(monthly)

August

N 2 1992

St.Petersburg

NB is a monthly informational review of Buddhism on the territory of the former USSR published by the Russian branch of the Narthang Publications, belonging to the Office of International Relation of the Dalai Lama.

Any communications (up to 100 words) of Buddhist groups and organizations subscribed to the bulletin are published by NB free of payment. The same applies to information on new publications on Buddhism sent to the bulletin. Full responsibility for the accuracy of information rests with its authors.

Buddhist groups of all denominations are welcome to inform about themselves, their achievements and problems.

Subscription applications for 1993 are accepted.

Editor-in-chief Dr.A.A.Terentyev, managing editor Dr.A.A.Diuranov. Address: Dr.A.A.Diuranov, P.O. Box 627, St-Petersburg, Russia, 190000; Tel: (812)-312-04-71, Fax: (812)-272-79-68 (A.A.Terentyev.) (c) Narthang publications. Price $ 2 for over sea subscribers includes air mail.

1. H.H. the Dalai Lama has visited Moscow on August 16-22 to take part in the international conference "Facing Apocalypse III. The Charisma of Power and Holy War". Two Piece Nobel Prize winners - H.H. the Dalai Lama & former USSR President Michail Gorbachev - met for the first at this conference.

The participants of the conference took active part in discussion of the Mickey Lemke's movie "Compassion in Exile. The story of the 14th Dalai Lama" and expressed their deep consern towards Chinese occupied Tibetan people.

2. Next visit of H.H. is planned for September 13-26 of this year. The Dalai Lama was invited to visit the traditional Buddhist Republics of Russian Federation: Kalmyk, Tuva and Buryat. He will be accompanied by Kalon Kalsang Yeshi, personal physician and others.

The schedule of H.H.'s visit: 13-18 Sept. - Elista; 18-21 Sept. - Ulan-Ude, 23-25 Sept. - Aginskoye, on 25 Sept. H.H. will come back to Moscow. The possibility of public talk in Moscow is being considered. Questions on the schedule could be addressed to Representative of H.H. in Moscow Dr.Nawang Rabgyal: tel. (095) 234-61-43.

We have started already to introduce Buddhist Communities on the former USSR territory. Now for better understanding of their individual plane and role we suggest a general overview of our Buddhist organizations.

1. The largest and most influential is the Central Buddhist Board of Russia (the former CBB of the USSR) which claims to be a successor of the Central Spiritual Buddhist Council created in 1922 and destroyed by Communists in the 1930-th. CBB was started in 1946 when it was allowed to open anew two Buddhist temples among Buryats.

The Chairman of CBB bears the title of Bandido Hambo Lama (i.e. "Pandita" - Sanskrit: "Learned"; "khenpo" - Tib: "head"; Lama - Tib: Teacher).

Presently CBB controls the activities of all the "datsans" among Buryat Republic and Aginsky Buryat Autonomous District of Chita area of Russian Federation. Also one of 5 Moscow Buddhist Communities "The Moscow Community of Buddhist" is subordinated to CBB.

In 1991 the CBB started a Buddhist School in Ivolginsky Datsan (by Ulan-Ude, the capital of Buryat) where they have around 120 students from different parts of the former USSR.

The restored Buddhist communities springing out in Buryat usually start from building their temples. Here we give a list of these temples, according to our information. More details will be given in the next issues of NB.

The list of the Buryat datsans

1) Aginsky Datsan: p.Aginskoye, Aginsky Buryat Autonomous District of Chita oblast of Russian Federation, 674460.

2) Atsagatsky Datsan: Zaigrayevsky District (only founded).

3) Barguzinsky Datsan (North-Western Buryatia).

4) Dzhidinsky Datsan: s.Gegetui, Dzhidinsky District, Republic Buryatia, 671914.

5) Yeravninsky (Egituevsky) Datsan: s.Egita, Yeravninsky District, Republic Buryatia.

