Home > Dr. Majer Zsuzsa

Dr. Zsuzsa Majer

Associate Professor, Dharma Gate Buddhist College
(Classical Tibetan Language, Buddhist Scripture Studies 2 – Tibetan Exegesis)

Background

I come from the field of Tibetan and Mongolian Studies and Buddhist research. My participation in a Tibetan language course and my interest in Buddhism led me to enroll in the Tibetan program, and later, upon hearing that it would provide the opportunity to study Tibetan Buddhism firsthand—since all students would spend part of their studies in Mongolia—I also applied to the Mongolian program. And it worked! Although after my university years, I spent a long time in stressful, time- and soul-draining office jobs, there was still light in the night. Through grants and scholarships, I have had the opportunity to gather experiences and knowledge in Mongolia ten times so far, with my longest stay lasting one and a half years and the shortest two months. This is how my publications and research results came to be. I first encountered Buddhism in practice there, particularly the teachings of the Gelug school. As a result, much of my current interest focuses on ritual texts and the ritual practices associated with them. For this, I am immeasurably grateful.

I spent most of my time at the Dashchoilin Monastery in the capital. Unfortunately, my teacher, the head and instructor of the monastery’s college—who was also a master calligrapher of Mongolian, Tibetan, and Indian scripts—passed away in early 2021, or as they say, “became a Buddha.” However, I had and still have many other friends and mentors among the lamas, including his friends and students. I regularly attended teachings and practices within a Ladakhi lama’s community there and at the local FPMT center. I have traveled to most provinces of Mongolia and played a significant role in a nationwide research project on monasteries, including its preparation. I studied the history and locations of monasteries, the religious life before the 1937 monastery destructions through interviews with elderly lamas, as well as the revival of religion, its ritual system, and its liturgical texts. My doctoral dissertation focused on the latter. I also researched the Cham dance and many other rituals, exploring their Mongolian characteristics. Later, I studied Tibetan-language funeral rituals of Mongolian Buddhism and their texts in the field, including the 49-day ceremonies, funerals, memorial services, and protective rituals performed for the family to prevent further deaths and ensure health and well-being. This research was supported by a three-year postdoctoral grant at the ELTE Department of Mongolian and Inner Asian Studies. After this period ended, I eventually joined the college. During this time, I also wrote a series of articles on Mongolian Buddhism as a guest author for Dr. Alexander Berzin’s Study Buddhism website.

Present

In addition to teaching, since January 2024, I have been engaged in a four-year research project titled Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhist Monastic Textual Research, which also involves fieldwork, now targeting monasteries from other areas of Tibetan Buddhism. I mainly focus on the texts of monastic daily recitation ritual collections and foundational prayers, examining and translating texts from different Tibetan schools and their roles in monastic education. I am also very interested in how Tibetan language and Buddhism are taught to laypeople through these texts and recitations and how we can adapt this for education in the West.

Additionally, I have started a three-year online Lamrim and philosophy/debate course from Mongolia, along with related courses from the FPMT (Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition), which include meditation training. These are important opportunities for me, as the Gelug school is not present in Hungary.

Teaching

In language teaching, I am guided by experience-based learning, as this was what kept me engaged in this world. When an experience emerges through studying the language and text, we can connect more directly in the field, and even the Teachings can reveal themselves more easily. Alongside my university studies, I partially learned the language from Mongolian lamas and used it among them, where I was deeply touched by the world of recitation and rituals. Drawing from this, I also want to bring experiential learning into my language classes.

In part of my teaching, I introduce students to the language through memorized passages and Tibetan Buddhist prayers, just as they are still used in monasteries and communities today—I strive to show the living side of a “dead” language (written Tibetan). I also want to demonstrate that with curiosity and some technical knowledge of text analysis, even a beginner can uncover the meaning of a text passage, and with this experience, they can continue working on their own. The vast array of modern resources and tools also helps overcome limitations.

Translation
Since 2018, I have been the leader of the translation team for the 84,000: Translating the Words of the Buddha project. We translate texts from the Tibetan canon into literary English, complete with glossaries, summaries, introductions, bibliographies, and notes, making them fully accessible to practitioners in a global language. However, I am currently investing more time into my own research, which means I now translate more into Hungarian. My future plans include translating Gelug texts, ritual texts, and teachings.

Motto

At this point, I can admit: I have never been talented in languages, and my rote-memorized knowledge is minimal—I am truly interested in understanding and acquiring information. If I could experience and achieve so much in Tibetan and Mongolian Studies and Buddhist research purely through my enthusiasm and curiosity, then others can too. I believe it’s worth diving in!

