Moscow Buddhist Center of Lama Tsongkhapa. Who is in charge? A scandal erupts in Russia over the representation of the Dalai Lama Lectures by Geshe Jampa Thinley

Venerable Geshe Jampa Thinley was born on June 5, 1962 in Mysore (southern India) into a family of Tibetan refugees. After finishing school, he attended the Central Tibetan Institute in Varanasi, from which he received a Shastri (Bachelor's) degree in Philosophy, Sanskrit, Tibetan and English. Since 1984, he worked for about five years as a translator for Tibetan teachers at the Dorjechang Buddhist Institute in New Zealand. At the age of 25, Geshe Thinley was ordained and became a monk. In 1993, after a three-year retreat in the mountains of Dharamsala, at the request of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Geshe Thinley traveled to Russia to take up the post of spiritual representative of His Holiness. In February 1994, at Sera Monastery (South India), he successfully passed the exam for the title of Doctor of Buddhist Philosophy (Geshe).

Over the years of his activity in Russia as the spiritual representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and then Advisor for Cultural and Religious Affairs of Tibet, Geshe Thinley contributed in every possible way to the revival and development of Buddhism in the traditional regions of its spread (Kalmykia, Buryatia, Tuva). Over the years, he also began to have more and more students in the European part of Russia and in a number of cities in Siberia, as a result of which Buddhist Centers were also formed in them.

Geshe Thinley tirelessly travels throughout Russia giving lectures on Buddhist philosophy and practice. The teachings of the Venerable Geshe Thinley are based on indigenous Buddhist texts, authentic primary sources - “Abhidharmakosha”, “Abhisamayalamkare”, “Madhyamikaavatara” and others. As a staunch follower of the tradition of the greatest teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, the founder of the Gelug school, Lama Tsongkhapa, Geshe Thinley gives his students detailed and comprehensive teachings on the stages of the path to Enlightenment (Lamrim), paying greatest attention to the Three Fundamentals of the Path, without which it is impossible to achieve Buddhahood - renunciation, bodhichitta and the knowledge of emptiness. In addition to philosophical knowledge, Geshe Thinley also gives practical instructions on Buddhist meditation based on his own rich experience of conducting meditative retreats; under his leadership, collective and individual retreats according to Lamrim and preliminary practices (nendro) take place.

Venerable Geshe Thinley is the spiritual director of many Russian Buddhist Centers of the Gelug tradition, including the Moscow Buddhist Center of Lama Tsongkhapa, the Green Tara Center in Ulan-Ude, the Asanga Center in St. Petersburg, the Chenrezi Center in Elista, the Center Manjushri" in Kyzyl, the Tara Center in Omsk, the Atisha Center in Irkutsk, the Maitreya Center in Novosibirsk, the Tushita Center in Ufa, the Phuntsog Chopel Ling Center in Rostov-on-Don and others. For his noble work in reviving and strengthening the foundations of Buddhist Teaching, the Venerable Geshe Tinley was awarded high state awards from the Republics of Kalmykia and Tuva, and was awarded a diploma of honor from the People's Khural of the Republic of Buryatia.

Geshe Jampa Thinley is the author of the books “Living Philosophy and Meditation of Tibetan Buddhism” (1994), “Buddhist Instructions” (1995), “Toward the Clear Light” (1995), “Shamatha” (1995), “Death. Life after death. Phowa" (1995), "Tantra - the path to awakening" (1996), "Sutra and Tantra - the Jewels of Tibetan Buddhism" (1996), "Wisdom and Compassion" (1997), "Comments on the Brief Practice of Yamantaka" (1998), “Mind and Emptiness” (1999), “Bodhichitta and the Six Paramitas” (2000), “Nundro Preparatory Practices” (2004), “Cleansing the Mind” (2007), Lojong (2009), etc. Je Tsongkhapa Publishing House is preparing for the publication of a number of new books by Geshe Tinley, based on the unique and most valuable material for every Buddhist practitioner from the lectures he gave.

Venerable Geshe Thinley is a highly qualified master of Buddhist philosophy and meditation. The line of succession of the teachings he transmitted, without interruption, stems from Shakyamuni Buddha himself and includes such great mentors of India and Tibet as Padmasambhava, Atisha, Milarepa and Lama Tsongkhapa. His direct teachers are living and also deceased outstanding spiritual masters of our time: His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV, Geshe Nawang Dargye, Panor Rinpoche, Geshe Namgyal Wangchen and others.

