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An essay by SGI President Daisaku Ikeda from a series in
which he introduces his friends from around the world
Dr. Margarita Vorobyova-Desyatovskaya--Guardian of an
Ancient Treasure
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Mr. Ikeda greets Dr. Vorobyova-Desyatovskaya in Tokyo, April
2006 [©Seikyo
Shimbun] |
Dr. Margarita
Vorobyova-Desyatovskaya is a self-effacing woman, who
radiates a quiet inner strength and an immense warmth and
generosity. It is these qualities that have enabled her to
dedicate her life to a unique mission.
"I married while I was a student at Leningrad University. My
husband's area of intellectual interest was very broad. He
immersed himself not only in the study of Indo-European
languages but also in researching ancient Central Asian
manuscripts. His enthusiasm was contagious, and I became his
first and most diligent student," she relates. Dr. Vladimir
Vorobyov-Desyatovsky died when he was only 28, leaving
behind Margarita and their infant son. Margarita was
grief-stricken, but she determined to carry on his work, as
a researcher at the Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) Branch of
the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of
Sciences. "I decided that I would fulfill his dream, the
study of the handwritten Central Asian manuscripts that he
used to talk to me about, with his eyes lit with
excitement," she says. But this was no easy matter.
Central Asia is a region of many languages, a place where
over the centuries many peoples have risen and fallen. Just
the number of languages a researcher has to master presents
one hurdle after another. Sometimes a word or form appears
only once in a single document. Local dialects and
variations abound. Many of the documents are written in
cursive script. And when at last the meaning of a passage
can be deciphered, the question remains whether it is a
Buddhist scripture or a Hindu text.
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Ancient Uighur manuscript of chapter 25 of the Lotus Sutra;
courtesy of the St. Petersburg Branch of the Institute of
Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences |
Most ancient texts from the region survive only in
fragments, and translating them is extremely difficult. Not
only language mastery but a broad knowledge of history and
many other subjects is required. It is a labor of dogged
determination and infinite patience.
But when one manages to climb up this steep, dark mountain
trail blocked by obstacle upon obstacle and finally see the
light of day, one experiences an indescribable sense of joy
and accomplishment. "There is no greater feeling of joy,"
Dr. Vorobyova-Desyatovskaya says, "than when you know you
have made a contribution to the history of scholarship, no
matter how modest."
She devoted herself to her studies with enormous
determination and patience. Leningrad was frozen in the
depths of winter. As she studied in her cold rooms, chafing
her hands and breathing on them to keep them warm, she
always felt the gentle presence of her late husband watching
over her. Together, they journeyed along the ancient Silk
Road.
With its rugged mountain ranges, arid steppes, deserts and
scattered oases, the Silk Road is by no means inviting
terrain. That is precisely why people who have lived along
its route have always sought wisdom so ardently. Whenever
some new invention or technical art was created, that
knowledge flowed freely. Light travels, and so does wisdom.
It was with that energy that such inventions as silk and
iron, paper and glass, made their way to far-flung regions
of the world along the Silk Road.
Buddhism, the jewel of supreme wisdom, also spread from
person to person-merchants, nomads, farmers, artisans,
artists, soldiers, diplomats. Many different groups of many
different peoples traveling back and forth across its length
built this highway of wisdom. The reason the Silk Road still
fascinates us today is because it tells the story of
humanity's search for illumination, the light we need to
lead better lives.
Uncommon
Devotion
The members of the Institute of Oriental Studies have
dedicated their lives to protecting and transmitting this
very light. Dr. Vorobyova-Desyatovskaya's predecessors
safeguarded it desperately, as if shielding a vulnerable
candle flame from fierce winter winds. During the 900-day
siege of Leningrad by Nazi German forces in World War II,
the institute members made every effort to protect their
ancient handwritten manuscripts. The fierce attack on the
city went on month after month, year after year. Bombs
rained down on the city.
The inhabitants faced bitter cold and starvation. Yet,
starving and freezing, the scholars continued to protect
their treasures. They could have burned them for warmth, but
they did not. Only two members of the institute survived the
war.
Such men and women defended the light of human civilization.
Similar indefatigable efforts continued after the war. In
the days before electronic security systems, Dr.
Vorobyova-Desyatovskaya and her colleagues took turns
sitting the all-night watch over their treasures.
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The "Caves of the Thousand Buddhas" (Mogao Caves) near
Dunhuang, China, on the Silk Road [©Digital
Archive Japan] |
"Your life is noble indeed," I said to her when we met. "You
have studied Buddhism, and in particular the Lotus Sutra,
all these years here in Russia, a land that has had little
connection with Buddhism. For 40 years, you have devoted
yourself to study, with no thought for riches, fame or
social status. You are a true scholar."
There is a famous passage in the writings of Nichiren in
which he comforts and encourages a widow afflicted by
illness and left to care for her children alone. He writes:
"Those who believe in the Lotus Sutra are as if in winter,
but winter always turns to spring." I shared these words
with Dr. Vorobyova-Desyatovskaya, and told her, "You have
won the spring of victory, as a mother, as a woman, as a
human being."
When I asked her about her views of the Lotus Sutra, her
reply seemed to me to be her personal philosophy of life.
She answered: "Why has the Lotus Sutra had such a powerful
influence on so many? I think it is because Buddhism up to
that time taught that human beings were bound by the ties of
karma. But the Lotus Sutra said to them, 'Humankind! Believe
in your own power! Change your lives! You can transform your
destiny!' People were encouraged and inspired by this
message."
She continued: "If you accept the teachings of the Lotus
Sutra, even unexpected setbacks or misfortunes won't
discourage you or frighten you. You know that the sun will
rise again tomorrow and a new day will dawn. You know that
if you smile at others, they will smile back at you."
As she said this, the smile on her face shone like a radiant
spring flower--a symbol of her triumphant journey along the
difficult, unexplored path that was her husband's legacy, a
brilliant odyssey for truth spanning four decades and one
that continues to this day.
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