Artist: DJ Furth
Edition: 1/1
Zorigto Lama is the head abbott at the Ust-Orda datsan (Buddhist temple). He taught us about the principles and responsibility he lives by as a spiritual guide and showed us the local medicinal plants.
“From the dawn of time,” he explained, “our ancestors have lived side-by-side with the plant and animal kingdoms. This information flows in our genes. These habits flow in our blood…the Buryat-Mongolian people.”
In response to his role, he explained that “with a genuine motivation and desire, we have to gift people with inner strength. That’s our responsibility…That’s why we lamas always support our parish psychologically.”
He told us the importance of nature to himself and Buddhist philosophy as such: “When I am alone in nature…I feel restored. I feel the purification of my soul and my body. I feel how my blood is renewed and…you can get intoxicated from this abundance of the purest oxygen.”
“Buddhism teaches us to love and be compassionate to all living creatures, independent of their rank because in Buddhism we believe in the Karmic law, the law of reincarnation. Consequently…if we are getting reborn from the dawn of time — any living creative could have potentially been your mother at some point.”
As a definition of love, abbot Zorigto Lama shared that “when you wish happiness for another, a true wish for happiness for a person — that’s love. And love that’s based on relationships between two people can of course also be authentic. But actually more often it is deceptive. Unfortunately, attachments, desires and this kind of thing cause false ideas of love. There is this peculiarity. And my understanding of true love is similar to the love of a mother to her child…unconditional love. If they are ready to sacrifice their lives for each other, they are ready…they have true love.”
As a demonstration of the intersections and coexistence of multiple spiritualities in the region, he explained: “It may sound funny, but people sometimes confuse the lamas and the shamans. And they can come to a lama is a datsan (temple) with a shaman request. So the lama will send them to the shamans with their shaman request…it’s completely normal.”
He explained how the harsh climate impacts the nature of the people and their customs: “Severe winters and our cold Siberian conditions teach us to survive collectively. We are used to surviving conjointly, together, helping each other. We have our own popular beliefs and survival principles.”
He continued “For example, if you see a house somewhere in the forest, in the taiga, you will always find dry firewood next to a furnace there. And if you hav used this firewood you have to leave new firewood when you leave. You have to collect it and leave it behind…so our Siberian character also implies this mutual respect and sincerity.”