International Journal of Research p-ISSN: 2348-6848 e-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Volume 04 Issue 05 April 2017 Ambedkar and Re-Emergence of Buddhism in India RAM SARUP SAILANI Dr. Ved Prakash Research Scholar, English, Ph.D Asstt. Prof. of English NIILM University, Kaithal NIILM University,Kaithal Abstract Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar is known as the pioneer of re-emergence of Buddhism in India. He has provided a strong force in giving momentum to this movement. It was because of Ambedkar’s efforts that the movement for the Buddhism gained momentum in India. Moreover, Ambedkar deserve special credit for the re-emergence of Buddhism in India because he was the main force to provide a particular direction to Buddhism. Paper founder of the Bengal Buddhist Association in Calcutta (1892), established viharas in Buddhism was once dominant through much cities such as Lucknow, Hyderabad, of India; it had, however, declined in India Shillong and Jamshedpur.[4] The number of due to a number of reasons. The Buddhist Buddhists in the Lucknow district was 73 in revival began in India in 1891, when the Sri 1951.[5] These Buddhists were mainly Barua Lankan Buddhist leader Anagarika families who came to Lucknow from Dharmapala founded the Maha Bodhi Chittagong after the partition of Bengal in Society. The Maha Bodhi Society mainly 1905. attracted upper-caste people. In Lucknow, Bodhanand Mahastavir (1874– In the early 20th century, the Barua 1952) advocated Buddhism for Dalits. Born Buddhists of Bengal under the leadership of Mukund Prakash in a Bengali Brahmi Kripasaran Mahasthavir (1865–1926), Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 1281 International Journal of Research p-ISSN: 2348-6848 e-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Volume 04 Issue 05 April 2017 family, he was orphaned at a young age, and Jigyasu, founded the Bahujan Kalyan was raised in Varanasi by an aunt. He was Prakashan. The two co-authored a book on initially attracted to Christianity, but became the life and teaching of the Buddha. a Buddhist after a meeting with Buddhists Acharya Ishvardatt Medharthi (1900–1971) monks from Ceylon at a Theosophical of Kanpur also supported the cause of the Conference in Varanasi. He later lived in Dalits. He studied Pali at Gurukul Kangri Lucknow where he came in contact with the and Buddhist texts were well known to him. Barua, many of whom were employed as He was initiated into Buddhism by Gyan cooks by the British. Keto and the Lokanatha in 1937. Gyan Keto In 1914, Prakash was ordained Bodhanand (1906–1984), born Peter Schoenfeldt, was a Mahastavir in Calcutta in the presence of German who arrived in Ceylon in 1936 and Kripasaran Mahasthvir. He began preaching became a Buddhist. Medharthi strongly Buddhism in Lucknow. He founded the criticised the caste system in India. He Bharatiye Buddh Samiti in 1916, and set up claimed that the Dalits ("Adi Hindus") were a vihara in 1928. In his book Mula the ancient rulers of India and had been Bharatavasi Aur Arya ("Original Inhabitants trapped into slavery by Aryan invaders. and Aryans"), Mahastavir stated that the In 1890, Iyothee Thass founded the Sakya shudras were the original inhabitants of Buddhist Society (also known as the Indian India who were enslaved by the Indo-Aryan Buddhist Association). The first president of peoples. the Indian Buddhist Association was the Bodhanand Mahastavir wrote another book German-born American Paul Carus, the on Buddhist rituals called Baudha author of The Gospel of Buddha (1894). Dvicharya. His associate, Chandrika Prasad Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 1282 International Journal of Research p-ISSN: 2348-6848 e-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Volume 04 Issue 05 April 2017 Thass, a Tamil Siddha physician, was the through Dada Keluskar’s book on the life of pioneer of the Dalit movement. He argued the Buddha. Dada Keluskar, a leading that Tamil Dalits were originally Buddhists. litterateur of his time, had presented the He led a delegation of prominent Dalits to book to Ambedkar at a public meeting held Henry Steel Olcott and asked for his help in to felicitate Ambedkar on his passing the the reestablishment of Tamil Buddhism English fourth standard examination. Olcott helped Thass to visit Sri Lanka, Ambedkar was the first in his community to where he received diksha from Bhikkhu do so. Sumangala Nayake. After returning to India, After a "close study of all religions" for 35 Thass established the Sakya Buddhist years, Ambedkar was convinced that the Society in Chennai with branches in many novelty of teachings, leadership qualities, places, including Karnataka. Thass scientific temper, logical arguments make established a weekly magazine called Oru "Religion of the Buddha", the ideal religion Paisa Tamilan ("One Paisa Tamilian") in for the "modern man who knows