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The Only Female Buddhist Monastery in Russia

By Lyudmila Klasanova | | Buddhistdoor Global

In the 17th century, Buddhism was firmly established in three Russian republics—Buryatia, Kalmykia, and Tuva. Since then, the Buddhadharma has become widespread and can be found in many parts of the federation. However, despite an increasing number of female Buddhist practitioners, there is only one female datsan (Buddhist monastery) in Russian territory. It is named Buddhist Female Datsan Zungon Darzhaling, which translates as “Prosperous and Noble Monastery.”* This unique Dharma center, located in Buryat capital Ulan-Ude, marks a significant development in the evolution of Russian Buddhism in the early 1990s. The history of the Buddhist Female Datsan began in 1992 with the second visit of the Dalai Lama to Buryatia.** During this visit, His Holiness met representatives of religious organizations and advised them to build female Buddhist center in order to maintain peace and harmony among the Buryat peoples. There was only one woman at this historical gathering: Darima Sambuyevna Tsynguyeva. After hearing the advice of Dalai Lama, she and her husband, Dalai Anpilovich Budayev, decided to build a female Buddhist temple. Darima Tsynguyeva asked for blessings from the 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche (1917–2003)—one of the best known lamas of Ladakh, who served as India's ambassador to Mongolia from 1990–2000. He blessed the project and confirmed that it was necessary to build such datsan in Buryatia. Soon afterward, a group of Buddhist laywomen, with the support of Darima Tsyngueva, founded the Association of Lay Buddhists. This organization, involved in social and charitable work, led to the creation of the female Buddhist monastery in Ulan-Ude.

In 1995, the site of the monastery was chosen and construction began, with financial support from the Buryat government, several organizations, and Buryat Buddhist followers. The main funding for the construction for the datsan was offered by Darima Tsynguyeva and Dalai Budayev. That same year, lamas from the Buryat Buddhist communities Lamrim and Dkharma consecrated the place.*** In 1998, a dugan (a small wooden or stone temple) was built on the site of the future monastery. The first religious services were held by representatives of the Mongolian Buddhist Women’s Centre Tugs Bayasgalant (“Heaven of Joy”), one of the few nunneries in Mongolia, established in 1990. In 1999, a few Buryat women received vows from the senior Gelug teacher Venerable Yelo Rinpoche (also known as Yeshe Lodoy Rinpoche), founder of Datsan Rinpoche Bagsha Temple in Ulan-Ude. That same year, the datsan, still under construction, received the name Zungon Darzhaling, and hurals (daily services) began to be conducted at the dugan. Mongolian lamas, astrologists, and doctors were invited to perform ceremonies, along with the Buryat lamas.