Tale of hundred treasures—on Mongolia’s oldest monastery, Erdene Zuu
Tale of hundred treasures—on Mongolia’s oldest monastery, Erdene Zuu
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Synopsis
Erdene Zuu (hundred treasures) is the first Buddhist monastery of Mongolia, one of the most fascinating places on earth.
Erdene Zuu (hundred treasures) is the first Buddhist monastery of Mongolia, one of the most fascinating places on earth. Famous for its rugged landscape, and the legend of Genghis (Chengiz) Khan, Mongolia is known to be an adventurer's paradise. Erdene Zuu was founded in the year 1586 by Abtai Sain Kha, and was built with stones. The sprawling complex used to have 60 temples, which has now been reduced to only 13. But for history buffs and for anyone who is interested in exploring this beautiful piece of history, it is a glorious place to visit.
The monastery through time
Erdene Zuu has seen quite a bit of history since 1586, and went through various stages itself. At times it went through neglect, other times it went through great revivals and prosperity. During Mongolia’s Stalinist repression period (1937-1939), the monastery went through a particularly hard time. It then reopened once again in 1965. However, it was permitted to reopen not as a place of worship, but only as a museum.
Later, as communism faded from the country, the monastery found rejuvenated its role in society. The monastery today has a Lama Temple that is used for worship. In typical Tibetan-style, the temple is a beautiful abode of god, with prayer flags all around it.
About the temples
There are 108 stupas here within the monastery complex, and there are three temples in the compound that survived hard times. These are known as Zuu of Buddha, Zuun Zuu, and Baruun Zuu. Dedicated to the three stages of Buddha’s life - childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, these are the central attractions here.
Abtai Khan’s son, Altan had even visited the Dalai Lama in Tibet in 1675, and to commemorate this occasion, the Dalai Lama Süm was built in 1675 here in the complex.
Out of the three temples, the central one is the Zuu of Buddha, with gods on either side of the statue. You will also find statues of child Buddha, and gods such as the Holy Abida, known as the God of Justice. Not only this, the temple also includes the sun and the moon gods, known as Niam and Dabaa respectively.
On the north of the temple complex lies the Golden Prayer Stupa that was built in 1799.
A new light of peace and compassion
Today, the Erdene Zuu monastery is casting a new light on Buddhism in Mongolia. It now has a school that has been built with the help of donations and support from locals, and from the Himalaya Foundation. The monks here are given lessons on various subjects apart from Buddhism. It is the aim of the school to produce english-speaking, educated Buddhist monks.
Today, you can visit the monastery grounds for free, and you can also take part in guided tours. You will be fascinated to know that a lot of old artefacts, such as wall paintings, masks, and thangas still exist here. Luckily, it survived the tumultuous period of Stalinist repression, and is a blessing for humanity as a whole today.
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