Supreme Lama of Kalmykia Telo Tulku Rinpoche. Telo Tulku Rinpoche: The activities of the Dalai Lama’s representative in Russia have nothing to do with politics

Shajin Lama of Kalmykia Telo Tulku Rinpoche

Biography

Venerable Telo Tulku Rinpoche was born in America, in the city of Philadelphia in 1972. Parents are immigrants from Kalmykia who immigrated to the United States. Telo Rinpoche's grandfather was a Buddhist cleric who was subsequently persecuted. As a child, Venerable Telo Rinpoche began to show special interests that were not typical for ordinary children. At the age of four, he began to call himself a lama and said that he would become a monk. He often visited the khurul of the Kalmyk community in America. His extraordinary abilities were noted by the monks and in 1979 his family received an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. After conducting special traditional inquiries, His Holiness recognized Erdni-Basan Ombadykov as the ninth incarnation of the Indian Mahasiddha Tilopa. In 1980, in the South of India at the Drepung Gomang monastery, he was officially enthroned. At Drepung Gomang Monastery, Telo Tulku Rinpoche studied logic, philosophy, history, grammar and other Buddhist disciplines for thirteen years.

In 1991, His Holiness the Dalai Lama was invited to the Republic of Kalmykia. He asked Telo Tulku Rinpoche to accompany him on this visit. In 1992, Telo Tulku Rinpoche visited the republic again. During this period, an extraordinary congress of the Society of Buddhists of Kalmykia was held at which the lama from Buryatia Tuvan Dorje was removed from the post of Shajin Lama of Kalmykia for financial fraud. Buddhists of Kalmykia unanimously supported the candidacy of Telo Tulku Rinpoche for the place of the Supreme Lama of Kalmykia.

Over the course of seventeen years, through the efforts of Shajin Lama of Kalmykia Telo Tulku Rinpoche, more than forty Buddhist temples and a huge number of stupas were erected. Also in the city of Elista, the largest Buddhist temple in Russia and Europe was erected.

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Books

Dilova Khutukhta of Mongolia. Political memoirs and autobiography of the reincarnation of a Buddhist lama, Gordienko E. V.. Memoirs of Dilov-khutukhta Bashlugiin Dzhamsranjava (1884 1965) occupy a special place among the sources on the history of Mongolia in modern times. Their author is one of the highest lamas of Mongolia, the incarnation of Tilopa...

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The Foundation for Promoting the Preservation of the Cultural and Philosophical Traditions of Tibetan Buddhism “Let's Save Tibet” and the Buddhist Youth Association in Moscow invite you to a meeting with the honorary representative of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in Russia, Mongolia and the CIS countries, Shajin Lama (Supreme Lama) of Kalmykia Telo Tulku Rinpoche. As part of the meeting, there will be a presentation of the new book “Dilova-Khutukhta of Mongolia. Political memoirs and autobiography of the reincarnation of a Buddhist lama."

As part of the meeting, there will be a presentation of the new book “Dilova-Khutukhta of Mongolia. Political memoirs and autobiography of the reincarnation of a Buddhist lama,” telling about the previous incarnation of Telo Tulku Rinpoche. The book was published in 2018 by the “Save Tibet” Foundation for promoting the preservation of cultural and philosophical traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. The executive editor of the publication, S.L., will talk about the book. Kuzmin, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Candidate of Biological Sciences, leading researcher at the Department of Korea and Mongolia at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Telo Tulku Rinpoche will give a talk on the topic “What does it mean to be a tulku? My personal experience” and will answer questions from meeting participants.

The meeting will take place on November 11 (Sunday) at 14:00 at the Open World Center (Moscow, Pavlovskaya St., 18, Expo Hall, Tulskaya metro station).

Admission is free, registration is required.

About the book

“Dilova Khutukhta of Mongolia. Political memoirs and autobiography of the reincarnation of a Buddhist lama"
The memoirs of Dilov-hutukhta Bashlugiin Jamsranjava (1884–1965) occupy a special place among the sources on the history of Mongolia in modern times. Their author is one of the highest lamas of Mongolia, the incarnation of Tilopa (Tib.: Telo) - a sacred figure for followers of Tibetan Buddhism. Tilopa's current reincarnation (next after Jamsranjava) is Telo Tulku Rinpoche, the honorary representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Russia, Mongolia and the CIS countries, the Supreme Lama (Shajin Lama) of Kalmykia.

Dilova Khutukhta B. Jamsranjav is known to historians primarily as a religious, political and statesman of Mongolia. He was one of the highest reborn lamas of Mongolia - the Khutukht. During the period of repression in the 1930s, which was carried out under the leadership of the Bolsheviks by the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP), he, the only Khutukht who survived up to that time, managed to stay alive and leave the Mongolian People's Republic (MPR). He left political memoirs and an autobiography, which, although not without some inaccuracies, give a realistic picture of events and contain important information about a number of little-known episodes of history.

