Zandan zhuu sandalwood buddha. sandalwood buddha

(from Tib. tsan dan jo bo), or the Sandalwood Buddha, is a statue of the Buddha Shakyamuni, which is perhaps the most valuable relic of all Buddhist world. Buddhist legendary tradition claims that the sandalwood image of Shakyamuni Buddha was made in heaven, where the Buddha miraculously moved in order to teach the teachings of his mother, who was reborn as a goddess.

Photo © Buryad-Mongol Nom

The ruler of one of the small Indian states of that time, Raja Udayana, yearned for the disappeared teacher and ordered several sculptors to go to heaven and sculpt an exact copy of him there. Buddha liked the statue, and after his return to earth, he declared it his deputy.

Subsequently, for two and a half thousand years, the Sandalwood Buddha wandered around Asia. In the III century. the statue comes from India to China, from where, in turn, it was transported to Central Asia, to the city of Kucha, the capital of the state of the ancient Indo-Europeans Yuezhi. Later, the statue may have traveled to Tibet, where a copy was made of it, which Tibetan Buddhists consider their main shrine. Another copy of the Sandalwood Buddha was taken to Japan, where it is still kept in one of the Kyoto temples. The statue was worshiped by Kublai Khan, on whose instructions the Sandalwood Buddha was delivered to Khanbalik by Marco Polo himself. famous standing buddha statue in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, destroyed by the Taliban, is also its enlarged copy. Finally, Zandan-Zhuu found a temporary home in Beijing, where he became the main treasure of the Manchu imperial court.

Representatives of the troops of the eight powers of the coalition in 1900. From left to right: Great Britain, USA, Russia, British India, Germany, France, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Japan.

In 1900, outraged by the aggressive colonial policy of the European powers and Japan, Chinese peasants and artisans began to unite in detachments and sack the embassy quarters. Russia was among eight other powers that suffered from the actions of the rebels, and added its troops to the foreign punitive contingent. As a result, the punishers broke into the capital and looted the imperial quarter of Beijing - forbidden city. Europeans plundered palaces and, covering their tracks, burned them. The memory of one of the eyewitnesses of the robbery has been preserved: “Soldiers, burying their heads in chests of red lacquer, delved into the things of the empress, others stirred up piles of brocade and silks, who put them in their pockets or simply poured rubies, sapphires, pearls, rock crystal into a shirt or cap ; who were hung with precious pearl necklaces. They pulled clocks from fireplaces, removed clocks from walls; sappers wielded axes, splitting the furniture into chips to select the precious stones with which the palace chairs were inlaid. One of them was very diligently trying to cut open a lovely Louis XV clock in order to extract the dial, on which the crystal figures sparkled; he imagined they were diamonds.”

The same fate awaited the Temple of the Sandalwood Buddha with its precious contents. However, the Buryat Cossacks from the Trans-Baikal Cossack Army, who were part of the Russian contingent, managed to secretly take the statue out of the city at the request of the Mongolian lamas. For several years they were taking her to Buryatia. The operation was coordinated by the head of the postal service of the Russian Embassy, Nikolai Gomboev, the notorious and ubiquitous Agvan Dorzhiev, and the rector of the Egituysky datsan, lama Zodboev. As reported in the studies: "She was carried on a sleigh, covered with straw, matting, disguised with provisions and postal props." When the statue was brought to Buryatia, it was decided to place it in a remote datsan so as not to draw too much attention to it. The Russian authorities had no idea about the daring act of the Buryat Cossacks, and if they knew, they would probably regard it as a dangerous malfeasance. The operation did not go beyond the "Buryat circle".

The Sandalwood Buddha statue is an image of Shakyamuni Buddha, 2 meters 18 centimeters high, along with a small pedestal. Contrary to the name, the statue itself, as the analysis showed, is made of linden and covered with a layer of sandalwood paste on top.

There is evidence that the upper part of the head of Zandan Zhuu was originally decorated with a ruby or diamond, and the relics of the Buddha were placed inside the statue.

