A Young Shaman’s Quest Across Mongolia | Full Documentary | SLICE

[Music] among Golia the descendants of Genghis Khan have since time immemorial respected the spirits of the land and the water the true rulers of this place the hills the mountains the rivers and lakes are their home they don't like to be disturbed and those who risk doing so without protection awaken their ruff and may be cursed in this land you don't dig the ground move the stones or sully the waters with impunity and yet the major mining companies are pouring into this land of vast blue skies because of its rich deposits of gold coal copper iron fluorine uranium and rare earth metals like many Mongols turf she has been forced to go against his beliefs to provide a living for his family for the past 14 years this former nomadic herdsmen has been looking for gold amongst the mountaintops of kangay he didn't have much other choice than to become a gold prospector since in this province it's now the only way to earn a decent living since his son Shin Bayer became a Shaymin he's been in contact with the spirits in nature this means he can ward off the curses that affect those who work in mining [Music] today the ruff of the mountain spirits is once again making itself heard chin Bayer is trying to appease them through this ceremony with the help of his ancestral spirits the whip and the purifying bells the young Shaymin washes away the stain of his father's gold diggings [Music] shinbei ah which in mongolian means new joy became a Shaymin five years ago he's now 20 [Music] recently the young Shaymin has been feeling that it's getting harder to calm the anger of the mountain spirits how long can his father continue to work without danger but without the gold that the mountain yields can his family survive Shin Baja is caught between the demands of the invisible world and his family's day-to-day needs unable to resolve this dilemma alone he's taken the decision to embark on a long journey through Mongolia to meet an eminent Buddhist Lama and a powerful shaman in the hope that they can help him find a solution [Music] it will be the first time shin buyer has gone away for so long from his hometown of Zune kara a few hours drive from the capital Ulan Bator his little sister mal ma would like to go with him on this adventure which will last for a month but only selling gay his mother will accompany him since she is his shamanic assistant more than ever he will need her by his side [Music] this brother where did you say you were going we're here in Zune Cara I'm going straight there to the Buddhist monastery in the province of Donna Gobi and then where are you going I'm going to visit are you told boy the biggest miner Mongolia the only tall guy mine is not far from the Chinese border I heard it's only about a hundred kilometers from the border and after that where are you going the young Shaymin has a carefully planned itinerary from Xun Cara he will travel to the south of the country into the legendary gobi desert with its rich mineral reserves then he'll go north to the capital Ulan Bator to meet his older sister : before arriving at the last stage of his journey the shores of lake khovsgol where powerful shaman's practice their art [Music] [Music] know what I'm after you I worked in awesome everyone hello yeah [Music] [Music] on the eve of their departure selling gave joins with her son to honor the four points of the compass to ensure their journey takes place under the best auspices [Music] the whole family's future now rests on the shoulders of the young Shaymin shinbei on selling gaya starting out on a long trip on board the trans Mongolian Express before reaching the Gobi Desert it's the only railway line linking the north of the country with the south covering almost 2,000 kilometers but this comfort will not last even though many new roads have been built in Mongolia in recent years due to the growth of mining their expedition will take them along tracks that the nomads have used for generations so should stay [Music] [Music] fushion pyres generation the mines have always been part of the landscapes and it's thanks to them that his country has undergone some unprecedented transformations like him many Mongol shaman's have benefited from this mining activity because they are increasingly called upon by those who have dug the earth shinbei I became a shame and despite himself it all began in childhood in the family yurt when his parents were still nomadic herders at the age of five he was suddenly struck with a mystery illness that no doctor could identify it was from that moment on that his destiny changed she named my son you should drink your tea it will get cold [Music] mom how old was I when you took me to see the llama at the age of five and again when you were seven we consulted a Buddhist monk he said the province of our Congo where we were living was not good for you so we moved to the province of saline gay that's how he went from a nomadic lifestyle to AI sedentary one at the time we were quite worried because your health isn't getting any better we took you to see several seamus they all said you should embrace your vocation as a Shaymin the legacy of your ancestors once you accepted taking on this legacy it was a real blessing for your family yes that's true but it's also quite a burden to carry one of Shin buyers forebears an ancestor spirit was a Shaymin it's a great responsibility to be in contact with the invisible world especially