On October 10-13, 2014, Astrakhan State Technical University (ASTU) hosted the fourth international scientific and practical conference "Vajrayana Buddhism in Russia: Traditions and Innovations". This conference is an example of successful and fruitful cooperation between Russian Buddhists (the Russian Association of Diamond Path Buddhists of the Karma Kagyu tradition) and scientists representing various academic and educational institutions in the country. It began in 2008 in St. Petersburg at the State Museum of the History of Religion, where the first conference dedicated to Vajrayana Buddhism in Russia was held. Then there were conferences in Moscow (IV RAS, 2010) and Vladivostok (IAE FEB RAS, 2012). Collections and collective monographs were published based on the results of the past conferences.

The fourth conference was organized with the participation of ASTU, the Astrakhan Museum-Reserve, Astrakhan State University, and the Institute of Philosophy of St. Petersburg.State University and the UNESCO Chair for Comparative Studies of Spiritual Traditions, Cultural Specifics and Interreligious Dialogue with the support of the Department for Work with Religious Associations of the Department for Internal Policy of the Administration of the Governor of the Astrakhan Region.

The conference in Astrakhan continued the common theme of all conferences-studying the history and current state of Vajrayana Buddhism in Russia. The aim of the conference was to further develop an interdisciplinary and versatile in-depth approach to the study of Vajrayana Buddhism, bringing together Buddhists from various branches of science and Buddhists from different schools and directions to create new levels of relationships and understanding of each other. At the same time, special attention was paid to the secular forms of Buddhism and the spread of Buddhism in Russia, neighboring countries and in the West. Theoretical problems of studying Buddhism and understanding the Buddhist heritage were also discussed.

Vajrayana is one of the areas of Mahayana Buddhism that has gained great popularity in the modern world. This is primarily due to the fact that after the loss of independence of Tibet in 1951, many famous teachers left the country and moved to the West, where they opened dharma centers and taught Buddhism to Western students. The activities of the 14th Dalai Lama, who helped popularize Tibetan Buddhism in the world, also played a huge role. It is believed that vajrayana methods allow you to achieve awakening not during thousands of rebirths, but already in this life or one of the subsequent ones. This also attracts followers. In Russia, Vajrayana Buddhism is traditionally practiced by Buryats, Kalmyks and Tuvans. There have been many converts in the last 25 years. They represent the mundane form of Buddhism. Unlike the traditional model of having monasteries with monks and ordinary believers visiting monasteries, lay followers practice Buddhist practices in dharma centers or at home. This model does not involve taking monastic vows and usually exists separately from traditional religious institutions. As a rule, Russian researchers pay less attention to modern secular Buddhism, preferring to study texts, the history and functioning of monasteries. In this sense, the topic of the conference is extremely relevant and interesting.

Since the beginning of the conferences, an interesting and fruitful format has been chosen, which implies the participation of not only scientists - Buddhologists, philosophers and Orientalists - but also Buddhists themselves, and various schools and directions, as well as representatives of state bodies that develop policies in the field of religion. This not only allows us to consider certain issues from different perspectives and points of view, but also creates a good basis for exchanging opinions.

Although not all of the declared participants of the conference (85 people) were able to come to Astrakhan, the conference nevertheless turned out to be representative. It was attended by university teachers, employees of museums and research institutes from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Volgograd, Astrakhan, Stavropol, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Elista, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Ulan-Ude, Blagoveshchensk, Vladivostok and other cities. Researchers from Kazakhstan, China, Poland, Spain, Great Britain and Denmark gave the international status of the conference. In addition to scientists, presentations were also made by Buddhists-the president of the Russian Association of Diamond Path Buddhists of the Karma Kagyu tradition A. S. Koibagarov, the president of the Volgograd Buddhist Center of the Diamond Path A.V. Dudkin, Sharab Danzan-geshe Lama, the chairman of the local Buddhist religious organization of the Gelugpa tradition "Community of the village of Promyslovka of the Astrakhan region" and others.