These valuable artifacts were probably stolen in 1935 when the statue was transported from Egita to Ulan-Ude.

Tradition also claims that the statue does not rest on a pedestal, but, as it were, soars in the air a hair's breadth from it. Therefore, it is supposedly possible to verify its authenticity by passing a silk thread between the soles of the feet and the base. However, such a check was not carried out, as well as a full-fledged scientific analysis of the age of the wood. And this is despite the fact that the statue was kept for some time in the Odigitrievsky Museum, which served as a museum depository, and under restoration in the Hermitage. In 1991 of the last century, the statue was returned to the Egituysky datsan.

Officially in China, it is believed that the Sandalwood Buddha Statue burned down along with the temple in which it was kept. In 2003, the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia recognized the statue of Zandan Zhuu as one of the three Buddhist shrines in Russia. In 2008, a new temple was built for her, equipped with a system for maintaining a constant microclimate. ❚

Photo © Buryad-Mongol Nom

Sculpture of Buddha 2 m 18 cm high, made of sandalwood, according to legend, 2500 years ago, commissioned by the Raja of Oddiyana.

Located in the Egituysky datsan of Buryatia. It is a Buddhist shrine and is considered the first statue of Buddha in history and the only statue made during the life of the Buddha. In literary sources there are references to other lifetime portraits and sculptures, but there is no reliable evidence.

Vera Lubsanova, CC BY-SA 3.0

According to Buddhist tradition, it is considered a living Buddha - his images bring grace. The statue has a special iconography: the Buddha stands, with long arms to the knees, among the flowers and the landscape, a "human" Buddha, similar to Maitreya Buddha.

Story

According to tradition, the Buddha prophesied the movement Zandan Zhuu to the North and, accordingly, the movement of the center of Buddhism.

In the III century. the statue from India was transported to China.

In the 4th century, the monk Kumarayan from Kashmir, in order to save the statue from local wars, took it to Kucha, married the sister of the local ruler and became a spiritual mentor in the state. His son Kumarajiva became a famous Buddhist sage.

In the 8th century - The wives of the Tibetan king Srontszangambo brought a statue to Tibet. Under the next ruler, King Tisrondetsan, Buddhism became the state religion of Tibet.

In the XIII century. - location presumably in Mongolia.

Arkady Zarubin, CC BY-SA 3.0

In the winter of 1901 Sandalwood Buddha found himself in Transbaikalia. After the defeat of the Boxer uprising, the Buryat Cossacks, taking advantage of the turmoil and devastation in the city and the fire in the Sandansy Monastery (“Monastery of the Sandalwood Buddha”), where the statue was kept at that time, took it out. The operation was led by the head of the Russian post office Gomboev. During the fire, the Buryat Cossacks carried the precious statue out of the burning monastery, and thus saved it from death in the fire. As a trophy, the statue was taken with great precautions on a sleigh to Buryatia.

Vera Lubsanova, CC BY-SA 3.0

According to another version, Zandan Zhuu was brought to Yeravna thanks to the incredible efforts of the Sorzho Lama of the Egitui datsan Gombo Dorzho Erdyneev and many other people who risked their lives. Upon arrival, a metal copy of the statue was made and placed in the Egituysky datsan, the original was hidden. During civil war Japanese invaders learned the location of the statue. Upon arrival, they were shown a metal copy and left with nothing.

Stored in the 1930s Ulan-Ude, where the funds of the Museum of Local Lore are located.

In the 1980s, the statue was returned to believers. On September 25, 1991, Zandan Zhuu was transported by helicopter to the Egitui datsan.

April 22, 2003 Decision of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia (): “To approve as Buddhist shrines in Russia: the statue of Zandan Zhuu, the Atlas of Tibetan Medicine, the Precious Body of Khambo Lama D.-D. Itigelov.

temple for storage

For some time, the statue was kept in the dugan of the Egituysky datsan, in a small wooden one-story building, not suitable for storing cultural and historical values.