Translation from English by E. V. Gordienko
Responsible editors of the Russian edition S. L. Kuzmin and Zh. Oyuunchimeg
Literary editor of the Russian edition of N. G. Inozemtseva
Save Tibet Foundation, 2018.
352 pp., 11 ill.
ISBN 978–5-905792–28–1

Telo Tulku Rinpoche

- Honorary Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Russia, Mongolia and the CIS countries, President of the Centralized Religious Organization "Union of Buddhists of Kalmykia", Spiritual Director of the Foundation for Promoting the Preservation of Cultural and Philosophical Traditions of Tibetan Buddhism "Save Tibet" (Moscow), Spiritual Director of the Tilopa Center ( Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia).

Telo Tulku Rinpoche was born on October 27, 1972 into a family of Kalmyk emigrants in the United States. At the age of four, the future Supreme Lama of Kalmykia told his parents about his desire to become a monk. And when he was six years old, he had the opportunity to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who advised him to send the boy to study at the Tibetan monastery of Drepung Gomang in India. He spent 13 years there studying Buddhist philosophy under the guidance of distinguished Tibetan teachers. In the late 1980s, during his years of study at the monastery, he was recognized as the new reincarnation of the great Indian saint Tilopa, who incarnated twice in Inner Mongolia and three times in Mongolia.

In 1991, Telo Tulku Rinpoche first came to Kalmykia as part of the delegation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV. The first meeting with his historical homeland was followed by an invitation to lead the process of spiritual revival of the steppe republic, which was in dire need of his knowledge and spiritual experience.

In 1992, Telo Tulku Rinpoche was elected Shajin Lama (Supreme Lama) of Kalmykia. In recent years, under his leadership, over 30 Buddhist temples and houses of worship, destroyed during the years of Soviet power, have been erected. Since 2005, the residence of Telo Tulku Rinpoche has been located in the main temple of Kalmykia, the Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni, which is recognized as the largest Buddhist temple in Russia and Europe.

During his tenure as Shajin Lama, Telo Tulku Rinpoche has made great efforts to strengthen the religious and cultural ties that have existed for centuries between the traditional Buddhist regions of Russia and the Tibetan community led by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

Telo Tulku Rinpoche accompanied the Dalai Lama during his first visits to Kalmykia in the early 90s, which became the starting point for the restoration of Buddhism in the republic. With his active participation, the long-awaited visit of the Dalai Lama to Russia in November 2004 was carried out, which gave new impetus to the process of reviving traditional Buddhist values in Kalmykia and Russia as a whole.

At the personal invitation of Telo Tulku Rinpoche, in recent years, Russia was visited by the head of the Sakya school His Holiness Sakya Trizin Rinpoche, the abbot of the Drepung Gomang monastery Yonten Damcho, the former abbot of the Namgyal monastery Chado Tulku Rinpoche, leading Buddhist teachers Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, Geshe Lhakdor, Barry Kerzin, Tenzin Priyadarshi, Robert Thurman, Alan Wallace and many others.

Never lose hope

Buddhism has the concept of “good karma”. Famous Buddhist teachers who come to Kalmykia sincerely rejoice at how the teachings of Buddha are being revived here, wondering how the Kalmyk people managed to maintain faith and devotion to their religion in the most difficult trials. But the positive changes would not have been so noticeable if one day a modest young monk had not come to us with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. There was little that meant his name to the Kalmyks. But good karma was already manifesting itself. The oldest monk, Ph.D. Venerable Geshe Dugda once said this: “The Kalmyk people have good karma, because they have a precious mentor - Telo Tulku Rinpoche. However, such great teachers are not born where they are not needed. Of course, much remains to be revived; patience and diligence are needed along this path. The Tibetan people adopted the teachings of Buddha from Indian teachers for five centuries! But look what a leap the Kalmyk people have made in just fifteen years.”

The future head of the Buddhists of Kalmykia was born into a family of Kalmyk emigrants in the USA. At the age of four, he began to tell his parents that his place was not here, that he wanted to become a monk. During His Holiness's visit to America, the baby's mother met with him and asked for advice. His Holiness recommended that the parents send their child to study at a Buddhist monastery in India. First, his mother brought him to one of the newly created Tibetan monasteries, where the seven-year-old boy flatly refused to enter, declaring that this was not his monastery. And they went south, to the state of Karnataka, where a small group of monks, who had left Tibet following the Dalai Lama, were uprooting forest in the desert jungle, clearing the site for the construction of a monastery.

