Buryat shamanism is rooted in the concept of , which views the universe as consisting of three spheres:

A unique feature of Buryat shamanism is the historical division into "White" and "Black" paths, which reflects the types of spirits they engage with rather than a "good vs. evil" dichotomy.

Buryat shamanism, often referred to as "the black faith" (kara shajin) by outsiders, is one of the world's oldest spiritual belief systems, native to the Buryat people of the Lake Baikal region in Siberia. It is a complex system of animism and ancestor worship that centers on the mediation between humans and the spirit world. Core Worldview and Beliefs