In this regard, the Buddhist Sangha decided to build a special storage room with a constant microclimate.

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Helpful information

Zandan Zhuu
sandalwood buddha
Sandalwood Lord

Buddhist legend about the appearance of the statue

According to the Tocharian monk Dharmanandi (385 CE) (Ekottara Agama Sutras from the Anuttara Nikaya), the Buddha was in Tushita heaven preaching the Dharma to his dead mother Maya.

Prasenajit wanted to see the Enlightened Lord and ordered to make his statue. Maudgalyayana took the masters to heaven where they met the Buddha.

After the masters returned, they carved a life-size sandalwood statue.

When Shakyamuni Buddha returned to earth, the statue took six steps towards him, then he made a prophecy that it would be moved to the north, and Buddhism would flourish there.

The impact of the statue on believers

Not everyone can be at the Zandan Zhuu: some can't stand it, they leave the datsan. Others, on the contrary, find that several hours have passed since they sat down in front of the Sandalwood Buddha. It is believed that the shrine eliminates negative deeds, grants a long life, gives a setting for good luck, happiness, health, if the worshiper hopes for him and believes in it from the bottom of his heart.

Egitui datsan "Damchoy Ravzheling" is located in the Republic of Buryatia, 300 km from Ulan-Ude on a picturesque west bank the Marakta River in the Khara-Shibir area of the Yeravninsky district.

We were taken to the border of the Yeravninsky district to the poetic rock garden dedicated to the poets of Buryatia.

This is how the Yeravninsky district meets

I'll write more about this a little later. Then we went deep into the Eravninsky district to the Khara-Shibir area, where on the banks of the Marakta River there is the Egituysky datsan with the sacred statue of the Sandalwood Buddha - Zandan Zhuu.

I confess that only on this trip I learned that in Buryatia there is a statue of the Sandalwood Buddha. And this is not just a statue, but according to legend, the only lifetime sculpture of Buddha Shakyamuni, which is recognized as a Buddhist shrine in Russia. It is a world shrine of Buddhists, made entirely of sandalwood, the height of the statue is 2 m. 18 cm. The statue was made by order of the Raja of Oddiyana 2800 thousand years ago.

The statue came to the territory of Russia in Yeravna thanks to the incredible efforts of the Sorzho Lama of the Egitui datsan Gombo Dorzho Erdyneev and many other people who risked their lives. The sandalwood statue was bought by the lamas of the datsan during the Boxer Rebellion in China. According to another version, in the winter of 1901, after the defeat of the uprising in Beijing, the Buryat Cossacks carried the precious statue out of the burning monastery during a fire, and thereby saved it from death in the fire. As a trophy, the statue was taken with great precautions on a sleigh to Buryatia. At the same time, a metal copy of the statue was made, and the original is hidden. Until 1935, the statue was in one of the sumes of the Egituysky datsan and was an object of worship and reverence. During the period of anti-religious repressions, the statue was transported to Ulan-Ude and kept in the funds National Museum history of Buryatia. ()

Before entering the temple-dugan of the Sandalwood Buddha, we were told the history of the Egitui datsan and the history of the statue of Zandan Zhuu.

They also warned that the expression on the face of the Sandalwood Buddha changes depending on the viewing angle, and maybe on his attitude towards you, who knows 🙂 Personally, when I went in and looked into the face of the Sandalwood Buddha for the first time, it seemed to me that he was looking at us somewhat dissatisfied.

His lips were pursed in displeasure and his eyes squinted did not bode well. When I prayed and made offerings in the form of sweets and coins, my face seemed to soften and a slight smile appeared. Right there, in the datsan, there is a wooden board for prostrations, smoothly polished by the prostrations of the worshipers. I also did 21 prostrations praying for health, happiness and well-being.

Someone may ask why exactly 21 times? The fact is that in Buddhism the numbers 3, 7, 21 and 108 have a sacred meaning. Therefore, it is necessary to read prayers, do goroo or prostrations exactly this number of times.

