, reciting, telling, describing" of an idea or story, specifically in Indian religions. It also refers to a genre of religious performance arts, connoting a musical form of narration, shared recitation, or devotional singing, particularly of spiritual or religious ideas, native to the Indian subcontinent. A person performing kirtan is known as a kirtankara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism in Russia</span>

Hinduism has been spread in Russia primarily due to the work of scholars from the religious organization International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and by itinerant Swamis from India and small communities of Indian immigrants. While ISKCON appears to have a relatively strong following in Russia, the other organizations in the list have a marginal presence in this country. There is an active Tantra Sangha operating in Russia. According to the 2012 official census, there are 140,010 Hindus in Russia, which accounts for 0.1% of the population of Russia.

Sampradaya, in Indian origin religions, namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, can be translated as 'tradition', 'spiritual lineage', 'sect', or 'religious system'. To ensure continuity and transmission of dharma, various sampradayas have the Guru-shishya parampara in which parampara or lineage of successive gurus (masters) and shishyas (disciples) serves as a spiritual channel and provides a reliable network of relationships that lends stability to a religious identity. Shramana is vedic term for seeker or shishya. Identification with and followership of sampradayas is not static, as sampradayas allows flexibility where one can leave one sampradaya and enter another or practice religious syncretism by simultaneously following more than one sampradaya. Samparda is a punjabi language term, used in Sikhism, for sampradayas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism in Finland</span>

Hinduism is a minor religious faith in Finland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism in Austria</span>

Hinduism is a minority religion constituting about 0.15% of the population of Austria. Hinduism is not one of the 16 recognised religions in Austria. The Austrian law allows religious groups not recognized as societies to seek official status as confessional communities with the Office for Religious Affairs. Hinduism is one of the eight confessional communities in Austria. However, the Sahaja Yoga and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness are categorised as associations, not as confessional communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism in China</span>

Hinduism is currently practiced by a minority of residents of China. The religion itself has a very limited presence in modern mainland China, but archaeological evidence suggests a significant presence of Hinduism in different provinces of medieval China. Hindu influences were also absorbed in to Buddhism and got mixed with Chinese mythology over its history. Practices originating in the Vedic tradition of ancient India such as yoga and meditation are also popular in China.

<i>Dhyana</i> in Hinduism Term for contemplation and meditation

Dhyāna in Hinduism means contemplation and meditation. Dhyana is taken up in Yoga practices, and is a means to samadhi and self-knowledge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism in Slovenia</span>

Hinduism is a minority religion in Slovenia. ISKCON was registered in Slovenia in 1983 and The Hindu Religious Community in Slovenia was registered in 2003 in Ljubljana

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Mongolia</span>

Religion in Mongolia has been traditionally dominated by the schools of Mongolian Buddhism and by Mongolian shamanism, the ethnic religion of the Mongols. Historically, through their Mongol Empire the Mongols were exposed to the influences of Christianity and Islam, although these religions never came to dominate. During the communist period of the Mongolian People's Republic (1924–1992) all religions were suppressed, but with the transition to the parliamentary republic in the 1990s there has been a general revival of faiths.

The reception of Hinduism in the Western world began in the 19th century, at first at an academic level of religious studies and antiquarian interest in Sanskrit.

Hindu denominations, sampradayas, traditions, movements, and sects are traditions and sub-traditions within Hinduism centered on one or more gods or goddesses, such as Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti and so on. The term sampradaya is used for branches with a particular founder-guru with a particular philosophy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism in Brazil</span>

Hinduism is a minority faith in Brazil followed by approximately 0.01% of its population. Hinduism in Brazil is represented mainly by Ananda Marga, Brahma Kumaris and the Osho Institute Brazil, ISKCON, Yoga In Bound, Brasil Gaudiya Math and Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math e Organização Vrinda de Paramadweit. The vedic astrology is also becoming popular due to Academia Brasileira de Astrologia Védica.

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