A sculpture of Buddha 2 m 18 cm high, made of sandalwood, according to legend, 2500 years ago by order of Raja Uddiyana.
Located in the Egituysky datsan of Buryatia. It is a Buddhist shrine and is considered to be the first statue of Buddha in history and the only statue made during the lifetime of Buddha. In literary sources there are references to other lifetime portraits and sculptures, but there is no reliable evidence.
Vera Lubsanova, CC BY-SA 3.0According to the Buddhist tradition, he is considered a living Buddha - his images carry grace. The statue has a special iconography: the Buddha stands, with long arms reaching to his knees, among flowers and landscape, a “human” Buddha, similar to the Maitreya Buddha.
Story
According to tradition, Buddha prophesied the movement of Zandan Zhuu to the North and, accordingly, the movement of the center of Buddhism.
In the 3rd century. the statue was transported from India to China.
In the 4th century, the monk Kumarayana 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 Srontsangambo brought a statue of Tibet. Under the next ruler, King Tisrondetsan, Buddhism became the state religion of Tibet.
In the 13th 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 Sandan-sy monastery (“Sandalwood Buddha Monastery”), 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 thereby saved it from death in the fire. As a trophy, the statue was taken with great care on a sleigh to Buryatia.
Vera Lubsanova, CC BY-SA 3.0 According to another version, Zandan Zhuu was brought to 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. Upon arrival, a metal copy of the statue was made and placed in the Egituisky datsan, the original was hidden. During civil war Japanese interventionists learned the location of the statue. Upon arrival, they were shown a metal copy, and they 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 Egituisky datsan.
April 22, 2003 Decision of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia (): “To approve as Buddhist shrines of Russia: the statue of Zandan Zhuu, the Atlas of Tibetan medicine, the Precious body of Hambo Lama D. -D. Itigelov."
Temple for storage
For some time, the statue was kept in the dugan of the Egituisky 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 maintaining a constant microclimate.
Photo gallery
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 deceased mother Maya.
Prasenajit wanted to see the Enlightened Lord and ordered a statue of him to be made. Maudgalyayana took the masters to heaven, where they met the Buddha.
After returning, the craftsmen sculpted a life-size statue from sandalwood.
When Buddha Shakyamuni 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.
Impact of the statue on believers
Not everyone can be at Zandan Zhuu: some can’t stand it and leave the datsan. Others, on the contrary, find that several hours have passed since they sat down opposite the Sandalwood Buddha. It is believed that the shrine eliminates negative deeds, bestows long life, and gives guidance for good luck, happiness, and health, if the worshiper hopes for it and believes in it from the bottom of his heart.
The Egitui datsan “Damchoy Ravzheling” is located in the Republic of Buryatia, 300 km from Ulan-Ude on the picturesque western bank of the Marakta River in the Khara-Shibir area of the Eravninsky district.
Hello, dear readers – seekers of knowledge and truth!
An amazing monument to Buddha, created during the lifetime of Teacher Shakyamuni himself, has survived to this day. The monument is called Sandalwood Buddha. What’s even more surprising about this fact is that it is located in Russia, namely in one of the datsans in Buryatia, so we simply have to tell you about it.
The centuries-old history of the statue, its appearance, features – the article below will tell you everything. You will also learn a wonderful legend about the creation of the monument. And for those who are already preparing to travel to see the shrine with their own eyes, we have collected useful information about where the datsan is located and how it works.
What kind of statue is this
Sandalwood Buddha, Sandalwood Lord or, in the Buryat manner, Zandan Zhuu is the most valuable relic of Buddhism. The fact is that this is the only statue created during the life of Shakyamuni.
Of course, there are skeptics who claim that other statues and paintings were also created before his parinirvana. This may be true, but in any case, Zandan Zhuu is the only one of them that has survived to this day.
Now Zandan Zhuu is located in the Egituisky datsan of the Buryat Republic. He is identified with the living Buddha. It is believed that the energy of Shakyamuni is concentrated in it, and therefore the statue is capable of bestowing goodness. Many of those who happened to visit her confirm this action.
Zandan Zhuu has powerful energy: some visitors leave, unable to stay near the shrine for a long time, while others, on the contrary, can sit in front of it for hours without noticing the time.
According to Buddhist views, the statue promotes purification, a happy long life, full of health and successful events. The main thing is to sincerely believe in it, combine it with regular practice and a lifestyle worthy of a Buddhist.
