The role of the clergy in the formation of ecological consciousness of the population (on the example of the Republic of Buryatia)

Abstract

The article examines the influence of Buddhist clergy on the solution of environmental problems of the Republic of Buryatia. In particular, we are talking about one of the most famous and authoritative Buddhist priests in Buryatia – the abbot of the Kurumkan datsan Oleg Namzhilov, better known in the region as Yeshi Namzhil Lama. Buryatia is one of the three main Buddhist regions of Russia, therefore, in our opinion, Buddhism with its ecophilic principles can contribute to overcoming the ecological crisis. The clergy can influence the ecological consciousness of the population through the popularization of Buddhist teachings. Publications in the media are of particular interest. The subject of the article was the publications of the regional online publication "Inform Policy online", duplicating the posts of Yeshi Namzhil Lama in social networks. The aim of the work is to identify the role of the lama on the formation of ecological consciousness. The main method of study is the method of content analysis. Two stages can be defined in the study. At the first stage, the results of the content analysis of the online publication Inform Policy online from 2017 to 2022 are presented. At the second stage of the study, the basic principles of environmental ethics of Buddhism presented in publications about the Yeshi Namjil Lama are considered. The features of his ecological rhetoric are identified, which include a three-part structure of messages, arguments based on the Buddhist picture of the world and practical recommendations for solving environmental problems.