when your father is a gold prospector [Music] after a night on board the trans Mongolian the young Haman and his mother get off at st. Chand to visit Shambhala the mythical kingdom of Buddhist spiritualism [Music] their driver air the net is there to meet them together they're going to drive through part of this arid region [Music] [Music] chinmaya didn't decide on Shambhala by chance he knows that llamas like shaman's are keeping a close eye on the development of mining but he'd like to know how the Buddhists deal with those mining companies based near this place of pilgrimage renowned throughout Asia [Music] young Shaymin can easily detect the telluric force which emanates around the holy site of Shambhala he's not a Buddhist but he respects this religion which has long existed alongside shamanism the title of dalai lama which means ocean of wisdom was even created by Alton Khan a Mongol prince of the 16th century who converted to Buddhism the site of Shambhala was founded in the 19th century by the great Lama does and raava following a long period of meditation in a cave he devoted the last thirty years of his life to building it according to him Shambhala is a portal to attain illumination [Music] [Music] hello hello how are you fine very good let's sit down is everything going as you would like everything's going just fine we came to recharge ourselves thanks to the energy in the land of Shambala serum people come here to purify and heal their bodies their words and their spirits because you have come from afar remember to pray and entrust your spirit to the place this is my first pilgrimage here I'm praying with my whole heart I heard there are lots of minds in this region what do you think of these Minds [Music] lots of mining companies set up here to extract uranium from the land the mineral wealth in the ground is very coveted but these companies threaten the tranquility of these places and generate a lot of nuisance and damage through the land it's the peace of our souls and our bodies which is affected and then one sad llama in Buddhism when nature is disturbed how do you soothe the wrath of the natural spirits when a place is disturbed or defiled by men the divinities of nature are angered to appease them Lamas make offerings and recite specific prayers [Laughter] [Music] [Music] [Music] the next day shin buyer and his mother head for the southern edge of the Gobi since he is only familiar with artisanal mines he wants to see for himself the vast mine of oh you little guy located 80 kilometres from the Chinese border the riches in the ground here are very sought-after for many kilometres shin buyer and selling a follow tracks which once must have been used by caravans on the Silk Road the Gobi Desert is a harsh windswept environment which stretches over one-third of Mongolia its searingly hot in summer and glacial in winter here you sometimes have to take a detour to reach your destination travellers are always at the mercy of a sudden blizzard or sandstorm and when the forces of nature let rip people have no choice but to submit to its power [Music] fortunately the legendary hospitality of the nomadic herders still holds good the young Shaymin and his mother appreciate a well-earned stopover with this family camped in the middle of nowhere of just Sharon Charlotte area to see who you're gonna say magenta Thomas's Idaho Boston boreal marks just a short area later Nick Perata tourists 7,000 oriental after [Music] [Music] [Music] after many hours on exhausting tracks shinbei are and his mother getting close to the giant mine of oh you tall guy which means turquoise he'll Mongolian Kanda and thematic herdsmen is waiting to greet them he witnessed the construction of the mining plant a genuine technological feat in the middle of the desert [Music] [Music] morado our water tickets [Music] the young Shaymin scours the horizon but this opencast and underground mine seems to go on forever the öyou Tongo site is bigger than Manhattan Island below ground it goes down to a depth of as much as 3800 meters one of the world's biggest deposits of gold and copper has been exploited here since 2013 by an Anglo Australian company in partnership with the Mongolian government the mineral wealth should bring huge benefits to his country the shafts dug by Qin Bao's father seemed insignificant alongside the vastness of this defiled land [Music] the peacefulness of Conda and Aki news camp almost makes one forget that the giant mine is just nearby [Music] the aroma of SU tight sigh Mongolian tea would milk fills the yurt it's the perfect moment to honor the ancestors at the family altar here the comforts are basic and there is little privacy but inside this protective cocoon shinbei are recalls his childhood [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] in this arid province herdsmen face a constant quest for water and pasture to meet the needs of their livestock typically made up of five animals camels and goats cows horses and sheep [Music] to survive they've all succeeded in maintaining a harmonious relationship with the natural world upon which they depend entirely but their numbers of fewer nowadays and it wouldn't take much to threaten their ancestral way of life [Music] [Music] nefarious normally men are hunters Lata's necrosha units that are harvested inaho yeah a lot is catalyst who is the image debate last Saturday to the attorneys was a total of eternity eternity to in Mexico not rigorous attainment Hamburg's