Article

Name: Sangaril of lay Buddhists of Buryatia

Authors: O. V. Novikova, A. S. Dylgyrova, S. D. Gympilova

Novosibirsk State Conservatory named after M. I. Glinka; East-Siberian State Institute of Culture; Institute of Mongolian, Buddhism and Tibetan Studies of SB RAS

In the section Обрядовый фольклор

Abstract:

This article summarizes the materials collected and published by the authors during their field research in Buryatia on the practice of the collective prayer of lay Buddhists, referred to as sangaril. It was not until the twentieth century that researchers began studying this phenomenon of lay Buddhists. Among the most prominent studies are the works of S. G. Zhambalova and D. S. Zhamsueva. The examination of these works and some earlier sources has enabled the authors of this article to present a meticulous account of the history surrounding the introduction of sangaril during the early stages of Soviet power. A comprehensive description covers the timeline, implementation process, participant prerequisites, and religious artifacts associated with the ritual. The structure of three sangarils recorded in the villages of Ushkhaita and Kizhinga of the Kizhinga district and in the Khorinsk settlement of the Khorinsk district of the Republic of Buryatia is characterized. The variation in the sequence of sections of the ritual is discussed, with a focus on the normative, recurrent in different villages, and mobile ones. The correlation between Tibetan, Mongolian, and Buryat sacred texts is discussed. The analysis covers the musical component of the ritual, including the recitative reading of mani prayers alternating with the performance of magtaals (glorifications to Buddhist shrines sung on typical song tunes). The Buryat text of one magtaal is provided with a Russian translation and comments. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of sangaril in preserving the cultural values and ethnic identity of the Buryat people.

Keywords: sangaril, folk Buddhism, Buddhism in Buryatia, Lamaism, Magtaal, Maani, Buddhist cult music, Buddhist texts

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