Education

  • English Language Teacher Training, Berzsenyi DĂĄniel College (BDF), 2004

    • Thesis Title: Romantic Orientalism

  • Tibetan Studies, ELTE BTK (Eötvös LorĂĄnd University, Faculty of Humanities)), 2003

    • Thesis Title: A szenthely-leĂ­rĂĄs mƱfajai a tibeti irodalomban (Genres of Sacred Site Descriptions in Tibetan Literature)

  • Mongolian Studies, ELTE BTK (Eötvös LorĂĄnd University, Faculty of Humanities), 2002

    • Thesis Title: A mongol kolostorok tĂĄrgyi vilĂĄga. TerminolĂłgia (The Material World of Mongolian Monasteries: Terminology)

Additional Higher Education Studies

  • Cultural Anthropology, ELTE BTK (Eötvös LorĂĄnd University, Faculty of Humanities), 1997–2001

  • Buddhist Program, ELTE BTK (Eötvös LorĂĄnd University, Faculty of Humanities), 1999–2003

Secondary Education

  • High School Diploma, Kafka Margit KözĂ©piskola (Kaffka Margit Secondary School), Art Program (1993)

Academic Degree

  • PhD in Mongolian Linguistics, ELTE BTK (Eötvös LorĂĄnd University, Faculty of Humanities), 2009

    • Dissertation Title: A Comparative Study of the Ritual and Ceremonial Practice in Present-Day Mongolian Monasteries

 

Previous Teaching, Research, and Translation Activities, Other Assignments

January 1, 2018 – present

  • Team leader and translator for the 84,000, Translating the Words of the Buddha project, first in the Alexander Csoma de KƑrös Translation Group and later in the Āli Kāli Translation Group.
  • Translation of Kanjur and Tanjur texts from Tibetan into English, including glossary, summary, introduction, bibliography, and annotations.

October 1, 2015 – September 31, 2018

  • Research Fellow, ELTE BTK, ELTE BTK, TĂĄvol-keleti IntĂ©zet, Mongol Ă©s BelsƑ-ĂĄzsiai TanszĂ©k (Institute of Far Eastern Studies, Department of Mongolian and Inner Asian Studies).
  • Funded by the National Research, Development, and Innovation Office (NKFIH, OTKA), PD 116108: „Tibeti halotti rĂ­tusok a mongol buddhizmus gyakorlatĂĄban: szertartĂĄsrend, szövegtipolĂłgia Ă©s szövegfeldolgozĂĄsok” (Tibetan Funerary Rites in Mongolian Buddhist Practice: Ritual Order, Text Typology, and Text Processing.)
  • Other university responsibilities: PhD supervision, membership in dissertation committees, preparation of preliminary doctoral reviews, participation as an examiner in final doctoral examinations.

September 1, 2010 – August 31, 2013

  • Bolyai JĂĄnos KutatĂĄsi ÖsztöndĂ­j (Magyar TudomĂĄnyos AkadĂ©mia (JĂĄnos Bolyai Research Fellowship (Hungarian Academy of Sciences), JĂĄnos Bolyai Research Fellowship Board).
  • Research topic: A mongol buddhizmus kolostori rendszere, fƑbb kolostorai Ă©s egyhĂĄzatyĂĄik tevĂ©kenysĂ©ge a 17. szĂĄzadtĂłl a 20. szĂĄzad elejĂ©ig” (The Monastic System of Mongolian Buddhism, Major Monasteries, and the Activities of Their Religious Leaders from the 17th Century to the Early 20th Century.)

May – August 2007

  • Researcher, ARTS Council of Mongolia – Gandantegchenlin Monastery:
  • Documentation of Mongolian Monasteries project (an international research project investigating the current state of old monasteries in Mongolia and the contemporary situation of Buddhism).
  • Four months of field research in three provinces of Mongolia. Together with Krisztina Teleki, I developed the research methodology and questionnaires used uniformly by all research teams during the nationwide study. These included:
    • A Mongolian-Tibetan-English glossary of 877 entries,
    • Methodology and questionnaire for interviewing elderly monks,
    • Questionnaire on the functioning of revived contemporary monasteries,
    • Questionnaire for documenting former, now-ruined monastic sites.

September 2005 – April 2006

  • Researcher, ARTS Council of Mongolia: Documentation of Mongolian Monasteries project.

2002 – 2005

  • Scholarship PhD student, ELTE BTK, NyelvtudomĂĄnyi Doktori Iskola (BelsƑ-ĂĄzsiai TanszĂ©k) (Eötvös LĂłrĂĄnd University Doctoral School of Linguistics (Department of Inner Asian Studies)).

2002 – 2003

  • Part-time Librarian, ELTE BTK, Department of Inner Asian Studies.

2003 – 2004

  • Lecturer, ELTE BTK BelsƑ-Ázsiai TanszĂ©k (ELTE BTK, Department of Inner Asian Studies).
  • Autumn semester: Mongolian Buddhist Terminology (lecture and seminar, with Tibetan and Sanskrit parallels).

2000 – 2001

  • Intern, Lecturer, ELTE BTK, Department of Inner Asian Studies.
  • Spring semester: Tibetan Culture (lecture).

1999 – 2000

  • Intern, Lecturer, ELTE BTK, Department of Inner Asian Studies.
  • Spring semester: Tibetan Culture (lecture), Classical Tibetan Grammar 2 (seminar).
  • University Duties Related to Teaching and Examination

2015 – 2018 (ELTE BTK, TĂĄvol-keleti IntĂ©zet, Mongol Ă©s BelsƑ-ĂĄzsiai TanszĂ©k) (Institute of Far Eastern Studies, Department of Mongolian and Inner Asian Studies):

  • PhD supervision,
  • Membership in dissertation defense committees,
  • Preparation of preliminary doctoral reviews,
  • Participation as an examiner in final doctoral examinations.

