Mongolian Buddhism, Nature, and Conservation

16 Days  ◦  2 Instructors

June 19- July 4, 2023 Application deadline April 30, 2023 (Priority Deadline March 1, 2023)

This course will focus on the intersect between Mongolian Buddhism, Shamanism, nature ethics and environmental conservation. It will provide an overview of the history and philosophy of Mongolian Buddhism, tracing its flow from the Silk Route to the twentieth century religious purges to its modern-day renaissance. The course will visit a restored Buddhist Monastery in a remote area of northern Mongolia, and meet with local conservationists to understand how religious beliefs and practices are being applied to the preservation of the environment in the region, such as an effort to save the iconic salmonid Taimen, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world.

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Course Overview

This course will focus on the intersection between Mongolian Buddhism, Shamanism, nature ethics and environmental conservation. We’ll cover the history and philosophy of Mongolian Buddhism, tracing its flow from the Silk Route to the twentieth century religious purges to its modern-day renaissance. The class will explore Buddhist influences upon current directions in ecological thought and practice in Mongolia (with ramifications elsewhere), especially in confronting wildlife poaching, climate change and sustainability. The goal of the course is to familiarize participants with Mongolian Buddhism’s unique narrative as well as its role in current ecological crises.

We will visit Mongolia’s oldest monasteries, Erdene Zuu (1585) and Amarbaysgalant (1726), and discuss the course of Buddhism as it moved from Tibet and became embedded in Mongolia. We will also look at a more modern monastery, Choijin Lam (1904), that survived the religious purges of the 1930s and was then used by political leaders as an example of corruption within Buddhist leadership at the turn of the twentieth century.

We’ll head to the gorgeous Eg-Uur Valley, where we are spending most of the course, examining Buddhism, its teachings, and its role in modern conservation practices. Here we will hear about the preservation of the taimen (Hucho taimen), a magnificently large and endangered species of salmonid (salmon family) fish.  The taimen, already lost from most of its range in north Asia, holds a special place in the Buddhist beliefs of the Eg-Uur valley, and its story vividly exemplifies the Buddhist vision of nature and its spiritual dimensions. Our days here will be full—meeting with local nomadic families, learning about local beliefs and practices, and visiting sacred sights.

We’ll stay in cozy gers (yurts) beside the wide and lovely Uur River. The Dayan Derkh Monastery, also on the bank of the Uur, and recently rebuilt after it was destroyed during the communist era, is the perfect focal point for our work on Buddhism and nature. Its restoration came about through a collaboration between the local monk community, scientists, and international anglers, who together worked to protect the regional watershed and its resident taimen population. Rebuilding the Dayan Derkh Monastery allowed local people to restore their place of religious practice and became a symbol in Buddhist conservation practice. Monks from Gandan Monastery helped in the effort by revealing a sutra (Buddhist scripture) that read the “death of one taimen equals the souls of 999 people suffering.”

This made an impression on the local community, and poaching decreased considerably.  Dayan Derkh Monastery is named after a “wicked” shaman who, according to legend, converted to Buddhism and became a hero. This legend demonstrates anti-Shamanic propaganda spread during the long-ago Buddhist missionary campaigns, as well as a regional syncretism between Buddhism and Shamanism that is so common in the province. Our camp site is surrounded by Buddhist and Shamanic sacred sites, which we will visit by horseback and boat. The hiking in the area is also exquisite.

We will also discuss the role of Buddhism in conservation issues on a global scale and learn about the activism campaigns tied to “engaged Buddhism.” This trip will give participants the opportunity to experience some of the best things Mongolia has to offer: the beautiful countryside, Buddhist culture, nomadic pastoralism and great adventure.

Anticipated Course Activities

Day 1-2

choijin lama

Ulaanbaatar - Program and course orientation

Course and Program orientation in Ulaanbaatar. Gain an introduction to Mongolian culture and language, history and the re-establishment of Buddhism Meet course faculty and participants. Visit Gandan and Choijin Lam.

Day 3-5

Amarbayasgalant Monastery in Erdenet

Drive to Erdenet to visit Amarbayasgalant Monastery and meet with lams.

This is one of the most significant sites in Mongolia. Night at a ger camp.

Day 6

people sitting outside

Drive to Erdenbulgan.

Drive to Erdenbulgan. Arrive at Upper Uur Camp. Travel to Khovsgol Province and Eg-Uur Valley via Moron, the city center of the Khovsgol Province. Visit monastery, sacred cave, and ovoos.

Day 7-11

эг үүр

Class sessions in the forest-steppe of the Eg-Uur Valley

Class sessions in the forest-steppe of the Eg-Uur Valley, hikes, horseback rides, meditation. Visits with families, shaman, and monks.

Day 12-14

Walls at the ancient Mongolian capital of Kharkhorin

Drive to Karakorum. Tour of the Erdene Zuu Monastery.

Drive to and stay in Karakorum and tour the Erdene Zuu monastery. Discuss environmental programs with lams.

Day 15

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Returning to Ulaanbaatar

Return to UB, stop by Elsen Tasarkhai on way back to UB

Day 16

эрдэнэт

Conclusion in Ulaanbaatar

Conclusion in Ulaanbaatar

Instructor

Dr. Betsy Gaines Quammen

Dr. Betsy Gaines Quammen

Montana State University
Betsy Gaines Quammen is an environmental historian. She received a PhD from Montana State University, where she focused on how religious beliefs influence perspectives on landscape. She has studied Asian religions and practices Buddhism. Wildlife protection is her passion, having over the years helped establish conservation projects in Mongolia, Bhutan and throughout the American West. She has a BA in English from Colorado College and a MS in Environmental Studies from University of Montana.
rebecca-watters-circle

Rebecca Watters

Wolverine Foundation
Rebecca Watters is a wildlife biologist and writer based in Bozeman, Montana. She is the executive director of the Wolverine Foundation. She spent two years in Mongolia doing environmental work as a Peace Corps volunteer, and started the Mongolian Wolverine Project in 2009 to assess and monitor climate-sensitive mountain wildlife in Mongolia. The Mongolian Wolverine Project has expanded beyond wolverines and works with three large protected areas in northern Mongolia to monitor wildlife and to build conservation capacity. She has a BA in anthropology from St. Lawrence University and a MESc from the Yale School of the Environment.

Testimonials

Liz-SQ600

"Attending the renewable energy field school was the best decision I made in 2019! I was already attending a fulltime graduate program in Canada, but the field school added rich value to my learning. As the world is becoming more globalized, looking at how Mongolia is responding to the challenges of supplying cleaner energy was a valuable experience. Our instructors came with a vast amount of knowledge and a passion to teach.’’

Liz B.

Participant of Mongolia Field School 2019
Batkhuu SQ600

"As a sociology major student, this program was very helpful to explore urban issues and migration processes in contemporary Mongolia. Through this program, I sharpened my academic capabilities while refining soft skills essential for my future studies.’’

Batkhuu B.

Participant of Mongolia Field School 2019
Janis-Michael-SQ600

"The ACMS field school is a unique experience that has changed my life and teaching. In most programs, international participants are isolated from the country in which we are studying except for controlled visits to local people and sites. Not so with ACMS! Half of the participants in each field school are from Mongolia, ensuring that local and international participants have a chance to understand each other’s perspectives.’’

Janis M

Participant of Mongolia Field School 2019
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