The largest monastery-university, Drepung Gomang, was founded in 1416 by Lama Tsongkhapa’s closest disciple, Jamyang Choyzhe, near the capital of Tibet, Lhasa. It soon became the largest educational center in the country. People called it the Temple of a Thousand Doors. Here, many monks who had achieved the understanding of emptiness entered and exited through the walls as if through open doors. Kalmyks, Buryats and Mongols came here, overcoming thousands of kilometers and incredible hardships of a dangerous journey, to gain knowledge of Buddhist teachings.

Kalmyks have preserved the names of those few who studied in Drepung Gomang in different centuries, achieved high spiritual realizations and brought a lot of benefit to their people. One of them is a Buddhist monk, a prominent political figure in Central Asia in the mid-17th century, the creator of Kalmyk writing (todo bichig), scientist, educator, poet and translator of many sacred texts of Zaya-Pandit.

Until 1959, more than 10,000 monks studied at the monastery. After the invasion of Tibet by Chinese troops, many, following the Dalai Lama, left their homeland.

In India, as the chronicles of the Drepung Gomang monastery say, there were a little over a hundred monks in the monastic community. Geshe Lobsang, a Buddhist monk originally from Kalmykia, was elected abbot. He did everything to ensure that a new Drepung Gomang was built in Karnataka. During the day, the monks cleared the place from the jungle, built a road, and studied in the evening.

Telo Tulku Rinpoche arrived at the monastery when there were about 70 monks there. The old lamas immediately drew attention to him. In the first days, during a prayer service, a seven-year-old boy declared that the abbot was obliged to give up the throne to him, since this was his place, and it was he who should sit there. The baby was different from the other children in many ways, and a letter was sent from the monastery to the Dalai Lama. By order of His Holiness, special studies were carried out, and the reincarnation of the great Mahasiddha Tilopa, the great Indian yogi, was determined in the boy.

Tilopa was born in 988 in Bengal (India) into a Brahmin family. He studied in a monastery, wandered, then went to the tantric masters, studied with them, became the holder of all lines of teachings and the founder of the Kagyu school.

Several centuries later, in 1980, a solemn ceremony took place in Drepung Gomang, and a boy from a Kalmyk family was recognized as the next incarnation of Tilopa, receiving a new name - Telo Tulku Rinpoche.

In the Tibetan tradition of Buddhism, it is believed that after achieving Enlightenment, Tilopa did not stop being reborn, and to this day exists in the world. Tilopa's first six rebirths appeared in Tibet. From the seventh, they began to be born in Mongolia.

Dilova-Khutukhta (1884 - 1965), - the previous rebirth of Tilopa, after the revolution he was forced to leave Mongolia, emigrate to Inner Mongolia, then to Taiwan, then return to China again. From there he traveled to Tibet, from Tibet to India, and eventually emigrated to the United States, where he lived in the Kalmyk community.

In Mongolia, the Dilova-Khutukhty monastery is now being restored; at every opportunity, the laity asks Telo Tulku Rinpoche to return to them. To which the Shajin Lama of Kalmykia replies that he is needed by his people...

Journalists often ask Telo Tulku Rinpoche: what is it like to be the reincarnation of a great mahasiddha?

First of all, says Rinpoche, this is a great responsibility. “I bear a great name, a great title, and if I am concerned about anything, it is only that I must bear this great legacy that my great predecessor left. This is the main goal of rebirth - to preserve and pass on the traditions of predecessors.

The first time Telo Tulku Rinpoche came to Kalmykia was in 1991 as part of the delegation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV. Finding out that our compatriot was among the Buddhist monks was a true shock for many. A year later, the Buddhist communities of the republic turned to him with a request to lead the spiritual revival in the republic. So, at the age of less than 20, he became the Shajin Lama of Kalmykia and headed the Association of Buddhists of the republic.

“When I became Shajin Lama,” recalls the spiritual leader of the republic, “I was very young, and it was not easy for me. Find yourself in an environment that is unfamiliar to you. Lack of experience. These were probably the two biggest difficulties. Not having an adviser or a teacher at hand, people you could trust unlimitedly. A great responsibility fell on my shoulders. And my mind was not yet ready for the difficulties that had to be endured as the spiritual head of the Kalmyk people. It must be said that there is a big difference between monastic life and secular life. I was not ready for this responsibility. I listened to a lot of teachings, I listened to comments, instructions. But I did not have the opportunity to practice these instructions. And it is not easy to turn theory into practice.

During the years of militant atheism in the Kalmyk steppes, all Buddhist temples and places of worship were destroyed to the ground. Of the monks who escaped execution, only a few survived hard labor and exile. During the years when the khuruls were destroyed, the wind carried pages of precious sacred texts across the steppe, broken statues lay in the courtyards of monasteries, and ritual utensils and figurines of Buddhist deities rattled on carts.

