B. D. Dandaron: Life Dedicated to Spiritual Perfection

Abstract

Introduction. The life of Bidya Dandarovich Dandaron is the path of a spiritual adept, teacher, philosopher, Buddhologist, Tibetologist, yogi and master of Buddhist tantra, a man who made a great contribution to the spread of Buddhism in the Soviet period. On the example of the tragic fate of B. D. Dandaron it is possible to trace the development of the religious policy of the Soviet state towards Buddhism.  The purpose of the article is to study the biography of B. D. Dandaron and the activities of his followers through the prism of spiritual movement. Materials and methods. The main sources for the studying were the family archive materials, stories and memories of relatives, friends and students who were part of the B. D. Dandaron's “Secular Sangha”. Results. The biographies of B. D. Dandaron and his spiritual teacher Lubsan Sandan Tsydenov, the stages of their training and becoming major religious figures are considered. The role of Bidya Dandaron and his disciples in the formation of the “Secular Sangha” is described in detail. Attention is paid to the current state of the group of Dandaron’s followers. Conclusions. The results of the study allow us to conclude that Bidya Dandarovich Dandaron made a serious contribution to the spread of Buddhism in the Soviet period, in particular the Buddhist teachings among the disciples — natives of the European part of Russia. Bidiya Dandarovich’s life, his close interaction with the Russian intelligentsia, the European civilization and education became the foundation for the spread of Buddhism among the Russian believers and the penetration of the values of the Western world into Buryat Buddhism. The religious-philosophical basis of the Eurasian synthesis in the Buryat intelligentsia's worldview was laid thanks to Bidiya Dandarovich Dandaron.