Some Research Insights from Benjamin Bergmann (1772–1856) and Isaac Jacob Schmidt (1779–1847) in the Cross-Cultural Context of the Perception of Buddhism in Europe

The Baltic German ethnographer, historian, linguist and clergyman Benjamin Fürchtegott Balthasar von Bergmann (1772-1856)1 and the outstanding Orientalist Isaac Jacob Schmidt (1779—1847) are both known as pioneers in Mongolian and Tibetan studies as well as Lamaism in general. Bergmann and Schmidt were dealing with extremely heterogeneous, contradictory material that contained many historical layers, especially in the context of Mahãyãna literature, not to mention the differences between the original Buddhist teachings and the later modifications that evolved locally in different cultures. The starting point for both men in this field was the Moravian colony of Sarepta in Russia, from where they embarked on a research expedition to the Kalmyks, who had adopted the Tibetan form of Buddhism. Bergmann translated several Kalmyk texts and noted his observations on Kalmyk-Mongolian-Tibetan folklore, domestic traditions and worldview. He did a great deal of work specifically on the study of "folk culture" wrapped in Buddhist attributes: examining the tradition of deification, the equivalent of the idea of God, a new type of pantheon in Buddhist cultures that, mixed with mythology and folklore, satisfied the needs of everyday consciousness for the local population. However, Bergmann quite accurately understood also the concept of karma in the Buddhist context. I. J. Schmidt, who was a Moravian missionary to the Kalmyks, went much further. He is generally regarded as the founder of Mongolian studies as an academic discipline and is known due to the great influence of his theoretical works on Buddhism in European philosophy, for example, serving as one of the most important sources in Arthur Schopenhauer's (1788-1860) interpretation of Buddhism. His publications led to a deeper understanding of Buddhist philosophy, testing the limits of mutual understanding between European and Asian spiritual traditions, especially within the concept of "Emptiness".