There was nothing left that could be preserved for posterity. The Kalmyks did the incredible - they maintained a strong, pure faith and devotion to their religion. People did not know prayers, they did not know how to fold their hands correctly in a prayer gesture, but an unquenchable fire of faith burned in their hearts.

But faith without knowledge is blind, says Telo Tulku Rinpoche. “When we talk about Buddhism, there are several factors. Buddhism for us is not only a religion, but also part of our culture, our way of life, our mentality. The Buddhist worldview, first of all, is non-violence, compassion, here we, to a greater or lesser extent, follow these principles in Kalmykia. But we must not forget that we are still continuing this process of teaching people the true essence of Buddhism. We have lost a lot.

It should be noted that everything in the republic started from scratch. The first prayer house in Elista, the first office of Rinpoche - a rented room in a design institute, the first temple built using the method of folk construction with donations from the residents of Kalmykia. People of different nationalities and religions took part in the construction of a Buddhist temple in the suburb of Elista. It was a single inspired impulse.

In August 2007, Metropolitan Kirill (now the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'), then the chairman of the department of external church relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, arrived in Kalmykia. The distinguished guest in Elista performed two ceremonies: he consecrated the monument to Sergius of Radonezh and the construction site of the Orthodox Cathedral in Elista, which were attended by Telo Tulku Rinpoche and the monastic Sangha of the republic.

During the consecration of the site for the construction of the church, the Shajin Lama of Kalmykia said: “Today is a wonderful day for all believers of Kalmykia. On behalf of the Buddhists of Kalmykia, I want to congratulate and greet our Orthodox brothers on the consecration of the foundation stone of the new cathedral and monument to Sergius of Radonezh. People of different nationalities and religions live in our republic, they all live in peace and harmony, in friendship and mutual understanding. I'm happy and glad about this. On behalf of the Buddhists of Kalmykia, we are making a donation for the construction of a new temple in the amount of 10 thousand dollars, this is an offering from the bottom of our hearts, with good motivation, and I think that in the future we will always help and support each other.”

Long before this event, truly friendly ties began, developed and strengthened between representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Association of Buddhists of Kalmykia. They had not yet found proper formalization, but representatives of three faiths met and talked about the revival of spirituality, preservation and promotion of universal human values: Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. Until now, in all significant events, people can hear an Orthodox priest, a Buddhist monk, an imam. And for everyone such representation is a matter of course. In March 2004, the Interreligious Council was created, and for more than ten years it has been successfully operating. Kalmykia is an excellent example of interreligious harmony, peace, harmony and mutual understanding of spiritual brothers. “Dear brothers and sisters! - said one of the messages of the Interreligious Council, - we appeal to all citizens of Kalmykia with a call to love and respect each other, to show care and attention to those who need support - the elderly, orphans, people with disabilities.”

Telo Tulku Rinpoche also puts enlightenment and educational goals at the forefront of his work. This will help, he believes, every person, overcoming difficulties, to become truly happy:

Many people ask themselves the question: “What is the meaning of life?” Some people say, “My life’s goal is to become a doctor.” Okay, you have reached your goal and become a doctor. What's next? Are you still not satisfied? People continue to search and inquire. At first they search in the material sphere, but when they satisfy their wildest material and economic expectations, they find out that they still do not feel happy, they are still unable to find balance. This shows that people need spiritual truth. Each of us wants happiness and does not want suffering. When people suffer greatly, they seek salvation in alcohol, drugs and the like. In fact, to overcome this problem, we need to share our love, compassion, kindness, be able to forgive, and show tolerance. It is important to teach people to lead a correct, healthy lifestyle. And such a lifestyle is not limited only to physical health, mental health is also necessary. Of all living beings, only man has developed intelligence. We are potentially able to differentiate between a negative action and a good one. You just need to show people how to do it. This is what Buddha taught us. Suffering is the nature of our life. And to reduce them, we need to cultivate compassion, love, kindness, tolerance, the ability to forgive, everything that makes your life happy.

The modern world is changing rapidly. The way of life, the way of thinking has changed, the mentality has changed. But the teachings of the Buddha have remained unchanged for thousands of years. Telo Tulku Rinpoche often says that the essence of religious teachings is one - to make a person kinder. If a person practices a kind heart in life, if he is a good and decent person, this becomes the source of his happiness. No matter how amazing material progress may be, it does not provide inner comfort or create peace of mind.

- Today we can confidently say that internal balance is ensured by religious and spiritual teaching. Buddhism as a teaching, as a philosophy, as a faith is not divided. Culture is the life of people, traditions, mentality. The Buddha's teaching, as a certain way of thinking, reveals the path that leads to happiness. According to the teachings of the Buddha, happiness in this life can be achieved by practicing love and compassion for all living beings. Buddha teaches a moral way of life, teaches us to find harmony in life on a spiritual level.

