Scientists and educators, religious figures and politicians got together at the same platform to discuss Buddhist topics for the first time.
The main purpose of the forum is to promote the development of international cooperation in the humanitarian sphere: in the fields of science, education, culture, medicine and tourism, Buddhist philosophy and practice; as well to coordinate joint efforts to protect traditional spiritual and moral values and to counteract the challenges and the threats of modern society.
In 2023-2024, The International Buddhist Forum in Buryatia was attended by participants from 14 countries, including major Buddhist powers: India, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Laos, Nepal, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Bhutan.
In 2024, Sasivat Wongsinsawat and Pakir Mohidin Amza, Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Thailand and Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, attended the Forum. Kapur Pawan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to the Russian Federation, also joined the event.
Vu Tien Thang, Deputy Interior Minister, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; Inlavan Keobounphan, Deputy Chairman of the Lao National Front for Construction and Sai Amnan, State Secretary of the Cult and Religion Ministry in Cambodia came to Ulan-Ude as well.
In 2023, the forum was attended by Mrs. Liyanage Janitha Abeywickrema, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, together with the representatives of the scientific and religious community of other countries: Senamatmontri Chanthavon, Vice-Chairman of the Lao National Front; Bhaddanta Samwarabhivamsa, Vice-Chairman of the Supreme State Committee for the Buddhist Sangha in Myanmar; Khenpo Ujen Namgyal, Head Monk, the Bhutan Royal Temple; Chuluun Sampildonov, Academician, Director of the Genghis Khan Museum, Secretary General of the Mongolian Studies International Association; Tue Van Tuan, Director of the Institute for the Study of Religions, Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences; Maharajan Siddhartha, Secretary of the All-Nepal Bhikkhu Association, former Vice Chairman of the Lumbini Development Foundation, and others.
More than 20 high-ranking foreign officials participated in the forum events: heads of international organizations and associations, as well as heads of Chinese and Mongolian diplomatic missions in the regions of Russia. The most numerous delegations came from China, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
The forum was also attended by the representatives of the leading Russian scientific centers studying Buddhism: Oriental Studies, Oriental Manuscripts, Sociology, Ethnography and Anthropology Institutes in Russian Academy of Sciences; Institute of Mongolian Studies, Tibetology and Buddhology in SB RAS; representatives of the Lomonosov Moscow State University, St. Petersburg State University, Elista (Kalmyk Scientific Center, Kalmyk State University), Tuva (Tuvan State University), Buryat State University, Novosibirsk University, and others.
It was for the first time when Damba Ayusheev, the head of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia, as well as the leaders of the Buddhist communities in Tuva, Altai, and Kalmykia presented at the same panel discussion.
-The prestige of the Forum as one of the most significant business events in the Buddhist sphere in Russia and the world is steadily growing. The Forum is becoming more and more related to applied sciences and more dynamic.
-Thanks to the Buddhist Forum, Russia has positioned itself as a part of the Buddhist world and declared itself as a Buddhist power. This fact gives the country additional opportunities for strengthening cooperation with other Buddhist countries in different spheres.
The experience of the International Buddhist Forum has shown the importance, significance and relevance of the issues raised, including the issues of unity in challenging modern world. In 2023, the forum participants held discussions on various aspects of Buddhism preservation and its development in the world: they discussed Buddhist education, the position of Buddhism in modern society and information space, international cooperation with states where this teaching is spread, as well as Oriental medicine and the preservation of cultural and historical heritage.
In 2024 the issues related to global challenges of modernity, fundamental issues of human development, ecology and pilgrimage tourism were discussed.
-All participants of the forum showed interest in continuing the work and expressed their wishes to hold such a forum on a regular basis. The countries expressed their wishes to cooperate in the sphere of education. This sphere has a strategic importance, which will have long-lasting effects as an element of soft power.
-In addition to humanitarian ties, economic topics were discussed at the forum, and the countries showed interest in economic cooperation.
-The unprecedented interest to the event on the part of domestic and foreign media is shown by the number of journalists who covered the forum events in 2024 – they were from 15 foreign countries and 22 regions of Russia.
Among them was XinHua, the official news agency of the Chinese government; Network18 Group, the media team from India; TV 9 Bharatvarsh, the second most popular Indian news channel; Voice of Vietnam, the Vietnamese agency; Nyanzang, the Vietnamese newspaper; MNB TV, the Mongolian National Public Television; Voice of Mongolia, the Mongolian National Radio; Tentsvair, the Mongolian news agency; “Russia-1” and “Russia 24”, all-Russian federal TV channels; international news agencies, such as TASS, RIA Novosti; Vedomosti newspaper, RUPTLY video agency in Russia and CIS, Lenta.ru and others.