Other Short-Term Teaching Assignments

August 27 – September 2, 2018

  • Instructor, Mongolian Studies Camp (History of Mongolian Buddhism and Mongolian Buddhism Today lectures), Lakitelek, organized by ELTE Mongol Ă©s BelsƑ-ĂĄzsiai TanszĂ©k (Department of Mongolian and Inner Asian Studies) and NĂ©pfƑiskola AlapĂ­tvĂĄny, Lakitelek.

August 28 – September 3, 2017

  • Instructor, 4th Mongolian Literary Translation Camp (translation exercises) and Mongolian Studies Camp (Mongolian Buddhism lecture), Lakitelek, organized by ELTE Mongol Ă©s BelsƑ-ĂĄzsiai TanszĂ©k (Department of Mongolian and Inner Asian Studies) and NĂ©pfƑiskola AlapĂ­tvĂĄny, Lakitelek.
  • Teaching-Related Experience from Other Employment

December 9, 2013 – March 31, 2014

  • Instructor, TĂŒrr IstvĂĄn KĂ©pzƑ Ă©s KutatĂł IntĂ©zet (TĂŒrr IstvĂĄn Training and Research Institute) – Budapest (Hungary):
  • Teaching basic competencies (numeracy, literacy reinforcement, study techniques, mental health, life skills) in an adult education program for a group of 21 individuals with low educational attainment.

2006 – 2007

  • English Teacher – Educator, Budai Sport ÁltalĂĄnos Iskola (Budai Sport Elementary School):
  • Teaching English to students in grades 2–8.

2005 – 2006

  • English Teacher, Dashchoilin College (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia):
  • Teaching English and Dharma English, conducting exams, consultations (individual tutoring), professional translations (from Mongolian to English), and interpretation.

Memberships

  • Magyar TudomĂĄnyos AkadĂ©mia (Hungarian Academy of Sciences) Public Body (Membership ID: 19690)
  • Central Eurasian Studies Society (CESS)
  • European Society for Central Asian Studies (ESCAS)
  • KƑrösi Csoma TĂĄrsasĂĄg (KƑrösi Csoma Society)
  • Mongol-Magyar BarĂĄti TĂĄrsasĂĄg (Mongolian-Hungarian Friendship Society)
  • Tibet TĂĄrsasĂĄg (Tibet Society)

Scientific / Professional Public Engagement and International Relations

October 1, 2015 – September 31, 2018

  • NKFIH, OTKA PD 116108: “Tibeti halotti rĂ­tusok a mongol buddhizmus gyakorlatĂĄban: szertartĂĄsrend, szövegtipolĂłgia Ă©s szövegfeldolgozĂĄsok” (Tibetan Funerary Rites in Mongolian Buddhist Practice: Ritual Order, Text Typology, and Text Processing) (ELTE BTK, Institute of Far Eastern Studies, Department of Mongolian and Inner Asian Studies).

September 1, 2010 – August 31, 2013

  • JĂĄnos Bolyai Research Fellowship (Hungarian Academy of Sciences, JĂĄnos Bolyai Research Fellowship Board).
  • Research topic: „A mongol buddhizmus kolostori rendszere, fƑbb kolostorai Ă©s egyhĂĄzatyĂĄik tevĂ©kenysĂ©ge a 17. szĂĄzadtĂłl a 20. szĂĄzad elejĂ©ig” (The Monastic System of Mongolian Buddhism, Major Monasteries, and the Activities of Their Religious Leaders from the 17th Century to the Early 20th Century).

June – September 2009

  • Three-month Hungarian State Eötvös Fellowship.

May – August 2007

  • Four-month Stein Arnold Exploration Fund grant (British Academy) for fieldwork.

May – August 2007

  • Four-month travel grant (OTKA 62501, project led by Ágnes Birtalan).

May – August 2007

  • Four-month funding from the Dharma Gate Buddhist Foundation for participation in the ARTS Council of Mongolia project.

December 2006

  • Dharma Gate Buddhist Foundation: travel grant for the Young Mongolists’ European Workshop conference (Songeons, France).

September 2005 – February 2006

  • Six-month research fellowship from the Magyar ÖsztöndĂ­j BizottsĂĄg: (Hungarian Scholarship Board) at the National University of Mongolia.

January 2005 – April 2006

  • Fifteen-month funding from the Dharma Gate Buddhist Foundation for fieldwork.

June – September 2004

  • Three-month research fellowship from the Magyar ÖsztöndĂ­j BizottsĂĄg: (Hungarian Scholarship Board) at the National University of Mongolia.

2001 – 2002

  • Hungarian Republic Scholarship (awarded by the Minister of Education of Hungary).

June – August 2001

  • Two-month scholarship from the Pro Renovanda Cultura Hungariae Foundation – Student Exchange Movement Foundation for studies at the National University of Mongolia, Department of Buddhist Studies.

