Abstract

The role of religious leaders in the dissemination of ideas contributing to ecological thinking in society is increasing. This article is a case study of the activities undertaken in efforts to develop environmental awareness and conservation through Buddhist teachings in the Republic of Buryatia, Russia. Specifically, I analyze three appeals of local Buddhist leaders which were issued shortly after the catastrophic forest fires in the summer of 2015. Buryatia is one of the three Buddhist regions of Russia, along with Kalmykia and Tuva; for more than three centuries, the Buryat people have confessed Buddhism, developed a network of Buddhist temples, and plenty of Buddhist leaders. Today, along with other environmental problems in the Republic of Buryatia, forest fires are one of the major hurdles. In 2015, about 900 thousand hectares of forest were burned in Buryatia. The anthropogenic factor remains the main reason for the fires in these places, which is why, following the request of the local government, the Buryat Buddhist leaders began exerting an ideological influence on the ecological spirituality of the society. The analysis of Buddhist leaders’ public discourse tries to answer such questions as: What Buddhist ideas do they use in their appeals?; What principles of Buddhism have environmental potential and can be used to influence the population?; What are the local specifics of the Buddhist worldview in the Republic of Buryatia?