Wednesday, May 18, 2011

A Little About Mongolia

The primary religions of Mongolia have been Shamanism and Buddhism. Shamanism is the practice of worship of ancestors, often including sacrifices to appease spirits who live in different regions.

The spiritual climate of Mongolia has been greatly shaped by the Soviet Union's influence.  Mongolia aligned itself with the Soviet Union in 1924.  Through the following years, all religious influences were destroyed, including the killing of thousands of Shaman priests and monks and the destruction of hundreds of temples. The cultural suppression of religion began to subside in the early '90s, when Mongolia adopted a capitalist economy.

Because of its history of Buddhism and Shamanism, followed by over 50 years of atheism, Mongolian culture is searching for truth.  The void of religion from which Mongolia is emerging provides for many opportunities to present truth to the Mongolian people. However, darkness has reigned for many years and still maintains a strong grip on the culture.

So, that is a little about the spiritual state of the country.  Add any other info you have in comments!

No comments:

Post a Comment