Buddhism - what makes this religion unique? Hierarchy in Buddhism - what orders and titles exist Famous Buddhist monks.

Hello, dear readers!

Today we will talk about how the mysterious inhabitants of eastern temples live and find out what the daily routine of a Buddhist monk is like in monasteries different countries Asia.

Life of monks

Monks are hermits who have renounced worldly goods and values ​​in order to study the Dharma and become enlightened. They lead an ascetic lifestyle. Monks always wear orange or saffron-colored robes and their hair is completely shaved.

Buddhist hermits live according to a very strict daily routine. Due to the fact that Buddhism has several directions and many schools within them, the schedule and activities in different monasteries differ significantly from each other.

Shaolin Monastery is one of the most famous Buddhist temples worldwide. It is located in China on Songshan Mountain. And it is famous for the fact that the monks and novices living there devote a lot of time to studying and training martial arts, so very often the inhabitants of this monastery are called monks - warriors.

Since this temple is of considerable interest to Westerners, let's take a look at the customs that prevail there.

Monks and novices get up early, at 5 am. After waking up, they gather, chant sutras and meditate. At 6 o'clock it is time for breakfast, and while breakfast is going on, you are not allowed to talk. After the meal, both monks and novices go to train until lunch time.

At 2 pm everyone breaks for lunch. After lunch, the novices do some work in the monastery, after which they can study books and lessons. This is how time passes until dinner.

Before dinner, everyone gathers together again for evening chants, and only after that they start eating. The food in Shaolin is exclusively vegetarian. After dinner, personal time is allocated for training or studying. Having finished their work and procedures, the monks begin to prepare for bed, and at 21 o’clock everyone goes to bed.

Conclusion

Dear friends, our story is coming to an end: today we visited the eastern monasteries of Tibet, Korea, Thailand and China, where Buddhist monks live. We found out what their daily routine is and got acquainted with some of the features of their life.

We hope that our story was useful and exciting for you. Perhaps in the future, you yourself will want to visit one of these temples as a tourist or even a novice. If you liked the article, recommend it to in social networks, and subscribe to our blog to receive interesting articles about Buddhism and Eastern culture in your email.

In the VI Art. BC e. At the age of 29, he renounced his wealth and voluntarily left the palace. Having become a hermit, Gautama devoted himself to thinking about the meaning of life, as a result of which he became enlightened (Buddha). Until a very old age, he preached his teaching, the meaning of which was self-restraint and meditation in order to achieve the highest degree of bliss (nirvana).

Prevalence of Buddhism

Buddhism gradually became popular in several Asian countries. Today it is practiced in India, China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Korea, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Japan, Mongolia, Laos, as well as in some regions of Russia (Kalmykia, Tuva, Buryatia). According to researchers, in modern world There are approximately 800 million adherents of Buddhism. Of these, about 1 million people are monks who have renounced the benefits of civilization and devoted themselves to following the commandments of Gautama. To the average person, they may seem like special people whose lives are shrouded in mystery. But is this really so? Let's find out who Buddhist monks are and how they live.

Nutritional Features

Monks who profess Buddhism live in monasteries. Every day follows a strict schedule, deviation from which is considered a great sin. Buddhist monks wake up at 6 am and begin their day with prayer. After its completion, they begin breakfast, consisting of products brought to the temple by local residents. The hermits do not get or prepare their own food; according to religious instructions, they must eat only what they receive from believers in the form of alms. In some countries, after prayer, monks go through the city streets to beg for alms. The food that the townspeople give them will become their breakfast. According to tradition, they must eat everything on their plate, even if the food has already spoiled.

The rules of Buddhist monks allow them to eat twice a day: early in the morning and at noon. After lunch, they are only allowed to drink water and herbal infusions. The inhabitants of the monastery eat exclusively modest foods; food for them is not pleasure, but a source of vitality. The diet of Buddhist monks consists mainly of plant foods, however, this also has its limitations. Hermits very rarely eat garlic and onions, since it is believed that these spices increase sexual desire, and this is unacceptable for them. Monks are not vegetarians, but they can only eat meat if they are sure that the animal was not killed for food. But alcohol, tobacco and drugs are strictly prohibited.

