Dalit Buddhist movement

The Indian Buddhist Movement is a modern Buddhist revivalist movement in India. As a popular movement, Indian Buddhist Movement began on October 14, 1956 when B. R. Ambedkar, born in Hindu Untouchable community converted to Buddhism along with nearly 500,000 of his followers. (Note: Navayana is also the name of an anti-caste publishing house)

Origins

At the beginning of the 20th century, Buddhism was all but dead in India, the land of its origin. Certain tribal groups in Bengal continued to follow Buddhism, as did peoples in Ladakh and Sikkim where Tibetan culture was influential, but these groups were on the margins of Indian society. Historical research and increased contact with the rest of the Buddhist world, however, led to renewed interest in Buddhism. Thinkers such as Iyothee Thass, Brahmananda Reddy, and Dharmananda Kosambi began to discuss it in very favourable terms. During the 1930's, Ambedkar, who declared in 1935 his intention to leave Hinduism because he believed it perpetuated caste injustices, became interested in Buddhism as an alternative. After publishing a series of books and articles arguing that Buddhism was the only way for the Untouchables to gain equality, Ambedkar publicly converted on October 14, 1956 in Nagpur. He took the three refuges and five precepts from a Buddhist monk in the traditional manner and then in his turn administered them to the 380,000 of his followers that were present. Ambedkar would die less than two months later, just after finishing his definitive work on Buddhism.

22 Vows of Modern Indian Buddhism

After receiving ordination from Buddhist monk Bhadant U. Chandramani, On 14th October 1956 at Nagpur, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar gave Dhamma Diksha to his followers. An important part of the ceremony was 22 vows to all new converts after Three Jewels and Five Precepts. On 16th October 1956 he repeated another mass religious conversion ceremony at Chanda where he gave only 22 vows to all the people gathered there:

1) I shall have no faith in Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh nor shall I worship them.

2) I shall have no faith in Rama and Krishna who are believed to be incarnation of God nor shall I worship them.

3) I shall have no faith in ‘Gauri’, Ganapati and other gods and goddesses of Hindus nor shall I worship them.

4) I do not believe in the incarnation of God.

5) I do not and shall not believe that Lord Buddha was the incarnation of Vishnu. I believe this to be sheer madness and false propaganda.

6) I shall not perform ‘Shraddha’ nor shall I give ‘pind-dan’.

7) I shall not act in a manner violating the principles and teachings of the Buddha.

8) I shall not allow any ceremonies to be performed by Brahmins.

9) I shall believe in the equality of man.

10) I shall endeavor to establish equality.

11) I shall follow the ‘noble eightfold path’ of the Buddha.

12) I shall follow the ten ‘paramitas’ prescribed by the Buddha.

13) I shall have compassion and loving kindness for all living beings and protect them.

14) I shall not steal.

15) I shall not tell lies.

16) I shall not commit carnal sins.

17) I shall not take intoxicants like liquor, drugs etc.

18) I shall endeavor to follow the noble eightfold path and practice compassion and loving kindness in every day life.

19) I renounce Hinduism, which is harmful for humanity and impedes the advancement and development of humanity because it is based on inequality, and adopt Buddhism as my religion.

20) I firmly believe the Dhamma of the Buddha is the only true religion.

21) I believe that I am having a re-birth.

22) I solemnly declare and affirm that I shall hereafter lead my life according to the principles and teachings of the Buddha and his Dhamma.

These 22 vows make anti-Hinduism and pro-Buddhism stance very clear.

Distinctive interpretation

Ambedkar's Buddhism seemingly differs from that of those who accepted by faith, who 'go for refuge' and accept the canon. This much is clear from its basis: it does not accept in totality the scriptures of the Theravada, the the Mahayana, or the Vajrayana. The question that is then clearly put forth: is a fourth yana, a Navayana, a kind of modernistic Enlightenment version of the Dhamma really possible within the framework of Buddhism?

Ambedkarite Buddhists espouse an eclectic version of Buddhism, primarily based on Theravada, but with additional influences from Mahayana and Vajrayana. On many subjects, they give Buddhism a distinctive interpretation. Of particular note is their emphasis on Shakyamuni Buddha as a political and social reformer, rather than merely as a spiritual leader. They point out that the Buddha required his monastic followers to ignore caste distinctions, and that he was criticical of the social inequality that existed in his own time. Ambedkar's followers do not believe that a person's unfortunate conditions at birth are the result of previous karma. In this respect, the Ambedkarites have some support from doctrinal sources. The Buddhist scriptures themselves do not teach that birth into a high social position is a sign of merit, and the Ambedkarite interpretation has been defended by reference to the various Suttas in which the Buddha teaches that some are born into high social position "Only for their own destruction, as a hollow tree grows high only to crumble down", etc. Conversely, many orthodox Buddhists are profoundly uncomfortable with some of the liberties Ambedkar took in "Quoting" the Buddha --such as re-fashioning the four noble truths to have a direct social message.