June – August 2001

  • Two-month funding from the Dharma Gate Buddhist Foundation for fieldwork

March – August 1999

  • Six-month partial study grant from the Hungarian Ministry of Education, Hungarian Scholarship Board, for study at the Mongolian State Pedagogical University.
  • Spring semester 2000/2001, Scientific Scholarship, 2nd degree, ELTE Faculty of Humanities, Budapest (with the paper titled A szenthelyleĂ­rĂĄs egy tibeti mƱfaja: a dkar-cshag irodalom’ (A Tibetan Genre of Sacred Site Description: The dkar-chag Literature).

April 2001

  • 3rd place, National Conference of Scientific Students’ Associations (OTDK), Humanities Section, History category (The Material World of Mongolian Monasteries. Terminology).
  • Spring semester 1999/2000, Scientific Scholarship, 3rd degree, ELTE Faculty of Humanities, Budapest (with the paper titled A mongol kolostorok tĂĄrgyi vilĂĄga’ (The Material World of the Mongol Monasteries)

Spring 2001

  • 1st place, Orientalist Student Conference, ELTE BTK, Budapest Áldozatok Ă©s kellĂ©kek a mongol buddhizmus szertartĂĄsrendszerĂ©nek tĂŒkrĂ©ben’ (Sacrifices and Ritual Items in Mongolian Buddhist Rituals).

FIELDWORK, RESEARCH TRIPS — SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS

‱ June–August 2017 (2 months)

Fieldwork: Research in Mongolian monasteries on after death rituals (especially those within 49 days after death), funerary and burial ceremonies, with a focus on their ritual texts. Interviews with Mongolian lamas on funerary rites, burial customs, and related ritual texts. Observation and documentation of ceremonies performed at the deceased’s home and protective rites conducted for the bereaved, including the collection and analysis of their texts.

Grant:

‱National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH) PD Grant, project ID PD 116108: halotti rĂ­tusok a mongol buddhizmus gyakorlatĂĄban: szertartĂĄsrend, szövegtipolĂłgia Ă©s szövegfeldolgozĂĄsok” (Tibetan Funerary Rites in Mongolian Buddhist Practice: Ritual Structure, Text Typology, and Textual Analysis)

‱June–July 2016 (2 months)

Fieldwork: Research in Mongolian monasteries on after death rituals (especially those within 49 days after death), funerary and burial ceremonies, with a focus on their ritual texts. Interviews with Mongolian lamas on funerary rites, burial customs, and related ritual texts. Observation of funerals, examination of their ritual structure and texts.

Grant:

‱National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH) PD Grant, project ID PD 116108: halotti rĂ­tusok a mongol buddhizmus gyakorlatĂĄban: szertartĂĄsrend, szövegtipolĂłgia Ă©s szövegfeldolgozĂĄsok” (Tibetan Funerary Rites in Mongolian Buddhist Practice: Ritual Structure, Text Typology, and Textual Analysis)

‱June–September 2009 (3 months)

Mongolian State University, Monaco Prehistoric Anthropology Museum

Threefold research objective on Mongolian monasteries before 1937:

‱Further interviews with elderly monks about their former monasteries: Continued research on the historical background of monastery sites visited between 2005–2007, particularly those where former monks were interviewed, allowing for the processing of detailed first-hand information. Additional interviews with surviving monks, expanding the questions based on previous field observations. (A total of 28 interviews were conducted in 2009 with elderly monks—2 in rural areas, the rest in Ulaanbaatar, 5 of them for the first time).

‱Survey of new former monastery sites:

‱Within the framework of the Monaco Prehistoric Anthropology Museum project, research on the history of Zaya Gegeen Monastery in Tsetserleg, the center of Arkhangai Province:

‱Data collection/interviews with local elders (24 interviews, including one with an elderly lama).

‱Archival research.

‱Examination of the revived monastic community and contemporary ritual practices within one of the remaining monastery buildings.

‱Documentation of the monastery and its historically subordinate smaller monasteries and shrines.

‱Library research: Processing selected Tibetan-language sacred site descriptions identified in preliminary research, some of which are related to these former monasteries.

Scholarship:

‱Hungarian State Eötvös Scholarship (Hungarian Scholarship Board)

‱May–August 2007 (4 months)

Participation in an international research project documenting the current state of old Mongolian monasteries and contemporary Buddhism (Documentation of Mongolian Monasteries, ARTS Council of Mongolia – Gandantegchenlin Monastery).