In addition to the undeniable reverence of Buddhists around the world, the sandalwood Buddha has earned the title of a monument of Russian culture at the federal level.
Legend of the appearance
According to the Buddhist text "Anutara Nikaya", written in the 4th century AD by the priest Dharmanandi, the appearance of the lifetime statue of the Teacher has an interesting mythical history. Shakyamuni was in the Tushita heaven, where he shared the basics of teaching with his mother Maya. At this time, the Indian king Prasenajit wanted to see the Teacher, but this was not possible.
Then the master architects who met with Gautama were sent to heaven. Returning to earth, they sculpted the body of the Buddha from sandalwood with amazing accuracy from memory.
Returning to the human world himself, Shakyamuni saw that his sandalwood copy had taken 6 steps towards him. Then the Teacher predicted that the statue would gradually move further and further north, and Buddhism would begin to flourish in that area. And so it happened - crowds flock to the Egituysky datsan, which carefully preserves the all-Buddhist shrine.
Egituisky datsan in Buryatia
Another version, less legendary, but obviously more reliable, says that the statue was ordered by the Indian Raja Udiyana more than 2.5 thousand years ago. Shakyamuni was then 38 years old.
Historical reference
Over the years, the statue has undergone many movements. They can be traced on a map of Asia.
Created on ancient Indian territory, in the 3rd century it was moved to Chinese lands. She remained there for a relatively short time - hostilities began in the Celestial Empire in the 4th century, and one Kashmiri monk took her with him to the former Buddhist country of Kucha, where he himself took the post of chief confessor.
By the 8th century, the wife of the ruler of Tibet brought the monument with them to the future Lhasa. Very soon the Buddhist teaching conquered the Tibetans with its truth. By the 13th century, the location of the statue was said to be the Mongolian steppes, where it remained for several centuries, and then the Chinese monastery of Sandan Sy.
Tibet, Lhasa
With the advent of the 20th century, there was unrest in the capital of China, and in January 1901, a fire broke out in the monastery where the Sandalwood Lord was kept. Cossacks originally from Buryatia rescued him from the fire and brought him to their small homeland. This is how the sculpture ended up in the Egituisky datsan.
There is a version that Buryat craftsmen created a copy of the shrine from metal, exhibited it in the datsan hall, and hid the original. When the Japanese found out where the Buddha statue was kept, they came to the datsan to take it away, but found only a copy.
During Soviet times, religious sites were destroyed, temples and churches were closed, and Buddhist datsans were no exception. Then Zandan Zhuu was sent to the Buryat capital - Ulan-Ude. It was stored in local history museum and only half a century later he returned to the Buddhists.
In September 1991, an important event occurred - the statue on air transport returned to the datsan. At the beginning of this century, it was ranked among the Buddhist shrines of the Russian Federation.
Appearance
The statue of the Sandalwood Lord looks very majestic - 2 meters 18 centimeters. It is made of sandalwood, but some researchers claim that in reality the material is linden, coated with sandalwood-based paint.
Sandalwood Buddha in Egituysky datsan, Buryatia
Zandan Zhuu's arms are long: the right one is raised and bent at the elbow, symbolizing greetings and good intentions, and the other is lowered down, parallel to the body, but the palm faces outward. The Buddha's eyelids are peacefully closed, and his eyes look slightly upward.
Temple for shrine
The Zandana Zhuu Temple is located in the Egituisky datsan, which in Tibetan is called Damchoy Ravzheling. Built in the 19th century, it did not survive the 1930s. By the early 2000s it was rebuilt.
Some visitors are surprised by the facade of the building, made according to the generally accepted canons of Tibetan temples, but made of ceramic tiles. This architectural solution is caused by fire safety considerations.
Around the same time, a separate one-story dugan was built specifically for storing the statue. The trends of modern architecture are followed there, and the implemented technologies help maintain the required temperature, humidity, and lighting. This temple was consecrated in the summer of 2008.
Today, datsan is a pleasant place in the middle of picturesque nature, where Buddhist pilgrims come, as well as simply curious tourists. The territory is quite vast, there are bells and other attributes all around, immersing you in the atmosphere of Buddhism. Khurals are held on certain days.
