Dalit Buddhist movement 591605 223948685 2008-07-06T17:30:16Z GoodDamon 1833248 Reverted to revision 223948214 by [[Special:Contributions/59.96.62.69|59.96.62.69]]; That section was entirely blatant POV-pushing, and sourced to one link on blogspot.. using [[WP:TWINKLE|TW]] {{Buddhism}} The '''Dalit Buddhist movement''' ([[Pāli]] नवयान ''navayāna'' as dubbed by certain Ambedkerites)<ref name="Buddhism in India : Challenging Brahmanism and Caste">Omvedt, Gail. Buddhism in India : Challenging Brahmanism and Caste. 3rd ed. London/New Delhi/Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2003. pages: 2, 3-7, 8, 14-15, 19, 240, 266, 271</ref> in India began with support of [[Sri Lanka]]n Buddhist monks. It received an impetus with [[B. R. Ambedkar]]'s call for conversion of [[Dalit]]s to [[Buddhism]] in order to escape the Hindu [[caste system]], in which the Dalits were treated very badly. ==Origins== Buddhism was once dominant through much of India, it had however begun to decline by the 12th century (see [[Decline of Buddhism in India]]). The Buddhist revival began in India in 1891, when the [[Sri Lanka]]n Buddhist leader [[Anagarika Dharmapala]] founded the [[Maha Bodhi Society]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Ahir |first=D.C. |title=Buddhism in Modern India |year=1991 |publisher=Satguru |id=ISBN 81-7030-254-4 }}</ref> The Maha Bodhi Society mainly attracted upper-caste people.<ref name="bhagwan_das_revival">{{citation |last=Das |first=Bhagwan |title=Revival of Buddhism in India. Role of Dr Baba Sahib B.R.Ambedkar |year=1998 |publisher=Dalit Today Prakashan |location=Lucknow |id=ISBN 81-7030-254-4 }}</ref> ===South India=== In 1890, Pandit C. Ayodhya Dasa (1845-1914), better known as [[Iyothee Thass]] founded the Sakya Buddhist Society (also known as Indian Buddhist Association). The first president of the Indian Buddhist Association was the German born American [[Paul Carus]], the author of ''The Gospel of Buddha'' (1894). Thass, a Tamil Siddha physician, was the pioneer of the [[Tamil people|Tamil]] [[Dalit]] movement. He argued that Tamil Dalits were originally Buddhists. He led a delegation of prominent Dalits to [[Henry Steel Olcott]] and asked for his help in the reestablishment of "Tamil Buddhism." Olcott helped Thass to visit Sri Lanka, where he received ''[[diksha]]'' from [[Bhikkhu]] Sumangala Nayake. After returning to India, Thass established the ''Sakya Buddhist Society'' in [[Chennai|Madras]] with branches in many places including [[Karnataka]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Geetha |first=V. |title=Towards a Non Brahmin Millennium - From Iyothee Thass to Periyar |year=2001 |publisher=Bhatkal & Sen,India |id=ISBN 81-8560-437-1 }}</ref> Thass established a weekly magazine called ''Oru Paisa Tamizhan'' ("One Paisa Tamilian") in Chennai in 1907, which served as a newsletter linking all the new branches of the Sakya Buddhist Society. The magazine discussed traditions and practices of Tamil Buddhism, new developments in the Buddhist world, and the Indian subcontinent's history from the Buddhist point of view. Brahmananda Reddy, a Dalit leader of [[Andhra Pradesh]], was also fascinated by Buddhism. ===Uttar Pradesh=== In the early 20th century, the [[Barua (Bangladesh)|Barua Buddhists]] of Bengal under the leadership of Kripasaran Mahasthavir (1865-1926), founder of the Bengal Buddhist Association, Calcutta (1892) established [[vihara]]s in cities such as [[Lucknow]], [[Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh|Hyderabad]], [[Shillong]] and [[Jamshedpur]].<ref name="bhagwan_das_revival"/> In [[Lucknow]], Bodhanand Mahastavir (1874-1952) advocated Buddhism for Dalits. Born Mukund Prakash in a Bengali Brahmin family, he was orphaned at a young age, and was then raised in [[Benaras]] by an aunt. He was initially attracted to [[Christianity]], but became a Buddhist after a meeting with Buddhists monks from Ceylon at a [[Theosophy|Theosophical]] Conference in [[Benares]]. He later lived in Lucknow where he came in contact with [[Barua (Bangladesh)|Barua Buddhists]], many of whom were employed as cooks by the British. In 1914, Prakash was ordained Bodhanand Mahastavir in Calcutta in the presence of Kripasaran Mahasthvir. He began preaching Buddhism in Lucknow. He founded the ''Bharatiye Buddh Samiti'' in 1916, and set up a vihara in 1928. In his book ''Mula Bharatavasi Aur Arya'' ("Original Inhabitants and Aryans"), Mahastavir stated that the [[shudra]]s were the original inhabitants of India, who were enslaved by the Aryans.