Editing Buryats (section)

==== Shamanism (Tengrism) ====
[[File:Khagdaev 02.jpg|thumb|Buryat [[shaman]] of [[Olkhon Island|Olkhon]], Lake Baikal]]

Buryats traditionally practised [[shamanism]], also called [[Tengrism]], with a focus on worship of nature. A core concept of Buryat shamanism is the "triple division" of the physical and spiritual world.<ref name="Quijada">{{cite journal |surname1=Quijada |given1=Jastine B.|surname2=Graber |given2=Kathryn E. |surname3=Stephen |given3=Eric |title=Finding "Their Own": Revitalizing Buryat Culture Through Shamanic Practices in Ulan-Ude |journal=Problems of Post-Communism |year=2015 |volume=62 |issue=5 |pages=258–72 |doi= 10.1080/10758216.2015.1057040 |s2cid=143106014 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10758216.2015.1057040}}</ref><ref name=":03"/> There are three divisions within the spirit world: the ''[[Tengri|tengeri]]'', the ''[[bōxoldoy]]'', and lower spirits.<ref name=":03"/> These spirits are the supreme rulers of mankind, the spirits of commoners, and the spirits of slaves respectively. In parallel to this is the concept that man is divided into three parts: the body (''beye''), the "breath and life" of a man, and the soul.<ref name=":03"/> The soul is further divided into three parts: first, second, and third. The first soul is contained within the entirety of the physical skeleton, and that damage to it damages the soul. Rituals involving the sacrifice of animals involve great care not to damage the bones, lest the deity receiving the offering reject it.<ref name=":03"/> The second soul is believed to have the power to leave the body, transform into other beings, and is stored in the organs. The third soul is similar to the second, differing only in that its passing marks the end of one's life.<ref name=":03"/>

The number three and multiples of it are deeply sacred to the Buryat. Examples of this [[numerology]] include three major yearly sacrifices, shamans prolonging the lives of the sick by three or nine years, the total number of ''tengeri'' being 99, and countless other examples.

Shamans are divided into two classes: "great" shamans of [[Arctic region]]s and "little" shamans from the [[taiga]]. Shamans often are associated with nervous disorders, and in some cases are prone to seizure.<ref name=":03"/> Shamans can also be divided into [[Sagaan Ubgen|"White" shamans]] that summon good spirits and "Black" shamans that summon malicious ones. Yellow shamanism refers to shamanistic practices that have been heavily influenced by Buddhism. Shamans exist to heal, especially in regards to psychological illnesses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Coming Together:Buryat and Mongolian Healers Meet in Post-Soviet Reality|url=https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/coming-togetherburyat-and-mongolian-healers-meet-post|access-date=2019-04-19|website=www.culturalsurvival.org|date=26 March 2010 }}</ref> Buryat shamanism is not necessarily hereditary, and other members of the kinship-group can receive the calling (however, shamans do keep records of their lineage, and a descendant is preferred).<ref name=":03" /> Shamans could both control and be controlled by spirits.

There are variations in belief between different traditional groups, so there is no consensus on beliefs and practices. For example, Western Buryats along the [[Kuda river]] believe in reincarnation of the third soul, likely a result of their exposure to Buddhism.