Recently attended a "recital" at Tugs Bayasgalant monastery. It was a unique experience for me, as I have never been to women's monastery before. So used to male voices of monks, I was pleasantly surprised. Totally new religious experience that brought me to think about Mongolian women in religious context. For how long women have been active in religion, what are they roles, and how are we compared to different religions.
It's been said that Mongolia have adopted the Buddhism since 13th century. Since then it has been the main religion for majority of Mongolians. Prior to this adoption, we had Shamanism as main source for our spiritualism. Even then, women had special role in religious content. There were female shamans, female monks in times of Buddhism.
Obviously, there are nuns within Christianity and related religions. However, if I'm not mistaken, they were helpers, assistants, and teachers in religious schools. There were never high ranked priest women in Western society.
Whereas, it was common for a woman to be high ranked religious official in Mongolia. Nowadays, there are special monasteries in Mongolia that house female only monks. What I'm trying to say is that no matter of form of religion, women in Mongolian culture had special power, recognition and respect, which for us, women, is a great news.I'm not trying to say that some religions are good and some are bad. Just from simple observation, it seems that being women in some religion is less fortunate than for others. For example, compared to Muslims, being Buddhist woman is totally different experience. In Middle East, women are even not allowed to pray together with men. They have to stand in the back behind special curtains, walls, or even go to special mosque. So, I believe, women have much more religious freedom in Mongolia, be it practicing or just worshiping.
Little more on Tugs Bayasgalant monastery:
Tögs bayasgalant is one of the three Buddhist Women’s centres in Ulaanbaatar. This temple was founded in October, 1990, on the initiation of Bakula Rinpoche, the former ambassador of India to Mongolia and founder of Betüw monastery in Ulaanbaatar. The head of the temple is N. Gantömör. Apart from the head of the community, the temple has two chanting masters (unzad) and a disciplinary master (gesgüi), there are no other ranks.
The women in this monastery wear traditional Mongolian women’s dresses during the ceremonies. They are also allowed to wear long hair arranged in various styles, and to use make-ups and wear jewels such as earrings. Since the old times, female lamas or female practitioners who grow their hair have been called khandmaa in Mongolian. All the women in Tögs bayasgalant temple wear a special white khadag worn across the left shoulder, which substitutes for the orkhimj (scarf worn over the left shoulder) of the lama robe.
The women in this monastery wear traditional Mongolian women’s dresses during the ceremonies. They are also allowed to wear long hair arranged in various styles, and to use make-ups and wear jewels such as earrings. Since the old times, female lamas or female practitioners who grow their hair have been called khandmaa in Mongolian. All the women in Tögs bayasgalant temple wear a special white khadag worn across the left shoulder, which substitutes for the orkhimj (scarf worn over the left shoulder) of the lama robe.
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