IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Kalmykia’s Highest Honour for His Holiness

By: TIBETODAY
The future historians will consider the revival of Buddhism in former Soviet Republics as of Kalmyk as one of the towering contributions of the fourteenth Dalai Lama.
In recent times, Kalmyk republic has seen a golden period in the revival of the Buddhism, once almost annihilated under the Stalinist State.

The Buddhism is now creeping back to its former status. An observer with a keen sense of observation can take a hint out of the flocks of pilgrim and dharma seekers from the republic thronged the courtyard of the main temple near the His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s residence every year during the Monlam Teachings. It is no doubt a true sign of the great revival of Buddhism in these countries coupled with numerous visits paid by the His Holiness.

In the backdrop of His Holiness’s life time contribution and compassionate missions in these countries, particularly in Kalmyk that on 10 December 2006, His Holiness was honoured with the highest state award, the White Lotus by the President of Kalmyk State.

Tibet’s Ties with Kalmyk
The 17th anniversary of awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama was celebrated with much fun fare at Dharamsala, India. On the same day the President of Kalmyk presented His Holiness with the White Lotus Award, the country’s highest honour.

During the acceptance speech, His Holiness said the same thing he had told in the Nobel acceptance speech way back in 1989 that, he is not a special being endowed with special qualities but through his Buddhist practice and training convinced him the importance of love and compassion and need of the modern world to enhance the seed of love and compassion.

He said that he is not the original preacher of love, compassion, and non-violence as the Lord Buddha first taught them in India around two thousand and five hundred years ago. He pointed out that the Tibetans have been enormously successful in preserving the great Buddhist traditions of Nalanda intact for these years with minimal distortion.

He hinted out to a larger audience that his struggle for the freedom or finding solution to Tibet’s cause is precisely motivated by the preservation of the centuries old Buddhist tradition that has in it to teach and to give love, compassion and non-violence to the world increasingly swept away by fundamental killings and becoming mired in violence and wars.

His Holiness said the freedom struggle under him was deeply influenced by the great Indian sage Mahatma Gandhi who half a century ago gained Indian Independence from British rule through the path of truth and non-violence. Due to the non-violent nature of Tibet’s freedom struggle, many countries in the world are now showing a keen interest and support for the Tibet’s cause.

His Holiness in rather modest tone told the enraptured crowed, “I was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize solely because I practice the profound teachings of Lord Buddha in my daily life. Since I receive the Peace Prize, the original teachers of the idea of love and compassion, the great philosophers, teachers, ascetic saints and the enlightened beings like Lord Buddha and Shanti Deva and Mahatma Gandhi have actually won the honour. Their philosophies and teachings have moved and inspired me. So in that sense they too should be honoured with the Nobel Peace award”.

The president of Kalmyk in his speech told, “His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been selflessly advocating the need for peaceful world devoid of violence and arms. So, His Holiness has become an example to the younger generation. It is therefore, the whole people of Kalmyk, who have unanimously decided and urged me to confer this highest state award, ‘White Lotus’ to His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama of Tibet on this special occasion”.
Historically speaking, Tibetans and the Kalmykians shared close relationship through Buddhism. There were few hundred Kalmyk Buddhist monks from Mongolia studying Buddhism in the former Independent Tibet.
His Holiness said, “Although the exchange of scholars and pupils between Tibet and Buddhist countries come to an abrupt end during the early 1920s after the spread of communism in Soviet Union. However, I still remember numerous Kalmyk Buddhist monks studying Buddhism in three major monastic universities in Tibet. There were learned Kalmyk scholars like Geshe Chodak whom I still remember very clearly”.

The great teachers and scholars from Tibet during the times of previous Dalai Lamas had traveled to Kalmyk and Mongolia. The centuries of special bond between Tibet and the Buddhist nations in Soviet Republics still exist today particularly the Kalmyk. Ironically the fortunes of these two countries have been reversed. Although in exile, the Tibetan Buddhism under the leadership of Dalai Lama lends a helping hand to the republic of Kalmyk in propagating Buddhism.

Kalmyk President described in his speech that Kalmyk people have been fortunate for being able to invite His Holiness Dalai Lama on few occasions in an effort to revive their traditional faith back to life. Until now the His Holiness has visited Kalmyk four times.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama appreciated the President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov for taking personal interest and dedication in reviving the Buddhism.

In Kalmyk’s history, the Buddhism was first introduced during the Old Translation of Buddhism in Tibet through the silk route. Kalmyk was the first Mongol country to welcome the Buddhism. Second time was during the reigns of the Sakya King, Drogon Choegyal Phagpa. The last spread of the Buddhism was witnessed during the lifetime of the third Dalai Lama, the omniscient Sonam Gyatso. It was during that time the Mongol people gave him the title Dalai, which means the Ocean of Wisdom.

His Holiness said that the people of Inner Mongolia, Outer Mongolia and Kalmyk along with the Tibetans had put in equal efforts for hundreds of years in the promotion and preservation of the rich culture and tradition of Buddhism. Those efforts now bear a fruitful result.

“Even though, time has changed considerably but I still remember the presence of a large number of monks in Tibet from Mongolia and Kalmyk regions. There were more than 50 monks from these regions among the former Khenpos in Drepung during the 1959 uprising in Tibet. All of them were outstanding and learned Buddhist scholars” said His Holiness.

Historical Background:
The Khalmags are the descendants of Oyrats, originating from West Mongolia (Jungaria, the nomadic tribes belonging to Mongols). For centuries Oyrats made a part of the Ghenghis Khan's empire. After the collapse of Ghenghis Khan’s empire, Oyrat rulers wrestled to gain a power from the east Mongolian tribes. Then in the middle of 14th century, a Mongolian tribal chieftain Esen Khan managed to consolidate the former original Mongolian territory under his power. In doing so, he defeated the invasion attempt made by Ming dynasty of China by capturing the emperor.

After the fall and disintegration of Ghenghis empire, the Mongolians lived as tribes without a single unified entity for the next many centuries until the dawn of the twentieth century.

The origination of the present day Kalmyk traced to the february Revolution of 1917 when the Steppe Area of Kalmyk People, an autonomous entity was formed. In 1920 it was transformed into the Kalmyk Autonomous Region which was later reorganized as Kalmyk Autonomous under the Soviet Republic in 1935.

During the World War II, the most part of Kalmykia was occupied by the Nazi troops but was later liberated by the Red Army. During notorious years of mad Stalin’s rule, the Kalmyk people suffered the most as great purge ruled them. During the similar period they were almost annihilated and destroyed when Stalin dumped millions of them in Gulags of Siberia in December 1943.

Kalmyks in spite of the hardships and genocides they faced during the Stalin years, they still remained deeply faithful to their Buddhist religion as communist tried to destroy it. The people of Kalmyk to some extend successfully preserved their religion, culture, unique folklore, written culture and music.

Around 1940s all the Buddhist temples in Kalmykia were closed or destroyed. The priesthoods were subjected to oppression and attempts made by the people to restore at least a piece of their ancient tradition have not met much success.

After the fall of Soviet Blocks, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov won the first presidential election in the Republic of Kalmykia in 1993. The program of the Republic's President K. Ilyumzhinov focused on the improvement of the social and economic situation, life standards in the republic, and the revival of Kalmyk language. Today the Kalmyk country is entering into exciting times.

Note: Please check TIBETODAY's January issue to read the whole story with the images.