Dulduityn Danzanravjaa (1803–1856, mn, Дулдуйтын Данзанравжаа) was a prominent Mongolian writer, composer, painter, Buddhist scholar, physician and the fifth

Noyon Khutagt The Noyon Khutagt () is a monk of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism in the Gobi region of Mongolia. The present Noyon Khutagt is believed to be the ninth incarnation of the original Mongolian Noyon Khutagt, who himself was believed to be a re ...

, the Lama of the Gobi. His name is a Mongolian adaptation of the last part of the Tibetan name Lobsang Tenzin Rabgye given to Danzanravjaa by the fourth Bogd Gegeen on his visit to the Mongolian capital, Urga (present-day

Ulaanbaatar Ulaanbaatar (; mn, Улаанбаатар, , "Red Hero"), previously anglicized as Ulan Bator, is the capital and most populous city of Mongolia. It is the coldest capital city in the world, on average. The municipality is located in north ce ...

), in 1812 – where Danzanravjaa was also recognized as an Incarnate Lama (Tib:

Tulku A ''tulku'' (, also ''tülku'', ''trulku'') is a reincarnate custodian of a specific lineage of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism who is given empowerments and trained from a young age by students of his or her predecessor. High-profile examples ...

).Kohn, Michael Lama of the Gobi: How Mongolia's Mystic Monk Spread Tibetan Buddhism in the World's Harshest Desert, Blacksmith Books, (2010) There are several versions concerning the origins and use of "Dulduityn". He was the fifth incarnation of the Gobi Noyon Khutagt, which is the title of a prominent line of

tulku A ''tulku'' (, also ''tülku'', ''trulku'') is a reincarnate custodian of a specific lineage of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism who is given empowerments and trained from a young age by students of his or her predecessor. High-profile examples ...

s of the Nyingmapa lineage of

Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

and was found by the personal attendant of the fourth Noyon Khutagt in 1809. It was not possible to enthrone Danzanravjaa as the fifth Noyon Hutagt because of the ban from the ruling Manchu (Qing) dynasty on recognition of this line of incarnations. Mongolia at the time was under Manchurian Qing control. He was enthroned as the Avshaa Gegeen in Ongiin Gol (present-day Saikhan-Ovoo. Dundgovi) Monastery by Ishdonilhudev Rinpoche. He is primarily famous for his poetry, but is also known for his

prophecies In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a ''prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or prete ...

, and

treatises A treatise is a formal and systematic written discourse on some subject, generally longer and treating it in greater depth than an essay, and more concerned with investigating or exposing the principles of the subject and its conclusions."Treat ...

on medicine, philosophy, and

astrology Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Di ...

Life

Danzanravjaa was born in the Tüsheet Khan

aimag An aimag (, ; xal, әәмг, ), originally a Mongolian word meaning 'tribe', is an administrative subdivision in Mongolia, Russia, and in the Inner Mongolia region of China. Mongolia In Mongolia, an aimag is the first-level administrative ...

's Gobi Mergen khoshuu, in what is today Khövsgöl sum of Dornogovi aimag on 25th day of mid winter month by

lunar calendar A lunar calendar is a calendar based on the monthly cycles of the Moon's phases ( synodic months, lunations), in contrast to solar calendars, whose annual cycles are based only directly on the solar year. The most commonly used calendar, t ...

. His family was poor, and his mother died while he was still young. He and his father survived by begging and singing until 1809, when he was accepted as a disciple of Ishdoniilhundev Rinpoche at Ongiin Monastery where the boy received the name of Luvsandanzanravja and the vows of a Buddhist layman. From an early age he showed much talent for music and poetry, wrote his first famous impromptu Khurmast Tenger (the Heavens) at age of seven. The literary and oratorical abilities in the boy, made the locals to believe he was a reincarnation of saints so they appealed to the higher clergy for recognition of his next incarnation. While studying at the monastery, the boy showed himself brilliantly, and in 1811 was publicly recognized by his spiritual advisor Ishdoniilhundev as the reincarnation of the

geshe Geshe (Tib. ''dge bshes'', short for ''dge-ba'i bshes-gnyen'', "virtuous friend"; translation of Skt. ''kalyāņamitra'') or geshema is a Tibetan Buddhist academic degree for monks and nuns. The degree is emphasized primarily by the Gelug lineage, ...

