The resurgence of the Dharma : transnational Buddhism in contemporary Mongolia

Abstract

In the last two decades there has been an influx of foreign religious communities into Mongolia. The government in the newly democratic country supports freedom of belief, and the Mongols - and their politicians - see it as important to revive the traditional religion of Mongolian Buddhism as a way of recovering and strengthening their own national identity. Not only have the indigenous Mongolian Buddhist organisations been active in their teaching and social work, but Buddhist missionary organisations from abroad are also strongly interested in expanding their influence there. This thesis investigates the attraction Western Buddhism has for modern Mongolians and its relationship to the country's economic, political and social agendas. It focuses on the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), the largest international Buddhist organisation in the West, which established itself in Mongolia in 1999. The FPMT is a network of Buddhist centres focusing on spreading what it claims to be traditional Tibetan Buddhism. Its mission is to preserve the teaching of the Gelug tradition, promoting it to the lay society in Mongolia. Based on interviews and using social theories, this thesis explores how transnational Buddhism contributes to modernisation, and how conversion to this from can help to influence national identity and cultural preservation.