Fieldwork:

  • Töw, Öwörkhangai, and Dundgov’ provinces: Documentation of ruins of former monasteries (150 sites), interviews with elderly former monks (35 interviews, 16 interviews with local elders). Documentation of current sanctuaries (40 sites), interviews with their monks (23 interviews). (3 months)
  • Ulaanbaatar: 9 new interviews with elderly monks living in Ulaanbaatar, collection of materials on pre-1937 Mongolian monasteries. Documentation of 3 new sanctuaries opened after 2006. (May, August)
  • Grants:
  • Stein Arnold Exploration Fund, British Academy: Fieldwork support for the project idƑs lĂĄmĂĄk emlĂ©kezete rĂ©gi kolostori helyszĂ­nekrƑl’ (Memory of Elder Lamas on Ancient Monastic Sites)
  • Travel grant for the above fieldwork through the collaboration between ELTE Department of Inner Asian Studies and the Linguistic and Literary Institute of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences (OTKA 62501 project)
  • Support from the Tan Kapuja Buddhist Foundation for participation in the ARTS Council of Mongolia project
  • January 2005 – April 2006, 15 months
  • Fieldwork, archival, and library research in Mongolia:
  • Research on the monasteries and sanctuaries of the ancient Mongolian capital (Ikh KhĂŒree): Results offered to the Documentation of Mongolian Monasteries project (ARTS Council of Mongolia – Gandantegchenlin Monastery). (September 2005 – April 2006, 7 months)
  • Fieldwork:
  • In Ulaanbaatar and Central Mongolia’s monasteries: Interviews with elderly lamas (ranging from 85 to 106 years old, 31 lamas), collecting materials on pre-1937 Mongolian monasteries. (February – March 2006, 2 months)
  • In the Dashchoilin Monastery of Ulaanbaatar, and 32 other monasteries and sanctuaries in the city: Study of their annual ritual systems. (January 2005 – April 2006, 15 months)
  • Grants and Support:
  • Hungarian Scholarship Committee: 6-month research scholarship at the Mongolian State University, Fall 2005 (September 2005 – February 2006)
  • Support from the Tan Kapuja Buddhist Foundation for fieldwork
  • June – September 2004, 3 months
  • Fieldwork and library research in Ulaanbaatar:
  • Fieldwork:
  • Dashchoilin Monastery, Ulaanbaatar: Study of offerings, ritual items, tools, and terminology of the material world, study of summer rituals. (3 months)
  • Library Research:
  • Tibetan collection at the Mongolian State Library: Study of Tibetan language descriptions of Mongolian sacred sites.
  • Grants:
  • Hungarian Scholarship Committee: 3-month research scholarship at the Mongolian State University, Spring 2004 (June – September)
  • June – August 2001, 2 months
  • Fieldwork at the Dashchoilin Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, to learn about the monastery’s functioning and its ritual system.
  • Grants and Support:
  • Pro Renovanda Cultura Hungariae Foundation, Student Exchange Movement SzakalapĂ­tvĂĄny: Scholarship to the Buddhist Studies Department of the Mongolian State University, Summer 2001, 2 months
  • Support from the Tan Kapuja Buddhist Foundation for fieldwork
  • March – August 1999, 6 months
  • Studies at the Mongolian State Pedagogical University, Department of Mongolian Language (Spring 1999, 3 months)
  • Fieldwork at rural Mongolian monasteries (Summer 1999, 3 months)
  • Grants:
  • Hungarian Ministry of Education, Hungarian Scholarship Committee: Partial training scholarship at the Mongolian State Pedagogical University, Spring 1999, 3 months

SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES, LECTURES

  • November 22, 2018, Állatok a vilĂĄg vallĂĄsaiban. VallĂĄstörtĂ©neti workshop (Animals in the World’s Religions. History of Religion Workshop). ELTE Faculty of Humanities – PPKE Faculty of Humanities: “KeselyƱhĂ­vĂĄs” buddhista halotti szertartĂĄsa a mongoloknĂĄl” (Vulture Calling” Buddhist funeral rites among the Mongols).
  • November 5-7, 2018, The Image as Instrument and as Reflection of Ritual in Central Asia and the Himalaya: from Antiquity to the Present, UNIOR University of Naples L’Orientale Department of Asia, Africa, and the Mediterranean – SEECHAC European Society for the Study of Civilizations of the Himalayas and Central Asia – ISMEO, International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies, Center for Buddhist Studies, UNIOR, Center for Central Asian, Tibet, and Iran Studies, DAAM, Naples, Italy: On a text of mantra recitation and sādhana of Avalokiteƛvara based on the Soyombo symbol, written by Öndör gegeen Zanabazar, the first head of Mongolian Buddhism.
  • May 6-9, 2018, The Second International Conference “Mongolia and the Mongols: Past and Present”, Warsaw, Poland, University of Warsaw, presentation and planned article in English: Texts for ‘Calling the Vultures’ from Mongolia.
  • May 3, 2018, Workshop on Mongolian Buddhism, dedicated to the Ceremonial Reception of the Mongolian Buddhist Canon and Mergen Gegen Monastery’s Sutra Collection at Eötvös LorĂĄnd University, Eötvös LorĂĄnd University Faculty of Humanities, Department of Mongolian and Inner Asian Studies, Mongolian Research Center, Buddhism Research Center, in cooperation with the Mongolian Embassy in Hungary (supported by the Khyentse Foundation, the Dharma Gate Buddhist Church, and the Mönkhiin Urlag Gallery), lecture in Mongolian: Burkhan boloochdiin khoitiin zan ĂŒiliin talaar Mongold khiisen sudalgaa (Fieldwork in Mongolia on funeral rites).
  • March 25, 2018, MuditĂĄ – Dharma Community for Seniors, popular science lecture: Mongolian Buddhism.
  • October 26, 2017, KƑrösi Csoma SĂĄndor and Hungarian Indigenous Research, Ungariin töwd sudlaach Kööröshi Choma Shaandor ba ungaruudiin garal ĂŒĂŒseliin sudalgaa, panel discussion organized by the Hungarian Embassy in Ulaanbaatar and the Department of Inner Asian Studies at ELTE, and the Mongolian Research Center, Ulaanbaatar, lecture in Mongolian: KƑrösi Csoma SĂĄndor tibetolĂłgiai kutatĂĄsai Ă©s hagyatĂ©ka (KƑrösi Csoma SĂĄndor’s Tibetan Studies and Legacy).
  • May 5, 2017, ÚjjĂĄszĂŒletĂ©s Ă©s megszabadulĂĄs a Buddhizmusban konferencia (Rebirth and Liberation in Buddhism Conference), ELTE Faculty of Humanities, Buddhism Research Center, with support from the Khyentse Foundation, Presentation and planned article in Hungarian: ’pho ba Ă©s ’pho krid gyakorlatok speciĂĄlis szövegei MongĂłliĂĄban (The special texts of pho ba and ’pho krid practices in Mongolia).
  • April 24-25, 2017, „Buddhizmus a gyakorlatban” konferencia’], (Mongolian Buddhism: Buddhism in Practice Conference), ELTE Faculty of Humanities, Mongolian and Inner Asian Studies Department, Mongolian Research Center, Presentation and article in English: The “Mongolian Books of the Dead”: outcomes of a fieldwork.
  • February 25, 2017, Terepmunka 21. szĂĄzadban a TĂĄvol-Keleten konferencia, PĂĄzmĂĄny PĂ©ter Katolikus Egyetem BölcsĂ©szettudomĂĄnyi Kar (Fieldwork in the 21st Century in the Far East Conference, PĂĄzmĂĄny PĂ©ter Catholic University Faculty of Humanities) Modern East Asia Research Group – MTA NĂ©prajztudomĂĄnyi IntĂ©zet (MTA Institute of Ethnology), PPKE Faculty of Humanities Sophianum, presentation and article in Hungarian: Kolostori kutatĂłmunka MongĂłliĂĄban (Research in mongolian monasteries).
  • November 10, 2016, HalĂĄl Ă©s szakralitĂĄs vallĂĄstörtĂ©neti workshop (Death and Sacrality) Religious History Workshop, PĂĄzmĂĄny PĂ©ter Katolikus Egyetem BölcsĂ©szettudomĂĄnyi Kar (PĂĄzmĂĄny PĂ©ter Catholic University Faculty of Humanities), PPKE Faculty of Humanities Sophianum, Presentation: A tudatossĂĄg vezetĂ©se, tiszta földek, kĂ­vĂĄnsĂĄgimĂĄk a jĂł szĂŒletĂ©sĂ©rt, megtisztĂ­tĂĄs, erĂ©nygyƱjtĂ©s: a mongol buddhizmus temetĂ©si szertartĂĄsai (Leading Consciousness, Pure Lands, Aspiration Prayers for a Good Rebirth, Purification, Accumulation of Merit: The Funeral Rites of Mongolian Buddhism).
  • October 14-15, 2016, “PURUM ET IMMUNDUM” scientific conference on religious purity and impurity, ELTE Faculty of Humanities Religious Studies Center, Presentation and article: A bƱnök rituĂĄlis megtisztĂ­tĂĄsa, tabuk: A holttest kezelĂ©se Ă©s az elhunyt tudatossĂĄgĂĄnak segĂ­tĂ©se a mongol buddhizmus halotti szertartĂĄsaiban (The Ritual Purification of Sins, Taboos: The Handling of the Corpse and Assisting the Consciousness of the Deceased in the Funeral Rites of Mongolian Buddhism).
  • September 30, 2016, Researchers’ Night, ELTE Faculty of Humanities Mongolian and Inner Asian Studies Department, popular science lecture: A mongol buddhizmus fƑ imĂĄja Öndör gegen Dzanabadzar, az elsƑ mongol egyhĂĄzfƑ tollĂĄbĂłl (The Main Prayer of Mongolian Buddhism by Öndör Gegen Zanabazar, the First Mongolian Religious Leader).
  • May 17, 2016, Traveling to the Heart of Asia: A History of Western Encounters with Mongolia Workshop, Brno, Department for the Study of Religions, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Presentation and article in English: On After-Death Ritual Texts Mentioned by Travellers (A. M. Pozdneev and BĂĄlint GĂĄbor of Szentkatolna).