Helpful information
How to get to the Egituisky datsan: from the capital Ulan-Ude, 280 kilometers along the eastern road to the Khara-Shibir area near the Marakta River. The full address that the navigator will help you find: Buryatia, Eravninsky district, Egita village, Datsan street, building 3.
The datsan is open to visitors every day from 10 am to 7 pm. The schedule of khurals can be viewed on the official website.
Conclusion
The Sandalwood Buddha statue is a unique heritage of its kind and the main shrine in Buddhism. Therefore, it is especially pleasant that it is located in our country, in the Buryat Egituisky datsan. The statue was created under the Teacher himself, and subsequently traveled hundreds of kilometers over the course of 2.5 thousand years. It was where the statue appeared that the teachings of Shakyamuni spread.
Thank you very much for your attention, dear readers! I would like to believe that after reading our article, you will certainly want to visit the datsan, where the statue is sacredly kept, to see it with your own eyes.
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Friday, February 07
13th lunar day with the element Fire. Auspicious day for people born in the year of the Horse, Sheep, Monkey and Chicken. Today is a good day to lay the foundation, build a house, dig the ground, start treatment, buy medicinal preparations, herbs, and conduct matchmaking. Going on the road means increasing your well-being. Unfavorable day for people born in the year of the Tiger and Rabbit. It is not recommended to make new acquaintances, make friends, start teaching, get a job, hire a nurse, workers, or buy livestock. Haircut- to happiness and success.
Saturday, February 08
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, move to a new position, buy livestock. Unfavorable day for people born in the year of the Mouse and Pig. It is not recommended to write essays, publish works on scientific activities, listen to teachings, lectures, start a planned business, get or help get a job, or hire workers. Going on the road means big troubles, as well as separation from loved ones. Haircut- to increase wealth and livestock.
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Zandan Zhuu (Sandalwood Buddha)
Egituisky datsan. Photo: Arkady Zarubin
Zandan Zhuu, “Sandalwood Buddha” or “Sandalwood Lord” - a sculpture of Buddha 2 m 18 cm high, made of sandalwood, according to legend, 2500 years ago by order of Raja Uddiyana. Located in the Egituysky datsan of Buryatia. It is a Buddhist shrine and is considered the only one 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). According to the Buddhist tradition, he is considered a living Buddha - his images carry grace. The statue has a special iconography: the Buddha stands, with long arms reaching to his knees, among flowers and landscape, a "human" Buddha similar to the Maitreya Buddha.
Story
According to tradition, the Buddha prophesied the movement of Zandan Zhuu to the North and, accordingly, the movement of the center of Buddhism.
- In the 3rd century. the statue was transported from India to China.
- In the 4th century, the monk Kumarayana 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 Srontsangambo brought a statue of Tibet. Under the next ruler, King Tisrondetsan, Buddhism became the state religion of Tibet.
- In the 13th century - location presumably in Mongolia.
- In the winter of 1901, Sandalwood Buddha found himself in Transbaikalia. After the defeat of the Boxer Rebellion,
The Buryat Cossacks, taking advantage of the turmoil and devastation in the city and the fire in the Sandan-sy monastery (“Sandalwood Buddha Monastery”), where the statue was kept at that time, took it out. The operation was led by the head of the Russian post office, Gomboev. Upon arrival, a metal copy of the statue was made and placed in the Egituisky datsan, the original was hidden. The Japanese learned the location of the statue. Upon arrival, they were shown a metal copy, and they left with nothing.
- In the 1930s, it was kept in the Odigitrievskaya Church in Ulan-Ude, where the funds of the Museum of Local Lore were housed.
- In the 1980s, the statue was returned to believers and placed in the Egituisky datsan.
- April 22, 2003 Decision of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia (Ivolginsky Datsan): “To approve as Buddhist shrines of Russia:
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 deceased mother Maya. Prasenajit wanted to see the Enlightened Lord and ordered a statue of him to be made. Maudgalyayana took the masters to heaven, where they met the Buddha. After returning, the craftsmen sculpted a life-size statue from sandalwood. When Buddha Shakyamuni 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.
Impact of the statue on believers
Not everyone can be at Zandan Zhuu: some can’t stand it and leave the datsan. Others, on the contrary, find that several hours have passed since they sat down opposite the Sandalwood Buddha. It is believed that the shrine eliminates negative deeds, bestows long life, and gives guidance for good luck, happiness, and health, if the worshiper hopes for it and believes in it from the bottom of his heart.
