In search of the biography and works of Shar Tsorj
https://doi.org/10.53315/2782-3377-2025-5-3-48-58
Abstract
A biography is a Tibetan spiritual literary genre that tells about progress on the path of Dharma (teaching). It is a spiritual biography or hagiography, and is an abbreviation of nam par thar pa (Tib: རྣམ་ པར་ ཐར་ པ་ rnam par thar pa), which literally means ‘complete liberation’. One of the writers who made a significant contribution to the development of Tibetan literature among the Mongolians was Dagvajantsan (1855-1927), a lama of Bayan Ovoo Monastery in the Gobi Munban Wang district of the Tusheet Khan aimag of Khalkha, popularly known as Shar Tsorj. There seems to be no independent biography of Shar Tsorji. Although we have not yet found any ritual literature written by him, it is clear that he wrote the 9 biographies of the 8 Mongolian bogdos in verse in Tibetan, the soldev, and the suleg maani composed by Shudarga Dulgun Khan in Mongolian. The importance of the research topic is due to the need to study the biography of Dagvajantsang, who left his mark on the history of Mongolian Buddhism. Solving this problem is important for understanding religious and historical processes in Mongolia.
About the Author
D. NarantsetsegMongolia
D. Narantsetseg, Ph.D., Professor
Ulaanbaatar
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Review
For citations:
Narantsetseg D. In search of the biography and works of Shar Tsorj. Nomadic civilization: historical research. 2025;5(3):48-58. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.53315/2782-3377-2025-5-3-48-58