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New Buddhism for New Aspirations New Buddhism for New Aspirations Navayana Buddhism of Ambedkar and His Followers Virginia Hancock This article begins with an overview of Navayana Buddhism from two perspectives, that of Ambedkar himself, based on his “Buddhist gospel” The Buddha and His Dhamma, and that of practioners in Maharashtra, based available academic scholarship. In the case of Ambedkar’s understanding of Buddhism, I will focus mostly on the changes he made to more traditional presentations of Buddhism. In the case of Maharashtran practitioners, I will attempt to draw some broad conclusions about their relationship to this relatively new religion. The centrality of the figure of Ambedkar in Navayana Buddhism, as well as Navayana Buddhist’s lack of conformity with Ambedkar’s understanding of Buddhist principles as articulated in The Buddha and His Dhamma, will guide me in my conclusions about the ways outside observers might want to move forward in the study of this relatively new religion. mbedkar wrote The Buddha entirely of suffering then there is and His Dhamma with the no incentive for change. Aintent of creating a single The doctrines of no-soul, karma, text for new Buddhists to read and rebirth are incongruous. It is and follow. His introduction outlines illogical to believe that there can be four ways in which previous karma and rebirth without a soul. understandings of Buddhist doctrine The monk’s purpose has not are lacking: been presented clearly. Is he The Buddha could not have had supposed to be a “perfect man” his first great realization simply or a “social servant”? because he encountered an old As these rather sweeping man, a sick man, and a dying man. It is unreasonable and therefore critiques of Buddhism suggest, false to assume that the Buddha Ambedkar was comfortable in the did not have previous knowledge role of consciously restructuring his of something so common. chosen religion to meet the needs of The Four Noble truths “make the the Dalit community he spoke for.1 gospel of the Buddha a gospel of Several scholars have remarked pessimism.” If life is composed upon and analyzed this aspect of No.145 17 Navayana poverty. The world is full of suffering Buddhism. For (In Ambedkar’s view) and how to remove this suffering example, Adele Buddha’s renunciation from the world is the only purpose Fiske and is motivated more by of Dhamma. Nothing else is Dhamma. Christoph political exigencies rather The recognition of the existence of Emmrich than a desire find the suffering and to show the way to undertook a ultimate truth and he remove suffering is the foundation detailed analysis and basis of his Dhamma…A becomes a figure religion which fails to recognise this of Ambedkar’s use of the traditional not unlike a minority Buddhists texts in Pali in writing The is no religion at all…The Buddha politician in Buddha and His Dhamma.2 Fiske then told them that according to his and Emmrich examined Ambedkar’s contemporary India. Dhamma if every person followed (1) the Path of Purity; (2) the Path of references in the original version of Righteousness; and (3) the Path of The Buddha and His Dhamma and have encountered). In this way the virtue, it would bring about the end describe patterns of alteration from Buddha’s renunciation is motivated of all suffering.”4 the presentation of Buddhism in the more by political exigencies rather Ambedkar makes several Pali canon that they characterize as than a desire to find the ultimate truth, obvious changes to early Buddhist omission, change in emphasis and and he becomes a figure not unlike a minority politician in contemporary doctrine. The first Noble Truth that changed meaning through India. The discussion of water rights life is suffering becomes the “second interpolation or interpretation.3 was also a familiar topic after the postulate,” and the most important Following are examples of the Mahad Satyagraha. These changes, characteristic of Buddhism becomes type of changes Ambedkar made to though unorthodox, create a its concern for human relationships. traditional presentations of the character for the Buddha that might The second Noble Truth, that Buddha’s teachings and the way in be easily understood by oppressed suffering arises from mental craving, which these changes might support communities, specifically Dalits. is also described in social terms as Dalit activism. The Four Noble Truths “sorrow, misery and poverty.” In Ambedkar’s first major Ambedkar interprets the Four turn he refers to the third Noble Truth reinterpretation involves the Noble truths similarly. His regarding the cessation of suffering Buddha’s reununciation of worldly description of the first sermon at Deer as the “removal of suffering.” life. Whereas traditional biographies Park follows: Christopher Queen’s detailed of the Buddha emphasize the “The centre of his Dhamma is analysis of Ambedkar’s presentation empathy the young prince