Telo Tulku Rinpoche often emphasizes one of the unique features of Buddhism in his speeches.

"Buddhism is not only a religious teaching, it is a philosophy, it is a science," he says. "Many Western scientists and researchers these days, mainly neurologists, but also psychologists, are doing serious research into how Buddhist methods affect reducing stress and helping to cultivate and strengthen love, compassion and kindness. Not only Buddhism, but also other religious teachings can influence the improvement of people's mental state. But one cannot help but mention religious fanaticism. I believe that those people whom we call radicals, extremists, terrorists use religion for their own selfish purposes. We can observe radical manifestations in Russia. Many people, not understanding and seeing these manifestations, come to the conclusion that other religions are bad. Those who use the teaching for their own purposes form a wrong understanding of religion. They discredit their religion by incorrectly interpreting the tenets of the doctrine. Most people have not read the Koran. They don't know what jihad really means. According to the Koran, this means that we must fight disbelief in ourselves, in other words, strive to eliminate our shortcomings. And some radicals present this as a fight against infidels. This way they discredit their faith. All this is due to ignorance.

Telo Tulku Rinpoche once said at a meeting with journalists: “The past is gone forever, you can’t bring it back. The future has not yet arrived, what it will be depends on what we do now in the present.” And from the first days of his activity, he laid the seeds of the future. Formation of a monastic community, creation of a translation department, support of socially significant projects for the publication of Buddhist books, books of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, revival of pilgrimage traditions. In addition, he provided great attention and assistance to teachers in the Russian experiment on studying the foundations of religious cultures and secular ethics, the platform of which was Kalmykia.

Then Telo Tulku Rinpoche said that there was no reason to worry: the republic has a central khurul, the Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni, whose monks can help teachers. Seminars, lectures, courses, and round tables were organized to introduce the basics of Buddhism.

Society is faced with a huge number of problems - political, economic, moral. To overcome these difficulties, spiritual discipline and a code of moral principles that corresponds to reality are again necessary. It would be useful to think seriously about what the Buddhist approach to solving pressing social problems is, and to find a way to offer elements of Buddhist ethics to society. I am sure this will be beneficial and will contribute to his recovery.

Telo Tulku Rinpoche considers the introduction of the subject “Fundamentals of Religious Culture and Secular Ethics” into the general education curriculum to be a correct and timely step:

It is a very good idea to teach the basics of traditional religion in schools, it benefits the individual. We live in a society in which people are separated from each other by belonging to religious cultures: for example, “you are a Buddhist, I am a Muslim,” but I believe that the world will become more harmonious if we all begin to communicate more and enter into dialogue with others despite differences in religious views.

If we talk about the basics of Buddhism, then knowledge in this area, based on nurturing in a person love, compassion and such an important quality as altruism, when you consider others more significant than yourself, helps to harmonize relationships in the family and society.

There is not a single subject in school about how to become a good, decent person. When we talk about how to become a good person, it is not necessary to start from some religious tradition. These are questions of secular ethics. Secular ethics is not based on any religious tradition, but promotes and develops universal human values. This needs to be learned. Just as we teach love to our own children, we must educate the younger generation as a whole. When we talk about Buddhism, in which several directions can be distinguished, we must not talk about teaching religious doctrine, but, first of all, about teaching the basics of culture and Buddhist philosophy. Some work is being done in this direction, and it is not coming so easily.

An important event for the Kalmyk people was the appointment of Telo Tulku Rinpoche as the honorary representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Russia, Mongolia and the CIS countries. For him this was a complete surprise, for the Kalmyks another reason for joy. His new responsibilities include many things, including promoting universal human values, developing interethnic harmony, and supporting Buddhists in Russia, the CIS countries and Mongolia.

When journalists ask Shajin Lama about his ideal, a vibrant spiritual personality, he invariably says: I consider myself very fortunate to be a disciple of His Holiness. I was very lucky to spend time in his company. I traveled next to him, attended his meetings with government officials, intellectuals, actors, and ordinary people. It is very difficult to have such a state of consciousness, to be so full of mercy as he was. I look to the Dalai Lama as a role model. I have met many people, many politicians, many celebrities, but I have never met anyone like the Dalai Lama. He is an amazing person, he has so much compassion! He cares about the problems of the environment, the planet on which we live. He cares about peace on earth, he thinks about humanity. I know this as his friend, student and follower. And it is my duty and my responsibility to uphold these values.

Kalmyks are the only Asians in Europe who, several centuries ago, set off on a journey in search of the promised land. They found their home in the Volga steppes and linked their fate with Russia.