The conference included one plenary session and five breakout sessions, as well as a round table on " Secular Buddhism: history and modernity".

Reports of the plenary session were devoted to general and methodological problems of religious studies, as well as to individuals and topics. The first ones include the speech of A. M. Alekseev-Apraksin (St. Petersburg) on the correlation of the concepts of "tradition" and "innovation", the report of E. V. Gainutdinova (Astrakhan) on religion as a form of achieving internal balance. Among the latter are the report of L. V. Baeva (Astrakhan) on N. K. Roerich, the report of N. L. Zhukovskaya (Moscow) "The Steppe belt of Eurasia and Buddhism: from the mythological beginning of contacts to today's reality". According to N. L. Zhukovskaya, Buddhism in the steppes of Eurasia appeared in the IV century. Earlier information about Buddhism among the Xiongnu is rather mythological in nature. The Mongols became familiar with Buddhism during their conquests in the 13th century, and during the second wave of Buddhist expansion in the Mongolian steppes in the 16th and 17th centuries, Buddhism came into contact with local cults of landscape deities and spirits, forming a unique belief system. Buddhism came to Russia in the 17th century along with the Kalmyks, who became Russian citizens. A little later, the Buryats adopted Buddhism. In 1908-1913, the first Buddhist temple in Europe was built - the St. Petersburg datsan Gunzechoinei. At the beginning of the XX century in Buryatia, there were-

there were 47 temples and more than 10 thousand lamas. There were 28 large and 64 small Buddhist temples in Kalmykia. With the entry of Tuva into the USSR in 1944, a third nation appeared in the country, which traditionally professed Buddhism. All of them were followers of Tibetan Buddhism and the Gelug school. The fate of Buddhism in Russia was similar for all peoples - the repression and destruction of temples in the 1930s, the beginning of the revival of the religion in the late 1980s. Currently, Buddhism in Russia is represented by a variety of schools and trends, but the Central Asian form based on Tibetan Buddhism prevails. There are also relics on the territory of Russia: the Atlas of Tibetan Medicine (a copy of the Tibetan original); a two-meter statue of the Sandalwood Buddha and the incorruptible body of the Hambo Lama Itigelov.

The topic of Russia's historical relations with Buddhism and its current position was developed in the report of B. U. Kitinov (Moscow) "Buddhism in the Caspian Sea: features and periodization". Already in ancient times, the Caspian region became a place of contact between different religions: Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Christianity and Manichaeism. Buddhist influence came from the Kushan kingdom, and then from Tibet. The role of Buddhism in the region increased with the arrival of the Kalmyks in the 16th and 17th centuries. The speaker tried to predict the further development of the confessional situation in the Caspian region, based on the theory of cyclical-wave development of phenomena and processes. In his opinion, the final part of the revitalization (i.e., a new civilizational upsurge) period (1900-2030) is now underway.

L. V. Shcherbakova (Astrakhan) introduced the participants to the history of religions and the current religious situation in the Astrakhan region. Due to its location and history, it has become a place where Buddhism, Christianity (different directions), Islam, Judaism are represented and where representatives of different ethnic groups live. At the same time, both before and now, they managed to maintain religious tolerance and respect. Even Catholics, who were usually treated with caution, were welcomed in Astrakhan. Moreover, there are many cases when followers of different religions helped each other: during the Streltsy revolt, the Astrakhan metropolitan was saved in the headquarters of the Kalmyk khan; Muslim builders participated in the construction of local Christian churches. This attitude persists even today. So the Buddhist Khosheut hurul was saved thanks to the steadfastness and efforts of a local Orthodox woman. Peaceful and respectful coexistence of different faiths and ethnic groups is extremely important, given the important strategic location of Astrakhan.

