The Shedrub Ling founder lama Tendzin Dokchit (secular name Mikhail Vasilyevich Sannikov) was born on November 30, 1961 in Votkinsk, Udmurt ASSR. Before primary school he lived in the Perm, Rostov and Sverdlovsk Regions.
In 1977, upon termination of the 8th grade he entered Zagorsk Spiritual Akademy, however, having studied there for less than a month he has recalled his documents and came back home. In Winter 1979 he has passed examinations for the 10th class of comprehensive school without attending lectures, and for the second semester he worked at school as physics and chemistry laboratories assistant. In 1979 he has been admitted to the Perm agricultural institute without examinations; he has graduated in January, 1980, having passed examinations without attending lectures and having defended his graduation project. At the same time he has finished the courses of civil aviation. In May, 1980 he was drafted into USSR army and for 8 months he was trained on the Yaroslavl State Security training area. Having finished training in a rank of second lieutenant. In February, 1981 he has been sent to Afghanistan for the first time. In 1987 he retired on disability pension and for 4 months worked in a morgue of Leninsky district of Perm as a pathoanatomist attendant.
In 1988 he tried to come for study to Ivolginsky datsan for the first time, however by the time of his arrival all the course groups have been already completed, and so he began studying only in the next year. By the introductory interview results he was directed to the group specializing on Tantra guided by a senior Buryat lama Darma-Dodi Zhalsaraev, and has taken monastic vows under the name of Tendzin Dokchit (Tib. bstan ’dzin drag gshed). This group numbered about 16 people in total, however it changed in the next years: someone has entered it later, someone has abandoned it before the end of study.
During 1989-1991 Tendzin Dokchit has studied at Ivolginsky datsan. In 1991-1993 he lived mainly in Gusinoozyorsk, then in Tamchinsky datsan Dami Gandan Darzhaling (Goose Lake town). From the end of May till the middle of August 1993 he travelled in Mongolia the first time, and there he has received initiation in Yamantaka Tantra from Sanzhayzhamts Lama from the temple Gandan-Shadduvlin in Erdeneta. In October-November of the same year he also practiced there phova, transmitted to him by lama Ngedub. From the end of January till the middle of August 1994 he made Six Yogas of Niguma retreat near the monastery Erdeni-Dzu, guided by the gabju-lama Tserendorzha. This lama also gave him initiations in Hevajra and Chakrasamvara Tantras. After a short return to Ivolginsky datsan Tendzin Dokchit has come back to Erdeni-Dzu and stayed there till November of the same year, taking part in restoration of the monastery Stupa fence under the direction of Pabo-lama.
Lamas of Erdeni-Dzu (early 1900-s). Gabdzhu Tserendorzh is the fourth from the left
After the return at first to Tamchinsky, and then to Ivolginsky datsan, in December of the same year Tendzin Dokchit has received initiation from Yeshe Lodoy Rinpoche, Tenzin-lama of the Agin datsan, Tenzin-lama of Okinsky datsan and from another lama together with Jamba (Andrey Okinsky) and Mergen (Tuva), in Maydari-sume.
Having finished his education lama Dokchit was going to move to Mongolia for permanent residence. However in Winter of 1995 Darma-Dodi gave lama Dokchit instructions on construction of datsan named Shedrub Ling (Tib. bshad sgrub gling; "Place of studying and implementation") on the Mount Kachkanar in Sverdlovsk region. Lama Darma-Dodi has described in details the place where the temple had to be built, and made several predictions concerning the future events, and has given relics for future Stupas, the number and the type of which he has defined himself.
Lama Dokchit came to Kachkanar and found the place indicated by the Teacher, and on May 16, 1995 he has begun the monastery construction. Almost all remaining year, as well as the following year, lama Dokchit spent doing stonework on the mountain, storeing materials for future masonry and also working in Kachkanar. In December, 1996 he has arrived to Ivolginsky datsan to receive certificate of education, but as it has soon become clear, the new management of "Traditional Buddhist Sangha of Russia" didn't intend to support the independent datsans both in Buryatia and beyond. Therefore lama Dokchit had to return to the mountain without Certificate. He continued the work (read more about this situation — here). In 1997 first disciples arrived and began to help with construction.
In the late 1990-s lama Dokchit has contacted the Ekaterinburg Karma-Kagyu group, and as a result of negotiations with the head of the Russian Association of Diamond Way Buddhists of Karma Kagyu tradition Alexander Koybagarov and of a personal meeting with lama Ole Nidal, lama Dokchit has agreed about cooperation. At the end of May, 2000 on invitation of the president of Elista’s Karma Kagyu Dharma Center lama Dokchit has visited the construction of Stupa in Elista, and there lama Denzong Norbu has given him fragments of the filling used in construction, which were later used with other filling in the first Stupa built on the mountain, the Awakening Stupa. On lama Dokchit’s initiative in 2001 the Ekaterinburg Buddhists have registered the local religious organization, the first in the Urals, and with assistance of the Association lama Dokchit has registered the similar organization in Kachkanar, on behalf of which he later carried out the registration of land rights for Shedrub Ling. However, subsequently the cooperation with the Association had to be cut down due to disagreement on the educational program which was carried out in the Association centers, and on the necessity of monkhood for spreading of the Buddhism in the country.
In 2014 lama Dokchit has received the certificate of the priest issued by the Central Spiritual Administration of Buddhists of Russia under which a new local religious organization "Buddha's Way" has been registered in Nizhny Tagil. From now on MRO "Buddha's Way" began to represent the interests of community in legalization of its land rights.
Since 1995, lama Tendzin Dokchit is the permanent leader of community and he heads the construction process in order to carry out his Teacher’s instructions.