We have many financial problems, problems with the quality of education, quality of life, but no matter what difficulties we experience, we must not forget about the other side of life - the spiritual. The main thing is good motivation, do not pay too much attention to things of an external nature, the main thing is what is inside. Money matters in the world, but it cannot solve every problem. Remember the difficulties that we once had, that we experienced, and never give up, do not lose hope, we have every opportunity for a bright spiritual life. And I believe that Buddhism will definitely make its contribution not only to the formation of our republic, but also to the stabilization of Russia. “I absolutely believe in this,” the Supreme Lama of the Kalmyk people, Telo Tulku Rinpoche, once said.

Nina SHALDUNOVA

http://youtu.be/yWo8PmvW63c

Dear Telo Tulku Rinpoche! Recently you were solemnly honored in Kalmykia on the occasion of your appointment as the honorary representative of H.H. Dalai Lama in Russia and Mongolia. What are the main goals you set in your work, and what needs to be done to ensure that the development of Buddhism in Russia corresponds to the tasks and ideas of H.H. Dalai Lama?

Telo Rinpoche: For me, the appointment to the position of honorary representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Russia, Mongolia and the CIS countries is a great honor and great responsibility. It came as a complete surprise to me. But for me, as a follower and student of His Holiness, who fully shares his principles, it is a great joy to serve such a wonderful person who, although he calls himself a simple Buddhist monk, does an incredible amount to promote the ideas of love, compassion, forgiveness, and tolerance. In addition, His Holiness is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, which also makes the position of his honorary representative especially responsible.

Russia is a huge country. Thus, the scope of my activity must cover vast territories, which, of course, will not be easy. Russia is one of the major players on the world political stage, as well as in the economy and other areas. But the activities of His Holiness’s representative in Russia have nothing to do with politics. Our task is to help His Holiness fulfill his three main obligations, the first of which is to promote the spread of universal human values. The second is to promote harmonious relations between religions. And third, to be a spokesman for the aspirations of the Tibetan people, to contribute to the cause of Tibet. These are the main commitments that His Holiness the Dalai Lama strives to fulfill in his life. And I, as a representative of the Dalai Lama, see my task as serving as a conduit for the ideas of His Holiness and helping promote universal human values, interreligious harmony, and helping the cause of Tibet.

Unlike other Western countries, Russia and Tibet have strong historical ties that go back centuries. This was largely due to the fact that more than 400 years ago the peoples of Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva joined Russia. I would call the relationship between Russia and Tibet outstanding and unique, rooted deep in history. Today it is important to renew and strengthen these ties, which were practically lost in the 20th century, when first the communists came to power in Russia, and then the communist China occupied Tibet, which as a result became part of the country under totalitarian rule. In the nineties, Russia underwent a transition to a democratic state, and thanks to this, it became possible to restore historical ties between the Russian and Tibetan peoples. I think these connections can be useful and serve the benefit of both parties. Of course, today in Russia we live in an open and free society, but in the past we suffered great losses in terms of culture, traditions, and language. And we really need the help of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan organizations he created in India to assist in the revival, reconstruction and strengthening of our rich Buddhist heritage. At the same time, the Tibetan people continue to suffer under China's occupation. And I believe that the Russian people should express solidarity with the Tibetans and help find ways to resolve the Tibetan issue. It is important to emphasize here that His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile, called the Central Tibetan Administration, do not seek separation or independence of Tibet from China. They adhere to a policy known as the "Middle Way Approach", which recognizes that Tibet's presence within China is beneficial to both the Chinese and Tibetan peoples. But at the same time, Tibetans want to be able to preserve their national identity, culture, language and traditions. I think in this situation it is possible to find a solution that will be mutually beneficial and acceptable to both parties. I also believe that finding such a solution is important not only for Tibet and China, but also for the rest of the world. In Asia, many countries depend on the natural resources of Tibet, on the rivers originating in the glaciers of Tibet. This conflict, this mutual misunderstanding needs to be eliminated as soon as possible, because, as I have already said, both Tibet and China are closely connected with the rest of the world.

This year, the 80th anniversary of H.H. Dalai Lama is celebrated all over the world. How would you suggest we celebrate this anniversary to please His Holiness, our spiritual guide? How should the anniversary be celebrated in three Buddhist regions of Russia?

Telo Rinpoche: Indeed, this year His Holiness the Dalai Lama will turn 80 years old. For a man of his age, who travels tirelessly to spread messages of peace and secular ethics, he is in excellent physical condition, despite the fact that his daily schedule is incomparably hectic than that of any of us. And yet he is in excellent health. Doctors say he has the heart of a young man. These are all very encouraging signs. We wish His Holiness good health and may he remain with us as long as possible.