Representatives of Buddhist communities told how they live and what problems modern Russian Buddhists face. Thus, A. S. Kolesnikov gave an overview of the history of Vajrayana Buddhism in Russia. Reports on Karma Kagyu Buddhism in Krasnoyarsk by A. A. Ovcharenko and in the Republic of Kalmykia by G. A. Orgadulova, as well as on the principles of functioning of the Diamond Way centers under the leadership of Lama Ole Nydahl-A. B. Sokolov aroused great interest.

Sharab Danzan, Chairman of the Buddhist community in the village of Promyslovka in the Astrakhan region, identified an important problem characteristic of Buddhism in the post - Soviet space as a whole-the lack of educated clergy, ignorance of traditions and rituals, lack of faith or, conversely, fanaticism of a sectarian nature. In his work with believers, Sharab Danzan identified several areas: spiritual work itself and acquaintance with the basics of faith, performing rituals, pilgrimage to holy places for Buddhists, and charity.

G. A. Orgadulova spoke about worldly Buddhism in Kalmykia on the example of the Karma Kagyu Center. A special feature of secular groups is that they are somewhat isolated from each other. However, thanks to new technologies, they are constantly in touch with lamas and other centers. This allows them, in particular, to implement major projects of cultural and social significance. In addition to scientific conferences, the Russian Association of Buddhists of the Diamond Way organizes exhibitions on Buddhist art, conducts public lectures and publishes literature, including scientific ones, on Buddhism. This is a curious feature of the existence of secular Buddhism - occupying a largely marginal position in society in comparison with the official structures of traditional Buddhism, its followers sometimes play a large role in spreading the teachings of the Buddha and knowledge about him.

For religious scholars and social anthropologists involved in contemporary religiosity, such reports are of particular interest, as they provide valuable factual information and allow you to learn about religious practices first-hand.

The section "History of Buddhism in Russia and neighboring countries" discussed Buddhism as a transethnic religion of the peoples of the Far East (A. O. Belyakov, Blagoveshchensk); Buddhism in Kazakhstan (K. M. Borbasova, Sh. S. Rysbekova, Alma Ata); and in Kalmykia (A. A. Kurapov, Astrakhan).

and on the Don (S. A. Shabanov, Novocherkassk). The authors of these reports, based on archaeological data and written sources, convincingly showed that the spread of Buddhism on the territory of Russia and neighboring countries was more profound and diverse than it is presented in the literature. Obviously, there are still questions that need to be studied and understood. At the same time, some Buddhist speakers expressed a desire to make the history of Buddhism in Russia more ancient. This is explained by the fact that Buddhism, although recognized as one of the traditional religions of the Russian Federation, is sometimes perceived as an alien and alien teaching outside the traditional distribution areas (Buryatia, Kalmykia, Tuva). Therefore, researchers who themselves profess Buddhism sometimes attach too much importance to certain sources and archaeological artifacts, trying to prove that Buddhism on the territory of modern Russia appeared in ancient times and has every right to exist.

This section dealt with such issues as the reception of Tibetan Buddhism in the West in a historical perspective (R. T. Sabirov, Moscow) and the Japanization of Vajrayana in the Tachikawa-ryu school (Yu.G. Smertin, Krasnodar). R. T. Sabirov noted some peculiarities of the spread of Tibetan Buddhism in the West. First, even before the appearance of the first Buddhists in Europe and North America, a certain idea of Buddhism was formed in the West, based on the study of Buddhist texts by Oriental scholars. This view was significantly different from Buddhism as a living tradition that exists in the countries of the East. Secondly, the image of Tibet as an amazing land of mystics and magicians was formed far from reality. The result was the birth of a number of myths about Buddhism and Tibet, many of which are still alive today. Third, Buddhism in the West came into contact with world religions, science and popular culture and was forced to adapt and change in accordance with the ideas and requests of Western followers. Buddhists began to review the most outdated provisions of their teachings and cooperate with scientists in the field of meditation studies. Yu. G. Smertin showed how Vajrayana Buddhism was transformed in Japan, absorbing many features of Taoism and pre-Buddhist beliefs.

