I think compared to Russia, Buddhism in Russia and Buddhism in Mongolia,
I think there's a huge difference.
And I say this because in Mongolia, Buddhism was not completely destroyed.
The Revival of Buddhism in Russia and Mongolia
Not all the monasteries were completely destroyed.
Of course, the majority of them were destroyed,
and the majority of the monastic communities were destroyed.
But to a certain extent, Buddhism was preserved.
And I think the Vice President of the United States in the 40s,
who was able to make a diplomatic visit to Mongolia,
and Mongolia’s government, their intention was to prove to the outside world that religious freedom existed,
that Buddhism existed as part of Mongolian life.
And therefore they were under very strict control,
there were a few monasteries that were allowed to function and to remain open to the public.
First it was designed as a sign to show to the American Vice President,
but after he left they decided to keep it that way.
So, Mongolia was able to preserve a lot more than Russia.
In Russia, for example, in Kalmykia as well as in Tuva,
all the temples and monasteries were completely destroyed.
And also the majority of the Buddhist monasteries in Buryatia as well were destroyed.
But there was a very small number of monasteries that were able to function,
under the tight control of and observation from the communist government.
I would say the most challenging part of reviving Buddhism in Russia and Mongolia is on a mental level.
Because you are challenging a totalitarian system mentality,
a communist mentality,
where the people grow up as atheists, as non-believers.
And to prove to those type of people with that mindset that religion is important,
religion is not simply a faith but also it is a science, it’s a philosophy, it’s a way of life.
I think that would probably be the biggest challenge,
to challenge the mindset of communist people.
Of course, it takes time.
The conversion or change of attitude does not happen overnight.
It’s a very slow process.
And I think we were able to achieve that in the last 20 plus years.
So, it’s a slow process, and I think over time, in terms of Buddhism,
it’s a very realistic approach to life and to situations in general.
So, through logic and reasoning, and through a realistic approach,
I think people were able to slowly understand and realize how pragmatic Buddhism is,
and how it can be applied to their daily lives.
Not necessarily as a religion, but simply as a philosophy and a science as well.