MIASU Research Seminar – 11 March – Yulia Savostina

Epics, Memory, and Resistance: Stories of Buddhist Protectors in Times of Uncertainty

Yulia Savostina (Institute for the Science of Religion, University of Bern)

There is a long history of Buddhist protector deities’ involvement in politics. How do these deities gain political agency today? This paper analyzes two cases.
First, in contemporary Buryatia, the deity Jamsaran is venerated as the protector of warriors. His influence has grown since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Having been historically associated with warfare, Jamsaran has once again emerged as a key figure in this context. Painful memories of World War II and power relations with central authorities are reflected in discussions around Jamsaran in Buryatia. Second, Dorje Shugden, a controversial deity worshipped in some Mongolian monasteries, has been drawn into Mongolian nationalist discourses. The traumatic events of Soviet oppression and Manchu domination in the region are reflected in the narratives about Dorje Shugden.
Using these cases of the political involvement of the Red Protector Jamsaran in Buryatia and the controversial protector Dorje Shugden in Mongolia, this research discusses narratives of cultural sovereignty, national and ethnic identity and collective memory as expressed through the veneration of protector deities.