<ref name="maren_roots">{{citation|last=Bellwinkel-Schempp|first=Maren|chapter=Roots of Ambedkar Buddhism in Kanpur |editor-last=Jondhale |editor-first=Surendra |editor2-last=Beltz|editor2-first=Johannes |title=Reconstructing the World: B.R. Ambedkar and Buddhism in India|location=New Delhi|publisher=OUP|year=2004|pages=221-244| chapter-url=http://www.maren-bellwinkel.de/artikel/ambedkarbuddhism.pdf}}</ref> Bodhanand Mahastavir wrote another book on Buddhist rituals called ''Baudha Dvicharya''. His associate, Chandrika Prasad Jigyasu, founded the ''Bahujan Kalyan Prakashan''. The two co-authored a book on the life and teaching of the Buddha. Acharya Ishvardatt Medharthi (1900-1971) of Kanpur also supported the cause of the Dalits. He had studied Pali at [[Gurukul Kangri]] and Buddhist scripture was well known to him. He was initiated into Buddhism by Gyan Keto and the [[Lokanatha (Italian Buddhist Monk)|Lokanatha]] in 1937. Gyan Keto (1906-1984), born Peter Schoenfeldt was a German who arrived to Ceylon in 1936 and became a Buddhist. Although Medharthi heavily criticized the [[Indian caste system]], he didn't criticize Hinduism. He claimed that the Dalits ("Adi Hindus") were the ancient rulers of India and had been trapped into slavery by the [[Indo-Aryans|Aryan]] invaders. He also claimed that the [[sanatana dharma]] was the religion of "Adi Hindus", and tried to reconcile Buddhism with the [[Sant Mat]].<ref name="maren_roots"/> Another [[Bhikkhu]] of Kanpur, Bhikshu Uttam, was a strong supporter of the [[Arya Samaj]] and the ''Jat Pat Todak Mandal'', the anti-caste wing of the Arya Samaj.<ref name="maren_roots"/> ==B. R. Ambedkar== At the [[Yeola]] conference in 1935, prominent Dalit leader [[B. R. Ambedkar]] declared that he would not die a Hindu, saying that it perpetuates [[caste]] injustices. Ambedkar was approached by various leaders of different denominations and faiths. Meetings were held to discuss the question of Dalit religion and the pros and cons of conversion<ref name="maren_roots"/>. On [[May 22]], [[1936]], an "All Religious Conference" was held at [[Lucknow]]. It was attended by prominent Dalit leaders including [[Jagjivan Ram]], though Ambedkar could not attend it. At the conference, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, and Buddhist representatives presented the tenets of their respective religions in an effort to win over Dalits<ref name="maren_roots"/>. Buddhist monk [[Lokanatha (Italian Buddhist Monk)|Lokanatha]] visited Ambedkar's residence at [[Dadar]] on [[June 10]], [[1936]] and tried to persuade him to embrace Buddhism. Later in an interview to the Press, Lokanatha said that Ambedkar was impressed with Buddhism and that his own ambition was to convert all Dalits to Buddhism<ref>{{cite book |last=Keer |first=Dhananjay |title=Dr Ambedkar Life and Mission |year=1990 |publisher=Popular Prakashan, Bombay |id=ISBN 81-8560-437-1 }}</ref>. In 1937, Lokanatha published a pamphlet ''Buddhism Will Make You Free'', dedicated to the Depressed Classes of India from his press in Ceylon. In early 1940s, Ambedkar visited Acharya Ishvardatt Medharthi's Buddhpuri school in Kanpur. Medharthi had earlier been initiated into Buddhism by [[Lokanatha (Italian Buddhist Monk)|Lokanatha]], and by the mid-1940s, he had close contacts with Ambedkar. For a short while, Ambedkar also took Pali classes from Medharthi in [[Delhi]]<ref name="maren_roots"/>. Bodhananda Mahastvir and [[B. R. Ambedkar]] first met in 1926, at the "Indian Non-Brahmin Conference" convened by [[Shahu IV of Kolhapur]]. They met on two more occasions and for a short while in the 1940s, where they discussed dhamma. Mahastavir was objected to Dr Ambedkar's second marriage because his wife was a Brahmin.<ref name="maren_roots"/> Later, his followers actively participated in Ambedkar's Republican Party of India. ===Ambedkar's conversion=== [[Image:DIKSHA2.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Deekshabhoomi, Nagpur]] 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 Jewels|three refuges]] and [[the Five Precepts]] from a Buddhist monk, Bhadant U Chandramani, in the traditional manner and then in his turn administered them to the 380,000 of his followers that were present. The conversion ceremony was attended by Medharthi, his main disciple Bhoj Dev Mudit, and Mahastvir Bodhanand's Sri Lankan successor, Bhante Pragyanand<ref name="maren_roots"/>. Ambedkar would die less than two months later, just after finishing his definitive work on Buddhism. Many Dalits employ the term "Ambedkar(ite) Buddhism" to designate the Buddhist movement, which started with Ambedkar's conversion<ref name="maren_roots"/>. ===22 