The ritual aspect of mystery Tsam in the Buryat datsans

The article deals with some aspects of the mystery of Tsam, which is a theatrical performance of dance-pantomime in Buryat datsans. Special attention is paid to revealing of canonic functional elements of the Buddhist ritual of creation the sand mandala. On the base of archival documents the authors characterize the ritual aspects of Tsam, show the peculiarities of the Tantra traditions’ realization, and ritual practice in Buryat datsans.