Navaana, or the Asvaa-gegen. The identity of the incarnation was confirmed by Palden Tenpai Nyima, 7th Panchen Lama and Janjah-hutuhta IV Yeshe Tenpay Gyaltsen; In Urga (present day

), Danzanravjaa was introduced to Bogd Gegeen IV, theocratic leader of the country, who granted him the title of "Brave" ( mn, чин зоригт, chin zorigt) and the right to use certain status items. In 1817, Danzanravjaa moved to the Dolnuur monastery, where he studied for three years. His curriculum included various Buddhist and medical teachings and also the work of the Tibetan poet Rompo Calden Gyatso. He received tantric initiations in the monasteries Choyling and Badgar during this time. After finishing the course of traditional Buddhist education in 1820, Danzanravjaa founded the monasteries Khamar Monastery (Uver-Bajasgalant), Choylogiin and Burdeni, which became the centers of culture, art and education. In 1821, he founded the Lamrim

datsan Datsan ( mn, Дацан, russian: Дацан) is the term used for Buddhist university monasteries in the Tibetan tradition of Gelukpa located throughout Mongolia, Tibet and Siberia. As a rule, in a datsan there are two departments—philosophica ...

at Khamaryn monastery where he taught his scholastic ideas, in 1822 - the temple of Labran, in 1823 – the temple of Agvaa and the temple devoted to

fierce deities In Buddhism, wrathful deities or fierce deities are the fierce, wrathful or forceful (Tibetan: ''trowo'', Sanskrit: ''krodha'') forms (or "aspects", "manifestations") of enlightened Buddhas, Bodhisattvas or Devas (divine beings); normally the sa ...

– protectors, and in 1827 the

Kalachakra ''Kālacakra'' () is a polysemic term in Vajrayana Buddhism that means " wheel of time" or "time cycles". "''Kālacakra''" is also the name of a series of Buddhist texts and a major practice lineage in Indian Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism. The ...

temple In 1840s, Danzanravjaa founded a number of monasteries throughout the Gobi region of Mongolia (now some of them are located in

Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...

), for example, the Three Monasteries of Mount Galbyn (Ulaan-Sahiusnii, Tsagaan-tolgoin and Demchigiin) in modern-day

Khanbogd, Ömnögovi Khanbogd ( mn, Ханбогд, Hanbogd, ) is a sum (district) of Ömnögovi Province in southern Mongolia. Khanbogd is the site of the Oyu Tolgoi mine, which is from the sum centre. In 2009, its population was 3,154.Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Taman ...

during his lifetime. Other than his writings, he was also known for his syncretic combination of Yellow Hat and Red Hat sect beliefs. As a member of the

Nyingma Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...

school of

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

, Danzanravjaa was not required to refrain from alcohol or sexual intimacy, and he was well known for his love of both. He frequently referred to the ecstasy he experienced with his lovers and took two wives. He also referred to himself as a "boozer" (sokhtakhu) in his writing.Wickham-Smith, Simon. "The Way of the World." IIAS Newsletter No.40 Spring, 2006. Accessed 27 June 2008.
/ref> Danzanravjaa paid special attention to Khamar Monastery which he founded, where in addition to the buildings standard to the Mongolian Buddhist monastery, he organized: * a theater called Saran Khukhuu (Moon Cuckoo) in 1832 which was called "

of describing lives" ( mn, намтар дуулах дацан) with a touring troupe. The plays were a combination of songs, dance and story telling in the comedic and melodramatic genres that Danzanravjaa personally staged based on the Mongolian choreography and ceremonies as well as foreign drama elements. * a public library and

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

in 1840 at so-called the "exhibition temple" ( mn, Гиваадин Равжаалин, Givaadin Ravjaalin). This temple housed about ten thousand items including Buddhist teaching works, theatrical works, his personal art works,

tanka is a genre of classical Japanese poetry and one of the major genres of Japanese literature. Etymology Originally, in the time of the '' Man'yōshū'' (latter half of the eighth century AD), the term ''tanka'' was used to distinguish "short p ...

s as well as gifts from Mongolian and foreign lords and officials and various curious things he collected during his many domestic and foreign trips. In the public library, visitors could regularly listen to specially trained readers reciting books aloud. * a general education school for children. His school called the "children's datsan" ( mn, хүүхдийн дацан) represented the opportunity for children, boys and girls alike, regardless of their social origin, to master the educational program – Mongolian and Tibetan language and literature, mathematics, natural science, history, music and dance. Graduates of the school received a stamped certificate of education, and often went on to work in the theater company as actors, singers, costumers and decorators as well as teachers at the school.

