Spiritual Feat in the History of Buddhism of Russia

Abstract

The article analyzes a unique socio-historical and religious phenomenon related to the deliberate preservation of his body by the Buddhist monk Dashi-Dorzho Itigelov in 1927 in Buryatia. An unusual phenomenon was perceived by Buddhists of Buryatia as a “miracle”, which was the “message” of the former head of the Buddhist community. Particular emphasis is placed on the identification of the psychophysiological basis of the phenomenon, which, in particular, proves its authenticity. The results of two forensic medical examinations are compared — made immediately after exhumation and repeated, two years later. The author considers the data of the instrumental analysis carried out within the framework of the examination, allowing to reconstruct the physiological mechanism of body preservation. The article contains the body state assessment. The cultural-historical context within which the intention of Itigelov was formed and completed is being analyzed. Data are collected on similar cases of body preservation in world historical practice — intentional and spontaneous. Attention is also paid to the attitude of believers to the remains of saints and, especially, imperishable remains, which is reflected in various historical documents. Particular attention is paid to the reaction of the population of Buryatia to the appearance of the preserved body of Itigelov and the formation of mythologems that accompany the presence of a unique phenomenon in the Ivolginsky Datsan. The author comes to the conclusion that in Buddhism, despite the attempts at preservation of bodies by monks in different periods of history, such practices have not become routine. This is due both to the difficulty of their physical implementation, and to the lack of canonical justifications within the framework of religious doctrine.