After the prostrations, the Sandalwood Buddha appeared to be smiling contentedly. I shared my observations with a friend, with whom we went on this trip together. And you know, our feelings and observations agreed on almost everything.

At the end of the visit, we had a lecture discussing Buddhism in general and Buddhism in Buryatia in particular. It turned out that every year pilgrims travel to Tibet from Buryatia. Tibetan lamas, having learned from which places they come, are very surprised and ask why they travel so far when there is the greatest shrine of world Buddhism in their homeland - the statue of the Sandalwood Buddha Zandan Zhuu. I am more than sure that half of the population of Buryatia does not even know about its existence, not to mention other regions of Russia. I was convinced of this when I interviewed my relatives and friends. But many of us have already visited Thailand and saw the statues of the reclining Buddha, the jade Buddha and many others. It’s sad somehow that we don’t appreciate and don’t notice what we have next to us.

More articles about a trip to Buddhist datsans and holy places in Buryatia:

Holy places of Buryatia

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One of the well-known sacred places of Buryatia is the Egituysky datsan, located in the town of Khara-Shibir, in the Yeravnensky district, about 280 km east of Ulan-Ude. It is noteworthy that it contains the Sandalwood Buddha, a lifetime statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, 2 m 18 cm high, made 2500 years ago by order of Raja Udayana from sandalwood (in fact, by analysis it was established that the tree is a linden covered with sandalwood paste) . There is a legend recorded by the Tocharian monk Dharmanandi in 385 AD. (in the Chinese translation of the Ekottara-agama-sutra from Anuttara-nikaya according to A.A. Terentyev), that the Enlightened One was at that time in the heaven of the Thirty-Three Gods, preaching the Dharma to his mother Maya, who was reborn there after death. Raja Prasenajit desired to see the Enlightened One and commanded to sculpt his statue. Maudgalyana, a disciple of the Buddha who had attained miraculous powers, took the masters to heaven, where they met the Enlightened One. The craftsmen were brought back to earth and carved a life-size statue of goshirsha sandalwood about two meters high.

