Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (RELIGIOUS OBJECTS): Recent Episodes
Cambridge University
Many Kalmyk families have domestic altars that are laid with religious objects, both new (that they purchased in shops or received from lamas, friends or relatives) and old (that they inherited from ancestors). Many of these old objects, which would have survived the Russian Civil War, the anti-religious campaigns of the 1930s, World War Two, the deportation of the Kalmyk people in 1943, and the subsequent years of atheist regime, have a special sentimental value for their owners. On this page you can see interviews with people, both lamas and laypersons, talking about various religious objects, including thangkas (Buddhist paintings on cotton or silk), statues, talismans and amulets (bu, mird), rosaries (erkn), as well as instruments used by the clergy such as bells, vajras, and others.
I did not have (images and statues of) gods before because my parents were orphans. In Siberia it was forbidden to have gods at home. After returning home from Siberia I have bought images and statues of buddhas. There are three days of fasting in each month. On such day I light a zul (a candle) on the altar and pray by uttering a well-wish ‘Let all people be in prosperity! Let all people be healthy and children grow up healthy!’ If someone is going on a long journey, then I pray for them by saying ‘Let all wishes be fulfilled!’ One can’t make food offerings from pork and poultry to the altar, but mutton can be offered. One can always put a bowl of Kalmyk tea, candies and biscuits. For example, today is 29th lunar day and tomorrow is the 30th lunar day, which is the day of fasting. The day after tomorrow is the 1st lunar day, that is a new month starts. I pray to deities - protectors of my clan, to Green Tara. I have (images of) Tsongkapa, Manjushri, Mahakala, White Tara. I also have books about religion, I read prayers from them. It is forbidden to light a zul at night or after sunset. One should light a zul in the morning, make Kalmyk tea and put the first bowl of tea on the altar as an offering to gods. After sunset it is also forbidden to take milk out of the house, as well as money (should not be loaned). After the lighting of a zul, seven days later there is day when gods migrate. Three days after that, it is forbidden to take rubbish out of the house.
Lama Agvan Eshey says that he inherited his rosary, or prayer beads, from his grandfather’s brother who was a lama of the Merkit clan in Rostovskaya oblast. In the past, many Kalmyk lamas in the Don were from this clan, including lama Menke Bormandzhinov and lama Sharap Tepkin. Agvan Eshey also says ‘wind horse’ flags (ki morn) symbolize a harmony with the wind, and bring luck and success. Based on their year of birth, people choose ‘wind horse’ flags of different colors and put them up in certain directions (west, east, south-west, etc.).
Viktoria relays a story about Gandzhur and Dandzhur texts that were kept in a temple in Chilgir.
Telo Tulku: I would not say that it is compulsory to wear them. Amulets are blessed items that would protect us from harm, diseases, evil, and so on. I truly believe that if it is blessed by a highly qualified monk, an amulet can be effective. It is not a superstitious belief.
Telo Tulku: In my belief system there are many deities. On my altar, in the middle, is the image or statue of Buddha. Then I have Manjushri, Amitayus – Buddha of longevity, then Green Tara – Bodhisattva of activity. I do not expect everybody to have many statues or images, though I would highly recommend at least an image or a statue of Buddha. This is a minimal requirement. Depending on your situation you can acquire other images.
Ekaterina says that she has the following objects on her domestic altar: candles, statues of Buddha, Manjushri, Tsagan Aav and Green Tara, a picture of the Dalai Lama XIV, a picture of Itigelov (Buryat lama, best known for the lifelike state of his dead body), and a photo of a lama who gave teachings in Kalmykia. Ekaterina says that she lights candles on the 15th and 30th days of the lunar calendar. Ekaterina also has an Orthodox Christian altar in her house. She brings consecrated water and butter from the church and puts them on her altar.
In 2015 the National Museum of Kalmykia in Elista displayed an old tangka of Green Tara that had been borrowed from the Stavropol’ Museum. Ekaterina says that when she went to see the tangka she felt energy emanating from this Buddhist relic. Ekaterina spent hours looking at the tangka.
Ekaterina says that amulets should be worn around neck. She herself has an amulet from Tibet. She contends that her amulet protects her well and that when she does not wear it she feels emptiness. Ekaterina shows several other amulets.
Prayer beads have special dividers that divide the beads into 7, 21 and 33. Apart from using in prayers, the Kalmyks also keep beads as amulets that are believed to have strong energy. After prayers, old people often bless their children and grandchildren with their beads. Such beads are also kept in families from one generation to the next. Sangadzhi believes that prayer beads store inside them the energy of mantras that have been read with them. There is an interesting story about the prayer beads that Sangadzhi uses. He first saw his beads in his dreams and decided to get hold of them. After searching for some time, he found them in a shop and purchased them.
There are many arguments as to how to correctly organize domestic altars. Since different people have different living conditions, there cannot be a single rule regarding altars. In principal, an altar should be in the right front corner of a building. Altars cannot be in a bedroom, in the kitchen, or in the corridor, and they should not be reflected in a mirror. It is important not to set up an altar in the wrong place. At night people can close their altars with a curtain if they live in a one-bedroom flat. Ideally, an altar should be placed in a specially designated room.
Sanan is an administrator at the Central Temple in Elista. He gives the following advice to the pious.
Batyr says that the bell is a symbol of compassion and love of all Buddhas, whereas the vajra is that of their wisdom. The unity of love, compassion and wisdom symbolizes the attainment of enlightenment.
Alena says that amulets for personal use should not come from laypeople but be requested from monks in Buddhist temples. Amulets given by laypeople bring nothing good. Amulets are small bags that hold paper prayers inside. It is forbidden to sew amulets into bags using red, orange or yellow threads. Amulets should be worn around one’s neck. All religious objects, including amulets, altars, etc. should be consecrated by monks.