Despite his extensive activity in transmitting Buddhist teachings, Geshe Thinley repeatedly conducted months-long meditative practices in retreat, setting a true example of a Buddhist philosopher and yogi.

Venerable Geshe Jampa Thinley is one of the few outstanding Buddhist teachers permanently residing in Russia. For many years, he systematically and consistently conveys to his students the entire wealth of Buddhist philosophy and practice, giving detailed instructions on all aspects of Buddhist teachings, teaching the complete Teachings of Sutra and Tantra. Geshe Jampa Thinley is one of the most significant Buddhist teachers of modern Russia.

From the compilers

This book is compiled based on the lectures of the Tibetan teacher Geshe Jumpa Thinley, who lives in Russia, which he gave in Moscow in 1997-98. The lectures are related to the main themes of Buddhist philosophy - the theory of valid knowledge and the concept of emptiness, or the true vision of reality.

The author of the book gives an idea of ​​the views of the four philosophical schools of Buddhism, gradually leading the reader to the point of view of the highest of them - Madhyamika Prasangika. All explanations are based on traditional Buddhist precise logical analysis combined with accessible and vivid examples.

In preparing the book, we consulted the works of recognized Tibetan masters of Buddhist philosophy (His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, Jamyan Shepa, Geshe Lobsang Gyatso and Geshe Rabten), as well as the works of respected Western scholars of Buddhism, such as Professor Jeffrey Hopkins. At the same time, we tried to preserve the lively author's style of Geshe Tinley's lectures.

Considering the fact that the system for translating Buddhist terminology into Russian has not yet been fully developed, we admit that certain inaccuracies may be found in the book. We apologize in advance for this.

We express our gratitude to the members of the Moscow Buddhist Center of Lama Tsongkhapa, who sponsored this publication.

We spent almost a year and a half preparing this book, and it was not without difficulty. We hope that it will benefit all those interested in Buddhist philosophy, and we dedicate it to the happiness and well-being of all sentient beings.

Maya Malygina,

Ksenia Stepanenko,

Sergey Khos

April 1999

Part 1. LECTURES ABOUT THE MIND

1. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MIND

Today we will talk about the mind. That's a very difficult question. When you understand what the mind is and can use its subtlest level, you will have the most powerful force in the world. Science has discovered that elementary particles are the most powerful. In the same way, the subtlest level of the mind is endowed with the greatest power. But if you don't know what the gross level is, how can you use the subtler level? When I did not have an exact idea of ​​what an electron and a proton were, my point of view on this subject changed from day to day depending on what my imagination drew. In the same way, if you have no idea what the subtlest level of mind (clear light) is, then your idea of ​​it will change every day.

Buddha Maitreya gave a very detailed teaching on the mind in the Uttaratantra, which is a section of the Sutra. In this teaching, he discussed in detail how to bring the mind to Buddhahood and the reasons for achieving Buddhahood. I also took advantage of other authentic teachings, including the teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa, and decided to give them to you in a condensed form. When you receive teaching, it is very important to know from what source it comes. Then, if you have doubts, you can turn to the root texts, or Buddhist primary sources, and check whether a particular statement is correct or false. Teaching that leads you in the wrong direction will never be beneficial to your practice. Wrong theory leads to wrong practice, which in turn gives wrong results.

So first we will talk about what the mind is. Some people believe that the mind is the brain, or something material. When they talk about the mind, they mean the "contents" of the brain. When Europeans say: “Well, think for yourself!”, “Are you out of your mind?” and things like that, they usually touch the head, thinking that the mind is there. By the way, in such cases Tibetans usually point to the middle of the chest, that is, to the heart center. There are reasons for this.

I will not discuss what psychology and other sciences think about the mind, since I understand little about it. My specialty is Buddhist philosophy. Therefore, I will talk about the mind from the point of view of Buddhist philosophy. And you must form your own opinion about what the mind is, considering this issue from both Buddhist and other points of view. Buddha said: “Do not accept my teaching on faith without first examining it.”

The mind has three characteristics. They are definitions of the mind. Why are definitions needed? Some objects are not clear enough for our perception. These are objects that we cannot see directly with our own eyes. In order to understand what such objects are, it is necessary to give them a precise definition. The definition is not given in order to argue and win over someone during the discussion. This is the wrong approach. Discussions are needed in order to get a more complete picture of the subject of study. And in the end, your understanding will be so accurate that during the debate you will be able to give absolutely clear and error-free definitions.

Here are three characteristics of the mind:

1) the essence of the mind has no form;

2) the relative nature of the mind is clarity;

3) the mind has a cognitive function.