At the section "Buddhism and modern socio-cultural practices" N. Y. Prikhodko (Vladivostok) presented the results of her research on Mount Wutaishan in China as a center of Buddhist pilgrimage. A rather new and relevant topic for Russian Buddhology was raised in the report of E. S. Suvorina and S. Yu.Kuvaev (Yekaterinburg) "The Tibetan language in the ritual practice of modern Russian Buddhism". Speakers noted that from the very beginning of the spread of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia, Buryatia and other countries and regions, the question of translating ritual practices into local languages was raised. However, during the Qing Dynasty, these attempts were suppressed ideologically and administratively, so that nothing could shake the hegemony of the Dalai Lamas. In addition, the attitude towards the Tibetan language as a sacred one was formed. Field research by the report's authors has shown that it persists even now, including among Russian Buddhists. The latter believe that when translating, accuracy and the sacred component are lost, and, on the contrary, even simple memorization of Tibetan phrases, without knowledge of the language, can bring great benefits. The situation is complicated by the lack of a unified Buddhist terminology in Russian and a single center recognized by all, which could create it. Among the representatives of the traditional sangha, there are also different opinions. Thus, the head of the Buryat Sangha stands for the independence of Buryat Buddhists from Tibet and, accordingly, for strengthening the role of the Buryat language. The Kalmyk Buddhist Leader supports reading Buddhist texts in the Kalmyk language in order to preserve the national identity of his people. In other words, the use of the Tibetan language by Russian Buddhists is closely linked to the formation of their religious and national identities.

The section on Buddhist art was marked by reports on both private issues (ritual objects, thangkas) and more general problems of social structure and religious art. A. S. Koibagarov (St. Petersburg) noted the importance of art in transmitting the values of Buddhism and educating believers. Buddhist art, according to him, is of great practical importance: images of Buddhas and other characters in the Buddhist pantheon are objects for meditation and other practices. It is worth mentioning the reports on Buddhist cult objects and images in the museum collections of Astrakhan (R. A. Tarkova, Yu. V. Gerasimova, Astrakhan). There are not very many of them in Astrakhan, but these are interesting exhibits showing the historical features of the spread of Buddhism in this region.

At the section "Buddhism in the light of comparative studies", speakers discussed the concept of creativity in Christianity and Buddhism (A. L. Nemchinova, Astrakhan), the status of women in Buddhism (N. Y. Prikhodko, Vladivostok), Buddhism and science (M. N. Rudenko, Astrakhan).

The participants of the section" Buddhism and personal development " addressed practical aspects of Buddhist teaching. They discussed Vajrayana meditations (A. S. Koibagarov, St. Petersburg). Lama Ole Nydahl (Copenhagen, Denmark) presented a report on Mahamudra's teachings in the modern world.

The conference participants were given an excursion program around Astrakhan, to the Astrakhan Museum-Reserve, as well as to the Khosheut Khurul and Elista. Thanks to this, many participants of the conference were able to get acquainted with the historical heritage of the Astrakhan Region - a multi-ethnic and multi-religious region, as well as with new Buddhist temples and religious buildings (in particular, with the Buddhist stupa in Elista).

The Conference demonstrated that in disciplines such as ethnology, sociology, social anthropology, and the anthropology of religion, practicing Buddhists engaged in scientific research have a great advantage, as they have the necessary experience and opportunities for field research, access to communities, and a personal interest in Buddhism.

The relevance and usefulness of holding a scientific conference is obvious: the presence of scientists of humanities and natural sciences specialties shows the growing interest in Buddhism of the scientific community, and the participation of religious figures of various branches of Buddhism contributes to the dialogue of worldviews, the development of contacts and interaction between the state, the scientific community and practicing Buddhists. This approach not only provides an increase in scientific knowledge, but also has important social consequences related to the development of tolerance and peaceful coexistence of different religions in the country.

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