1. A consortium of universities “Buddhist Education” was established within the framework of the forum, and its membership was expanded in 2024.
2. Cooperation agreements were signed by D. Banzarov Buryat State University with Transbaikal State University and East Siberian State Institute of Culture, as well as with universities in Sri Lanka and Nepal.
3. As a result of this, in September 2024 BSU admitted 12 students to study for the Bachelor’s degree in Buddhist philosophy from among the students of D. D. Zayayev Dashi Choinhorlin University.
4. The Wushu Federation of the Republic of Buryatia and the Wushu Training Center of Shaolin Temple signed an agreement of intent on cooperation and interaction in the field of wushu development.
In addition to the business program of the Forum, some mass events were held for Buddhists of Russia:
1. White Tara Teaching, granted by the lamas of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia, as well as the construction of a sand mandala. More than 2 thousand people gathered there.
2. Festival of martial arts gathered over 100 people at the main square of Ulan-Ude. Masters of Shaolin Monastery from China held master classes for everyone: a complex of “Ba duan jing” breathing exercises as well as qigong warm-up. There were also athletes’ performances of judo, ITF taekwondo, MFT taekwondo, sambo, karate and Thai boxing federations of Buryatia.
3. The National Museum of the Republic of Buryatia hosted the exhibition “Masterpieces of Buddhist Buryat Art from the State Hermitage”.
The successful organization of the forum became possible thanks to the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation.
The establishment of the International Buddhist Forum in Russia as a representative platform for discussing issues of Buddhism development, Buddhist science and education became possible due to the established connections of the Republic of Buryatia in the Buddhist environment, such as with:
- Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia;
- Dashi Choinhorlin Buddhist University, the only one in Russia;
- Ivolginsky Datsan, where the precious imperishable body of Khambo Lama Etigelov, whose phenomenon has not yet been solved, is kept;
- Institute of Mongolian Studies, Buddhology and Tibetology, the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMBT SB RAS), one of the leading orientalist institutions in Russia and the world. The Center of Oriental Manuscripts and Woodcuts in IMBT SB RAS possesses one of the world's largest collections of written artefacts in Oriental languages, ancient printed books and manuscripts, unique archival documents, audio and visual materials;
- The Oriental Department of Dorzhi Banzarov Buryat State University;
- National Museum of the Republic of Buryatia, which keeps a unique collection of Buddhist art, as well as the world's only 19th-century copy of the Atlas of Tibetan Medicine;
- Center of Oriental Medicine - the only medical center in the country, where modern and traditional Oriental medicine methods are used for treatment and phytopreparations based on local plants are produced.
In 2023-2024, The International Buddhist Forum in Buryatia was attended by participants from 14 countries, including major Buddhist powers: India, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Laos, Nepal, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Bhutan.
In 2024, Sasivat Wongsinsawat and Pakir Mohidin Amza, Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Thailand and Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, attended the Forum. Kapur Pawan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to the Russian Federation, also joined the event.
Vu Tien Thang, Deputy Interior Minister, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; Inlavan Keobounphan, Deputy Chairman of the Lao National Front for Construction and Sai Amnan, State Secretary of the Cult and Religion Ministry in Cambodia came to Ulan-Ude as well.
In 2023, the forum was attended by Mrs. Liyanage Janitha Abeywickrema, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, together with the representatives of the scientific and religious community of other countries: Senamatmontri Chanthavon, Vice-Chairman of the Lao National Front; Bhaddanta Samwarabhivamsa, Vice-Chairman of the Supreme State Committee for the Buddhist Sangha in Myanmar; Khenpo Ujen Namgyal, Head Monk, the Bhutan Royal Temple; Chuluun Sampildonov, Academician, Director of the Genghis Khan Museum, Secretary General of the Mongolian Studies International Association; Tue Van Tuan, Director of the Institute for the Study of Religions, Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences; Maharajan Siddhartha, Secretary of the All-Nepal Bhikkhu Association, former Vice Chairman of the Lumbini Development Foundation, and others.
More than 20 high-ranking foreign officials participated in the forum events: heads of international organizations and associations, as well as heads of Chinese and Mongolian diplomatic missions in the regions of Russia. The most numerous delegations came from China, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
The forum was also attended by the representatives of the leading Russian scientific centers studying Buddhism: Oriental Studies, Oriental Manuscripts, Sociology, Ethnography and Anthropology Institutes in Russian Academy of Sciences; Institute of Mongolian Studies, Tibetology and Buddhology in SB RAS; representatives of the Lomonosov Moscow State University, St. Petersburg State University, Elista (Kalmyk Scientific Center, Kalmyk State University), Tuva (Tuvan State University), Buryat State University, Novosibirsk University, and others.
It was for the first time when Damba Ayusheev, the head of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia, as well as the leaders of the Buddhist communities in Tuva, Altai, and Kalmykia presented at the same panel discussion.