The ban on eating after noon exists for a reason. At this time, Buddhist monks are engaged in self-improvement, meditation and reading religious literature (tripitaka), and a stomach full of food will prevent them from concentrating their thoughts in the right direction. Also after lunch, they receive believers who come to the temple to provide financial assistance, pray or receive a blessing.

Things needed to achieve nirvana

The community of Buddhist monks lives very ascetically. She must strictly follow the tenets of religion, which state that a person needs only 3 things for a normal life: food, clothing and a roof over his head. Everything else is considered unnecessary and interferes with the achievement of nirvana. Unfortunately, modern residents of monasteries do not respect Buddhist rules as much as their predecessors, and often acquire mobile phones, computers and even personal cars. There are fewer and fewer truly righteous monks who strictly follow all the rules of religion every year.

Appearance

Buddhist monks look very unusual. The photos in which they are depicted allow you to see their appearance. Monks always appear bald before the people. They shave their heads, believing that the time spent on washing, cutting and combing their hair is best devoted to internal self-improvement and searching for the path to nirvana.

The traditional clothing of Buddhist monks consists of an outer cape that covers the torso and left shoulder, and an inner sarong that wraps around the hips and hides the legs. In countries with cold climates, monks are allowed to wear warm stoles over their religious attire. They usually paint their outfits like this bright colors like curry, saffron and cumin. Sometimes you can find hermits wearing clothes of gray and black shades.

Who can take the vow?

Before becoming a Buddhist monk, a person must spend several years as a novice. Not only men, but also women who decide to devote themselves to religion can take the vow. Any child who has reached the age of seven is allowed to become a novice of the monastery. But only an adult who is 20 years old from the moment of conception or 19 years and 3 months after his birthday can become a monk.

Basic Rules for Monks

Anyone who joins the community is obliged to renounce all earthly pleasures, leave his family and all the wealth that belongs to him. The main rules for him from now on are: do not kill, do not steal, do not drink alcohol, do not lie, do not commit adultery, do not sing or dance, do not rest on a soft bed, do not be greedy, do not eat at the wrong hour, do not take advantage of things that have a strong aroma.

Throughout their lives, Buddhist monks have the right to return home 3 times to resolve important matters or provide assistance to relatives. Every time after this, at the appointed time, they are obliged to take their place in the monastery. If a person takes a vow and then changes his mind and renounces it, he will be condemned by society.

Self-immolation of a Buddhist monk

Throughout its history, Buddhism has been subjected to oppression many times. One of its most ardent defenders was Thich Quang Duc, a Vietnamese monk who committed self-immolation in protest against the persecution of religion by the country's President Ngo Dinh Diem. On June 10, 1963, a huge crowd of monks appeared in the center of Saigon (the old name of Ho Chi Minh City), carrying banners calling for an end to the oppression of Buddhists. At the head of the procession was a blue car driven by Thich Quang Duc. Not far from the presidential palace, on a crowded street, the car stopped. Together with Thich Quang Duc, 2 monks came out of it. One of them laid a soft pillow on the asphalt, and the second took a can of gasoline from the car.

Thiit sat down on the place prepared for him on the ground in the lotus position, after which one of the protesters doused him with fuel. While reading the prayer, the monk lit a match and set himself on fire. He flared up like a torch, but until the last he remained sitting with a straight back in the lotus position. After 10 minutes, his body was completely destroyed by fire. Journalists managed to capture on film the self-immolation of a Buddhist monk. Pictures of the blazing Thich Quang Duc spread all over the world and loudly declared the presence of serious religious problems in the country.

In medieval Japan, for almost six centuries there existed a phenomenon that had no analogues in the whole world. Buddhist monks, adherents of what seemed to be the most peace-loving religious doctrine, were not inferior to the samurai on the battlefield. With their help, emperors were overthrown, and during the Sengoku period, the “Era of the Warring States,” some of them gained such military and political power that they were able to found their own principality.

