Buddhism and the Ethnic identity of the Buryats
-Based on oral life history of the Eastern Buryats-
This paper discusses the relation between Buddhism and the ethnic identity of the eastern Buryats within a historical anthropological perspective using oral life histories and participant observation. This study reviews the following three topics: first, the diverse aspects of Buryat Buddhism as an important component of ethnic identity in the history and oral life story of eastern Buryats; second, the changes and effects of national religious suppression during the Soviet period and the revival of Buddhism after Perestroika on the life of the eastern Buryats in their experience and memory; third, the interaction between Buddhism, Shamanism and Christianity in the Buryats community in the context of ethnic identity.