A blessing for the food is an old Kalmyk prayer which combines both pre-Buddhist and Buddhist beliefs. Anna Andreevna Shurguchinova, who utters the prayer, memorized it from her grandmother. It is read during a ritual called Matsg before lunch. Usually people who invite old women to perform the Matsg ritual in their house prepare food for them. This food should not include meat, egg, and fish that involves killing living beings. The prayer begins with the reciting of the mantra om mani padme khum three times. Then the performers appeal to Buddhist and pre-Buddhist deities, including Master of land Tsagan Aava (Delkyan ezn Tsagan Avg), higher Buddhas (Deeds oln burkhd), the sky (Kokrgch kok mongn ogtrgun) and mother earth (Korstya gazr). In this video, after recounting these deities, Anna and Maria ask them to relieve all the people who are present there from cough and influenza (khanya-tomu), reasons of unhappiness created by those present themselves (khalta shaltan), and sufferings sent from the sky (tengrin zovlng). The second part of the prayer includes the recounting of the names of worldly deity-protectors, guardians of locality (gazr-usna zayan syakusn) and Okon Tengri (Galyn Okn Tengr). It is possible that with the adoption of Buddhism among the Oirats the deity of fire became associated with the Buddhist deity Shri Devi. After this the women appeal to Buddhist deities Maitreya and Bhaisajyaguru (Myadr manlyn gegyan), the Manych river (Mants gol), and the sun and the moon. Anna Andreevna talks about the Buddhist concept of Three Jewels as ordinary people understand it. According to old Kalmyk beliefs, the Three Jewels of Buddhism refers to three groups, including guardians of locality (gazr-usna zayan syakusn), Okon Tengri (Galyn Okn Tengr) and paternal and maternal parents (dorvn eej-aavin zayan syakusn). Anna also points out that for Buddhist monks Three Jewels symbolize different things. After that Anna utters a well-wish addressed to the deities to protect all those present at the ritual. The next block of prayers is recited in Tibetan, which is popular quatrain of the Gelug sсhool – the Migtsema prayer. This prayer praises Lama Tsongkapa, the founder of the Gelug school. It is recited three times. In the next prayer, which is also in Tibetan, the women ask Lama Tsongkapa to descend on the top of their heads and bless both who are in the room and those who practice reading prayers. Next follow several prayers in Kalmyk. As in the first part, the women recount the names of deities, including the four guardians of the four corners of the world (dorvljn dorvn uzgin zayan syakusn), four grandparents symbolising all ancestors (dorvn eej-aav), Buddha Shakyamuni (Burkhn bagshin gegyan), Lama Tsongkapa (Zunkvin gegyan), Vajrapani (Ochr Vaani gegyan), the Dalai Lama (Dalai lam) and a Buddha called Arl (Arl gidg burkhn). Then the women proceed to calling the names of the guardians of their place, including the spiritual protectors of the Bolshederbetovskiy clan (Ik dorvdin zayan-syakusn), Buddha Shakyamuni, Green and White Taras, Tsagan Aav and 108 bodhisattvas. After recounting the names of all these deities, Anna and Maria say a well-wish in which they ask for happiness for all living beings of the six worlds of samsara, without distinguishing between ‘ours’ and ‘others’, Russians and Tatars. After the well-wish, Anna recites a hymn three times to two deities, namely Green Tara and White Tara. Following that Anna recites another prayer, a short praise to Buddha Shakyamuni, which was widespread among the Kalmyks in pre-Soviet Kalmykia. This prayer ends with expressing a wish that all people read prayers, both in Tibetan and Kalmyk. As previously, this prayer is also recited three times. The women recommend to recite the prayer of Erlig nomin khan (the lord of the underworld) as a reminder that we will all end up in his world eventually.