Each of these three characteristics removes some confusion about the mind.

The first characteristic, which states that the essence of the mind is formless, eliminates the misconception that the mind is the brain. The brain is something substantial, material. Therefore it cannot be the mind. The brain does not move on to the next life. There are many logical fallacies in the claim that the mind is the brain. Then it would be very easy, for example, to eliminate anger from the mind. You would simply find the cell in the brain that causes anger and remove it. And the cell that is responsible for wisdom was increased. There are many other examples of the fallacy of the statement that the mind is the brain. However, the mind functions depending on brain activity, and we will talk about this later.

The second characteristic, which states that the nature of the mind is clarity, eliminates the misconception of some non-Buddhist schools that anger and other negative states are inherent in the nature of the mind and cannot be separated from it. Based on this, they believe that achieving nirvana is impossible. Buddhism says that the nature of the mind is clear in nature, just as water itself is pure. No matter how dirty water is, it is pure in nature, and this allows it to be purified, so the dirtiest water can become the cleanest. Likewise, according to Buddhism, there is no defilement in the nature of the mind. She is neutral. Compassion is also not in the nature of the mind. But unlike negative emotions, which do not have a reliable basis and cannot develop indefinitely, qualities such as love and compassion have a reliable basis and are capable of endless development (for example, the Buddha’s compassion is limitless). Buddhism says that if anger were in the nature of the mind, then a person would be forced to be in this state all the time. But we know from our own experience that sometimes we get angry and sometimes we are very compassionate. It all depends on the situation... From here we can develop the belief that it is indeed possible to completely clear the mind of delusions.

What is liberation? It is like turning dirty water into clean water. At the moment we compare the mind to dirty water, but if you remove the dirt, the water becomes clean. The purity of water does not come from somewhere outside. It is present in it, despite the fact that the water is dirty. And when the water is dirty, there is already purity in it. The same analysis applies to the mind. Our mind, completely freed from obscurations, is called “the mind that has achieved liberation, or nirvana.”

Buddhahood means not only the attainment of liberation, but also the realization of all good qualities. If we continue the analogy with water, then water purification alone is not enough. You must turn it into nectar, that is, accumulate all the reasons for achieving Buddhahood and develop all the good qualities in yourself.

Buddha nature, that is, the potential to achieve Buddhahood, is always present in our mind, even when we experience anger or other negative states. This does not mean that when you are angry you are a buddha. Dirty water is not clean. Likewise, your mind is not pure. But the nature of the mind is pure and clear. Sometimes people don't understand this and say that they have become buddhas because they have buddha nature. It is not right.

The third characteristic is the function of cognition. When any object appears before the mind, it cognizes it. From the Buddhist point of view, grass, trees and other plants are not conscious because they do not have this capacity for cognition. Perhaps various chemical reactions occur in them, but this is not consciousness yet. Some non-Buddhist schools in India believe that plants have consciousness, on the grounds that when you touch the leaves they shrink. Buddhism does not agree with this.

Venerable Geshe Jampa Thinley was born on June 5, 1962 in Mysore (southern India) into a family of Tibetan refugees. After finishing school, he attended the Central Tibetan Institute in Varanasi, from which he received a Shastri (Bachelor's) degree in Philosophy, Sanskrit, Tibetan and English. Since 1984, he worked for about five years as a translator for Tibetan teachers at the Dorjechang Buddhist Institute in New Zealand. At the age of 25, Geshe Thinley was ordained and became a monk. In 1993, after a three-year retreat in the mountains of Dharamsala, at the request of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Geshe Thinley traveled to Russia to take up the post of spiritual representative of His Holiness. In February 1994, at Sera Monastery (South India), he successfully passed the exam for the title of Doctor of Buddhist Philosophy (Geshe).

Over the years of his activity in Russia as the spiritual representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and then Advisor for Cultural and Religious Affairs of Tibet, Geshe Thinley contributed in every possible way to the revival and development of Buddhism in the traditional regions of its spread (Kalmykia, Buryatia, Tuva). Over the years, he also began to have more and more students in the European part of Russia and in a number of cities in Siberia, as a result of which Buddhist Centers were also formed in them.

