Zaya Pandit
Encyclopedia
Zaya Pandita or Namkhaijantsan (1599–1662) was a Buddhist missionary priest and scholar of Oirat
origin who is the most prominent Oirat Buddhist scholar.
Zaya Pandita was the fifth son of Babakhan, a minor Khoshut-Oirat prince. After Babakhan converted to Buddhism
in the early 17th century, he, like many of the other Oirat princes, wished for one of his sons to enter the Buddhist clergy. In pursuit of his wish, Babakhan chose Zaya to become a bandi ("novice") monk. In 1615, Zaya journeyed to Lhasa, Tibet where he would study and practice Buddhism, including study under the guidance of the 4th Panchen Lama.
In 1638, Zaya Pandita left Tibet at the direction of the Panchen Lama
to conduct missionary work among the Mongol tribes. One year later in 1640, he assisted Erdeni Batur
, Khun Taiyishi of the Choros
-Oirat
tribe, in assembling a pan-Mongolian conference between the Oirat and the Khalkha
. The purpose of the conference was to encourage the formation of a united Mongolian front against potential external enemies, such as the Chinese
, Manchus, and Russians and to settle all internal matters peacefully. The conference produced a code, which provided protection from foreign aggression to both the Oirat and the Khalkha and guaranteed the free movement of people throughout Mongol land.
When not engaged in diplomacy between the Oirat and the Khalkha, Zaya Pandia spread Tibetan Buddhism to the Oirats, the Khalkha and even the Kalmyks in far away Russia. In furtherance of his missionary work, Zaya Pandita composed a new alphabet, based on the traditional Mongolian alphabet, called "Clear script" (todo bichig) to transcribe the Oirat language as it is pronounced. By doing so, Zaya Pandita eliminated the ambiguities of the traditional Mongolian alphabet.
From the time Zaya Pandita developed todo bichig in 1648 until his death in 1662, he translated approximately 186 Buddhist texts from Tibetan language to the Oirat language
while still serving the religious needs of the Oirat tribes in Dzungaria
. His most famous work is the four-volume Clear Mirror of Teachings.
The todo bichig script is still used by Oirats in Xinjiang
with slight revisions, and is taught alongside standard classical written Mongolian in that region.
Oirats
Oirats are the westernmost group of the Mongols who unified several tribes origin whose ancestral home is in the Altai region of western Mongolia. Although the Oirats originated in the eastern parts of Central Asia, the most prominent group today is located in the Republic of Kalmykia, a federal...
origin who is the most prominent Oirat Buddhist scholar.
Zaya Pandita was the fifth son of Babakhan, a minor Khoshut-Oirat prince. After Babakhan converted to Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
in the early 17th century, he, like many of the other Oirat princes, wished for one of his sons to enter the Buddhist clergy. In pursuit of his wish, Babakhan chose Zaya to become a bandi ("novice") monk. In 1615, Zaya journeyed to Lhasa, Tibet where he would study and practice Buddhism, including study under the guidance of the 4th Panchen Lama.
In 1638, Zaya Pandita left Tibet at the direction of the Panchen Lama
Panchen Lama
The Panchen Lama , or Bainqên Erdê'ni , is the highest ranking Lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism...
to conduct missionary work among the Mongol tribes. One year later in 1640, he assisted Erdeni Batur
Erdeni Batur
Erdeni Batur was a Choros-Oirat prince and is generally considered the founder of a new Oirat state in Central Asia known as the Dzungar Khanate....
, Khun Taiyishi of the Choros
Choros
Choros was the ruling clan of the Zungars and Dorbets and once ruled the whole Four Oirats. They founded the Zunghar Empire in the 17th century. According to a myth, their chiefs reckoned their descent from a boy nourished by a sacred tree, a legend shared with the Uyghur royal family.In the late...
-Oirat
Oirats
Oirats are the westernmost group of the Mongols who unified several tribes origin whose ancestral home is in the Altai region of western Mongolia. Although the Oirats originated in the eastern parts of Central Asia, the most prominent group today is located in the Republic of Kalmykia, a federal...
tribe, in assembling a pan-Mongolian conference between the Oirat and the Khalkha
Khalkha
Khalkha is the largest subgroup of Mongol people in Mongolia since 15th century. The Khalkha together with Tsahar, Ordos and Tumed, were directly ruled by the Altan Urag Khans until the 20th century; unlike the Oirat people who were ruled by the Dzungar nobles or the Khorchins who were ruled by...
. The purpose of the conference was to encourage the formation of a united Mongolian front against potential external enemies, such as the Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
, Manchus, and Russians and to settle all internal matters peacefully. The conference produced a code, which provided protection from foreign aggression to both the Oirat and the Khalkha and guaranteed the free movement of people throughout Mongol land.
When not engaged in diplomacy between the Oirat and the Khalkha, Zaya Pandia spread Tibetan Buddhism to the Oirats, the Khalkha and even the Kalmyks in far away Russia. In furtherance of his missionary work, Zaya Pandita composed a new alphabet, based on the traditional Mongolian alphabet, called "Clear script" (todo bichig) to transcribe the Oirat language as it is pronounced. By doing so, Zaya Pandita eliminated the ambiguities of the traditional Mongolian alphabet.
From the time Zaya Pandita developed todo bichig in 1648 until his death in 1662, he translated approximately 186 Buddhist texts from Tibetan language to the Oirat language
Oirat language
Oirat belongs to the group of Mongolic languages. Scholars differ as to whether Oirat is a distinct language or a major dialect of the Mongolian language...
while still serving the religious needs of the Oirat tribes in Dzungaria
Dzungaria
Dzungaria, also called Zungaria, is a geographical region in northwest China corresponding to the northern half of Xinjiang. It covers approximately , lying mostly within Xinjiang, and extending into western Mongolia and eastern Kazakhstan...
. His most famous work is the four-volume Clear Mirror of Teachings.
The todo bichig script is still used by Oirats in Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
with slight revisions, and is taught alongside standard classical written Mongolian in that region.