The first warrior monks

In Japan, there are two terms for warrior monks. The first of these, “sohei,” can be literally translated as “militant monk” or “priest-soldier.” The second name, "akuso", means "evil monk". The last name is interesting because it describes these people not just as warriors, but as villains who ravaged villages and the outskirts of cities. Unlike their European counterparts, Japanese warrior monks fought not to prove the superiority of their religion, but solely for the political influence of a particular temple. Even during the Sengoku period, when new populist sects confronted traditional Buddhist teachings, their conflicts were based on politics rather than differences in understanding how to achieve enlightenment.

A warrior monk in full battle garb, armed with a naginata (staged photo XIX century)
http://www.japwar.com

To be clear, it is worth noting that this martial branch of Buddhism only existed in Japan. Having arrived in this country, according to one version, from China in the 5th century, according to another - from Korea in the 6th century, it became part of a local cult called Shintoism. Shinto worships a vast pantheon of deities, or kami. The first Buddhists on this earth declared the central figure of their teaching to be the embodiment of all kami, while Shintoists began to consider the Buddha as one of the kami. The imperial family, which was also considered part of the divine pantheon, actively contributed to the spread of the new teaching. Thanks to this, the first capital of the island empire, Nara, became the center of Japanese Buddhism. The monks had enormous influence in this city. The most important temples in the region were Todaiji and Kofokuji. But then the new religion did not yet have a military component in the region.

In 794, one of the most important changes in Japanese life took place. By decision of the imperial family, the capital was moved to Kyoto. Six years before these events, a monk named Saicho, tired of the bustle of metropolitan life, retired to the Kyoto region, where he founded the Buddhist monastery Enryakuji on Mount Hiei, sacred to Shintoists. After the capital was moved to Kyoto, this monastery received the status of “Temple of Peace and State Protection” from the emperor and over time became the most privileged in Japan. Religious ceremonies of all Kyoto nobility were held here, which provided Enryakuji with large incomes. The Tendai Buddhist school, founded in this mountain monastery, due to the status of its monastery, was not subject to the management of the monasteries that were based in Nara. Throughout Japan, temple abbots were appointed personally by the emperor, but this did not apply to Enryakuji, since, in addition to influence, this temple had a huge community capable of defending its interests with arms in hand.

Sohei Archers
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This state of affairs caused dissatisfaction on the part of the monks from Nara, but for almost 200 years this manifested itself only in the form of small skirmishes between monks, without weapons and deaths. However, in 969–970, a series of conflicts occurred in which monks from both Nara and Kyoto used weapons and began to kill their opponents. After these events, the abbot of the capital's temple ordered a standing army to be kept on Mount Hiei. Due to the fact that the same man in 970, after a skirmish with his neighbors from the Kyoto temple of Gion, forbade the monks to carry weapons and use force, many historians are inclined to believe that mercenaries from among the peasants or impoverished ji-samurai were used as an army. Be that as it may, it is the year 970 that is considered the period of the appearance of militant monks.

In 981, an armed conflict broke out within the mountain monastery itself: the Tendai school was divided into two warring factions. Until 1039, bloodshed was avoided, but after the head of one of the factions was appointed abbot of Enryakuji, three thousand disgruntled monks burst into Kyoto. They surrounded the palace of Regent Yoremichi Fujiwara, who was the de facto ruler of Japan at the time, and demanded the appointment of an abbot from their faction. Having received a refusal, the monks stormed the palace and carried out a massacre, sparing no one. After this, the Sokhei from the mountain monastery burst into the regent’s chambers and forced him to sign the corresponding decree. The warrior monks of both factions attacked each other more than once and united in order to repel the Buddhists from Nara.

Warrior monk Negoro no Komizucha, armed with a kanabo - a type of heavy club equipped with spikes
http://nihon-no-katchu.com

At the end of the 12th century, during civil war Genpei, in the armies of both the ruling Taira clan and their opponents from the Minamoto clan there were units of militant monks, and both of them spoke only with respect to these fighters the best side. Initially, the head of the Taira Kiyomori clan managed to lure monks from the Tendai school to his side. Minamoto was supported by monks from Nara, but this region was located too far from Kyoto, and they did not have time to come to the aid of Mochihito Minamoto, who was surrounded in the Mii-dera monastery, near Mount Hiei.