Geshe Thinley tirelessly travels throughout Russia giving lectures on Buddhist philosophy and practice. The teachings of the Venerable Geshe Thinley are based on indigenous Buddhist texts, authentic primary sources - “Abhidharmakosha”, “Abhisamayalamkare”, “Madhyamikaavatara” and others. As a staunch follower of the tradition of the greatest teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, the founder of the Gelug school, Lama Tsongkhapa, Geshe Thinley gives his students detailed and comprehensive teachings on the stages of the path to Enlightenment (Lamrim), paying greatest attention to the Three Fundamentals of the Path, without which it is impossible to achieve Buddhahood - renunciation, bodhichitta and the knowledge of emptiness. In addition to philosophical knowledge, Geshe Thinley also gives practical instructions on Buddhist meditation based on his own rich experience of conducting meditative retreats; under his leadership, collective and individual retreats according to Lamrim and preliminary practices (nendro) take place.

Venerable Geshe Thinley is the spiritual director of many Russian Buddhist Centers of the Gelug tradition, including the Moscow Buddhist Center of Lama Tsongkhapa, the Green Tara Center in Ulan-Ude, the Asanga Center in St. Petersburg, the Chenrezi Center in Elista, the Center Manjushri" in Kyzyl, the Tara Center in Omsk, the Atisha Center in Irkutsk, the Maitreya Center in Novosibirsk, the Tushita Center in Ufa, the Phuntsog Chopel Ling Center in Rostov-on-Don and others. For his noble work in reviving and strengthening the foundations of Buddhist Teaching, the Venerable Geshe Tinley was awarded high state awards from the Republics of Kalmykia and Tuva, and was awarded a diploma of honor from the People's Khural of the Republic of Buryatia.

Geshe Jampa Thinley is the author of the books “Living Philosophy and Meditation of Tibetan Buddhism” (1994), “Buddhist Instructions” (1995), “Toward the Clear Light” (1995), “Shamatha” (1995), “Death. Life after death. Phowa" (1995), "Tantra - the path to awakening" (1996), "Sutra and Tantra - the Jewels of Tibetan Buddhism" (1996), "Wisdom and Compassion" (1997), "Comments on the Brief Practice of Yamantaka" (1998), “Mind and Emptiness” (1999), “Bodhichitta and the Six Paramitas” (2000), “Nundro Preparatory Practices” (2004), “Cleansing the Mind” (2007), Lojong (2009), etc. Je Tsongkhapa Publishing House is preparing for the publication of a number of new books by Geshe Tinley, based on the unique and most valuable material for every Buddhist practitioner from the lectures he gave.

Venerable Geshe Thinley is a highly qualified master of Buddhist philosophy and meditation. The line of succession of the teachings he transmitted, without interruption, stems from Shakyamuni Buddha himself and includes such great mentors of India and Tibet as Padmasambhava, Atisha, Milarepa and Lama Tsongkhapa. His direct teachers are living and also deceased outstanding spiritual masters of our time: His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV, Geshe Nawang Dargye, Panor Rinpoche, Geshe Namgyal Wangchen and others.

Despite his extensive activity in transmitting Buddhist teachings, Geshe Thinley repeatedly conducted months-long meditative practices in retreat, setting a true example of a Buddhist philosopher and yogi.

Venerable Geshe Jampa Thinley is one of the few outstanding Buddhist teachers permanently residing in Russia. For many years, he systematically and consistently conveys to his students the entire wealth of Buddhist philosophy and practice, giving detailed instructions on all aspects of Buddhist teachings, teaching the complete Teachings of Sutra and Tantra. Geshe Jampa Thinley is one of the most significant Buddhist teachers of modern Russia.

Venerable Geshe Jampa Thinley - spiritual mentor of the Moscow Buddhist Center of Lama Tsongkhapa

