Restoration of the Khuvilgaan Institution in Contemporary Mongolia
The article analyzes the process of restoration of the tulku (reincarnations) institution in Mongolia after 1990. The relevance of the research is determined by the fact that the medieval religious institution of reincarnations still retains its popularity among the followers of Tibetan Buddhism in general, and among Mongolian believers in particular. Moreover, as shown in the article, the khuvilgaans’ institution plays the key role in the restoration of the Buddhist Sangha in modern Mongolia. Khuvilgaans, by virtue of their status, enjoy great authority among believers and contribute to the development of Buddhism in various parts of the country. The appearance of the Tenth Bogdo Gegeen can significantly strengthen the place of Mongolia in the world of Tibetan Buddhism. This may affect the attempts of the Chinese authorities to control the process of conforming new tulkus in order to choose their pro-Chinese Dalai Lama in the future. All this brings an important geopolitical aspect to the situation: The Tenth Bogdo Gegeen can become the highest authority of the Gelug school not only for the Mongolians, but also for Tibetans and Buddhists in Russia, which goes against the plans of China. The article provides detailed information about contemporary Mongolian khuvilgaans, as well as facts about the existence of khuvilgaans in socialist Mongolia. There are three main groups of khuvilgaans in Mongolia now: those who were recognized by the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and the Ninth Bogdo Gegeen; those who were recognized by other lamas, and self-proclaimed reincarnations. Most of them are trained in the Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in India and after return to Mongolia will probably share Tibetan views of Buddhism. However, other tulkus oppose the influence of the Tibetan Diaspora, insisting on the identity and independence of Mongolian Buddhism, which generally shows the lack of unity in the Mongolian Buddhist community. The article is based on the study of Mongolian-language materials, as well as the results of the author's field research.