Sources
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
Books
- Sandalwood Buddha of Raja Udayana / The Sandalwood Buddha of the King Udayana, A. A. Terentyev. An ancient Buddhist legend said that during the lifetime of the Buddha, a sculptural image of him was carved from sandalwood. Over time, this statue was transported to China, where...
1901 The night cover over the huge eastern city is being torn apart by fires. The streets are filled with smoke and the heady smell of gunpowder. Shots, screams, moans are heard from everywhere
From the burning Sandan-Sy monastery, several military men carefully carry out a huge bundle and place it on a cart. On their high-cheeked, dark faces there are drops of sweat and joy mixed with anxiety. These are the Cossacks of the 6th Hundred of the 1st Verkhneudinsk Regiment of the Transbaikal Cossack Army in Beijing, engulfed by the Boxer Uprising, implementing the Buddha’s prediction. A 2,500-year-old prediction. Now let's talk about everything in order.
Inscription on the stone
Immersing the inquisitive traveler in the mysterious atmosphere of these places, the road, already not far from the Egituisky datsan, has turned into a forest lane, leading to mysterious stone, which one of my hunter friends, Vladimir Nikolaevich Safeev, found in the taiga. Once, while chasing a wapiti wounded during a hunt, he sat down to rest and was surprised to find that he was sitting next to an unusual stone. On one side, facing the taiga thicket, it looks like an ordinary boulder. On the other side, which looks from the wild rosemary onto the forest road, it seems to have been cut with a huge sharp knife and has a smooth matte surface in the shape of two semicircles, located one above the other. In the center of this site, it is unknown how a strange sign was made.
My friend, who was born and lived in these parts all his life, who walked the length and breadth of the local taiga, had not heard anything about this stone, just as other old-timers had not heard of it.
As it turned out later, this is a sign from the Sanskrit alphabet, read as “om”. It is with this that one of the most popular and significant mantras in Buddhism, “Om mani padme hum,” begins. My friend began to ask the local lamas what the presence of this stone could mean here. The answer he received was: “This is a strong place.” This means that these places have very powerful energy and are nourished by some higher forces. And when I tried to somehow clarify with other clergy the origin of the inscription on the stone, I was told: the inscription was not made by hands. The rest is a mystery, the solution to which has not yet been solved.
Six steps towards
The Egituisky datsan itself, which has the Tibetan name “Damchoy Ravzheling”, is an ancient architectural complex on the banks of the Marakta River, founded in 1820. It once consisted of twelve buildings. There were philosophical, medical and astrological dugans.
Photo: anonim03.ru
More than three hundred Khuvarak students studied science there. They say that when they whispered a prayer, it could be heard at a distance of three kilometers. It’s hard to imagine, but this “bear corner” already had its own printing house at the beginning of the 19th century.
And this is not what the datsan was famous for. Its main attraction was and remains to this day the statue of Zandan Zhuu (Sandalwood Buddha). Well, here we come to the main secret. The history of Zandan Zhuu began 2500 years ago, when this only image of Buddha was created during his lifetime. It is now difficult to say how one of the first works of Buddhist art actually came into being, there is too much here that is not ordinary, but this Indian prince Siddhartha Gautama was also an unusual person.
I don’t know what to believe: either that the masters sculpted it from a reflection in the river, because the light emanating from it blinded them, or that they had to visit heaven, where Buddha was at that time... But, somehow be that as it may, his image came into being. It is said that when the Buddha approached the statue to compare the likenesses, it took six steps towards him. They say that this is what prompted the Buddha to make the following prophecy: the statue will move to the north, and where it is located, Buddhism should flourish.
You can believe it or not, but the prophecy came true. And in the chain of events that will be discussed further, there are no accidents.
Nail on the foot
Over these 2500 years, the statue slowly but confidently moved north. First, in the 4th century, the monks, saving the statue from internecine wars, transported it to the city of Kucha in Central Asia. Then she came to China. Then, as a gift, it migrated to Tibet, and during the time of Genghis Khan - to Mongolia. And wherever the statue appeared, Buddhism began to flourish everywhere. The following story is connected with Zandan Zhuu’s stay in China. When the clergy of the monastery left the room where she stood for the night, her face was turned to where the people turned the statue, but every morning she invariably looked north.
