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INTRODUCTION all scholars who specialized on Mongolian Buddhism participated in the conference, whereas other scholars specified the relation of their research topics with Buddhism. Another unigueness of the conference became the presence of Mongolian monk scholars, the professors of the National University of Mongolia and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, as well as the Mongolian television. Special events accompanying the conference included the visit of the Oriental Collection of the Library and Information Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences where Buddhist manuscripts and blockprints from Mongolia were exhibited as well as the visit of the Collection of the Ferenc Hopp Museum of Asiatic Arts in the repository of the Museum of Applied Arts where Mongolian Buddhist artifacts were introduced to eminent monk artists. During the conference special emphasis was laid on current practices of revived and revitalized Buddhism not only in the current area of Mongolia, but also Inner Mongolia in China, Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The papers and the articles of the conference and the present volume reflect on the great significance of practice and rituals in Vajrayana Buddhism. We are grateful to Eötvös Loránd University, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the Khyentse Foundation through the Budapest Centre for Buddhist Studies, the Dharma Gate Buddhist Church, S. Gansükh and B. Shür (The Eternal Art Gallery), and all co-operated institutes and Mongolian and Hungarian individuals who supported the event. KRISZTINA TELEKI Research Centre for Mongolian Studies, Eötvös Loránd University 14