Death

Danzanravjaa died under mysterious circumstances. It is often claimed that he was murdered by poisoning, which is possible since he had many enemies during his lifetime. He was unpopular with the Manchu rulers of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...

and the widow of a local ruler. However, there is no definitive evidence that his death was from murder, suicide, or simply illness.

Legacy

After Danzan's death one of his disciples, Sh. Balchinchoijoo (Ishlodon), collected his manuscripts and relics and served as their curator ( Takhilch), a role that passed down to his male heirs. After the communist revolution the collection was buried for safekeeping in the mountains, and a map to the location continued to pass within the family of Curators. The collection remained buried until the present curator, Zundoi Altangerel, unearthed 24 boxes of manuscripts and relics in 1991 and transferred them to a small museum in

Sainshand Sainshand ( mn, Сайншанд; ) is the capital of Dornogovi Province in Mongolia. It is located in the eastern Gobi desert steppe, on the Trans-Mongolian Railway. Administration The territory of Sainshand sum consists of 5 ''bags'' (commu ...

. Another 22 boxes remained buried. In 2009, Altangerel and Austrian archaeologist Michael Eisenriegler unearthed two more crates in an event that was

simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simulta ...

on the Internet on TV. In 2005 a digital archive of his original work was created with funding from the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...

Endangered Archives Programme The Endangered Archives Programme (EAP) is a funding programme and digital archive run by the British Library in London. It has the purpose of preserving cultural heritage where resources may be limited. Each year EAP awards grants to researchers ...

. It consists of 43,350

TIFF Tag Image File Format, abbreviated TIFF or TIF, is an image file format for storing raster graphics images, popular among graphic artists, the publishing industry, and photographers. TIFF is widely supported by scanning, faxing, word process ...

files. The project remains incomplete, however, since a number of the crates have been loaned out and not returned.Humphrey, Caroline. "The Treasures of Danzan Ravja (outcomes)." The British Library Endangered Archives Programme. No date. Accessed 27 June 2008.

Bibliography

There are over 300 poems, 100 songs, numerous religious paintings, and a variety of Buddhist, philosophical, medical and astronomical treatises, theses and monographs written by Danzanravjaa in Tibetan and Mongolian, of which 170 works in Mongolian and over 180 in Tibetan have survived to this day in full text and are now housed at the National Archives of Mongolia, Danzanravjaa Museum, archives of

National University of Mongolia The National University of Mongolia ( mn, Монгол Улсын Их Сургууль, ''Mongol Ulsyn Ikh Surguuli'', abbreviated ''NUM'' or ''MUIS'') is a public university primarily located in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Established in 1942, it is ...

and several other institutions. Danzanravjaa's poetry is strongly influenced by classical Indian and Tibetan literature. Among the most famous of his poetic works, some that are still loved, sung and referred widely include Ulemjiin Chanar (Perfect qualities), Uvgun shuvuu (Old bird), Urhan khongor salhi (Warm breeze), Salj yadah setgel (Unbroken soul), Ichig, ichig (Shame, shame!), etc. Other notable works include: * The ten-volume operetta Saran Khukhuu (The Story of Moon Cuckoo), which satirized corrupt individuals in the society he lived in. It is also intended to be performed for a month by over 100 actors and 60 musicians * Yertunts Avgain Jam (The Way of the World), a pessimistic poem purportedly written as he was dying. The songs, verses and instructions of Danzanravjaa are characterized by their strong criticism of the contemporary society of Mongolia. Being a commoner by origin, Danzanravjaa could not bear to look at the hypocrisy around him, denouncing those who "help themselves, not helping others and criticize others without criticizing themselves" as well as their apparent guise of ignorance and duplicity, and ridiculing them. On the other hand, his social satire and criticism bear the spirit of the Buddhist doctrine of

anitya Impermanence, also known as the philosophical problem of change, is a philosophical concept addressed in a variety of religions and philosophies. In Eastern philosophy it is notable for its role in the Buddhist three marks of existence. It is ...

(impermanence).

References

External links