What does the Jebtsundampa know of the situation in Mongolia?

Today, I don't have a relationship with the Mongolian government, just with some Mongolians who came to India, so I have not been there myself. I don't know exactly the situation there, although I have good contact with many people. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is thinking all the time how to revive Buddhism in Mongolia, that's one of the reasons he recognized me as the Ninth Khalkha Jebtsundampa. We are hoping to rebuild what we had in the past, but I haven't yet visited Mongolia, and I won't know more until I do.

Has he been invited to visit Mongolia by any organizations?

I have no official invitation to go at this time. I would like to go, and have planned to go there, but right now the Mongolian government and myself don't have a continuous relationship, so I don't yet know how and when I can go there. Four years ago, I received an invitation to visit and I went to the Mongolian Embassy in Delhi to get a visa. But the officials there didn't accept that invitation, they wanted it to be an official invitation from the Mongolian government. I have heard that things are looking better now in Mongolia, but I am told that the government is preoccupied with many important things, and have much on their mind, especially to do with the economy and the budget. Now, I'm on a personal visit to the West, it's not an official visit. If I visit Mongolia, maybe later I can visit the West in an official capacity.

What needs to happen in Mongolia to restore Buddhadharma?

At this time, I really don't know the answer to that, but His Holiness the Dalai Lama believes that if the Jebtsundampa can visit there, it would be very beneficial and make it easier to revive Buddhism in Mongolia. But that is not all that can happen. Some Mongolian monks have come to India to study in Dharmsala. One medical monk in particular studied very hard there, and returned to Mongolia to build a School of Traditional Medicine in Ulaanbaatar. His name is Natsagdorje, and he is going to be very successful. I have heard that Gandan monastery is doing well in Mongolia, they have a Kalachakra temple that is very good.

What does he see as his role as the Jebtsundampa of Mongolia?

It believe that is my responsibility to revive Buddhism in Mongolia, and I am always thinking of how to achieve that. If I would be able to visit Mongolia, it would be very useful to the Mongolian people. It could also help build a better relationship between Mongolian Buddhism and the rest of the world. Although it would be good if I were to visit Mongolia, I myself don't have much power to do anything, because my previous life was very poor. But the Jebtsundampa is a major historical figure, a big name, and people want to build a relationship with me. People everywhere, in Europe and the West, are very interested to meet and talk with me, they are very interested in what the previous Jebtsundampas have done.

Personally, I'm am very happy in Dharmsala. I don't have any problems there, I'm very well and don't need to go to Mongolia for myself. I'm 67 now and getting old but if I go to Mongolia it would be very useful for the Mongolian people, because I am the historical Jebtsundampa. I don't need to give any special advice to the Mongolians, because when His Holiness the Dalai Lama went there, he gave them much excellent advice. If they didn't believe what His Holiness the Dalai Lama said in Mongolia, then I don't want to say more. It's up to them. If they can follow His Holiness the Dalai Lama's advice and believe what he said to them, this would be very good.

I like the Mongolian people very much, but I'm getting old and have to stay in one place, to relax, and do my practice. In the past two years I visited Moscow and parts of Buryat and Kalmuk. Those places look very much like Mongolia, the people there have very good faith. I love those people very much. This coming summer I plan to return there. I don't need to go there, but because I love them very much, I want to go there. I can see many Mongolian people and Lamas there; last time I met many, including several Mongolian Abbots. They all came to say "hello" while I was in Buryat.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is hoping to visit Mongolia again. It is not a political situation, he's not thinking about any politics in doing that. As I'm the holder of the religion in Mongolia, I hope I can visit Mongolia, to revive Buddhism. That's all, I want nothing else from visiting there. The Mongolian people have deep faith in me, and I would like to go there to see them. If I can visit Mongolia, then I think it will not be a big problem to do whatever needs to be done to revive the religion. For example, you people want to rebuild Shankh monastery. It would be easier to do if I went there, my visit would help everything. I could put my energy into helping these efforts. I thank very much all those people who are helping Mongolia like this.

What about the question of language, using Tibetan in Mongolia?

I don't think it's a big problem, because even in the time of the Eighth Jebtsundampa people didn't speak Tibetan in Mongolia. But they still studied Dharma in those times, and I think people will continue to do so in the future. Even when they didn't know Tibetan, many Mongolians could read the Tibetan alphabet, and Buddhism became very widespread in Mongolia, more so even than in Tibet. So I don't think it's going to be a big problem.

What does the Jebtsundampa think about Buddhism in the West?

I like very much those in the West who have become Buddhist. There are many serious students. This is my third visit to the West, and I returned because people are doing very good practice. It's good to see that.