Buddhism in India after Ambedkar

The Buddhist movement was somewhat hindered by Ambedkar's death so shortly after his conversion. It did not receive the immediate mass support from the Untouchable population that Ambedkar had hoped for. Division and lack of direction among the leaders of the Ambedkarite movement have been an additional impediment. The Buddhist revival remains concentrated in two states: Ambedkar's native Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. According to the 2001 census, there are currently 7.95 million Buddhists in India i.e.0.8 % of total population of India, at least 5.83 million of whom are Buddhists in Maharashtra. This makes Buddhism the fifth-largest religion in India and 6% of the population of Maharashtra, but less than 1% of the overall population of India. Neo-Buddhist leaders, however, claim that these numbers are inaccurate because of irregularities in the census and because many private Buddhists refrain from publicly converted for fear of sanctions. These leaders argue that the actual numbers are considerably higher. One of the more prominent Neo-Buddhist leaders in recent years has been Udit Raj (formerly Ram Raj.) Raj, also a political activist, organized a large mass conversion on November 4, 2001 where he gave the 22 vows, but the event met with active opposition from the government. The Tamil Nadu and Gujarat governments passed new laws in 2003 to ban "forced" religious conversions which were later withdrawn due to heavy opposition.

India's National Commission for Minorities (NCM)

Buddhist are recognized a minority community in India.. Lama Chosphel Zotpa, Member is current representative of Buddhists. Japanese born Indian Buddhist monk Bhante Surai Sasai the head of Buddhist Mahabodhi Temple Liberation Movement was also the member of NCM.

Buddhist Movement Crossing Hindu Caste Barriers

Over the period of last 50 years several thousand people from different castes have converted to Buddhism. The conversion ceremony is done with Trisarana, PanchSheela and 22 vows. The Indian Buddhist community is trying to create their own identity different from their Hindu couterparts.

Visionaries of 'Post-Ambedkar' era

S. N. Goenka

S. N. Goenka, an Indian meditation teacher trained in Burma, also has an active following in modern India. The Grand Pagoda, as envisioned by Shri S.N.Goenka, will preserve the Vipassana technique, also known as the way out of suffering and the relics of Buddha. The most significant part of this structure is that it will be more than twice as large as the presently largest dome structure in the world, namely the Gol Gumbaz at Bijapur in India. The stones will be skillfully placed to form a load bearing dome structure without supporting pillars inside the hall.

Kanshi Ram

In 2002 Kanshi Ram, a popular out-caste political leader from a Sikh religious background, announced his intention to convert to Buddhism on October 14, 2006, the fiftieth anniversary of Ambedkar's conversion. He intends for 20,000,000 of his supporters to convert at the same time. Part of the significance of this plan is that Ram's followers include not only Untouchables, but persons from a variety of castes, who could significantly broaden Buddhism's support. However, it remains to be seen whether this move will be able to successfully reinvigorate the Indian Buddhist movement.

Neo-Buddhism & International Audience

Japanese Contribution

A Japanese organization called The Ogawa Trust, maintains a Nagarjuna Hospital at Mansar, a Convent school (meaning an English language school) for poor students, cooperative bidi industries, an orphanage, cooperative home industry for women, and various other kinds of aid not institutionalized. The Ogawa Trust has also helped in the building of an ornate Buddhist Temple at Kampti, a town near Nagpur of historic importance in the Ambedkar movement. near Nagpur.

Taiwanese Contribution

The Taiwanese contribute to the growth of Buddhism in India in two very different ways in addition to a “Buddha Light” movement which is little known. They have helped in financial terms the work of the TBMSG, aiding in the building of girls hostels and a new retreat and educational center in Nagpur. The second way is very different. Since the ordination of women has been lost in the Theravada tradition, only a Mahayana based sangha can give ordination to women. Taiwan, with one of the most active groups of women bhikshuni in the world, has begun to facilitate the ordination of women in India. In February 1998 a full ordination ceremony was held at Bodh Gaya by the Foguangshan Monastery in Taiwan. It was a momentous event, with more than 1500 participants, including 1200 Taiwanese pilgrims, and many monks and nuns. 132 applicants arrived to receive ordination as nuns and undertook a nine day period of training and questioning. Of these candidates 66 were from South Asia, and of these at least twenty-eight were from Maharashtra. Yuchen Li describes how a group of eight fully ordained nuns from Taiwan, Burma, the United States, Nepal and Japan felt about some of these Maharashtrian candidates as they celebrated the “birthday” of their own ordination ten years previously in a meeting at the end of the ordination ceremonies.

Reference Articles

• The Buddha and His Dhamma, text of the book by B. R. Ambedkar
• Are neo-Buddhists Hindus?
• 2590 Years Of Buddhism
• Omvedt, Gail. Buddhism in India : Challenging Brahmanism and Caste. 3rd ed. London/New Delhi/Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2003.

Global Organizations

• Ambedkar Center for Justice and Peace
• Dr. Ambedkar International Mission
• Trailokya Bauddha Mahasangha Sahayaka Gana
• Karuna Trust
• The Jambudvipa Trust