Kiyomori, dissatisfied with the actions of the monks from Nara, ordered their monasteries to be burned. He also destroyed the Mii-dera monastery, which had given refuge to Mochihito. But if from Mii-dera special problems did not arise, then in Nara everything was not so simple. A detachment of 500 people went there, who were ordered not to use violence without a reason, but the monks from Nara attacked themselves and killed 60 samurai. The heads of these unfortunates were then hung around the pond at the Kofukuji Temple as an edification and demonstration of the valor of the local sohei. Kiyomori, in a fit of anger, sent even more soldiers to Nara and burned the city to the ground. The same fate befell all the Buddhist monasteries of the former capital, and many monks were beheaded.

Warrior monks at the Battle of Uji, 1180. Artist Wayne Reynolds

After the Minamoto clan, which won the Gempei War, rebuilt the Todaiji and Kofukuji monasteries, their monks no longer took an active part in the hostilities, having irretrievably lost their former influence. Meanwhile, Enryakuji Monastery continued to develop. His activities were not limited only to religious rituals and war. In the 1380s, this monastery controlled about 90% of sake production in Kyoto. Enryakuji also had a monopoly in matters related to usury and debt collection in the capital. But not only Kyoto was under the influence of the Tendai sect - the Sohei from the mountains owned a large amount of real estate throughout Japan. The imperial family feared the wrath of the mountain monks like fire. Even the shogun preferred not to enter into conflict with their abbot unless there was a strong need. The almost unlimited power of Mount Hiei lasted until the Sengoku era (1476–1603).

Weapons, equipment and motivation

Before continuing the story about the warrior monks, it is necessary to become a little familiar with their uniforms, weapons, as well as the reasons why people chose such a path for themselves. Thanks to literary and visual sources that have survived to this day, we can roughly imagine what the warrior monks looked like.

The main part of their costume was a kimono of yellow-brown, saffron or white. A thin jacket was worn over the kimono. translucent fabric. On the feet were either white socks and straw sandals, or leg warmers and wooden clogs (geta) worn over the socks. The sohei's shaved head was covered with a hood or a white ribbon - hachimaki. As for protection, it could be either the simplest, in the form of a shell with leather or metal plates tied with silk cords, or more expensive, in the form of a full-fledged samurai vestment.

In the foreground is the legendary warrior monk Saito no Musashibo. Benkei
http://nihon-no-katchu.com

In addition to traditional swords and bows, the naginata was very popular among the Sohei. This weapon consisted of a long blade like a sword, which was mounted on a long shaft. The shape of the blade could be different. There are examples where the blade is slightly smaller than the shaft, but later naginatas had a relatively small blade with an elongated shaft. The naginata was perfect for both fighting an enemy on foot and fighting a horseman. In the latter case, with the help of this weapon, the horse's tendons were cut - the rider fell and was finished off.

According to chroniclers, many sohei attached banners with sutras or Buddhist symbols to their armor. There are also references to the fact that during the battle the monks read mantras, calling on Buddha. Imagine a monk dressed in armor, twirling a naginata and reciting sutras loudly - he would most likely make a strong impression on his opponent!

Warrior monks were among the first to adopt arquebuses. Since in medieval Japan the use firearms was impossible without strict discipline, we can conclude that the sohei had a good organizational structure.

Warrior monks of the Hokke-shu school defend Kyoto from Ikko-ikki, 1528. Artist Wayne Reynolds

As for the reasons for joining the sects of militant monks, as in the case of the early ashigaru, they were different. Many, especially during the Sengoku period, were true believers and considered such service their duty, but there were also those who simply wanted to get rich or were hiding from justice behind the walls of the temple. Despite all the imperial decrees, neither the daimyo nor the shogun himself dared to spoil relations with the soheis and demand from them the extradition of this or that person.