Over the years of his activity in Russia as the spiritual representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and then as an adviser on cultural and religious affairs of Tibet, Geshe Thinley contributed greatly to the revival and development of Buddhism in the traditional regions of its spread (Kalmykia, Buryatia, Tuva). Over the years, he began to have more and more students in a number of cities in Siberia and the European part of Russia, as a result of which Buddhist centers were also formed in them. Geshe Thinley tirelessly travels around the country giving lectures on Buddhist philosophy and practice. As a staunch follower of the tradition of Lama Tsongkhapa, he gives his students detailed and comprehensive teachings on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (Lamrim), paying greatest attention to the “three foundations of the path”, without which it is impossible to achieve Buddhahood - renunciation, bodhichitta and the knowledge of emptiness. In addition to philosophical knowledge, Geshe Chinley also gives practical instructions on Buddhist meditation; under his leadership, collective and individual retreats (retreats) on Lamrim and preliminary practices (nendro) are held. Geshe Thinley is the spiritual director of a number of Buddhist centers of the Gelug tradition, including the Moscow Buddhist Center of Lama Tsongkhapa, the Green Tara center in Ulan-Ude , the Chenrezi center in Elista, the Manjushri center in Kyzyl, the Tara center in Omsk, the Atisha center in Irkutsk, the Maitreya center in Novosibirsk, the Tushita center in Ufa, the Phuntsog Chopel Ling center in Rostov-on-Don. Geshe Tinley is the author of the books “Living Philosophy and Meditation of Tibetan Buddhism” (1994), “Buddhist Instructions” (1995), “Toward the Clear Light” (1995), “Shamatha” (1995) published in Russian. , "Death. Life after death. Phowa" (1995), "Tantra - the path to awakening" (1996), "Sutra and Tantra - the Jewels of Tibetan Buddhism" (1996), "Wisdom and Compassion" (1997), "Comments on the Brief Practice of Yamantaka" (1998), “Mind and Emptiness” (1999), “Bodhichitta and the Six Paramitas” (2000), etc. The Tsongkhapa Publishing House, created on the basis of the Moscow Buddhist Center of Lama Tsongkhapa, is preparing for publication a number of new books by Geshe Thinley, based on the unique and most valuable for every Buddhist practitioner based on the material of the lectures he gave. Geshe Jampa Thinley is one of the most significant Buddhist teachers of modern Russia. He is a highly skilled master in both Buddhist philosophy and meditation. The line of succession of the teachings he transmitted flows uninterrupted from Buddha Shakyamuni himself and includes such great mentors of India and Tibet as Padmasambhava, Atisha, Milarepa and Lama Tsongkhapa. His direct teachers are outstanding spiritual masters of our time: His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Geshe Ngawang Dargye, Panor Rinpoche, Geshe Namgyal Wangchen and others. Geshe Thinley spends most of his time in Moscow, passing on Buddhist teachings and helping with personal advice.

During the visit of the 14th Dalai Lama to Kalmykia at the end of 2004, Geshe Jampa Thinley returned to him his Gelong monastic vows, which he had taken at the age of 25. From that moment on, Geshe Thinley continued his activities as a lay preacher. Married. Have a daughter.

In Buddhism teachers traditionally revered on par with Buddha.

In Je Tsongkhapa's Great Guide to the Stages of the Path of Awakening it says:

“To achieve Liberation, nothing is more important than the Teacher.

And in worldly affairs we see: work cannot be done properly without a master mentor.

So how can you, having just come from a bad fate, walk without a Teacher on yet untrodden ground?!

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In August of this year, the attention of the Buddhist community of Buryatia was attracted by a strange message that came from the shores of Lake Baikal. Tourists filmed a very strange ritual taking place on the shore of the lake. A crowd of dancing people was running behind a car driving along the shore; a man who got out of the car and lay down on an inflatable sailor was picked up by people and carried into the water. “And it all ended with running after the car again! What is this? Sect? What motivates these people? Why do they idolize this teacher so much?” - asked the blogger “Anonymous 03”, who published photographs of the action, in the Buryat community on VKontakte.

Soon a number of publications appeared in the local press about an unknown “sect” allegedly operating in the republic, but they were followed by refutations written by supporters of the geshe Jumpa Tinleya- founder of the Buddhist centralized religious organization Je Tsongkhapa. It is this organization that owns a meditation center on the shore of Lake Baikal, where in the summer of this year. under the leadership of Jumpa Tinley, traditional teachings on Lamrim (spiritual practices aimed at achieving the Buddhist “Awakening” - “NGR”) took place, which confused the witnesses of what was happening. The development of history has raised a number of questions about how Buddhist spiritual structures exist and interact on the territory of modern Russia.

In particular, who exactly represents the Dalai Lama? Tenzina Gyatso, the spiritual leader of the followers of the Tibetan tradition, on the territory of Russia? His spiritual representative calls himself Jampa Tinley, whose students attracted the attention of tourists on Lake Baikal. He first arrived in Russia in 1993 - this is reported in his short biography on the website of the Spiritual Center of Lama Tsongkhapa, which he founded in Moscow about 20 years ago. In the same year, the site reports, Geshe Jampa Thinley was appointed as the spiritual representative of the Dalai Lama in Russia. However, the honorary representative of the leader of Tibetan Buddhists in Russia is the Shajin Lama (president of the Kalmykian Buddhist Association) Telo Tulku Rinpoche (Ernie Ombadykov). And this information requires clarification.

