Atsagatsky (Shulutsky) datsan ‘Gandan Darjalin’ is a Buddhist monastery which was one of the medical treatment centers in the Central Asia.
Datsan was founded in 1925, and in 1831 the governor of Irkutsk gave Buryats the official permission for the unrestricted litany practices. Soybson Boroev, who was a tzorzhy-lama of Aninsky datsan, was appointed the first prior of the datsan. In 1841 the complex of Atsagatsky datsan consisted of the tsogchen-dugan (main cathedral church), Dar-Ehyn-sume, Hudryn-syme. There was a printing house working at the datsan, where up to 93 different Buddhist works had been published at different times. Atsagatsky datsan was home to six great lamas: Ch. Marhaev, G. Tsyrempylov, Ch.-D. Iroltuev, D. Munkozhapov, tsannit Hambo Agvan Dorjiev, Hambo Agvan-Nima.
In 1913 the school of Tibetan medicine ‘manba datsan’ was opened due to the initiative of outstanding Buddhist activists tsannit Hambo Agvan Dorjiev and 11th Pandito Hambo Lama Choyzon-Dorji Iroltuev. The important role for the development of the medical area was played by the mineral spring ‘arshan’ situated not far from the datsan. The complex consisted of the medical center, medical school and the health-giving mineral spring was one of the biggest medical centers of Trans-Baikal region.
A famous emchi-lama and a doctor of Tibetan medicine Dondup Yendonov (1870-1937), who undertook and completed a course of study in Mongolia, was appointed the principal of the medical school. Apart from teaching and treating activities the school’s emchi-lamas were engaged into studying the local flora, gathering medical herbs, arranging their own manuals and books of formulations. Up to 60 students not only from Trans-Baikal but as well other regions such as Tuva, Kalmykia and Western Mongolia studied at school. The school principal took deep interest in actual European medicine, for two years he used to work at the departmental surgery clinic in Saratov university. It was Atsagatsky medical school where studying European medicine was included in the studying process of emchi-lamas for the first time. It was initiated by D. Yendonov.
In 1926, during the Soviet era, “manba datsan” was transformed into the secular medical school. The school founders Agvan Dorjiev and Choyzon Iroltuev undertook several attempts to save it. One of the last applications from Agvan Dorjiev to Michail Erbanov, the first Chairman of the Government of the republic, shows the process of destruction of the Institute of Tibetan medicine traditions. In the end of the 1930’s Atsagatsky datsan and medical school were closed and lamas were repressed.
Datsan was founded in 1925, and in 1831 the governor of Irkutsk gave Buryats the official permission for the unrestricted litany practices. Soybson Boroev, who was a tzorzhy-lama of Aninsky datsan, was appointed the first prior of the datsan. In 1841 the complex of Atsagatsky datsan consisted of the tsogchen-dugan (main cathedral church), Dar-Ehyn-sume, Hudryn-syme. There was a printing house working at the datsan, where up to 93 different Buddhist works had been published at different times. Atsagatsky datsan was home to six great lamas: Ch. Marhaev, G. Tsyrempylov, Ch.-D. Iroltuev, D. Munkozhapov, tsannit Hambo Agvan Dorjiev, Hambo Agvan-Nima.
In 1913 the school of Tibetan medicine ‘manba datsan’ was opened due to the initiative of outstanding Buddhist activists tsannit Hambo Agvan Dorjiev and 11th Pandito Hambo Lama Choyzon-Dorji Iroltuev. The important role for the development of the medical area was played by the mineral spring ‘arshan’ situated not far from the datsan. The complex consisted of the medical center, medical school and the health-giving mineral spring was one of the biggest medical centers of Trans-Baikal region.
A famous emchi-lama and a doctor of Tibetan medicine Dondup Yendonov (1870-1937), who undertook and completed a course of study in Mongolia, was appointed the principal of the medical school. Apart from teaching and treating activities the school’s emchi-lamas were engaged into studying the local flora, gathering medical herbs, arranging their own manuals and books of formulations. Up to 60 students not only from Trans-Baikal but as well other regions such as Tuva, Kalmykia and Western Mongolia studied at school. The school principal took deep interest in actual European medicine, for two years he used to work at the departmental surgery clinic in Saratov university. It was Atsagatsky medical school where studying European medicine was included in the studying process of emchi-lamas for the first time. It was initiated by D. Yendonov.
In 1926, during the Soviet era, “manba datsan” was transformed into the secular medical school. The school founders Agvan Dorjiev and Choyzon Iroltuev undertook several attempts to save it. One of the last applications from Agvan Dorjiev to Michail Erbanov, the first Chairman of the Government of the republic, shows the process of destruction of the Institute of Tibetan medicine traditions. In the end of the 1930’s Atsagatsky datsan and medical school were closed and lamas were repressed.