A few years ago, a foreign journalist asked His Holiness what would be the best birthday present for him? And His Holiness replied that the best gift would be if all people showed warmth. It's so simple! And this goes very well with the principles that His Holiness always promotes: to show love, to show compassion. This is exactly what we lack in our daily lives. Not only in relationships with friends and relatives, but also in relationships with other people. So the best birthday gift we can give to His Holiness - not only the residents of Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva, but all residents of Russia - is to try to show warmth.

We live in difficult times, we are faced with a variety of difficulties: rising unemployment, people losing their jobs, rising inflation. All these external factors influence our internal state, our inner world. In such conditions, it is very easy to lose our usual internal balance. In times like these, we must all unite and help each other as best we can. Do not be selfish, but show self-sacrifice and altruism. Try to unite into a single community, bound by friendly relations, for the benefit of not only the local community, but for the benefit of the entire country. This is the best gift we can give not only to His Holiness, but to ourselves. Because every person undoubtedly deserves love, compassion from others and at the same time should share his love, compassion and forgiveness with them. This is the only way we can promote peace on Earth, peace in society, good relations with neighbors, friends and relatives. I am sure this will be the best gift not only to His Holiness, but to all humanity in general.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni Khurul, built on the site blessed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. What important events dedicated to this anniversary can Russian Buddhists take part in?

Telo Rinpoche: This year we will celebrate 10 years since we built a new temple, the Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni. It's amazing how quickly time flies! Looking back over the past ten years, we see that we have achieved a lot and achieved many of our goals. It's safe to say that it was a successful decade. In honor of this holiday, we will hold many different events. These will not only be religious celebrations, but also a variety of events related to culture and education. We are still only at the very beginning of preparations. But we would like the celebration to take place in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and unity. And, of course, we gladly invite everyone to come to Kalmykia. I firmly believe that the closer we get to know each other, the more we travel, get to know each other’s culture, way of life, the easier it will be for us to overcome obstacles such as doubts and mutual misunderstanding. I think it is important for all residents of Russia - to come to Kalmykia and see how we live, to find out what we think, to experience the hospitality and cordiality of the Kalmyk people, to visit our Buddhist temple - one of the most beautiful Buddhist temples in Russia and the largest in Europe. We always welcome guests, but this year we especially invite everyone to attend numerous musical and cultural events. You will be able to watch the religious ceremony “Cham”, it will be performed by a group of monks who will specially come at our invitation from India. We also organize educational programs for schoolchildren. We are also planning to hold a scientific conference for Buddhologists, Indologists, and Tibetologists. They will gather in Kalmykia to discuss further cooperation in the scientific field. You can, of course, learn more about what events will take place to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the khurul on our website, where the information will be constantly updated.

At the international conference in Elista, you again bring together people from different regions on one platform. Some believe that establishing cooperation between Buddhist regions is a very difficult task. Do you think such cooperation is possible, and can it be fruitful?

Telo Rinpoche: As I said before, I believe that relationships between people are very important. We always invite everyone to come to Kalmykia. I travel a lot myself. For me, this is more than tourist trips or business trips. Wherever I go, I always try to learn something new about the history, culture, and various events associated with this place. This helps to understand how small our world is, how much we have in common, despite external differences.

If someone says that cooperation is impossible, then this is wrong. Before making such categorical statements, you still need to try and do something. Therefore, I believe that it is important for us to travel more and meet more often in order to get to know each other better.

If we return to the issue of interreligious harmony, to which His Holiness the Dalai Lama pays such close attention, then if representatives of all religious traditions live separately, avoiding meeting and communicating with each other, avoiding cooperation, then how can we live in peace and consent? After all, there will always be misunderstandings between us, deep down we will doubt. And doubts lead to suspicion, which in turn entails many negative consequences. So, the more we meet, the better we will understand each other. And then, even if we fail to reach full agreement on some issues, we will be able to come to a compromise that will be acceptable to all interested parties. This means that we will be able to maintain peaceful relations, study together, conduct scientific research, and work. We can do so much together! Therefore, it is so important that we reach out to each other and learn to cooperate, together to solve the complex problems that we face in the modern world.