She remembered Buddha's prediction. This problem was solved very simply - a nail was driven into the statue’s foot. From Mongolia, it again moved to China, where it was located before the events that began this story.
Miracles of Sandalwood Buddha
Someday history will name the names of the Transbaikal Cossacks who saved the Buddhist shrine from fire, but for now they are unknown to us. However, the names of other people who risked their lives to save Zandan Zhuu are known. This is the head of the Russian post office Gomboev and Lama Erdeniin Sorzho of the Egituy datsan.
The statue was securely hidden on a cart and brought across two borders - Chinese and Mongolian - to Russia. When the priceless cargo was leaving Mongolia, the guards asked why it was so securely wrapped. And they received an answer from those accompanying them: this is a relative who died of the plague. There were no more questions.
In 1934, during the persecution of datsans, Zandan Zhuu was transported to the Odigitrievsky Cathedral of Ulan-Ude. At that time, the funds of the anti-religious museum were located there. In the early 80s of the last century, it was there that I had the opportunity to see it for the first time. On September 22, 1992, the statue was again returned to the believers and is now forever located in the Egituisky datsan. Thus ended the centuries-long wanderings of the Sandalwood Buddha. And only the hole from the nail in the statue’s foot reminds of its difficult fate. But the miracles didn't end there. One of the respected lamas told me that Zandan Zhuu stands without touching the surface of the pedestal: a thread runs freely between the base of the statue and the pedestal. Everything can happen in our extraordinary lands.
People come here from afar to worship the Sandalwood Buddha and ask him for health and long life for themselves and their loved ones. And the statue helps. Helps everyone who believes.
A small touch from the modern history of Zandan Zhuu
In 2012, I had the opportunity to visit the locations of Buryat police officers in the North Caucasus. We drove through Chechnya and Dagestan. So, in Kaspiysk, at the location of the combined detachment in the so-called cockpit, I saw at the head of a row of beds a slightly crumpled image of Zandan Zhuu cut out from some magazine. At the head - where icons are usually located - there was an ordinary piece of paper attached. But there was a shrine on it, from which the guys asked to help them return home. And they returned safe and sound.
Addition from the editors
This is how an unknown author described the story and his impressions of Zandan Zhuu. Let's add one more case. September 22, 1991, the day when Zandan Zhuu was returned to the datsan, turned out to be very cold. It was raining and snowing. A landing site for a helicopter was prepared in front of the datsan. He was late, there was a fear that due to such weather he might not arrive. But the wet people waited patiently in the bitterly cold wind. And then the long-awaited helicopter emerged from behind the clouds. After it landed, people formed a long living corridor. Many could not hold back their tears of joy. Especially those who were children during the terrible years of religious persecution. Those, before whose children's eyes, they destroyed the Egituisky datsan so fiercely that the entire Egituisky valley was strewn with the pages of sacred books.
The pilots opened cargo compartment, and the lamas carefully carried the sacred Burkhan Zandan Zhuu onto the Eravna land and carried it through the open doors of the datsan. The dream of returning the shrine of the then Khambo Lama Munko Tsybikov to his native datsan came true. He carried this dream through years of arrests, prison camps and long exile in Kolyma.
“We gladly accepted the order to deliver Zandan Zhuu.” It was difficult to fly. Wet snow, poor visibility. When we flew over Khorinsk, the ground was covered with snow. We chose a low flight ceiling. My colleagues Sergei Boyko and Vasily Bayusheev are experienced pilots. The responsible mission is completed. Let the prayers made in your datsan be heard by everyone. May God help everyone! - said then the commander of the Mi-8 crew A.V. Vatulin regional newspaper "Ulan-Tuya".
Almost 14 years later, on September 20, 2005, the helicopter made a circle of honor for the second time and landed at the Egituysky datsan. Imagine the surprise of the greeting villagers when they recognized the crew as the same pilots who had returned the shrine in extreme conditions in September 1991. This time, Mikhail Slipenchuk, who was getting acquainted with Buryatia, asked them to take them to the shrine. Seeing the enthusiastic curiosity of the children surrounding the helicopter, he asked the pilots to take the children for a ride. The children crowded into the cabin with joyful cries and for the first time in their lives flew around their native valley in a circle. And below at this time, a new guest, impressed by Zandan Zhuu, decided to help in the construction of a palace for the shrine.