Vows of Ambedkar=== After receiving ordination, Ambedkar gave ''[[dhamma]] [[diksha]]'' to his followers. The ceremony included 22 vows given to all new converts after Three Jewels and Five Precepts. On 16 October 1956, Ambedkar performed another mass religious conversion ceremony at [[Chanda]]. He prescribed 22 vows to his followers: # I shall have no faith in [[Brahma]], [[Vishnu]] and [[Shiva|Maheshwara]] nor shall I worship them. # I shall have no faith in [[Rama]] and [[Krishna]] who are believed to be incarnation of God nor shall I worship them. # I shall have no faith in [[Dakshayani|Gauri]], [[Ganapati]] and other gods and goddesses of Hindus nor shall I worship them. # I do not believe in the incarnation of God. # 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. # I shall not perform ''[[Shraddha]]'' nor shall I give ''[[pind-dan]]''. # I shall not act in a manner violating the principles and teachings of the Buddha. # I shall not allow any ceremonies to be performed by [[Brahmin]]s. # I shall believe in the equality of man. # I shall endeavor to establish equality. # I shall follow the [[noble eightfold path]] of the Buddha. # I shall follow the ten ''[[paramita]]s'' prescribed by the Buddha. # I shall have compassion and loving kindness for all living beings and protect them. # I shall not steal. # I shall not tell lies. # I shall not commit carnal sins. # I shall not take [[intoxicant]]s like [[liquor]], [[drug]]s etc. # I shall endeavor to follow the noble eightfold path and practice [[compassion]] and loving kindness in every day life. # 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. # I firmly believe the [[Dhamma]] of the Buddha is the only true religion. # I believe that I am having a re-birth. # I solemnly declare and affirm that I shall hereafter lead my life according to the principles and teachings of the [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] and his [[Dhamma]]. ==Dalit Buddhism movement after Ambedkar's death== The Buddhist movement was somewhat hindered by Dr. 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. According to the 2001 census, there are currently 7.95 million Buddhists in India, at least 5.83 million of whom are Buddhists in Maharashtra<ref name="Census of India 2001">http://www.censusindiamaps.net/page/Religion_WhizMap1/housemap.htm</ref>. 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. The Buddhist revival remains concentrated in two [[States and territories of India|states]]: Ambedkar's native [[Maharashtra]], and [[Uttar Pradesh]] — the land of Bodhanand Mahastavir, Acharya Medharthi and their associates. ===Developments in Uttar Pradesh=== Acharya Medharthi retired from his Buddhapuri school in 1960, and shifted to an [[ashram]] in [[Haridwar]]. He turned to the [[Arya Samaj]] and conducted vedic [[yajna]]s all over India. After his death, he was cremated according to Arya Samaj rites<ref name="maren_roots"/>. His Buddhpuri school became embroiled in property disputes. His follower, Bhoj Dev Mudit, converted to Buddhism in 1968 and set up a school of his own. Rajendranath Aherwar appeared as an important Dalit leader in Kanpur. He joined the Republican Party of India and converted to Buddhism along with his whole family in 1961. In 1967, he founded the Kanpur branch of "Bharatiya Buddh Mahasabha". He held regular meetings where he preached Buddhism, officiated at Buddhist weddings and life cycle ceremonies, and organized festivals on Dr. Ambedkar's Jayanti (birth day), [[Buddha Jayanti]], Diksha Divas (the day Ambedkar converted), and Dr Ambedkar Paranirvan Divas (the day Ambedkar died)<ref name="maren_roots"/>. The Dalit Buddhist movement in Kanpur gained impetus with the arrival of Dipankar, a [[Chamar]] bhikkhu, in 1980. Dipankar had come to Kanpur on a Buddhist mission and his first public appearance was scheduled at a mass conversion drive in 1981. The event was organized by Rahulan Ambawadekar, an RPI Dalit leader. In April 1981, Ambawadekar founded the Dalit Panthers (U.P. Branch) inspired by the Maharashtrian Dalit Panthers. The event met with severe criticism and opposition from [[Vishwa Hindu Parishad]] and was banned<ref name="maren_roots"/>. 