"" The statue came to the territory of Russia in Eravna thanks to the incredible efforts of the Sorzho Lama of the Egitui datsan Gombo Dorzho Erdyneev and many other people who risked their lives. The sandalwood statue was bought by the lamas of the datsan during the Boxer Rebellion in China. According to another version, in the winter of 1901, after the defeat of the uprising in Beijing, the Buryat Cossacks carried the precious statue out of the burning monastery during a fire, and thereby saved it from death in the fire. As a trophy, the statue was taken with great precautions on a sleigh to Buryatia. At the same time, a metal copy of the statue was made, and the original is hidden. Until 1935, the statue was in one of the sumes of the Egituysky datsan and was an object of worship and reverence. During the period of anti-religious repressions, the statue was transported to Ulan-Ude and kept in the funds of the National Museum of the History of Buryatia. """ from the history of the appearance of the statue in the Buryat land. Chinese sources contain information about her movement from India at that time. In the 4th century, the monk Kumarayan from Kashmir, in order to save the statue from local wars, took it to Central Asia, where in Kucha (an oasis city of the Great Silk Road) he was forced to marry the ruler's sister Jivaka and become a spiritual mentor in the state. His son Kumarajiva became a famous Buddhist sage. His fame became so great that in 384 Chinese troops laid siege to Kucha in order to capture Kumarajiva and bring him to China. Together with him, the statue of the Sandalwood Buddha was transported, after which the rise of Buddhist thought in China followed. At the beginning of the 8th century The wives of the Tibetan king Srontsangambo from Nepal and China brought Buddhist relics, among them the statue of the Sandalwood Buddha, to Tibet. The Nepalese princess Bhrikuti was revered as the Green Tara, and the Chinese princess Wen-chen as the White Tara. And under the next ruler, King Tisrondetsan, Buddhism became the state religion of Tibet. According to other Chinese sources, the statue first came to Mongolia during the reign of Genghis Khan in the 13th century. and then was transported to China, where it is not known how many years it was kept in the province of Li, in the Sandan-Su Monastery, which was built especially for it - “The Monastery of the Sandalwood Buddha”. The history of her stay in Russia is amazing. In China in 1890-1901. the Boxer Rebellion broke out (Ihetuan uprising, secret society I-he-quan "Fist in the name of justice of consent"). In June 1901, Beijing was captured by the rebels, burned and destroyed. The statue of the Sandalwood Buddha was kept in the Sandan-sy Monastery - “The Monastery of the Sandalwood Buddha”, where all the Buddhist pilgrims of Mongolia, Buryatia and Tibet worshiped it when visiting Beijing. Orientalist and one of the oldest Russian Buddhists V.M. Montlevich writes about this: “But fragments of information about the abduction itself have been preserved, and this information is more or less reliable, because the well-known Russian orientalist Boris Ivanovich Pankratov told them to me in 1969, for many years (32 years, from 1916 to 1948.) spent in China. In the winter of 1901, after the defeat of the Boxer uprising, the Buryat Cossacks, taking advantage of the turmoil and devastation in the city and the fire in the monastery itself, took the statue out. The operation was led by the head of the Russian post office Gomboev. The statue was placed on a sled, covered with straw and matting, and disguised with provisions and postal props. In total there were two sledges, the statue was carried on the second, as if cargo, sleigh. One can imagine the reverent awe and desperate delight of those who carried out this bold and dangerous undertaking, because they accomplished a religious feat for the sake of spreading the Teaching, of course, fulfilling the order of teachers and lamas unknown to us and revered. The performers knew that there is a belief: where the Sandalwood Buddha is, there is the center of the Buddhist religion. What believer does not admire his soul to consider his country and his datsan as such a center. Without much adventure, the statue arrived in Transbaikalia and was hidden in the Egituysky monastery (datsan). Then a metal copy of the statue was made and placed in the Egituysky datsan; the original was carefully hidden in a secret place. This precaution was entirely appropriate. The uprising in China was brutally suppressed by the forces of England, Germany, Russia, Japan and France in September 1901. And soon Japanese experts arrived in Buryatia in search of the famous statue. The Japanese had information that the statue was in the Egitui datsan. Those who arrived were shown a metal copy, and they were forced to leave in complete disappointment.
Of course, the question arises about the ownership of the statue. In response to the indignant demand of the Chinese for the return of the statue, the Buryat lamas replied: -Of course, we will give the statue back, .... when all our people bow to it.
Zandan Zhuu is not the only lifetime image of the Buddha; in the literature there are references to his picturesque portraits and other sculptures. Moreover, the Siamese and Burmese versions speak of a seated Buddha image, while the Mahayana texts speak of a standing sculpture.

The road to the Egituysky datsan. On the way we met a pair of herons, which is considered a good sign. It is explained that the deities of the area welcome our desire to visit the Sandalwood Buddha.

Birds were practically not afraid of passing cars.

But as soon as we stopped to photograph them, the herons decided to fly a little further away.

Datsan buildings appeared

Stupas oriented to the cardinal points.

Main Dugan, which houses the statue of the Sandalwood Buddha

Traditional Wheel of Teaching and two fallow deer on the sides

Here he is! The famous Sandalwood Buddha, the world relic of Buddhists! It is said that when Buddha Shakyamuni first saw this statue, the statue took six steps towards him. Then Buddha Shakyamuni prophesied that the statue would be far away in the northern country and would contribute to the prosperity of the Teaching in that direction.

It is said that the statue of the Sandalwood Buddha hangs in the air and you can drag a hadak under it.
The Buddha prophesied its movement to the north: to China, Tibet, Mongolia. Wherever the Sandalwood Buddha went, the center of Buddhism also moved. In the III century. the statue from India was transported to China. This was followed by the rise of Buddhist thought in China. In the 8th century The Nepalese wife of the Tibetan king brought the Sandalwood Buddha to Tibet. And under the next ruler, King Tisrondetsan, Buddhism became the state religion of Tibet. In the 13th century, before the spread of Buddhism in Mongolia, we again find mention of the appearance of the Sandalwood Buddha there. The prediction comes true, and the appearance of Zandan Zhuu in Transbaikalia in the winter of 1901 is a good omen for the development of the Buddha's Teaching in Russia.
Until 1935, she was in one of the sumes of the Egituysky datsan and was an object of worship and reverence. During the troubled period of repression, Zandan Zhuu was transported to Ulan-Ude and kept in the funds of the Museum of the History of Buryatia.

