Video: Buddhism Rebounds in Mongolia

If you read this blog regularly, you really should see this video, the link for which was sent to me by my friend Dick Siemers. (He really finds the most interesting news on Mongolia.)

Video: Buddhism Rebounds in Mongolia

The first reason you should see this video is because it is true that most Mongolians are turning to Buddhism for their religious needs. There is indeed a "God-shaped vacuum" inside each one of us. But instead of turning in faith to the true Creator of us all, the natural tendency of sinful man is to turn to gods of our own creation.

The second reason that you should see this video is because it illustrates the mixing of religious tradition that makes Mongolia a unique contribution to Buddhism. The video states that the current leader of the monastery mentioned at the beginning of the video is a shaman. Shamanists are not Buddhists; and Buddhists are not shamanists. But in Mongolia, shamanistic beliefs and Buddhist beliefs often run together. Indeed it can be difficult to detect what is a Buddhist belief and what is shamanistic. Though it does not matter to me which wrong belief belongs to which wrong religion, Mongolian acquaintances have called me on it on more than one occasion. But even more importantly to Christians, this comfort with casual syncretism can lead to disaster for Christians. As one pastor once told me, "Weeds grow faster than wheat." That is, false beliefs spread more easily in a sin-cursed world than Truth. Already, I have seen some results of syncretism among so-called Christians here in Mongolia. Although this video does not address the syncretism among Christians, it does show the casual syncretism that is very common among Mongolians: a shaman leading a Buddhist monastery. (Let me put it in Western terms for you. That would be like a witchdoctor running a Catholic monastery.)

The third reason that you should see this video is because I know David Gilroy. Isn't it a small world? David and I taught English and studied Mongolian at the same school for several months years ago. I knew that he was a graduate student with a degree in biology and that he was here to do some study, but had no idea that he was working with taimen.

Enjoy the video.