6) Zakamensky Datsan: p.Zakamensk, Zakamensky District, Republic Buryatia, 671930.

7) Ivolginsky Datsan: s.Verhnyaya Ivolga, Ivolginsky District, Republic Buryatia, 671210.

8) Kizhinginsky Datsan: s.Kizhinga, Kizhinginsky District, Republic Buryatia, 671450.

9) Kurumkansky Datsan: s.Kurumkan, Kurumkansky District, Republic Buryatia.

10) Kyahtinsky Datsan:, s.Murochi, Kyahtinsky District, Republic Buryatia, 671830.

11) Muhorshibirsky Datsan:, Muhorshibirsky District, Republic Buryatia, 671370.

12) Okinsky Datsan: s.Orlik, Okinsky District, Republic Buryatia, 671030.

13) Selenginsky Datsan: Gusinoozyorsk, Selenginsky District, Republic Buryatia, 671280.

14) Kyrensky Datsan: s.Kyren, Tunkinsky District, Republic Buryatia, 671010.

15) Arshansky Datsan: Resort Arshan, Tunkinsky District, Republic Buryatia, 671023.

16) Ugdansky Datsan: Oblast of Chita.

17) Ust-Ordynsky Datsan: p.Ust-Orda, Ust-Ordynsky District, Chitinskya Oblast, 666110.

18) Horinsky Datsan: s.Ana, Horinsky District, Republic Buryatia, 671410.

19) Chesansky Datsan: s.Chesan, Kizhinginsky District, Republic Buryatia, 671462.

20) Tsugolsky Datsan: Chitinskya Oblast, 674436.

21) Aninsky Datsan.

The CBB has an office in Moscow for contact:

49, Ostozhenka, 119034, Moscow, USSR. Tel. (095) 245-0939 fax (095) 248-0264.

2. The second big traditional Buddhist area in our country is Kalmyk (or Khalm Tangch) Republic. Here the revival of the Buddhist church smashed over 50 years ago became possible only recently. Now there are Buddhist communities in almost every village of Kalmyks. They are united into the Buddhist Association of Kalmyk under the presidency of a young Kalmyk monk Telo Rimpoche who was born in USA and now is educated in India. Telo Rimpoche is the incarnation of the outstanding Indian Buddhist Yogi Telopa, the root of the Tibetan Kagyu Tradition.

Vice-president of BAK is Erdeny Galdayev.

The Kalmyk government is helping the BAK to build a temple complex near Elista, the capital of the republic.

Their office telephone number is (24722) 289-69

83, Lermontova st., Elista, 358000, Russian Federation.

3. Tuva is the third traditional area of the spreading of Tibetan Buddhism. Today eight communities revived there. Association of Tuva Buddhists (Aldyn-Bogda) and Buddhist community of Tuva under the chairmanship of W.Sh.Kara-sal play leading role among them. Mr.Sandak was elected the Head of Tuva Buddhists.

4. In this way there are three independent areas of the traditional spreading of Tibetan Buddhism in Russia. Moreover, many independent communities exist in our country. Large group of them is the result of the missionary activities of the Danish preacher Ole Nydahl, promoting the teaching of the Karma-Kagya school. We have the addresses and telephones of 22 centers and groups founded by Ole Nydahl:

1. 123098, Moscow, Akademician Bochvara St. 10-а-70, tel. (095) 193-70-55, Dyomina T.

2. 310089, Kharkov, Frunze Av. 55-21, tel. (0572) 94-06-23, Starodub L.

3. 252001, Kiev, Cheliuskintsev St. 9-55, tel. (044) 228-74-09.

4. Zaporozhskaya Oblast, Melitopol, 4-Prodolnaya St. 36/7-45, tel. 5-55-23, Golikov F.

5. 330067, Zaporozhye, Prichalnaya St. 11-2, tel. (061222) 31-71-92, Bocharov W.

