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LAMIIN GEGEEN’S SMOKE OFFERING RITUAL TO THE KHANGAI MOUNTAIN RANGE Lamiin Gegeen’s Smoke Offering Ritual Lamiin Gegeen Khanchinchoijil Luwsandandsanjantsan (Tib. mKhan chen chos rgyal Blo bzang bstan ‘dzin rgyal mtshan) also known as Erdene Bandid Khutagt or Erdene Mergen Bandid was born in a noble family in 1639, as descendent of Tümenkhen Sain Noyon Khan (1588-1641), also Chinggis Khan (1162?-1227). He became a disciple of Öndör Gegeen Dsanabadsar and went to study to Tibet in 1656, at the age of 17. He was recognized as reincarnation, and after returning back to Mongolia in 1662, he built monasteries in his homeland, the Khangai region, Sain Noyon Khan Province (current Owoérkhangai province, Uyanga district).'’ Later, his residence moved, and settled down (in current Bayankhongor province, Erdenetsogt district).'* It became one of the most populated monasteries in Mongolia until the monastery destruction of the era of persecution in 1937—1938.'° Lamiin Gegeen was an eminent polymath, who laid the basis of Tibetan medicine and astrology combined with Mongolian features. He founded monasteries also in Inner Mongolia (current China) and worked there as Urga’s” head abbot (khamba nomon khan, from 1694-1699, thus he received the Khanchin title (Tib. mkhan chen, “with great knowledge”, “great abbot’’). He returned back to his homeland in 1699, and introduced monastic rules in religious practice and recitation, called Khanchin deg (Tib. mkhan chen sgrigs). He was reborn in Mongolia many times." Being one of the most eminent monks of Mongolia, Lamiin Gegeen is especially worshipped in the Khangai region (Öwörkhangai and Bayankhongor provinces) where he and his reincarnations lived. Reviving the pre-1937 religious practice, the monks of current monasteries, having revived or newly built after the 1990s in Öwörkhangai and Bayankhongor provinces, recite the Khangai’s smoke offering ritual written by Lamiin Gegeen: Khang ka’i rgyal po i gzhi bdag gi gsol kha shin tu bsdus pa (“Brief Petition Offering to the Earth Deity, Khangai King”). For instance, the monk community of Erdene Dsuu monastery (founded in 1586) include this text to the monthly ceremony devoted to the Ten Dharma Protectors (Sakhius, Arwan Khangal), whereas the monks of the monastery situated in Gandannorowlin Monastery, Khujirt recite For details on these monasteries see http://mongoliantemples.org/en/component/domm/2027?view= oldtempleen and http://mongoliantemples.org/en/component/domm/2028?view=oldtempleen. http://mongoliantemples.org/en/component/domm/1241?view=oldtempleen. At present, a monumental stijpa stands on the old, sacred site, and the monastic tradition was revived in a newly built monastery in the centre of Bayankhongor province. 20 Urga or Örgöö was the residence of the Khalkha Jebtsundamba Khutugtu. It was founded in 1639 at the Lake Shireet Tsagaan Nuur in the Khangai region, in present area of Owérkhangai province, but moved 28 times until it settled down in the current Ulaanbaatar basin in 1855. Due to the KhalkhaOirad war, Urga resided in the area of Inner Mongolia from cc 1690-1700. Lamiin Gegeen’s Mongolian lineage includes the following incarnations: 1. Blo bzang bstan ‘dzin rgyal mtshan (1639-1704), 2. Blo bzang pan chen dpal ‘bar (1705-1787), 3. Tshe dbang rgyab mchog (1789-1845), 4. Dpal Idan bstan pa tshul khrims (1846-1860), 5. ‘Phrin las thogs med (1862-1907), 6. ‘Jam dbyangs rdo rje (1910-1912), 7. Tshe ring rdo rje (1913-1937), 8. B. Erdenebat (1996-). For details see Dashbadrakh, D.: Mongoliin khutagtuud. Ulaanbaatar 2004. 105