Of particular interest are the samurai monks. These fighters most often fought as part of the daimyo's regular army, but did so for religious reasons. But there were also those who, instead of serving the master, chose the path of a warrior monk - such samurai were in the ranks of the Ikko-ikki community, which will be discussed later.

Warrior monks during the Sengoku period

When Japan plunged into the abyss of internecine massacres, more and more Buddhist sects began to appear in the country. They had nothing in common with the old schools of Buddhism, since they spread their teachings among the peasants and raised not monks, but real fanatics who were ready without hesitation to give their lives for their beliefs. Most of the followers of the new wave of militant monks were members of the Shinshu sect - although it is not entirely correct to call them monks, since they were not officially one, but they zealously performed all the required rituals, and their piety was rivaled only by their fighting skills.

Subsequently, the fanatics formed a community called Ikko-ikki. This name has two translations. The first is the “union of the faithful”, and the second is the “revolt of the faithful”. For a number of reasons, community leaders at the end of the 15th century were forced to flee from Kyoto to the north of Kaga province. Here they did something that no one could have even thought of before. Having recruited new followers, the monks of Ikko-ikki went to war with two warring samurai clans, defeated them and founded their own state. This was the first province in Japanese history in which power did not belong to the samurai class. Ikko-ikki then spread its influence beyond Kaga Province and within a few decades became a force to be reckoned with.

But the fanatics made a mistake. In their desire to expand their territory of influence, they wedged themselves into the lands of Ieyasu Tokugawa. He, not wanting the fate of Kaga, entered into war with them. Fortunately for Ieyasu, by the time of the first battle in 1564, most samurai from the Shinshu sect preferred the oath of allegiance to the daimyo over their religious beliefs and sided with him. From that moment on, the war for the peasants who remained in Ikko-ikki took on a class connotation. In addition to the samurai, his own Buddhist sect, Jodo-shu, took the side of the daimyo. With their help, Tokugawa retained his lands and undermined the authority of Ikko-ikki.

Meanwhile, the monks from Enryakuji are tired of the fact that first the fanatical peasants of Ikko-ikki came to Kyoto, and now fundamentalists from the Lotus sect have appeared there. Therefore, one night they silently descended from the mountains and killed all the Lotus fighters, and burned their temples. The Lotus Sect was finally finished off by Nobunaga Oda, who took possession of the capital in 1568. Nobunaga also did not like the monks from the mountain, so they teamed up with two clans hostile to him - Asai and Asakura. But with this they signed their own death warrant.

Warrior monks training at Negorodzi Monastery, around 1570. Artist Wayne Reynolds

On September 29, 1571, Nobunaga Oda surrounded the mountain with 30 thousand soldiers. He then began to squeeze the ring, burning everything in its path. Since there were no artificial or natural fortifications in Hiei, by evening the Enryakuji monastery itself was engulfed in flames. The soldiers spent the entire next day hunting for survivors. According to rough estimates, during the two days of the assault on Mount Hiei, 20 thousand of its inhabitants died. One of the chroniclers wrote: “Over time, trees grew again on the mountain and buildings appeared, but the fighting spirit left these places forever.”.

After nine years of bloody war, the warrior monks from Ikko-ikki also capitulated to Nobunaga Oda. At the personal request of the emperor, he did not execute the head of this movement, but took an oath from him that he and his fanatics would faithfully serve the imperial family.

End of the Sohei era

After the death of Lord Nobunaga, Hideyoshi Toyotomi came to power. The monks of Ikko-ikki, faithful to their oath, opposed his enemies, which earned them the favor of the new ruler. The last stronghold of resistance was Negorodzi and the monasteries adjacent to it. The last representatives of the Tendai sect who supported Ieyasu Tokugawa remained here. According to various estimates, total number troops in this area ranged from 30 to 50 thousand people. Hideyoshi sent 60 thousand soldiers there.

When government troops approached the city, the soldiers were ordered to burn buildings in Nigorodzi and kill anyone fleeing the fire on the spot. By that time, most of the monks had already disappeared into Ota Castle. Hideyoshi understood that during the assault the monks could give a strong resistance, so he resorted to cunning. By order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a nearby dam was destroyed. The water flooded the castle and destroyed all the provisions there. Famine began and the garrison capitulated. About 50 of the most faithful members of the Tendai sect, unable to bear the shame, committed seppuku. All the samurai had their heads glassed, and the peasants, women and children were released.