  • February 28, May 22, November 02, 2016, MuditĂĄ – Dharma Community for Seniors, 3-part popular science lecture: HalĂĄlra valĂł tudatos felkĂ©szĂŒlĂ©s, haldoklĂł segĂ­tĂ©se Ă©s a gyĂĄszfeldolgozĂĄs gyakorlatai buddhista szemlĂ©letben 1-3 (Conscious Preparation for Death, Helping the Dying and Grieving Practices in Buddhist Perspective 1-3).
  • January 26, 2016, KƑrösi Csoma TĂĄrsasĂĄg (KƑrösi Csoma Society) Lecture (Reading Session), Lecture: Tibetan Buddhist Funeral Rites in the Practice of Mongolian Buddhism.
  • November 23-24, 2015, The International Conference “Mongolia and the Mongols: Past and Present”, Warsaw, Poland, University of Warsaw, Section of Inner Asian Studies, Faculty of Oriental Studies, Lecture in English: Mongolian Mourning and Burial Traditions and Tibetan Bardo-Teachings and After-Death Rites in Mongolia.
  • June 09, 2014, Skanzen, popular science lecture: VallĂĄs a romokon: Egykori Ă©s mai kolostori helyszĂ­nek kutatĂĄsa (Religion in Ruins: The Study of Former and Present Monastic Sites).
  • April 16-17, 2015, Mongolian Buddhism – Past, Present, and Future, International Workshop dedicated to the 380th anniversary of the birth of Öndör Gegeen Zanabazar, ELTE Faculty of Humanities Mongolian and Inner Asian Studies Department – Mongolian Research Group – Buddhism Research Center – MTA Institute of Ethnology, Lecture and article in English: Preliminary Notes on Tibetan After-Death Rites in Mongolian Buddhist Practice: Texts, Text Types, Ceremonial System.
  • March 11, 2010, Mongol-Ungarian Soyol, Shinjlekh Ukhaanii Khariltsaa, Khamtiin Ajillaga 60 Jild [60 Years of Hungarian–Mongolian Scientific and Cultural Relations Conference], Eötvös LorĂĄnd University Faculty of Humanities, Budapest, Lecture in Mongolian with Krisztina Teleki: Mongoliin Burkhan Shashnii Sudlaliin Arga Baril [New Methods in Mongolian Buddhism Research].
  • September 03-05, 2009, European Society for Central Asian Studies (ESCAS) XI. Conference: ’Studying Central Asia: In Quest for New Paths and Concepts?’, Concepts of Space and Use of the Environment in Central Asia panel, Central European University, Budapest, Lecture and article in English: Monasteries in the Mongolian Landscape Once and Today.
  • April 03, 2009, Orientalist Day 2009 Conference, MTA Oriental Studies Committee – ELTE Institute of East Asian Studies, Budapest, Lecture and article: Kolostor Ă©s szentĂ©lytĂ­pusok a rĂ©gi MongĂłliĂĄban (Monastery and Shrine Types in Old Mongolia)
  • November 14-17, 2008, Contemporary Mongolia ‘Transitions, Development, and Social Transformations’ Conference, University of British Columbia, Program on Inner Asia, Institute of Asian Research, Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, The Revival of Buddhism in Mongolia in the Context of Post-Socialist Society panel, Buddhism and Contemporary Society Program, Institute of Asian Research & Department of Asian Studies, Canada, Vancouver, Lecture and article in English: Present-Day Mongolian Buddhist Temples: Continuation or Disjuncture with the Past and the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition.
  • December 17, 2007, Ötven Ă©v terepmunka BelsƑ-ÁzsiĂĄban konferencia (Fifty Years of Fieldwork in Inner Asia Conference), ELTE Faculty of Humanities Inner Asian Studies Department, Budapest, Lecture with Krisztina Teleki: HĂĄrom megye egykori Ă©s mai kolostorai. Terepmunka 1937 elƑtti Ă©s 1990 utĂĄni buddhista kolostorok helyszĂ­nein ” (The Former and Present Monasteries of Three Provinces: Fieldwork at Buddhist Monastery Sites from Before 1937 and After 1990).
  • November 28, 2007, A buddhizmus helyi szĂ­nei konferencia (Buddhism’s Local Colors Conference), MTA Institute of Ethnology – Dharma Gate Buddhist College – Hungarian Society for the Study of Religion, Budapest, Lecture and article: Buddhista mĂșlt Ă©s jelen a mongol vidĂ©ken (“Buddhist Past and Present in the Mongolian Countryside).
  • February 27, 2007, KƑrösi Csoma SĂĄndor TĂĄrsasĂĄg (KƑrösi Csoma SĂĄndor Society) Meeting, Budapest
  • Lecture with Krisztina Teleki:
  • “UlĂĄnbĂĄtor egykori Ă©s mai kolostorai. KĂ©t kutatĂĄs összegzĂ©se.” (Former and Current Monasteries of Ulaanbaatar. A Summary of Two Researches).
  • January 02-07, 2007, Young Mongolist’s European Workshop and Conference, Center for Mongolian & Siberian Studies, EPHE (Sorbonne), Songeons, France.
  • Presentations in English with Krisztina Teleki:
  • ‘Old Temples of the Current Ulaanbaatar Area; Survey on the Currently Working Temples of Ulaanbaatar’
  • Powerpoint presentation in English with Krisztina Teleki:
  • ‘Revival of the Tsam Dance in Mongolia’
  • Teamwork theme in English:
  • ‘Revival and Rivalry of Buddhism and Christianity in Present-Day Mongolia’
  • Posters in English with Krisztina Teleki:
  • ‘Bogdiin KhĂŒree – Paintings and Maps as Sources’,
  • ‘Bogdiin KhĂŒree – Collecting Oral History from Old Monks’,
  • ‘Active Buddhist Monasteries – Ulaanbaatar, 2006’
  • November 30, 2004, III. Tibet Konferencia (III. Tibet Conference), Shambhala Tibet Központ (Shambhala Tibet Center), Budapest.
  • Lecture with Krisztina Teleki:
  • HĂĄlaadĂł szertartĂĄs a haragvĂł istensĂ©geknek” (Offering Sacrifice to the Wrathful Deities)
  • July 15, 2004, Zaluu Mongolch Erdemtdiin Zunii Surguul’, International Scientific Conference of Young Mongolists, Mongolian Academy of Sciences – Mongolian Ministry of Education and Culture – Cultural University, Ulaanbaatar.
  • Lecture and article in Mongolian:
  • ‘The Terminology Related to the Material Culture of Mongolian Monasteries’
  • April 2003, XXVI. OTDK, Humanities Section, VeszprĂ©m.
  • Lecture and paper: “Áldozatok Ă©s kellĂ©kek a mongol buddhizmus szertartĂĄsrendszerĂ©nek tĂŒkrĂ©ben. TerminolĂłgia”