On September 25, 1991, Zandan Zhuu was transported by helicopter to the Zgitui Datsan. In July 2008, the opening of the Palace for Zandan Zhuu took place.

Zandan Zhuu has slightly squinted eyelids, his gaze is directed slightly upwards, the right hand of the Sandalwood Buddha is raised in a greeting-protective gesture, the left hand is turned palm forward, but fingers down. They say that not everyone can be at the Zandan Zhuu: some cannot withstand this powerful energy flow, they leave the datsan. And others, on the contrary, after a while discover that several hours have passed since they sat down in front of the Sandalwood Buddha. The sculpture has a special "magnetic" power, there are many legends about this shrine. Old-timers say that the shrine eliminates negative deeds, grants a long life, gives a setting for good luck, happiness, health, if the worshiper hopes for him and believes him from the bottom of his heart.

altar decoration

nice and bright inside

Tent on the ceiling

The entrance to the dugan is guarded by snow lions

flowers planted everywhere

Dragons wrapping around pillars

Stupas

Prayer drums with mantras Om Mani Padme Hum inside. If you turn the drum clockwise, then the mantras Om Mani Padme Hum ascend into space and delight all living beings.

Duganchiki on the territory of the datsan

We were made small excursion according to datsan

History of the Sandalwood Buddha.

All guests from India and Tibet who come to the land of Buryatia strive to be at the Sandalwood Buddha. It is truly a global shrine. Dr. Nida Chtenattsang reads the puja to the Sandalwood Buddha.
It is said that one who sees the statue in person will not be reborn in the next life in hell.
The statue is recognized as a monument of federal significance and, along with the Atlas of Tibetan Medicine and the Imperishable Body of Khambo Lama D.-D. Itigelov, by the decision of the large all-lamic meeting (sugunda) of the Buddhist traditional Sangha of Russia dated April 22, 2003, was approved as a Buddhist shrine.

Friday, 07 February

13th lunar day with the element Fire. auspicious day for people born in the year of the Horse, Sheep, Monkey and Chicken. Today it is good to lay the foundation, build a house, dig the ground, start treatment, buy medicinal preparations, herbs, conduct matchmaking. Going on the road - to increase well-being. bad day for people born in the year of the Tiger and the Rabbit. It is not recommended to make new acquaintances, make friends, start teaching, get a job, hire a nurse, workers, buy livestock. Haircut- fortunately and success.

Saturday, 08 February

14th lunar day with the element Earth. auspicious day for people born in the year of the Cow, Tiger and Rabbit. Today is a good day to ask for advice, avoid dangerous situations, perform rituals to improve life and wealth, be promoted to a new position, buy livestock. bad day for people born in the Year of the Mouse and the Pig. It is not recommended to write essays, publish works on scientific activities, listen to teachings, lectures, start a business, get a job or help get a job, hire workers. Going on the road is a big trouble, as well as parting with loved ones. Haircut- to increase wealth and livestock.

Sunday, February 09

15th lunar day with the element Iron. Benevolent deeds and sinful deeds committed on this day will be multiplied a hundred times. Auspicious day for people born in the year of the Dragon. Today you can build a dugan, suburgan, lay the foundation of a house, build a house, start a business, study and comprehend science, open a bank deposit, sew and cut clothes, as well as for tough solutions to some issues. Not recommended move, change place of residence and work, bring a daughter-in-law, give a daughter as a bride, as well as hold funerals and commemorations. Going on the road is bad news. Haircut- to good luck, to favorable consequences.