Since then, over 30 temples and houses of worship have been restored and built in the steppe region. Since 2005, the residence of Telo Tulku Rinpoche has been located in the main temple of Kalmykia - the “Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni”. Now it is the largest Buddhist temple in Europe.
- Your Holiness, what are the primary tasks for the full development of Buddhism in Russia?
- The primary task is to preserve the purity of the tradition and teachings of the Buddha in these extremely difficult times. For 2,550 years, Buddhists have managed to maintain the purity of monastic and lay discipline, we must continue to emphasize this.
After the revolution of 1917, the Buddhist clergy and believers in Russia suffered severe trials, and we lost many values: both material and spiritual. Can we revive what has been lost, return to the pure monastic tradition, which, without a doubt, forms the basis of Buddhist teaching, dharma? I think yes. But it takes time and effort. Remember that spiritual discipline was absent in Russia for 70 years, yet today we are seeing a gradual revival of not only Buddhism, but also other religious traditions.
A lot is changing in the modern world, and Russia is no exception. Society faces many problems - political, economic, moral. To overcome these difficulties, again, spiritual discipline and a code of moral principles that corresponds to reality are needed.
It would be useful to think seriously about what the Buddhist approach to solving pressing social problems is, and to find a way to offer elements of Buddhist ethics to society. I am sure this will be beneficial and will contribute to his recovery.
- Don’t you think that the presence of the Hambo Lama of Buryatia in the Interreligious Council in your (and the Tuvan Kamba Lama’s) absence is an injustice? Maybe it's time to fix the situation?
- It is important to realize that, unlike Orthodoxy, in Russian Buddhism - and not only in Russian - there has never been centralization. Kalmykia, Buryatia and Tuva became part of Russia in different years (by the way, Kalmykia was the first: we recently celebrated our 400th anniversary).
The spiritual life of each people developed independently of each other, and at the same time they all maintained close ties with Tibet. This becomes obvious even with a superficial acquaintance with historical sources.
However, today only the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia is represented at the federal level - an organization that is in no way connected with the main Buddhist organizations of the other two republics: neither with the Association of Buddhists of Kalmykia, nor with the Association of Buddhists of Tuva. Their voices are not heard and their interests are not taken into account. This needs to change, and the sooner the better.
- What, in your opinion, can and should be like Buddhist education in Russia? Are you satisfied with “Fundamentals of Buddhist Culture” and the practice of introducing this discipline in schools in general?
- I consider the introduction of the subject “Fundamentals of World Religions” in schools to be a correct and timely step, since this discipline helps to open the hearts of our children. I strongly believe that the more knowledge we have about other cultures and religions, the better.
On the other hand, this subject was introduced too hastily and without proper preparatory work. The teachers who were supposed to teach this discipline did not undergo the necessary training. But, nevertheless, this is a good start, and I hope that work in this direction will continue.
As you know, Kalmykia was chosen as one of the regions where an experiment was conducted to teach the basics of religious cultures. Positive results are evident, but, above all, because the clergy of Kalmykia provided great assistance to teachers to help them understand the multifaceted philosophy of Buddhism. And, of course, we regularly meet with students from schools and other educational institutions: we give lectures and conduct seminars.
- Has the position of Buddhism in Kalmykia changed after Kirsan Ilyumzhinov left the presidential post?
- Without a doubt, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov did a lot for the revival of Buddhism. Moreover, it is very important to remember that he provided his assistance not as a government official, and not as the head of the republic. This was his contribution as a resident of Kalmykia and as a Buddhist. Of course, we are sorry that he no longer heads Kalmykia, since no one can replace Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in his promotion of Buddhism.
- What are the relationships between Buddhists and other religions in Kalmykia?
- Representatives of various religious institutions in Kalmykia have friendly relations. We maintain an open dialogue and discuss issues directly and sincerely, without fear of hurting anyone's feelings. I'm glad to say that we don't have any problems. And if they arose, we would discuss them with all openness and find a mutually acceptable solution.
I think this is happening because in Kalmykia they realize: despite all the dissimilarities in the philosophical foundations of various religions, they all strive to bring good to humanity. I was very pleased when the Orthodox Bishop Zosima (at that time he was the Bishop of Elista and Kalmykia), after meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, said that there was “a lot of Orthodox ascetics in him.” This willingness to treat the values of other religions with respect and understanding truly brings people together.
- You are one of the initiators of holding the Dalai Lama’s teachings for Russian Buddhists in India. Do you really think that sermons heard so far from Russia will be able to influence the state of affairs in Russian Buddhism?
- In my opinion, the events of past years have already proven that exercises conducted even at such a considerable distance from Russia have many advantages. Firstly, people find themselves in a new environment, in another part of the globe, and get acquainted with the culture of other countries. They make pilgrimages to holy places. They meet with representatives of other branches of Buddhism, with philosophers, high lamas, and monks. All this cannot be obtained by remaining on Russian territory.
And, of course, the most important thing is that they can come into contact with the wisdom of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, receive his blessing, his philosophical teachings and initiations. We all know that His Holiness's years are passing, and our requests for an entry visa to Russia for him are rejected on a regular basis.
So, meeting him in India and other countries remains our only opportunity to learn from him and maintain contact with him. And this brings enormous benefits to everyone. I am deeply convinced that the Dalai Lama’s teachings for Russian Buddhists, even if they are held in India, have a very significant impact on the state of Buddhism in Russia. And this influence will undoubtedly expand.