Mongolian Buddhism is a unique blend of various local traditions that were incorporated during its long history. The Buddhist tradition is traced back to the sixth century BC, when the Buddha, Gautama Siddhartha achieved a state of sublime wisdom and compassion, described as Enlightenment, and began to teach.

Supporting the Revival of Buddhism in Mongolia

In 2007, the Hinman Charity made a grant to the Charity for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a non-profit organization established in 1999 to help the resurgence of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia. The FPMT provides integrated education to help students achieve the highest potential for the benefit of others, inspired by an attitude of universal responsibility. The support of the Hinman Charity helped the FPMT to carry out its monastic education program and to support the nunnery located there. It also helped the FPMT translate and publish Tibetan Buddhist Dharma texts in Mongolian.

While the FPMT has projects worldwide, the Hinman Charity was especially interested in their work in Mongolia because of the identified interest of the community to rebuild and reinvigorate the practice of Buddhism in Mongolia. For centuries, Tibetan Buddhism was the predominant religion of Mongolia. However, during the Communist rule of Mongolia for much of the 20th Century, Tibetan Buddhism was severely silenced, with hundreds of monasteries closed and religious leaders murdered. After the end of the Soviet era, Mongolia once again allowed freedom of religious practice. The Hinman Charity is inspired by the efforts of FPMT to support Buddhism and Buddhist education where it had previously been repressed.

Enabling Cultural Exchange from Mongolian Artists

In an effort to share information about traditional Mongolian artists, the Hinman Charity supported a grant to enable the curation of a photo exhibit, Mongol Visions: Winged Horses and Shamanic Skies – Contemporary Masters from the Land of Chinggis Khaan, held at Tibet House in New York in 2011. As a celebration of the great artists of Mongolia, the America Mongolia Friendship Association brought the works of ten young Mongol artists to the United States. Five of these artists have won national awards for excellence, and all have shown internationally. This project was designed not only to introduce these ten artists to the American and international public, but also to bring a greater awareness of the Mongol contribution to the arts, thus lifting the profile of Mongolian arts and artists in general.