The Story of Vsevolod Ivanov’s “Return of the Buddha”: Symbolism of the Title
Since the 19th century, many writers and poets have shown interest in the spiritual values of the East, including India. Buddhism, the religious and philosophical teachings of Gautam Buddha, emerged in India in the First Millennium BC as a reaction against dogmas. It attracted the special attention of many Russian writers, from Leo Tolstoy to the most popular contemporary postmodernist writer, Victor Pelevin; often has been the subject of their creative work. The eminent writer from Siberia, Vsevolod Ivanov, holds a special place among these writers. Throughout his life, he engaged himself in the study of India and Indian spiritual teachings, including Buddhism. His admiration for Eastern philosophy (especially Buddhism) in all probability stemmed from the unique location of his Eurasian native land, which was the merging point of European and Asian culture. In the troubled years of early twentieth century, Vsevolod Ivanov was looking for a solution to the problems of the West (Russia) in Eastern philosophy, and some of his works were woven around this topic. The story “The Return of the Buddha” is one of them. The story deals with the physical and spiritual journey of a few during the turbulent times of the Civil war in Russia. The statue of Buddha is perceived in different ways by the characters accompanying it. For some, the statue signifies the supreme spiritual power, and for others, it is just one of the objects of the material world.