Page 426 [426]
OCR
Lusos BELKA were only available for export (in English and German mutations of the book), not for readers in Czechoslovakia. Some pictures portray Byambiin Rinchen in cordial conversation with the abbot of Gandantegchinling, the only functioning monastery at that time, N. Erdenepel“ (1887-1960; see Fig. 1); there are also lay people, men, women and children and all the scenes give the impression of a standard situation (see Fig. 2-11). However, the historical context suggests that although such a religious encounter was possible in the year 1958, it was a completely new situation! Ten or fifteen years earlier the position ofreligion was radically different and it was unthinkable to conduct a public religious ceremony. Stupas, statues, temples and entire monastery complexes had been demolished and destroyed, not built or restored at the time. The 14% Dalai Lama was in Tibet in 1958, but he had no link to Mongolian Buddhists: the process of antireligious campaigns had started in the Peoples’ Republic of China, although without the physical liquidation of sacral buildings — this occurred a decade later, during the Cultural Revolution.*’ In the Mongolian People’s Republic and the Soviet Union, the first revival of religious life, including Tibetan Buddhism, had already commenced at that time; it was a converse process to China. The opening of the stupa in Ulaanbaatar in 1958 was a representation of the process. The naadam in 1958 was attended by numerous visitors from abroad, including Inner Mongolians from the PRC (i.e. inhabitants of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region), while almost none were present at the consecration ceremony. Therefore Jisl’s and Vléek’s photographic documentation is unique in the global scope. Lumir Jisl, together with his colleagues, documented the ritual as thoroughly as possible; they used the material for the radio coverage and the foreign-language monograph (it was the first book in English and German that brought recent information — more visual than textual — to Western audiences after a long time); however, he did not study and analyze the consecration ceremony any further. We may ask why. Jisl must have been aware that he had a unique testimony and that Buddha’s stupa is of historic importance. So why didn’t he elaborate on the topic? 46 Identified thanks to Ch. Dambajav, abbot of Dashchoiling Monastery and rector of Ziiiin Khiiree in Ulaanbaatar (personal information of 30" August 2014, Ulaanbaatar). My thanks also extend to Veronika KapiSovska in this context. Khambo Lama N. Erdenepel’s life was remarkably turbulent. He was born in khoshuun Dalai khöökhür (present Ikh-Uul Dsavkhan aimag). He was the director of the National Library in Ulaanbaatar in years 1927 and 1928; later he entered the monastery and stayed in Ikh khüree (today’s Gandantegchinling), where he received the title of gavzha in the Dashchoinpel datsan. He had other offices next to monastic duties: he worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1929; simultaneously he was a monk until 1938. During the reprisals he left monastic ranks and he entered the sangha again in 1944; he became the first abbot of Gandantegchinling Monastery after its reopening (see also Teleki, Krisztina: Monasteries and Temples of Bogdiin Khüree. Institute of History Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar 2012, p. 164.) A highly informed description and analysis was written by Martin Slobodnik: Mao a Buddha: Nabozenska politika voci tibetskemu buddhismu v Cine [Mao and Buddha: Religious policy towards Tibetan Buddhism in China]. Chronos Publishing, Bratislava 2007. 424
