Oriental Studies (Dec 2021)
Precious Chintamani That Quickly Fulfills Aspirations: Text of Veneration of the Magnificent Khan Barkhan by Dorampa Ignen-Choimpel Revisited
Abstract
Introduction. The article deals with the xylograph Tegüs čoγtu qan gbar-mkan-u takilγ-a küsel türgen qangγaγči čindamani erdeni kemegdekü orusiba (Worship of the majestic Khan-Barkhan: „Chintamani-treasure, quickly fulfilling desires“) by dorampa Ignen-Choimpel; the treatise is part of the collection kept in the Center of Oriental Manuscripts and Xylographs of Institute of Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies of the Siberian Branch of the RAS (Ulan-Ude). It aims to analyze the source along the following lines: i) to identify the author of the manuscript, ii) to transliterate the text and check the accuracy of its reading with a focus on its specific lexical features, iii) to identify the time and place of its compilation and publication, iv) to research similar works related to the cult of Mount Khan-Barkhan, and v) to examine the structure of the text and give a short description of its content. Methods and materials. The methodology of source studies, as well as the textological analysis used by the present researchers helped establish dorampa Ignen-Choimpel’s exceptional knowledge of Buddhist philosophy and of the Mongolian language. Comparative-historical, typological, and descriptive methods were instrumental in examining the transformation of the mountain worship ritual in the process of its historical development. Granted the role of mountains as an essential element in the worldview of many cultures, as well as the significance of the text for practices of Buryats of Barguzin region today, the present research is of much relevance. The article may be used as a source for studies of the factors influencing the current revival of the mountain cult and the present religious practices of the population in the region. Results. The text under study contains new data concerning the veneration of ezhins — host-spirits of local features such as mountains, the Barkhan mountain of Kurumkan region in Buryatia, in particular. Also, this is a piece of important historical evidence shedding light on the cultural and religious processes that took place among the Buryats in the 19th century. Conclusions. The research indicated the presence of syncretic elements in the text of the treatise, including borrowings of some shamanic traditional rituals associated with the mountain worship, as well as the presence of specific lexical elements such as archaic words and expressions. Importantly, Buddhist borrowings of shamanic deities and rituals familiar to the local Buryat people contributed to the promotion of Buddhism among the local population.
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