amenity geometries her sternum as mistaken for a yoga Vasa but mahadba consulting it's an an extravagance Jarek us to envision talking [Music] her vision successful or not to go tada [Music] [Music] the flight foulon better has been called in less than two hours the young Shaymin will be in the capital there he is going to meet his older sister Coulomb and his best friend gang sorry before going to the north of the country where he's due to meet a renowned Shaymin shin buyer wants to see how much the big city has changed since he was last here through the porthole shin buyer can admire the kingdom of Tengri the infinite sky peopled by the multiple deities who govern the destiny of mortals in Mongolia everyone calls Alan Berta you be since the mining boom began the city has been continually expanding now one and a half million people live in this valley between four mountains that's half the population of the whole country all the benefits of the mineral wealth are concentrated in the city center a privileged minority earn huge profits from the sector and have no qualms about showing off their wealth [Music] Huell and the older sister had always dreamt of living in the capital [Music] [Applause] [Music] thanks to her father's gold Hulan was able to study at the School of Architecture and move in here with her husband Aniyah and their sons family her qualifications mean she has no trouble finding a job in the city under permanent construction like much of the new generation Hulan belongs to the emerging middle class the young woman fully intends to make the best of the prevailing economic dynamism and adopt the western lifestyle that is very popular in the capital [Music] the video I'm looking to genius there will be a good way to understand each other [Music] the image will be October Miriam contempt of Tao [Music] [Music] shinbei are maybe a Shaymin but like all 20-year old men he likes the latest technology and fashionable clothes and UB is the perfect place to go on a shopping spree [Music] but in betar not everybody lives in such luxury shinbei his best friend Gann szerik lives in one of the palisaded neighborhoods which ring the capital they've known each other since childhood his parents are also former nomadic herders but they decided to take their chances in a city rather than hunt for gold [Music] the past 10 years Gantz Oryx family has lived in this deprived neighborhood where not every home has running water was connected to the urban heating network every time they meet the two friends inevitably discuss mining activity which is now a key feature of light in Mongolia thanks to the mineral wealth in its ground the country has undergone rapid development that standards of living have not improved for all mongols gantter rig is well placed to know since nothing has changed yes 10 qira'at 800 was hot tinder and resonate sorry hyung he said to tell us so Mata bath said the still tortoise as in Thornton da-da-da-da-dah stars beyond risk in return advertiser Arabic I was mo eternal servant Roja Tom Tom Tom Assad we're at the ocean Mitsuru chattering ah Smith lazarre's 500 a restricted George industries jet rotary hundred roads some orange Nick I was hurt de Guiche Nanda fortune beaten yet here passing by the basic here is dead here is the hope it will pass the city took stupor chato's potassium no one duelist it out now salsa to understand how sort of the tells Timothy that doors look character that I need officer [Music] in recent years nightlife in betar has been booming like all young mongols shinbei is keen to explore the bars nightclubs and karaoke bars which flourish in the capital Nasser new hugely entire essence that was harmed or cheetah tourism internet virata's social media bulletin which is colorful but that is insulting everyone attan assistant hit it starts to Dickens evens who does not own things sitting she did and Ruth Whitney searches as forces have fundamental after normal force and I'm greasing picture and mint [Music] the young Shaymin stay in ub is coming to an end he's leaving the urban chaos which the spirits who once ruled here have long ago abandoned it's time for him to travel to the sacred land where shamanic traditions are reputed to be strong [Music] having left behind the bus Louisville and better shinbei uh and selling gay find themselves in the country's most northern province on their way to lake khovsgol to end this quest the young Shaymin is to meet with Gansu the heir to one of the purest mongolian shamanic traditions this meeting will be decisive because this eminent shaman has dared to stand up to a powerful mining company [Music] shinbei ah is delighted to discover one of the most densely wooded regions in the country since in his province trees are rare this is the start of the tiger the majestic forests of conifer [Music] [Music] he bestows guitars a mouth speaking snap or Skidmore introduced Iria stupid after him annuities after Garrett effectively monitor cotton or Enoch after him come sing give us our Amana mom authority we did he make it stick lake khovsgol is one of the oldest on the planet and is connected by a long network of rivers - its Russian big sister the celebrated Lake Baikal it's known as the blue pearl of the north [Music] shinbei ah is eager to meet Gansu a Shaymin who unlike most of his fellow shaman's refuses to perform ceremonies to protect workers in the mining sector he's renowned for having stood up to a mining company which wanted to extract