Sohei in a fight with a samurai
http://samuraiantiqueworld.proboards.com

This ended the era of militant monks in Japan. After the Edict of Separation, all sohei, including those who survived the destruction of their monasteries, could no longer become ordinary monks, nor could they engage in farming, so they were forced to join the ranks of the first professional Japanese army. They, like ashigaru, subsequently became the youngest stratum of samurai society.

List of used literature:

1. Stephen Turnbull, "Japanese warrior monks, 949–1603" - "Warrior" No. 70, 2003, UK, Osprey Publishing Ltd.
2. Trubnikova N. N. “Warrior Monks”. Electronic source.
3. "Sohei". Electronic source.

Diana Moiseenko, RIA Novosti.

Buddhist monk Felix Shvedovsky does not look like Muscovites: a shaved head, white and orange monastic clothes and a thoughtful look. A graduate of the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University, he deliberately abandoned his career for the sake of religion - for ten years he did not work, since, according to tradition, monks live exclusively on alms and wander.

However, for three years now, Felix has been a research fellow at the Center for Japanese Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences in order to continue studying the culture of the country that led him to Buddhism.

The monk’s day passes in different ways, but it begins and ends with prayers, which he reads not only at home, but also on the street. Passers-by mistake Felix for an eccentric when he plays the drum and walks along city boulevards and avenues; some avert their eyes, while others, on the contrary, ask him with interest about his way of life.

Nevertheless, Felix does not regret his choice, despite the difficulties that an unusual person has to face in the largest metropolis in Russia. The heavy atmosphere of the capital “presses” on the monk, but he does not want to move to another city, because “the heart of the country is the most the best place to pray for her people."

Finding yourself

In Felix's house, every object speaks of the owner's personality: incense sticks, a small prayer bell, images of Buddha, a mandala (a sacred symbol for prayer and meditation), candles, photographs from India, China and Japan, where he was with his teacher - famous for his peacekeeping activities Japanese Junsei Terasawa. “We met in 1993, when I needed someone to help me on my path to improvement. Before this I did not belong to any religion. I had questions about how to help my country, my loved ones, just as Buddha had questions about how to find a way out of suffering when he saw that there was old age and death in the world,” Felix admits.

He had to go through long haul, before earning Terasawa’s trust and becoming a monk, constantly pray and stay in the temple. “Now I am responsible for the whole world, and this is daily and hard work,” says Felix.

According to him, Buddhism is not widespread in Moscow, but there are about a dozen different branches of this religion in the city. “The Buddha’s teaching is so great and diverse that everyone accepts some of its parts, but for us there is no concept of apostasy - everyone is equal,” explains the monk.

As Felix says, Buddhists do not try to introduce Muscovites to their culture, “after all, the goal of the Buddha’s teaching is not to make Buddhists out of people, but to pray for peace and pay respect to a person as he is.”

“My wife and son are Christians, and we have never had conflicts on religious grounds. It doesn’t matter to us what religion a person professes. Buddhism teaches us to understand people and constantly improve ourselves,” explains the monk.

He does not condemn those for whom Buddhism has become just fashion trend, but encourages people to study more deeply the features of religion if they decide to connect their lives with it.

“Now even self-improvement has become a business. Yoga, psychological courses - all this is not real, since it is done for money. You have to try to see the essence in everything, and not just fashion,” says Felix.

Fighting for a common cause

According to the monk, Buddhists of the Nipponzan Mehoji order, to which he belongs, gather together on the main holidays - Buddha's Birthday on April 8, Enlightenment Day on December 8 and Nirvana Day on February 15 - to hold processions with prayers and drumming. . “Only our monastic order conducts street processions with prayers, sometimes other Buddhists join us,” he explains.