-The prestige of the Forum as one of the most significant business events in the Buddhist sphere in Russia and the world is steadily growing. The Forum is becoming more and more related to applied sciences and more dynamic.
-Thanks to the Buddhist Forum, Russia has positioned itself as a part of the Buddhist world and declared itself as a Buddhist power. This fact gives the country additional opportunities for strengthening cooperation with other Buddhist countries in different spheres.
The experience of the International Buddhist Forum has shown the importance, significance and relevance of the issues raised, including the issues of unity in challenging modern world. In 2023, the forum participants held discussions on various aspects of Buddhism preservation and its development in the world: they discussed Buddhist education, the position of Buddhism in modern society and information space, international cooperation with states where this teaching is spread, as well as Oriental medicine and the preservation of cultural and historical heritage.
In 2024 the issues related to global challenges of modernity, fundamental issues of human development, ecology and pilgrimage tourism were discussed.
-All participants of the forum showed interest in continuing the work and expressed their wishes to hold such a forum on a regular basis. The countries expressed their wishes to cooperate in the sphere of education. This sphere has a strategic importance, which will have long-lasting effects as an element of soft power.
-In addition to humanitarian ties, economic topics were discussed at the forum, and the countries showed interest in economic cooperation.
-The unprecedented interest to the event on the part of domestic and foreign media is shown by the number of journalists who covered the forum events in 2024 – they were from 15 foreign countries and 22 regions of Russia.
Among them was XinHua, the official news agency of the Chinese government; Network18 Group, the media team from India; TV 9 Bharatvarsh, the second most popular Indian news channel; Voice of Vietnam, the Vietnamese agency; Nyanzang, the Vietnamese newspaper; MNB TV, the Mongolian National Public Television; Voice of Mongolia, the Mongolian National Radio; Tentsvair, the Mongolian news agency; “Russia-1” and “Russia 24”, all-Russian federal TV channels; international news agencies, such as TASS, RIA Novosti; Vedomosti newspaper, RUPTLY video agency in Russia and CIS, Lenta.ru and others.
FORUM RESULTS:
1. A consortium of universities “Buddhist Education” was established within the framework of the forum, and its membership was expanded in 2024.
2. Cooperation agreements were signed by D. Banzarov Buryat State University with Transbaikal State University and East Siberian State Institute of Culture, as well as with universities in Sri Lanka and Nepal.
3. As a result of this, in September 2024 BSU admitted 12 students to study for the Bachelor’s degree in Buddhist philosophy from among the students of D. D. Zayayev Dashi Choinhorlin University.
4. The Wushu Federation of the Republic of Buryatia and the Wushu Training Center of Shaolin Temple signed an agreement of intent on cooperation and interaction in the field of wushu development.
In addition to the business program of the Forum, some mass events were held for Buddhists of Russia:
1. White Tara Teaching, granted by the lamas of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia, as well as the construction of a sand mandala. More than 2 thousand people gathered there.
2. Festival of martial arts gathered over 100 people at the main square of Ulan-Ude. Masters of Shaolin Monastery from China held master classes for everyone: a complex of “Ba duan jing” breathing exercises as well as qigong warm-up. There were also athletes’ performances of judo, ITF taekwondo, MFT taekwondo, sambo, karate and Thai boxing federations of Buryatia.
3. The National Museum of the Republic of Buryatia hosted the exhibition “Masterpieces of Buddhist Buryat Art from the State Hermitage”.
The successful organization of the forum became possible thanks to the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation.
The establishment of the International Buddhist Forum in Russia as a representative platform for discussing issues of Buddhism development, Buddhist science and education became possible due to the established connections of the Republic of Buryatia in the Buddhist environment, such as with:
- Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia;
- Dashi Choinhorlin Buddhist University, the only one in Russia;
- Ivolginsky Datsan, where the precious imperishable body of Khambo Lama Etigelov, whose phenomenon has not yet been solved, is kept;
- Institute of Mongolian Studies, Buddhology and Tibetology, the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMBT SB RAS), one of the leading orientalist institutions in Russia and the world. The Center of Oriental Manuscripts and Woodcuts in IMBT SB RAS possesses one of the world's largest collections of written artefacts in Oriental languages, ancient printed books and manuscripts, unique archival documents, audio and visual materials;
- The Oriental Department of Dorzhi Banzarov Buryat State University;
- National Museum of the Republic of Buryatia, which keeps a unique collection of Buddhist art, as well as the world's only 19th-century copy of the Atlas of Tibetan Medicine;
- Center of Oriental Medicine - the only medical center in the country, where modern and traditional Oriental medicine methods are used for treatment and phytopreparations based on local plants are produced.
