Indigenous Efforts and Dimensions of Mongolian Buddhism —Exemplified by the Mergen Tradition—
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Indigenous Efforts and Dimensions of Mongolian Buddhism —Exemplified by the Mergen Tradition— Uranchimeg Boijigin Ujeed Department of the Study of Religions, SOAS SOAS U M tanfcy o fI a m Im Thesis submitted in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of the Study of Religions Faculty of Arts and Humanities School of Oriental and African Studies University of London March 2009 ProQuest Number: 10672934 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10672934 Published by ProQuest LLC(2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 2 Declaration This dissertation is the result of my own work and includes nothing which is the outcome of work done in collaboration. The thesis does not exceed the relevant word length specified in the College and/or federal Regulations for the MPhil and PhD Degrees. 3 Abstract Indigenous Efforts and Dimensions of Mongolian Buddhism — Exemplified by the Mergen Tradition — Uranchimeg Borjigin Ujeed This thesis investigates the indigenous efforts and dimensions of Mongolian Buddhism on the local and practical levels exemplified by the Mergen Tradition of Inner Mongolia, China. The Mergen Tradition is a set of local Buddhist practices centred in Mergen Monastery, in which Buddhism was practised purely in the Mongolian language. The Mergen Tradition of Mongolian Buddhism has survived until the present and its influence has been disseminating to other parts of both Inner Mongolia and Mongolia. The thesis proceeds from general discussion to specific studies, as follows: Chapter 1 provides a historical overview of the influence and development of Buddhism in Mongolia. It proceeds from Mongols’ different levels of interaction with Buddhism to their two national conversions to Tibetan Buddhism. Chapter 2 examines the most common overarching features of Mongolian Buddhism from two main perspectives: single school Gelukpa Buddhism established under Manchu political control and Tibetan spiritual dominance, and the Mongolisation of Buddhist doctrine through Mongolian literary works. Chapter 3 describes the initiation of the Neichi Toyin Line in eastern Mongolia and its use of the Mongolian language instead of Tibetan. Chapter 4 explores the origin, formation and institutionalisation of the Mergen Tradition. Chapter 5 investigates the reasons why such a unique tradition was able to form and persevere under Manchu political control and Tibetan religious dominance. Chapter 6 introduces the practices of the Mergen Tradition by examining Mergen Gegen’s publications, including the monastic services he regulated, his liturgical texts, and his works on Vajrabhairava Tantra. Chapter 7 investigates Mergen Gegen’s popularisation of Buddhism in the lay community, which became an important element in the Mergen Tradition. 4 This Thesis illustrates the Mongols’ efforts and achievements in indigenising Buddhism while not corrupting it. Contents Declaration............................. ................................................................................... 2 Abstract ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Table of contents----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Acknowledgements ..............................................................................................— 7 A note on transliteration------------------------------- ----------------------------- -------- 8 List of illustrations.......................................................................... ...... .................. 9 INTRODUCTION----------------------- -------------------------------------------------- 10 1. Aim--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 2. Structure................................................................................................... 14 CHAPTER 1. Different levels of Mongol interaction with Buddhism 18 1. Mapping ethnic and political Mongolia: a historical overview--------- 16 2. The first conversion to Buddhism.......................................................... 22 3. National conversion to Buddhism--------------------------------- ---------- 33 Altan Khan and the Third Dalai Lama — 34 Abadai Khan and Outer Mongolia------------------------------------ 37 Oirat Mongols and Dzaya Pandita Namkhaijamtsu---------------- 3 8 Eastern Inner Mongolia and Neichi Toyin--------------------------- 40 Conversion of the Mongols in Russia ...................................... 42 CHAPTER 2. Formation of Mongolian Buddhism------------------------------ 45 1. Tibetan spiritual dominance--------------------------------------------------- 45 2. Manchu political control......................................................................... 51 3. Gelukpa-dominant Buddhism---------------------------------- -------------- 57 4. Mongolian Buddhist literary work.......................................................... 59 Translation of scriptures................................................ ................. 59 Mongolian Kanjur and Tanjur------------------------------------------ 63 Works written in Tibetan..... Works written in Mongolian- CHAPTER 3. Neichi Toyin’s Mongolian Line of Buddhist Practices 71 1. Neichi Toyin’s initiation of the Mongolian Line------------------------- 73 2. Expansion and influence of the Neichi Toyin Line---------------------- 80 The Second Neichi Toyin --------------------------------------- 81 The Third Neichi Toyin ------------------------------------------- 89 Decline of the Neichi Toyin Line......................... ....................... 90 CHAPTER 4. The Mergen Tradition of Mongolian Buddhism-------------- 94 1. Derivation of the Mergen Line—------------------------------------------ 94 2. Institutionalisation of the Mergen Tradition----------------------------- 105 Lineage root lama------------------------------------------------------ 106 Regulation of monastic practices................................................. 110 Mergen Gegen’s renovation of the Mongolian chanting 113 Reworking of translated texts.......................... - -....................... 115 Composition of new texts--------------------------------------------- 117 3. Mergen Gegen’s collected works----------------------------------------- 118 4. Chronicle Altan Tobchi ................................................. 125 CHAPTER 5. Internal and external relations of the Mergen Tradition 129 1. Internal gum disciple relationship------------------------- 129 Mergen Gegen lineage.................................................................. 131 Chorji Bagshi lineage-.................................... 132 Baragun Da Bagshi lineage........................... 132 Khubilgan Lamahkai lineage......................................................... 133 Giiushi Da Bagshi lineage............................................ 134 Emchi Lama lineage ............................................................. 135 Rasang Lama lineage------------------------------------- - 136 2. Support of local nobles-------------------------------------------------------- 138 3. Relationship to the Neichi Toyin Line-------------------------------------- 141 6 4. Relationship with the Khorchins----------------------------------------------- 145 5. Other relationships---------------------------------------------------------------- 147 Relationship to the Manchu Court-------------------------------------- 148 Relationship to Tibetan Line of Buddhist practices----------------- 149 CHAPTER 6. Regulation of monastic practices ----------------------------------- 152 1. Monastic services------------------------------------------------------------------ 152 2. Liturgical texts---------------------------------------------------- 163 3. T an trie practices-------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 2 Tantra in Mongolia----------------------------------------------------------- 172 Tan trie practices of the Mergen Tradition------------------------------ 175 V ajrabhairava T antra -------------------------------------------------------- 17 8 CHAPTER 7. Popularisation of Buddhism in Mongolia.........................................187 1. Popular ritual texts------------------------------------------------------------------ 188 2. Popular teachings-------------------------------------------------------------------- 207 Didactic poetry----------------------------------------------------------------- 207 Popular poetry and songs---------------------------------------------------- 211 CONCLUSION-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------217 Practical orientation----------------------------------------------------------------------217 Mergen Tradition as indigenised Gelukpa -------------------------------------------210 National identity and the Mergen Tradition of Mongolian Buddhism-------- 222 REFERENCES----------------------------------------------------- 224 1. Primary sources------------------------------------------------------------------------