The Manner in which I went to Worship Mañjuśrī’s Realm, The Five-Peaked Mountain (Wutai), by Sumba Kanbo (1704–1788)

Buddhism's spread into Mongolia was not primarily driven by pilgrimage but by the cultivation of political and religious bonds between Tibetan lamas and Mongol nobility. A 1774 travelogue by Oirat Buddhist lama Sumba Kanbo Yeshe Baljor reveals that his seven-month journey to sacred Mount Wutai in China, compared to just one month spent there, was marked by interactions with Mongol patrons. These relationships led to the creation of 'surrogate' pilgrimage sites and the broader 'Buddicisation' of Mongolia, offering a unique perspective on Buddhism's emergence in the region.

Sullivan, B. (2018). The Manner in which I went to Worship Mañjuśrī’s Realm, The Five-Peaked Mountain (Wutai), by Sumba Kanbo (1704–1788). Inner Asia, 20(1), 64–106. https://doi.org/10.1163/22105018-12340099