Background of Gurung Buddhism

Dr. Kumar Gurung
(PhD, MS, MCEC, LLB)

The Gurung community has a rich religious and cultural history shaped by centuries of movement and adaptation. It made it harder for us to preserve our cultural identity while the religious practices transitioned to Buddhism over the last 700 years. The fact that Gurung Buddhist combines parts of Vajrayana Buddhism, totemism, ancestor worship, animism, Shamanism, and prime cultural beliefs and practices shows how complicated our religious landscape is. This fact caused Gurung communities worldwide to split and disagree about faith and cultural practices related to life cycle rituals, festivals, ceremonies, and other social practices. These problems were worsened because Gurung Buddhism did not have a clear structure/principles or philosophy. It made religious practice and cultural preservation processes more complicated or less consistent with each other, leading to conflicts.

Also, practicing both Shamanism and mainstream Buddhism at the same time creates ethical problems, especially when it comes to animal sacrifice as part of shamanistic rituals, which goes against Panchasila. Such disagreement puts Gurung communities at risk of losing their unity and coherence, which makes it harder to protect traditional cultural values and promote religious harmony. We must balance the traditional cultural values and the doctrines of Buddhism as they move toward structuring the principles or elements of Gurung Buddhism. We needed a complete strategy to deal with these problems that promote worldwide unity, morality, and understanding in Gurung Buddhist communities.

Therefore, the goal of the International Council of Gurung Buddhism is to end the religious and cultural disagreements within Gurung communities in Nepal and the diaspora. The people of the Gurung traditional culture are profoundly and sincerely Buddhist. However, the ancient traditions of folk religion, such as orthodox Shamanism, remain vital and have left their unforgettable stamp on the Gurung people, adding to Gurung’s distinctive nature and identity. So, Gurung Buddhism is a synthesis of all the traditional cultural values, ancient folk religions such as Shamanism, animism, totemism, ancestor worship, cults of local gods, popular rites, and traditional beliefs from pre-Buddhist monks, such as Bonpo lam and Vajrayana Buddhism with required transformation such as implementing Panchasila. The International Council of Gurung Buddhism aims to make “Gurung Buddhism” the symbol of togetherness going forward.

Because of the need for unity and consistency, Gurung Buddhist groups around the world worked to join together. In 2017, the 1st National Convention of the USA Gurungs was held in Omaha, Nebraska, under the initiative of Dr. Kumar Gurung, Tilak Gurung, Karma Kromche Gurung, Pancha Man Gurung, and team and formed United Gurung Society of America (UGSA).

The convention proclaimed and acknowledged the song “Hami Tamu Jati Ko” as the “Gurung Anthem,” or the symbol of unity for the Gurung communities in the diaspora. The original theme of this convention and the UGSA led by the new leader, Pradeep Gurung, was to unify the Gurung Buddhists (prime Gurung cultural values, practices, and Buddhism) in the diaspora.

2019 the Federation of Gurung Buddhism (FGB) was formed in Nepal. It was led by well-known activists like Inspector Dhurba Bahadur Gurung, S.P. Rajendra Gurung, Hit Kaji Gurung, Durga Prasad Gurung, Lama Gopal Gurung, Lama Gupti Gurung and Puspa Bahadur Gurung, an associate member of Tamu Baudha Sewa Samiti Nepal. Additionally, Khem B. Gurung from the UK, Damber Gurung from Israel, and Hewpati Gurung from Australia joined the Gurung Buddhism team in Nepal. Khen Rinpoche Shir Lama Gurung was appointed as the Chief Advisor of FGB. Dr. Kumar Gurung set up the Gurung Buddhism Group under the Triratna International Foundation in the USA in 2020 to unite Gurung Buddhists after observing the inconsistent activities and division motions in the United Gurung Society of America. The Gurung leaders Durga Gurung, Bhim Gurung, Indra Gurung, Bali Gurung, Arjun Gurung, Rajendra K. Gurung and team took the initiative by establishing UBGOA (United Buddhist Gurung Organization of America) in 2021.
In August 2024, the Federation of Gurung Buddhism and the Gurung Buddhism Group operated under Triratna International Foundation merged, and the International Council of Gurung Buddhism (ICGB) was founded to promote the rich spiritual heritage and cultural values of Gurung Buddhism across the globe. Originally established in 2019 as the Federation of Gurung Buddhism, the organization evolved and adopted its current name in 2024 to reflect its expanded mission of global outreach and unity. The ICGB is a reactivated form of the Federation of Gurung Buddhism with renewed vigor and focus on its core objectives.

Our international headquarters is located in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, with a branch office in Kathmandu, Nepal—bridging our efforts between the homeland and the global Gurung diaspora. As a spiritual and cultural institution, ICGB seeks to connect all Gurungs who practice Buddhism and value the unique traditions of the Gurung people.