Monasteries and temples in Mongolia
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Amarbayasgalant Monastary
Also visit: www.amarbayasgalant.org
Amarbayasgalant Monastery was build between 1726 and 1736.
It is dedicated to Undur Gegeen Zanabazar and build by Ankh-Amgalan Khaan
(Yongzheng?) in Manchu style. It was also heavily damaged by the communist
purges, although still a great part survived. 10 out of the 37 temples
and statues were destroyed.
The monastery was being restored by Unesco from 1975 until
reopening in 1990. At the present moment 30 monks live here within the
age range of 7-90. There is big number of young monks (13) in between
the age of 7 and 13, who have for a great part been picked up from orphanages
around Mongolia.
In the main temple is a life-size statue of Guru Deva Rinpoche
who is the formal abbot of the monastery although he is only there a short
time a year. From 1992 he has been putting effort in restoring temples,
statues and scriptures. It is said he raised 1 million US$.
The main protector of the monastery is Dorjjugd. It seems
to be that because of this protector a conflict with the Dalai Lama as
arisen. According to the latter the practice of worshipping this deity
would be harmful. According to an informant this deity would keep the
Gelupa (also referred to as the Yellow sect in Buddhism) pure and so protect
it from influence from other Buddhist schools. Since the Dalai Lama, although
himself part of the Gelupa, is the worldly and spiritual
leader of the Tibetan people he has tried to bring the different traditions
within Tibetan Buddhism together, instead of emphasizing its differences.
Furthermore it is said that this practice would not just try to keep the
Gelupa pure, but by doing this trying to damage the other traditions.
On May 25, 2001 the Ulaanbaatar based Amar Mur Centre of
Amarbayasgalant Monastery for Training and External Relations was founded
to establish contacts with a broad audience and give trainings. One of
it activities has been organizing a public puja (Buddhist ceremony)
for long life at the Ard Cinema.
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