science". Chennai in 1907, which served as a He was convinced that "Buddhism was the newsletter linking all the new branches of only religion" which could save society the Sakya Buddhist Society. The magazine "awakened by science" and "without which discussed traditions and practices of Tamil the society would perish". Buddhism, new developments in the Buddhist world, and the Indian One of the reasons for the "slow advance of subcontinent's history from the Buddhist Buddhism", according to Ambedkar, is its point of view. vast literature, and the other hurdle in its growth is that "it has no such thing as a B.R. Ambedkar’s first acquaintance with Bible, as the Christians have". It was to fill Buddha’s life, teachings and philosophy was Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 1283 International Journal of Research p-ISSN: 2348-6848 e-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Volume 04 Issue 05 April 2017 this gap that he undertook the task of writing body and advocates a more authentic version The Buddha and His Dhamma in a lucid and of it. He also refutes the commonly held clear way. He based his book on view that Buddhism is a pessimistic religion, Ashvaghosha’s Buddhavitta and shows how the Buddha is able to (Buddhacharita). The manuscript was reconcile between his doctrine of completed just three days before his death. Anatamvada — no soul theory, and the Eleanor Zelliot says in this connection that doctrine of Karma. Finally, he also dwells B.R. Ambedkar thought that with the on the need, necessity and role of Bhikkus advancement of Buddhism there will be ‖a — monks in Buddhism. Dhanajay Dheer realization of the value of the figure of the says in this regard, Ambedkar wanted a kind Buddha as focus of the new Buddhism. of reconciliation between the religion and Within this framework let us briefly look humanity‖2 into the history of the great icon and He not only explains the expressions used constitutionalist Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.‖1 by the Buddha but also uses current Though in all humility, Ambedkar does not terminology to give it a constructive, critical claim any originality and says that his book and modern interpretation. For instance, is a product of "compilation and assembly while explaining the notion of conversion, plant", his treatment of the issues relating to he makes a distinction between the Buddhism is quite novel, logical and clear. "conversion to the order of Bhikkus called He does not brush aside the vexing Sangha" and "conversion of a householder questions relating to Buddhism but takes as an Upaska or lay follower of the them head on. For example, he rejects the Buddha’s Dhamma". The norms for the two popular theory that Buddha became a are different. While Bhikkus can be recluse after seeing a sick, an old and a dead punished for violation of the norms, for the Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 1284 International Journal of Research p-ISSN: 2348-6848 e-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Volume 04 Issue 05 April 2017 Upaska they are just precepts. Pokka refuges and Five Precepts from a Buddhist (Upeksha), one of the virtues taught by monk, Bhadant U Chandramani, in the Buddha, is interpreted by Ambedkar not as traditional manner, and in his turn administered indifference as is usually done but as them to the 600,000 of his followers who were detachment. This interpretation gives a new present. The conversion ceremony was dimension to the virtue Upeksha. attended by Medharathi, his main disciple Bhoj Dev Mudit, and Mahastvir Bodhanand's Sri The center of Ambedkar's life was his devotion to the liberation of the backward Lankan successor, Bhante Pragyanand. classes and he struggled to find a Ambedkar asked Dalits not to get entangled in satisfactory ideological expression for that liberation. He talked a great deal about the existing branches of Buddhism, and called religion but went beyond that concept. Ambedkar believed that in the modern world his version Navayana or 'Neo-Buddhism'. the priority must be institutional liberation. The struggle for liberation, traditionally Ambedkar would die less than two months symbolized by the solitary renouncer in the forest, or by Gautama Buddha sitting alone later, just after finishing his definitive work on beneath the bodhi tree, had to be transformed into a struggle against Buddhism. institutionalized bondage. For Ambedkar, those were not only those karmic hindrances that conditioned the individual's Many Dalits employ the term consciousness from one lifetime to another. They were also institutionalized realities that "Ambedkar(ite) Buddhism" to designate the required a political solution. For this,as M.M.Thomas says:‖ Ambedkar announced Buddhist movement, which started with his intention to convert to a different religion and exhorted his followers to Ambedkar's conversion.[6] Many converted leave Hinduism.