Buddhism and Sport: Points of Contact in the Post-secular World

The relationship between sports and religion has never been simple. However, at the post-secular stage, it transforms; and even those religions that did not support sports begin to do it so largely in order to increase their popularity among young people. Among the world religions, Buddhism has the longest ties with sports, so the current stage is characterized by the support and development of existing points of contact, as well as the search and strengthening of new ones. This article examines sports related to Buddhism. The paper analyzes the relationship of the Buddhist traditional sangha of Russia with sports at the present stage. As a result, conclusions about the presence of points of contact between Buddhism and sports became possible. So, in post-secular Buryatia, Buddhism, the national idea and sport intertwines especially strongly. Thanks to the development of national sports with the support of the sangha, young people are not only involved in the culture of their people and become involved in Buddhism as a part of it, but also develop their psychophysiological qualities that are useful in life. In addition, thanks to the sangha's initiative to support traditional sports and chess, the non-Buryat population is also immersed in culture, which contributes to better integration of the population and strengthening interethnic friendship.