Áldozatok Ă©s kellĂ©kek a mongol buddhizmus szertartĂĄsrendszerĂ©nek tĂŒkrĂ©ben. TerminolĂłgia. (Sacrifices and Ritual Objects in the Context of the Mongolian Buddhist Ritual System. Terminology.)

  • January 2003, Orientalist Day 2003, Hungarian Academy of Sciences Oriental Studies Committee – ELTE Oriental Studies Institute, Budapest.
  • Lecture and article: “SzenthelyleĂ­rĂĄsok, kolostortörtĂ©netek, zarĂĄndokutak a tibeti Ă©s mongol buddhista irodalomban)
  • (Sacred Site Descriptions, Monastery Histories, Pilgrimage Routes in Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhist Literature)
  • Spring Semester 2001/2002, Orientalist TDK, ELTE Faculty of Humanities, Budapest, First place,
  • Lecture and paper: “Áldozatok Ă©s kellĂ©kek a mongol buddhizmus szertartĂĄsrendszerĂ©nek tĂŒkrĂ©ben”
  • (Sacrifices and Ritual Objects in the Context of the Mongolian Buddhist Ritual System)
  • April 2001, XXV. OTDK, Humanities Section, History Division, Szeged, Third place,
  • Lecture and paper: “A mongol kolostorok tĂĄrgyi vilĂĄga. TerminolĂłgia”
  • (The Material Culture of Mongolian Monasteries. Terminology.)
  • Spring Semester 1999/2000, Orientalist TDK, ELTE Faculty of Humanities, Budapest, Second place,
  • Lecture and paper: “A mongol kolostorok tĂĄrgyi vilĂĄga”
  • (The Material Culture of Mongolian Monasteries)
  • Autumn Semester 2001/2002, Scientific Scholarship, ELTE Faculty of Humanities, Budapest, 3rd level,
  • Scientific paper: “A mongol kolostorok tĂĄrgyi vilĂĄga. TerminolĂłgia Ă©s ismertetĂ©s”

(The Material Culture of Mongolian Monasteries. Terminology and Description

  • Spring Semester 2000/2001, Scientific Scholarship, ELTE Faculty of Humanities, Budapest, 2nd level,
  • Scientific paper: “A szenthelyleĂ­rĂĄs egy tibeti mƱfaja: a dkar-cshag irodalom”
  • (A Tibetan Genre of Sacred Site Descriptions: The Dkar-cshag Literature)
  • Spring Semester 1999/2000, Scientific Scholarship, ELTE Faculty of Humanities, Budapest, 3rd level,
  • Scientific paper: “A mongol kolostorok tĂĄrgyi vilĂĄga”
  • (The Material Culture of Mongolian Monasteries)

Other Professional Activities

  • Editorial work (conference proceedings, ELTE Faculty of Humanities, Department of Inner Asian Studies)
  • Professional proofreading (Mongolian literary translation volumes, ELTE Faculty of Humanities, Department of Inner Asian Studies)
  • Translation experience: Hungarian-English, English-Hungarian, Mongolian-English/Hungarian, English/Hungarian-Mongolian directions (Hydea S.r.l., MOL Rt., Maintenance Team, InterContact Translation and Interpreting Agency)

Language Studies, Language Exams:

  • English: Advanced (2004)
  • Written Tibetan: Advanced (2003)
  • Mongolian (Khalkha and Classical Mongolian): Advanced (2002)
  • Chinese: HSK3 level (98%, March 2017)
  • Sanskrit: Knowledge of script at the transcription level, Buddhist texts
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