Sixth Guard of priest's Spirit

[Guest guest]

Sixth Guard of priest's Spirit

 

Today every Mongol knows the name of Danzanravjaa, a renowned

Buddhist educator, scholar, philosopher and poet, who lived in the

early 19th century in Gobi Desert. Monk and warrior, fierce fighter

for the Mongolia's independence, he was murdered by Manchurian rulers

of China.

 

However, very few know that all we know today about this outstanding

man become possible only by the courage of an old herder, TUDEV

Gombyn, from Dornogobi province, who, risking his life, saved many

personal belongings, manuscripts and drawings of Danzanravjaa priest

to our days.

 

Z.Altangerel, his grandson tells the story: "When I saw my

grandfather crying, I understood the meaning of his service. It was

in 1969, when one of the caves he hide the treasures of Danzanravjaa

was discovered. Government officials, police, internal security all

were summoned. Grandfather told me to join the crowd and to try to

rescue any small item. However, the powers piled all what was found

and set to fire. Seeing fire smoke from distance, grandfather

understood what has happened. When I found him, he was sitting on

grass, crying and repeating "Why? It has nothing to do with religion,

these are theatre costumes only…"

 

1938. The years of Red Terror and political repression- monks,

aristocrats, intelligentsia, leading military officers- all were

decimated, monasteries destroyed, libraries burned and cultural

artifacts taken away.

 

With the arrival of a new, communist era, nothing should remind about

past culture, religion and history. More than 30,000 Buddhist monks

were executed and another 60,000 imprisoned or exiled. Thousands of

intellectuals and aristocrats lost their lives.

 

In those days of fear, Tudev, that time a young monk, took an oath as

the Guardian of Danzanravjaa spirit. Every night he sneaked to the

abandoned Hamryn monastery in Dornogobi province, taking away and

hiding the precious treasures in small mountain caves. Altogether, he

stored 64 large boxes.

 

Every spring, under a pretext of collecting medical herbs, old Tudev

went to mountains to inspect his secret treasures. During one such

trip he was arrested by the Internal Security agents, charged with

secret practice of religious ceremonies, and spent some time in

prison.

 

Old man knew the danger his secret mission poses to his family, his

grandson's future, but he believed that what he preserved in caves

and in his memory is worth any sacrifices, and it's his duty to pass

on the secret knowledge to future generations.

 

When his grandson Altangerel was five, Tudev begun to train him as

his successor. He taught the grandson Tibetan and Manchurian

languages, traditional Mongolian script, basics of Buddhism, even how

to compose verses.

 

"Now I think that he wanted not only to teach me the basics of

Buddhism, but to train my mind and to prepare me both psychically and

mentally to overcome any problems I may encounter being a Guardian."

 

"Composing verses? This is also a very important skill for a

Guardian. Knowledge is complete only when one's spirit is open to

beauty."

 

An ordinary pupil during a day, in the evening Altangerel turned into

a devoted pupil of his grandfather. He had to memorize by heart

hundreds of manuscripts and verses as not a single line of writing

was allowed.

 

He slept for 4-5 hours only, and his food ration was reduced to boost

perception and memory. Despite a decade long hard study, his

grandfather still thought that he did not pass on all the knowledge

and skills necessary to Guardian of the Spirit.

 

Altangerel, now 41, revealed his secret only in 1989 when the local

community built a small temple on the site of Hamryn Monastery

founded by Danzanravjaa himself. He donated some of belongings to the

local museum but the remaining 38 large boxes are still being kept in

caves.

 

Mr. Altangerel says that the local museum has no money to buy

conservation material or funds for restoration. Scripts and textile

kept for more than 60 years in a humid condition become fragile.

 

Third exhibition of Danzanravjaa Priest Museum held last March in the

capital city lasted only one week attracting much public attention

and with exhibition halls filled with visitors from early morning

until closing. People were leaving the museum touched with the rich

intellectual heritage of the Danzanravjaa priest.

 

The Danzanravjaa museum in Sainshand town in Dornogobi province

presently has holds more than 2000 items. Though old Tudev risked his

life saving these priceless treasures, his deed was not appreciated

during his life. The museum now mostly lives by money provided by

Altangerel, the Sixth Guardian of Danzanravjaa Priest's spirit.