In addition, once a year, Buddhists fast for seven days to clear their minds and indulge in prayers. Sometimes fasting is timed to coincide with holidays, but it can also take place on ordinary days. “We don’t eat or drink anything for seven days, we pray from six in the morning until six in the evening. We sit in front of the altar, beat the drum and say a prayer in our temple. This is impossible in Moscow, so we go either to the dacha or to the monastery. If people hear a twelve-hour drum, how will they stand it?” says the monk.

Buddhists take to the streets not only on holidays, but also carry out peacekeeping actions, for which they were often detained by police officers in the 90s law enforcement. “Now they recognize us, they understand that we are not up to anything bad,” says Felix.

According to him, Buddhists organized peace marches in Moscow and the Caucasus calling for unification, marches against the “unjust war.” Ordinary passers-by rarely join such actions; they look at Buddhists as exotic or avert their eyes. “It’s like this in Moscow, but in other countries people react more vividly,” notes Felix.

Representatives of other religious faiths rarely cooperate with Buddhists when carrying out such actions, but during Chechen war such cases were not uncommon.

“There are no Buddhists in Chechnya, but there are people there who treat them with respect. During the war, Orthodox priests, mules, Old Believer Church. There were few representatives of the official Orthodox Church, but they were there,” says Felix.

According to him, Buddhists are always open to dialogue and ready to help everyone who needs them.

Is Moscow not a city for everyone?

Despite numerous statements by the authorities about their intention to create the necessary conditions in the capital for representatives of all nationalities and religious confessions, there is still no Buddhist temple in the city, despite the fact that one was built in St. Petersburg back in 1913.

“Buddhists rent apartments and semi-basements for meetings. In the Otradnoye metro area, a temple and the foundation of a stupa were laid in which the ashes of Buddha were placed - after his cremation, the ashes were divided into many parts and are now placed in stupas around the world. But, apparently, due to lack of funding, construction has not moved forward for several years. At that time, there was already an Orthodox church, a mosque and a synagogue in the area,” says the monk.

According to Felix, the temple will not appear in Moscow until society is ready for it. “Buddha teaches how to change a person completely. Even Tibetan medicine treats the entire body if it wants to cure some disease. The whole society needs to be treated, but we have corruption and murders on ethnic grounds all around us,” explains the monk.

Today in the capital, Buddhists have only two places of worship - the foundation of the stupa in Otradnoye and the stupa in the courtyard of the Roerich Center opposite the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the existence of which few people know. “We need to ensure that there is harmony in society, and only then look for land to build a temple,” says Felix.

The situation is complicated by the fact that Muscovites often have a negative attitude towards Russian Buddhists, as they consider them traitors Orthodox faith. He is often kicked out of Orthodox churches when he comes to pay his respects to Jesus. “I don’t consider it anything shameful to come to Orthodox Church, I respect all religions. We wouldn’t drive anyone away from our temple,” says the monk.

Food served from the heart is something else entirely.

People often don't understand Felix because, from his point of view, modern man, deliberately chose the path of a loser, but the Buddhist never doubted the correctness of his choice. And at the same time, every tradition-observing monk directly depends on the townspeople, because only with the help of their alms can he feed himself and his family. “People sometimes give food and money. Sometimes we go to pray at the market, where it is easier for them to serve. We don’t have to choose food, but food bought with money is one thing, but served from the heart is another,” he says.

Be that as it may, in a metropolis where “everyone thinks about money and does not engage in spiritual improvement,” it is difficult for Buddhist Felix to stay for long. Only in two places - the Roerich Center and the Botanical Garden - is he able to find peace of mind.

“I try to leave the city at least once every two months to our monasteries or just to nature, because it’s really very difficult here. You need to give yourself a deep inner attitude in order to have spiritual harmony and at the same time stay here,” he says.

According to the monk, he sometimes breaks tradition and wears ordinary clothes because he “lives for people and among people,” but perceives such behavior as weakness. However, he believes that it is necessary to be in harmony with the world around him. “At the core, we are ordinary people, but the main thing is what we have in our thoughts and hearts,” says Felix.

Currently, Buddhists are left alone with their problems. It would seem that this should bring them closer together, but they are very disconnected from each other. Felix calls it a “disease of big cities” and hopes that one day it can be cured, like other diseases of our society.