felt when man and the relation of man to man of the Four Noble Truths reveals still he first encountered human in his life on earth. This [the Buddha] more ways in which they have been sufferring, Ambedkar highlights the said was his first postulate. His altered to create a message of social strength of the Buddha’s social second postulate was that men are activism. Queen notes that as the conscience during a conflict over Buddha’s teachings continue it water rights. According to living in sorrow, in misery and Ambedkar, the Buddha advocated a becomes clear that the Path of Purity rational and peaceful resolution of (Ambedkar’s) Eightfold is the Five Precepts, the Path of an inter-tribe water conflict but was Path, for example, is Righteousness is the Eightfold Path, unable to gain the necessary political to remove injustice and and the Path of Virture is the Ten 5 leverage because he lacked majority inhumanity that man Paramitas, or perfections. Yet Ambedkar does not present any of vote. He then went into exile and does to man...there became a renunciant because it was these concepts in their traditional is a distinct element the only way to prevent his tribe format. The goal of the Eightfold from going to war with their of anti-Brahmanism Path, for example, is “to remove neighbors. Ambedkar omits any in Ambedkar’s injustice and inhumanity that man mention of old age, sickness, and rendering of the does to man,” rather than nirvana.6 death (the forms of suffering the Four Noble Truths. Nirvana itself is then described as: Buddha is usually understood to (1) a fundamental understanding No.145 18 “that there was transitory, but more graphic, terms suffering in the as “sorrow”, “misery”, and Ambedkar’s Buddha tells world, and (2) a “poverty.” These largely social his disciples, “Where proactive conditions are remedied quite virtue is in danger do not knowledge of differently from the traditional avoid fighting, do not be “how to remove Buddhist understanding of suffering mealy-mouthed.” Monks this suffering as an intricate network of mental are not hermetic ascetics and make cravings. This change also speaks who are focused on mankind of the fact that the traditional focus happy.”7 on craving might have lent itself to the attainment of Buddhism and the Caste manipulation by people in power, otherworldly states. System who could advocate renunciation These changes speak specifically instead of response to the materially emphasis on karma gives added to Dalits in a number of ways. First, based claims of the dispossessed. significance to societal changes, as there is a distinct element of anti- Third, by placing the Four Noble each life is now a unique and Brahmanism in Ambedkar’s rendering Truths, the Eightfold Path, and the unrepeatable opportunity for change of the Four Noble Truths. “Nothing Ten Perfections in a social context and growth. Whereas traditional else is Dhamma,” he states, and “a he provides religious justification for conceptions of karma and rebirth religion which fails to recognize this peoples’ social movements. Lastly, render material changes insignificant is no religion at all.” Although and perhaps most importantly, his on a cosmological scale, Ambedkar’s Ambedkar does not criticize other definition of nirvana is not only reinterpretation implies that such religions in this section—as he does easily understandable but also changes actually have ultimate in other chapters of the book—this theoretically attainable within a importance. In this way oppressed and other statements bear close single lifetime. peoples are vindicated in their sense resemblance to his earlier attack on Concept of Rebirth and the of social outrage and are informed Hinduism. Here, Ambedkar again Role of the Monk once again of the importance of legitimizes the use of Buddhism to Ambedkar’s explanation of political or social struggle. oppose traditions that are karma and rebirth further legitimizes Ambedkar’s reinterpretation of unsatisfactory. Second, as Queen both the source and the goal of social the role of the monk provides a final notes, Ambedkar seems to believe action. He defends the concept of illustration that Buddhism takes a that the traditional presentation of rebirth but changes the concept of proactive stance towards radical suffering—which places the “blame” the soul. Each time a person is reborn change. Monks should not be on the cravings of each individual— his or her soul is divided and content merely to serve society— would alienate Buddhism from the recombined with parts of many other they are instead the active socially and politically oppressed.8 peoples’ souls. There is thus no participants and creators of history. Thus suffering is described in single soul that is reborn over and He writes that the bhikkhu’s duties 9 over again. In this way Ambedkar are to proselytize for Buddhism and Ambedkar establishes establishes that there is no serve the laity.
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