Content World’s First International Editor’s Voice………………………………. 3 Buddhist E-Magazine From Columns Critical Quest……………………………...... Goldy George 5 The Land of Buddha Conscience Speaks…………………….......... Vivek Sakpal 9 October 2013 Year - 1 Issue - 4 The Treasury of Truth – Dhammapada……... Anil Yadavrao Gaikwad 10 Motivational Guru Says...….…….................. Mahendra Ingle 12 Chief Editor Anil Yadavrao Gaikwad Articles – Buddhism Vedana–Greatest Discovery of Buddha…….. Prof. Sudhakar A. Pawar 15 Dr Ambedkar Revived Buddhism in India…. Ven. Vinayarakkhita Thero 18 Editorial Committee 22 Vows – Must for Indian Buddhist ………. Anil Yadavrao Gaikwad 20 Ms. Anita Bharati Goldy George Buddha Or Karl Marx ……………………… Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar 22 Vidhya Bhushan Rawat Articles - Social Issues Manas Jena Psychology in Persistence of Castes ……….. Dr Anand Teltumbde 26 Advisor Struggle to eradicate Caste System…………. Ram Puniyani 31 Dr. Prakash H Karmadkar Management Degree for Career Growth……. Dr Prakash H Karmadkar 33 News Layout Design & Presentation Ven. Dr Buddharakkhita Bhante……………. 36 Sankalp Khobragade & Kamlesh Wahane Padma Bhushan Mr. Satya Narayan Goenka.. 37 Readers’ Voice……………………………… 39 Proof Reading Ms. Mitali Gaikwad This E-Magazine is for free distribution . You are encouraged to forward it to others. There is no commercial interest by the editorial team. If you wish to Public Relations support this publication, kindly send your donations. Cheques can be drawn T N Urkude in favour of www.buddhistvoice.com. Circulation & Distribution Babasaheb Satpute th 13 October 2013 – Diksha Bhoomi, Nagpur, India Celebrations on the occasion of Dhamma Chakra Parivartan Din Address for Correspondence Buddhist Voice B-62, Yamuna, Sector - 3 Srishti Complex, Mira Road (East) District Thane, Maharashtra State, India, Pin 401104 Contact +91-9321141819 Email : [email protected] For Private Circulation only. www.buddhistvoice.com The views & opinions expressed by the authors are their individual opinions & do not represent the views of the Editorial Team. ● Year – 1 ● Issue – 4 ● October 2013 ● Buddhist Voice ● www.buddhistvoice.com 2 Editor’s Voice Greetings on the Occasion of Dhamma Chakra Saddhananda Fulzele, one of the organizer of the Great Parivartan Din - 14 th October 2013! 1956 conversions ceremony, said recently in one of the interview “Fifty odd years are a very short time in Indeed, it is a Social Liberation Day for most of the history of a religious movement, and I think that over Buddhist in India. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had said on this period the conversion movement has a good 13 th October, 1935 that “Unfortunately I was born a response.” During visit to Diksha Bhoomi at Nagpur on Hindu untouchable but I solemnly assured you that I 14 th October 2013 I saw one of the hoarding stating that will not die a Hindu.” Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s mission of Buddhist India announcement to renounce Hindu Religion and to will be realized by 2056 and I have no doubt about it. embrace some other religion then got wide publicity on Certainly India is moving in right direction. Recently on a global scale. He took 21 years to research various 13 th October, 2013 on the occasion of Ashoka Vijaya religions and finally he announced in September, 1956 Dashmi and the 57 th Anniversary of Dhamma Chakra that he will convert to Buddhism on Ashoka Vijaya Parivartain Din, thousands of the people embrace Dashami, falling on 14 th October, 1956. It is an Buddhism at ceremony “Chalo Budhh Ki Aur” 2 held at unparallel event in the history of world wherein about Patapar-Dungarpur Village, District Junagadh, Gujarat. 5,00,000 people gave up their religion and adopted As per the press reports, Mr. Devendra Govindbhai Buddhism on their own without any pressure and Vanvi, Convenor of Buddha Diksha Mohotsava Samiti violence. Today, majority of Buddhist in India who were (BDMS), said that people from 19 districts and 51 once treated as untouchables as per the graded Talukas of the State came to Junagadh on the occasion. inequality based Hindu Religion are Buddhist. After Over 30,000 families had completed the process of announcing his decision to convert, Dr. Babasaheb conversion by filling out forms and submitting them to Ambedkar during his speech on 31 st May, 1936 1 said respective local district administrations. He further said “You are at the lowest rung of the ladder today. You that he had secured prior permission on various heads shall remain lowest forever. This means the struggle from respective authorities for the function. However, between Hindus and Untouchables shall continue the Gujarat Government has ordered an inquiry into the forever.” That means unless conversion takes place the mass conversion under the provisions of Section 5 of situation of Untouchables would have remained as it is the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Rules, 2008. It is really forever. Dr