Buddhist monks and sangha

Monasteries became the main and only form of organization for Buddhists, who previously did not have a hierarchically organized spiritual oligarchy and an influential temple priesthood. It was the monasteries that became the centers of Buddhism, the centers of its spread and development. They were also centers for the development of the theory of Buddhism, unique Buddhist universities. It was within the monastery walls that learned Buddhist monks wrote down the first sutras in the ancient Indian languages ​​Pali and Sanskrit, which at the beginning of our era became part of the Buddhist canon - the Tripitaka.

The Buddhist monastic community united within one monastery was called a sangha. At first, everyone was accepted into the sangha, but later some restrictions were introduced - slaves, criminals, soldiers, and minors without parental consent were not accepted. Usually, people were accepted into novices from the age of twelve, and monks from the age of twenty. Anyone who joined the sangha had to renounce everything that connected him with the world: family and caste, and have no property. He took vows of chastity and celibacy, shaved his hair, donned monastic robes and prepared for the rite of passage.

Initiation was a rather complex procedure, consisting of several stages and accompanied by a series of special rituals. The neophyte was usually subjected to detailed interrogation and various tests, sometimes up to the burning of a finger in front of the altar of Buddha. The candidacy of the future monk was thoroughly discussed, and after a positive decision, an experienced mentor was appointed, who was for a certain time the spiritual father of the new member of the sangha.

Membership in the monastic community was not mandatory for monks. Each of them could leave the sangha at any time and return to worldly life again. However, having entered the sangha and remaining in it, a monk was obliged to obey strict rules. First of all, various vows were placed on him. The first and main five (do not kill, do not steal, do not lie, do not commit adultery, do not get drunk) were accepted at the time of admission. Then, after the solemn act of acceptance as a novice, five more were entrusted to him: do not sing, do not dance, do not sleep on large and comfortable beds, do not eat at inappropriate times, do not acquire jewelry, refrain from eating things that have a strong smell or intense color .

However, the matter was not limited to the Ten Commandments. The monk was entrusted with about 250 more prohibitive vows and almost 3 thousand small and specific prohibitions, restrictions, and obligations. These vows and prohibitions strictly regulated the life of a monk and entangled him in a network of fixed norms and conventions. It is clear that their exact observance was a considerable burden on the human psyche and emotions. Violations of vows often occurred. For the purpose of cleansing from sins, special meetings were convened twice a month, on the new moon and full moon, dedicated to general mutual confession and repentance. Depending on the severity of the sin and offense, appropriate punishment was provided: some sins were forgiven relatively easily, others required serious repentance, and others required severe punishment. The most serious offenses could even lead to expulsion from the sangha.

With the spread of monastic communities, a few female sanghas appeared, which in many ways resembled the male ones. However, they were not independent organizations: all the main ceremonies, including rites of admission to the sangha, confession and sermons were performed by monks specially appointed for this purpose from the nearest male sangha. Of course, the visits of monks to nunneries were strictly regulated: monks were strictly forbidden to cross the threshold of a nun’s home (cell). Nunneries, unlike men's, were not located in remote, secluded places, but were located close to settlements.

The internal life of each monastery was built on the basis of carefully developed regulations. Novices and junior monks were expected to obey and serve their elders. From the senior and most respected members of the sangha, abbots were elected for life to lead the community. In addition to the rector, some other leaders were also elected, including the head of the household - the treasurer, who usually became the rector's successor over time.

The monks' day began and ended with prayers. In the morning, before noon, they went out for alms, prepared food and ate. In the order of duty, they performed simple household duties: cooking, cleaning the table, premises, yard, etc. The rest of the day and especially all evenings, the monks devoted to pious reflections and conversations, studying and copying sutras, and preparing themselves for salvation. And, despite the ascetic lifestyle and rejection of everything worldly, including good clothes, one of the most important rules The monks were neat. Even if the dress is old and made from rags, it must always be clean. The monks paid a lot of attention to the cleanliness of the body, clothing, and home.