Buddhism is the second important religion in our region. The buryat mythology is a complex of myths of eastern peoples. Its development went through the Pre-Lama and Shamans’ stages.

    In different times the myths were revised and restored based on epos, unless they got its final form. Each god in the myths has a character of the phenomenon, which it personifies. All good forces make peace and transform the universe. According to a legend the Milky Way sprang up out of the milk, which Manzan Gurme strained out of her breast and tipped out to Abai Geser, who cheated her. Another version tells us, that the Milky Way is a “sky seam”, which was sewn together after all the stars had fallen out of it. The evil forces are gods and spirits of frightening appearance, they eat the sun, swallow the moon and embody distructive shadows of the universe. But in all legends and myths good forces overcome the evil ones. So in our days of storming evil, of disasters, wars, calamities, poverty and moral degradation all the Buddhist world is waiting for its saviour – Buddha Maitrey, which was visited by Gautama Buddha in his “heavenly place”, according to a legend, and was charged with the task to come from there to the Earth as his in 5000 years after his (Buddha’s) death to establish the world’s order.

    At the entrance of each Buddhist temple hangs the kalachakra sign – translated from Sanskrit “a wheel of time” – meaning the connection of Man and Universe. According to the kalachakra all external phenomena and processes are connected with human body and soul, that is why, a man changing himself changes also the world. They think this sign came from the mythical Shambala.

    At the territory of datsans you can see mortars – pyramidal monuments, which contain sacred relics and are considered to be sacred places. The famous Indian king Agiona, who was very zealous for Buddhism, erected 84 thousands of mortars to honour every organic cell of Buddha’s body. While visiting the temples people walk round the mortar uncountable many times to show their respect and reverence. To prayer ritual also belongs turning of drums, which surround the datsans. The people address their requests to God using these drums. They think the requests are going while the drum is rotating.

    The priests of the datsans are lamas, who have their hierarchy. The temple is headed by a teacher – lama. There are lamas – astrologists, foretellers, doctors who use medicinal herbs. Besides their service they receive visitors and practice ancient Tibet medicine.

    A very interesting and beautiful feast of the Buddhists is a New Year celebration – “White Month”, which lasts from the middle of February till the middle of March. Many people try to visit datsans during this time, to bring their gifts to the altar, such as milk, candies, biscuits, to pass on their wishes though the mediation of lama’s prayers. People try to cleanse their bodies and souls of the negative phenomena, diseases and sins of the last year.

    New Year temple celebrations include also a building of a big cleansing shelters of branches – fires, where they ritually burn a wooden skull, which represents the evil. The lamas concentrate all the evil in that skull during this prayer ritual. In these fires people also burn letters and notes, where they describe all things, which they’d like to get rid of in the new year.

    During the “White Month” is worshipped the goddess Lkhamo, who is considered to be a patroness of Buddhism. She is an angry personification of “White Tara”, symbolizing seasons and fate. In Tibet mythology Lkhamo is a great-grandmother, the queen of “sky zenith”. In Mongolia she is worshipped as a mother of all. She is being perceived as a good protecting god, frantic defender of faith and as a death bringing goddess. Lhamo looks furious and frightening. She sits at a mule surrounded by four goddesses of seasons, which is a symbol of the end of winter. During the celebration devoted to her meeting the statue of the goddess is carried out of the datsans. People organize a big night prayer meeting and bring gifts. They say, in this time the goddess Lkhamo is dashing past her possessions (Ceylon, China, India, Tibet, Mongolia, Baikal) and bless those who honour her.

    In datsans of Transbaikal region is also worshipped another mythical person with great respect – it is Tsagan Ibugen, a “White Old Man”, who was born as a 100 years old man. They say, he lives in a cave and is a protector of family wealth, prosperity and all animals.