6. 294018, Uzhgorod, L.Tolstoi St. 33-67, tel. (03122) 3-27-32, Marusik E.

7. 454048, Chelybinsk, Yablochkina St. 23-5, tel. (3512) 34-81-35, Yerochin B.

8. 400113, Volgograd, Bulvar Engelsa 15-41, tel. (8442) 67-41-71, Parubok V.

9. 432030, Ulyanovsk, Ippodromnaya St. 6-1, Makarov O.

   tel. (84222) 31-90-05, Lena, Natasha.

10. 443013, Samara, Aksakovskaya St. 169-33, tel. (8462) 36-00-20, Perevedentsev D.

11. 664023, Irkutsk, Deputatskaya St. 41-Б-6, Tarashenko S.

   tel. (3952) 27-19-66, Orbodoev S.

12. 630008, Novosibirsk, Guryevskaya St. 76-41, tel. (3832) 66-23-48, Yaroslavtsev B.

13. 357538, Pyatigorsk, Vosstaniya St. 100-61, tel. (86533) 7-65-59, Osaulenko V.

14. Krasnoyarsk: tel. (3912) 22-40-47, Lyakin V.

15. Ekaterinburg: tel. (3432) 47-49-28, Budanova S.

16. Tula, Krasnoarmeysky Av. 38-95, tel. (0872) 27-26-45, Zhurtuhin K.

17. 236011, Kaliningrad, L.Ivanihina St. 2-40, Kostina E.

18. Donetskaya Oblast, Snezhnoe, Kirova St. 77-41, Shevchuk S.

19. 335004, Sevastopol, Hrulyova St. 12-49, tel. 36-75-20, Shevyakina E.

20. Buhara, Ulyanov St. 66-40, tel. (365) 2-43-53, Shakirov A.

21. 410026, Saratov, Slonova St. 49-60, Safronov V.

22. 445009, Tolyatti, Koshelya St. 62-2, tel. 26-25-70, Fedyakin A.V.

The Dzogchen communities founded under the aegis of Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche represent one more Buddhist trend. We know about 4 Dzogchen communities.

The other communities relating themselves mainly to Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism are independent. There are among these the religious union "Buddhist House" and "Datsan Gunzechoyney" in St.Petersburg, "Padmasambhava Center" and "Buddhist House" in Moscow, "Vajra" in Donetsk etc. Other Buddhist Tradition, such as Korean Buddhist Tradition, founded by Reverend Wong Myong Sunim, Theravada Tradition are also represented.

1. Visit of Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche.

On May 27 this year Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche arrived in Riga, Latvia. He was met by representatives of two Buddhist communities, who succeeded on overcoming dividing them obstacles, merging together after a retreat.

From May 29 until June 9 Rinpoche gave the Doctrine in Jurmala. During morning sessions Rinpoche's disciple Fabio Andrico taught Yantra Yoga, and during evenings there was Doctrine again, after which there were rehearsed Om-Ah-Hum and Vajra dances. Rinpoche transmitted knowledge on different ways: he practiced direct transmission and also gave instructions on main division of Dzogchen - Semde, Londe and Upadesha, on practices of Green and White Taras, Vajrapani, Guru Dragpo and Garuda, Long Life, Rushana, Manla, Guruyoga with Garab Dorje, Shitro, Pho-wa. Retreat was attended by over 200 people from Latvia, Estonia, St.Petersburg, Buryatia and Far abroad countries.

On July 9 there was carried out Ganapuja, during which Rinpoche has explained principles of life of Dzogchen Communities, basic of wich is the principle of cooperation: "No cooperation - no realization. We all are on the same boat".

On July 11 Rinpoche has arrived in St.Petersburg. He taught Doctrine in Buddhist Temple (on two - first and last - day) and in a gymnasium on Svetlanovsky Prospect. Here he gave Chod practice. Retreat also comprised practice of Yantra Yoga and Om-Ah-Hum dance.