Ambedkar also said “Thousands of surprising that Gujarat state has Anit-Conversion Law untouchables tolerate insult, tyranny and oppression at when India is a secular country and such Anti- the hands of Hindus without a sigh of complaint, Conversion Law is against the fundamental rights of the because they have no capacity to bear the expenses of citizen in India. This is not the first time such the courts. As regards mental strength, the condition is conversion took place in Gujarat State. In past, many still worst. The tolerance of insults and tyranny without such conversions took place in Gujarat State. Some of grudge and complaint has killed the sense of retort and the prominent conversions were in October 2003, May, revolt. Confidence, vigour and ambition have been 2007 and May 2011. completely vanished from you……. The Hindus practice injustice and tyranny against you only because you are During the last month, Two Buddhist monks passed helpless……. There is no place for an individual in away and it is a loss to the Buddhist Society. Venerable Hindu society. The Hindu religion is constituted on a Acharya (Dr.) Buddharakkhita Bhante, the founder of class-concept. Hindu religion does not teach how an Maha Bodhi Society, Bangalore, India passed away at individual should behave with another individual. A the age of 91 years on the 23 rd September, 2013. religion, which does not recognise the individual, is not Buddhist world lost a dedicated and true missionary. personally acceptable to me. Three factors are required Another Buddhist Monk, Bhante Buddharatna passed for the uplift of an individual. They are: Sympathy, away at the age of 67 years. He was stationed at Equality and Liberty……. By conversion, nobody can Kandivali, Mumbai in India. Bhante Buddharatna was say or feel that one society has been split up. You will born as a Hindu and later became a Buddhist. He was remain as separate from the Hindus as you are today. from Andhra Pradesh but stationed in Mumbai. He Nothing new will happen on account of this married a Buddhist girl against wishes of his family and conversion……. To reform the Hindu society is neither after studying Buddhism he became a strong Buddhist. our aim nor our field of action. Our aim is to gain In latter part of his life, with permission from his family, freedom. We have nothing to do with anything else…….. he became a Buddhist Monk and dedicated his life It will be seen that this path of conversion is the only towards Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s mission of right path of freedom, which ultimately leads to Buddhist India. equality. It is neither cowardice nor escapism……. The It is sad to report that Prominent Tibetan religious caste system in the Hindus has the foundation of leader Choje Akong Rinpoche, aged 73, who introduced religion. The castes in other religions have no sanction the Tibetan Buddhism to Europe, was assassinated on in their religion …Hindus cannot destroy their castes 7th October, 2013 in China’s Sichuan Provincial Capital without destroying their religion. …… Untouchability is Chengdu. Choje Akong Rinpoche had founded the first a permanent handicap on your path of progress. And Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in United Kingdom in 1967 unless you remove it, your path cannot be safe. Without and later become instrumental in setting up Rokpa conversion, this hurdle cannot be removed.” Prof. ● Year – 1 ● Issue – 4 ● October 2013 ● Buddhist Voice ● www.buddhistvoice.com 3 International, a humanitarian organisation that worked be out of place to state that Mr. Satya Narayan Goenka mainly in Tibet and Nepal. He founded Samye Ling was teaching Vedic teaching in the name of Buddhism. Monastery at Scotland. Located in a valley on the bank Therefore, some of scholars doubt the real intention of of River Esk in Scotland, the monastery was the first Mr Goenka in spreading Vipassana in India. Many of Tibetan Buddhist Center to have been established in scholars also argue that Buddha always taught the West. In 1959, in the aftermath of the year’s Tibetan rational way of life but he never said that everybody Rebellion, he came to India at the age of 20. After should become a Buddha. If that is the case then why spending time in refuge camps, he was asked to teach are we giving too much importance to Vipassana which at the Young Lama Home School in Dalhousie in is the path for achieving enlightenment? Himachal Pradesh, India. In 1963, he went to Oxford to We must also understand what Dr. Babasaheb learn English. His book “Taming the Tiger: Tibetan Ambedkar had said about Vipassana. In book “The Teachings for Improving Daily Life” was well received by Buddha and His Dhamma”, Dr. Ambedkar presented the readers. The book aims to help those seeking the the Buddhist Philosophy based on logic, rationality and truth about suffering and happiness. In 1992, Mr. truth. During the International Buddhist Conference Akong got opportunity to visit his native Tibet.