30 years ago His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama made his first visit to Kalmykia
On July 25, 1991, the spiritual leader of the world's Buddhists first set foot on Kalmyk soil. This visit became a powerful impetus for the revival of Buddhism in Kalmykia and its further spread. Earlier, the Dalai Lama had visited the USSR three times: in 1979, 1982 and 1986. During these visits, His Holiness visited Moscow, Buryatia and Leningrad, and only in 1991 did his visit to Kalmykia take place.
His Holiness's visit took place from July 25 to 30. During this period, the 14th Dalai Lama conducted the empowerment ritual of Avalokiteshvara and bestowed the Teaching to a thousand believers at the Elista hippodrome.
On his first visit, the Dalai Lama warmly recalled our countryman Geshe Wangyal, with whom His Holiness was friends for many long years.
“Dear friends, I am very glad to be here, with you, in Kalmykia - with a people who for many years have preserved friendly and close ties with the people of Tibet! I am glad to see your smiling faces and beautiful national costumes! In those times, when I was still a boy and studying Buddhist philosophy, there were many scholars from Kalmykia in the Buddhist monasteries - they were simply wonderful scholars. At these moments I very clearly recall my friend Geshe Wangyal - a Kalmyk who was forced to emigrate from his country to Tibet, and then, in 1955, from Tibet to the USA. There, with the help of the American Kalmyk community, he managed to found a small Buddhist monastery, which then grew into a well-known Buddhist center. As a result of Geshe Wangyal's work, a whole galaxy of remarkable Buddhist scholars grew up, who are now professors at many American universities. For me this is a vivid example of how one person managed to do very much for the development and spread of Buddhism in such a large country as America. If Geshe Wangyal were with us now, we would all be even happier.”
The visit of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in 1991 became a “breath of fresh air” for hundreds and thousands of Kalmyks who came from all corners of the republic. For many residents of Kalmykia, this event became the beginning of finding their faith.
The subsequent visits of the 14th Dalai Lama to Kalmykia took place in 1992 and 2004, and since then the residents of Kalmykia, with pure thoughts, deep faith and prayers on their lips, await a meeting with their root teacher - His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso.