gold in his province through a series of shamanic ceremonies and ecological protests he obtained the status of national park for his native land which is henceforth protected from mining activity the unrelenting combat of this ardent defender of nature in the face of a formidable adversary inevitably earns shin buyers admiration to let him you have the sitting-room honk I'm goes to saloon well yeah yeah yeah do not it Jack mister [Music] [Music] Gansu grew up under Mongolia's communist period which lasted for 70 years he had to renounce his ancestors shamanic traditions for a long time since this was banned by the regime but when he too was struck by shamanic passion he had no choice but to accept his destiny and perform his ceremonies in secret until the advent of democracy in 1992 my ancestral spirit doesn't like the fact that my father digs the ground to look for gold but I can nonetheless persuade him to protect my father from the wrath of the mountain spirits how do you go about appeasing the spirits who ruled the land our ancestors have always loved their land they have devoted their lives to protected and defending it and they handed it down to a single check so these celestial spirits do not accept that we defy that is why your ancestral spirit is angry with your father and is warning you that you cannot continue to live that way first of all you mustn't carry on behaving this way then you have to ask forgiveness of the spirits of the mountain and the river you just have to pray and sincerely ask for forgiveness and make offerings he surely feels guilty digging with his hands in the ground in mother nature it's better to live by building than by destroying a time we involve men their heart somewhat so I'll Joe the important thing is to choose the right path in life in harmony with the world around us the essential thing for a shaman is to honor heaven and earth and to cherish one's fellow man heaven is our Father these are mothers and between the two is mankind the spirits of heaven expect us to respect nature mistreating it is an insult to them tomorrow I invite you to join them in the mountain ritual who attend you get as for you little brother I will put you in contact with your powerful ancestral spirits then you'll know what it's all about your home you do it now happily agreed thank you for inviting us to the mountain ritual ceremony Gann suits words have left a big impression on the young Shaymin he hadn't thought about wanting to protect his father from the anger of the mountain spirits he was contributing to upsetting the harmony of the world [Music] it's a great honor for the young Shaymin to witness the ritual performed by his elder today against sook invokes the spirits that were all over this place so that all those who respect it will enjoy their protection to enter into contact with the invisible world Gansu comest on his shamanic costume which acts like a suit of armor he can thus travel safely in the Otherworld while repulsing attacks of harmful energy can you change your bedding ball typing [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] the end of the quest is approaching as promised Gansu Keys going to put shin-bi ER in touch with his mythical ancestors using a forgotten shamanic art these ancestors were kings and fearsome warriors who became Voyager spirits after their deaths ever since they have tirelessly traveled the far reaches of the universe [Music] fragile around and everything yet so I ain't after that I do again needing that poacher stretching that retainer and car battle drew that Andrew young BOTS wearing a tall dark or inverse Arkansas symbiote Tangut host at an ingot Horeb Jimmy horrid was Jota Nakamura visible now 80 in the denominator P about riding a dog dance instead that children from an area Tata tanana's and swallowed Chania repair of an adult reduction and rotten gets immediate and sustained [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] come on [Music] [Music] [Music] did the Voyager spirits inspire in by out to choose the right path he seems to have heard their secret whisperings because numerous ideas already jostling in his head [Music] upon his return he intends to help his father earn a living from something other than digging the ground in search of gold perhaps they could use their land to grow vegetables and find a new harmony with the earth [Music] whatever happens it's time that his father stopped sacrificing himself for the whole family shinbei ah is sure of that on the summit of the island of wishes shinbei --is quest comes to an end the blue waters of the sacred lake bear witness to the young shamans newfound serenity he leaves this mother ocean at peace with himself ready to face up to the challenges of a world in the midst of great upheaval yet without betraying his ancestral beliefs [Music] you [Music]

Channel: SLICE

Views: 126,767

Rating: 4.8632479 out of 5

Keywords: Mongolia, shaman, shamanism, Chinbayar, mining, mining companies, mine, mines, land, support, soil, ground, god, gods, spirit, spirits, ghost, ghosts, lama, lamas, elders, elder, Gobi, Gobi Desert, Ulaanbaatar, Asia, gold, search for gold, searching gold, initiation, young shaman, Mongolian shaman, ethnology, ethno, peoples, people, anthropology, slicedocs, Slice, full docs, fulldoc, fulldocs, full, fulllength, full-length, entire, long, documentary, documentaries

Id: LJaPUFefKx4

Length: 51min 42sec (3102 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 01 2020