Buddhism and politics in Inner Asia: history and modernity

This article studies the relationship between Buddhism and politics in Inner Asia in the context of historical development and the contemporary situation in Russia, China and Mongolia. Buddhism often appears as an apolitical religion that does not have its own formalized political ideas and institutions. On the contrary, for a long period of its development, Buddhism has developed an effective system of political concepts, values and norms that allow it to adapt in a wide range of societies. The support of states and other political associations allowed Buddhists to conduct successful religious, economic and political activities. On the other hand, the twists and turns of the political history of the twentieth century affected all the countries of the region and had the most dramatic impact on Buddhist communities. In Buddhism in Inner Asia, several key political ideas and institutions emerged as a result of the adaptation of Indian Buddhism to the conditions of Inner Asia. The concept of "mchod yon" - "spiritual teacher - secular ruler" reflected the aim to create a system of relations in which the ruler, supporting the Buddhist teaching materially and politically, reigns relying on the authority and guidance of the Lama. For imperial polities, such legitimacy was quite adequate, as it fit the framework of the religious picture of the world and the multi-level political system of the empire. It is interesting that the foundations of the "mchod yon" were laid in the Yuan Empire period, revitalized by the Altan Khan, fixed by the Qing dynasty and still serve as an argument in the Tibetan issue. An important political institution, also rooted in the Buddhist doctrine, is the "tulku". Reincarnates, or consciously reborn lamas, have become an important political and economic institution for the development of Tibetan Buddhism. The formation of the Tibetan and Mongolian theocracies is closely connected with the evolution of this institution, which retains its importance in modern realities. In the modern world, religion has an increasing influence on social processes, refuting the modernist thesis about the secularization of society. Modern nation states find themselves in a situation of a "religious challenge", both in the form of pressure of confessional groups in the legal and informal fields, and in the desire of states and elite groups to use the integra-tive legitimizing potential of religion. Because of this, political and legal interaction of public authorities with religious groups are subject to constant correction.

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