The history of the Dalai Lama's representation in Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union is quite complicated. In 1991, immediately after the collapse of the Union, the Dalai Lama visited the Buddhist regions of Russia - Buryatia, Kalmykia and the Aginsky Buryat Autonomous Okrug (which in 2008 became part of the Chita region and the Trans-Baikal Territory, losing its status as a subject of the Federation). After this, in 1992, Tenzin Gyatso visited Kalmykia twice (in 1992 and 2004) and Tuva once (also in 1992). During the first of these trips, along with the head of the Buddhists of Tibet, Telo Tulku Rinpoche, a Kalmyk born into a family of emigrants in the United States, arrived in Russia for the first time. The following year he was elected Supreme Lama of Kalmykia.

The activities of Geshe Jampa Tinley are more connected with another Buddhist republic within Russia - Buryatia, where the Baikal Meditation Center is located. Like Telo Tulku Rinpoche, he was born outside of Russia - in South Indian Mysore. For 20 years, he was involved in organizing Buddhist communities in different cities of Russia: Moscow, Ulan-Ude, Elista, Kyzyl, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Irkutsk, Ufa, Krasnoyarsk, Sochi and others. Currently, the organization has 22 centers. In 2013, they were united into “Je Tsongkhapa”, named after the Tibetan lama - the founder of the Gelug school of Buddhism. Thus, both representatives of the Dalai Lama are not natives of Russia, which does not make the question any clearer.

“There is indeed some confusion on this issue. The Venerable Geshe Thinley was the spiritual representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Russia, the CIS and Mongolia from 1993 to 1998, the administration of the Lama Tsongkhapa Center told NGR. - After the end of the 5-year term, he remained cultural adviser for two years. After 2000, the Venerable Geshe Thinley did not hold positions in the Central Tibetan Administration. Then a number of other people were representatives of His Holiness in Russia (not spiritual, but simply representatives who headed the Center for Tibetan Culture and Information). And at the beginning of 2015, Telo Tulku Rinpoche was appointed the honorary representative of his Holiness in Russia and Mongolia and remains so to this day. However, since the venerable Geshe Tinley was the first and, in fact, the only spiritual representative of His Holiness in Russia, he is sometimes still called that way. As for the structure of the spiritual representation of His Holiness and relations with other Buddhist organizations, it would probably be better to address this issue directly to the representation itself.”

However, Telo Tulku Rinpoche informed NGR about Thinley’s violation of monastic vows, thereby confirming the information that Thinley’s followers had previously denied in the Buryat press. In his opinion, Jampa Thinley appointed himself as the spiritual representative of the Dalai Lama. “Geshe Jampa Thinley was indeed sent to Russia by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the 1990s, but not as a “spiritual representative”, but as a junior secretary,” Telo Tulku Rinpoche commented on the situation to NGR correspondent. - His functions included lecturing on Buddhism and assisting in the restoration of Buddhism in traditional Buddhist regions, which was necessary after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Some time later, Geshe Jampa Thinley requested that he be granted the status of “spiritual representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” citing that otherwise it would be difficult for him to carry out the functions assigned to him. He received neither a positive nor a negative response from the Tibetan government, but on his own initiative he began to use the title he had invented. After some time, his term of service as a junior secretary expired, he was not offered to continue working in this post, but he himself did not show interest in this. After this he began to act as an independent Buddhist teacher. He was indeed a Buddhist monk, but subsequently broke his vows and is no longer a monk and has nothing to do with the representation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Russia.”

One of the largest associations of Buddhists in Russia is the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia (BTSR), with its center in the Ivolginsky datsan in Buryatia. In Buryatia, there is a regional centralized religious organization “Maidar”. In 1993, the Russian Association of Diamond Way Buddhists of the Karma Kagyu tradition was registered, which united more than 80 Russian and Ukrainian communities professing Diamond Way Buddhism. Since 1991, the Association of Buddhists of Kalmykia has been operating as a centralized religious organization, the head of which is Telo Tulku Rinpoche. The Center for Tibetan Culture and Information and the Save Tibet Foundation in Moscow also operate under his spiritual leadership.

Most Buddhist organizations in Russia thus represent ethnic or regional associations of believers. However, with Je Tsongkhapa things are somewhat different. Jampa Thinley himself is a supporter of the so-called “non-sectarian” approach to Buddhism, which refuses to divide it into schools and concentrates the teaching on the “Three Foundations of the Path of Lama Tsongkhapa.” This “out-of-school” approach makes it an effective mission strategy.