Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov (russian: Даши-Доржо Итигэлов; bua, Этигэлэй Дашадоржо, ''Etigelei Dashadorjo''; 1852–1927) was a Buryat

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

lama Lama (; "chief") is a title for a teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term ''guru'', meaning "heavy one", endowed with qualities the student will eventually embody. The Tibetan word "lama" means "hi ...

of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Born in the countryside of

Buryatia Buryatia, officially the Republic of Buryatia (russian: Республика Бурятия, r=Respublika Buryatiya, p=rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə bʊˈrʲætʲɪjə; bua, Буряад Улас, Buryaad Ulas, , mn, Буриад Улс, Buriad Uls), is ...

, Itigilov's parents left him at an early age, forcing him to pursue sheep-herding to make ends meet. When he was 15, Itigilov joined the Anninsky Monastery, where he learned to read

Tibetan Tibetan may mean: * of, from, or related to Tibet * Tibetan people, an ethnic group * Tibetan language: ** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard ** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken dial ...

and

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

, enabling him to read

Buddhist texts Buddhist texts are those religious texts which belong to the Buddhist tradition. The earliest Buddhist texts were not committed to writing until some centuries after the death of Gautama Buddha. The oldest surviving Buddhist manuscripts a ...

and serve in the Buddhist community. After becoming the religious leader of

Russian Buddhists Historically, Buddhism was incorporated into Siberia in the early 17th century. Buddhism is considered to be one of Religion in Russia, Russia's traditional religions and is legally a part of Russian historical heritage. Besides the historical m ...

, Itigilov raised money to provide food, clothing, and medical care to

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

soldiers, among other philanthropic acts. In 1927, he died while in a

Lotus position Lotus position or Padmasana ( sa, पद्मासन, translit=padmāsana) is a cross-legged sitting meditation pose from ancient India, in which each foot is placed on the opposite thigh. It is an ancient asana in yoga, predating hatha ...

. After he was buried in a pine box, Itigilov was exhumed in 1957, showing an intact body. After a change of clothes, a reburial, and a second exhumation in 1973, it was decided in 2002 that Itigilov would remain above ground permanently.

References

1852 births 1927 deaths Buryat people Buddhism in Buryatia Mummies Lamas Tibetan Buddhists from the Russian Empire Tibetan Buddhists from the Soviet Union Buddhist monks from the Russian Empire {{Buddhist-clergy-stub

See also

References