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 intended for 20,000,000 of his supporters to convert at the same time. Part of the significance of this plan was that Ram's followers include not only Untouchables, but persons from a variety of castes, who could significantly broaden Buddhism's support. However, he passed away [[October 9]], [[2006]]<ref name="Indian Dalit leader passes away">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6032563.stm Indian Dalit leader passes away]</ref> after a lengthy illness; he was cremated as per [[Buddhist]] rituals<ref>[http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/10/stories/2006101003771200.htm Kanshi Ram cremated as per Buddhist rituals]</ref>. Another popular Dalit leader, [[Bahujan Samaj Party]] chief [[Mayawati]], has said that she and her followers will embrace Buddhism after the BSP gains control of the government.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/10/stories/2006101003771200.htm | title = Kanshi Ram cremated as per Buddhist rituals | publisher = [[The Hindu]] | date = 2006-10-10 | accessdate = 2007-08-30 }}</ref> ===Maharashtra=== Japanese-born Bhadant Nagarjun Surai Sasai is an important Buddhist leader in India. Susai came to India in 1966 and met Nichidatsu Fuji, whom he helped with the Peace Pagoda at [[Rajgir]]. He fell out with Fuji, however, and started home, but, by his own account, was stopped by a dream in which a figure resembling [[Nagarjuna]] appeared and said, "Go to Nagpur". In Nagpur, he met Wamanrao Godbole, the person who had organized the conversion ceremony for Dr. Ambedkar in 1956. Sasai claims that when he saw a photograph of Dr. Ambedkar at Godbole's home, he realized that it was Ambedkar who had appeared in his dream. At first, Nagpur folk considered Surai Sasai very strange. Then he began to greet them with "Jai Bhim" (victory to Ambedkar) and to build viharas. In 1987 a court case to deport him on the grounds that he had overstayed his [[Visa (document)|visa]] was dismissed, and he was granted Indian citizenship. Sasai is one of the main leaders of the campaign to free the [[Mahabodhi Temple]] at Bodh Gaya from Hindu control. ===Organized mass conversions=== Since Ambedkar's conversion, several thousand people from different castes have converted to Buddhism in ceremonies including the twenty-two vows. The [[Tamil Nadu]] and [[Gujarat]] governments passed new laws in 2003 to ban "forced" religious conversions. These laws were later withdrawn due to heavy opposition{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. ;1957 :In 1957, Mahastvir Bodhanand's Sri Lankan successor, Bhante Pragyanand, held a mass conversion drive for 15,000 people in Lucknow<ref name="maren_roots"/>. ;2001 :A prominent Indian [[Dalit]] Buddhist leader and political activist, [[Udit Raj]], 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.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.buddhismtoday.com/english/world/facts/conversion-manpreet.htm | title = 50,000 Dalits embrace Buddhism | publisher = Buddhism Today | accessdate = 2007-08-30 }}</ref> ;2006, Hyderabad :A report from the UK daily ''[[The Guardian]]'' said that some Hindus have converted to Buddhism. [[Buddhist]] monks from the UK and the U.S. attended the conversion ceremonies in India. In response, Hindu nationalists asserted that [[Dalits]] should concentrate on illiteracy and poverty rather than looking for new religions<ref name="Guardian">[http://www.guardian.co.uk/india/story/0,,1922410,00.html Untouchables embrace Buddha to escape oppression]</ref>. ;2006, Gulbarga :On October 14, 2006 hundreds of people converted from Hinduism to Buddhism in [[Gulburga]] ([[Karnataka]])<ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2171942.cms Hundreds embrace Buddhism in Gulbarga-Bangalore]</ref>. ;2006 :A Buddhist source claimed that "300,000 Dalits are estimated" to have converted to Buddhism as part of 50th year celebrations of Ambedkar's deeksha in 2006.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=42,3309,0,0,1,0 | title = Prominent Indian female politician to embrace Buddhism | publisher = The Buddhist Channel | date = 2006-10-17 | accessdate = 2007-08-30 }}</ref> Non-Partisan sources put the number of attendees (not converts) at 30,000<ref name="TheWeek">Prerna Singh Bindra .''[http://web.archive.org/web/20030622160717/http://www.the-week.com/21nov18/events6.htm Heads, I win...]''. The Week Magazine. November 18, 2001.</ref>.The move was criticized by Hindu groups as "unhelpful" and has been criticized as a "political stunt."<ref name="TheWeek"/> ;2007, Mumbai :On May 27, 2007 tens of thousands of Dalits from [[Maharashtra]] gathered at the Mahalakshmi racecourse in Mumbai to mark the 50th anniversary of the conversion of [[Babasaheb Ambedkar|Ambedkar]]. The number of people who actually converted, however, versus the number of people in attendance was not clear <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6695695.stm Mass Dalit conversions in Mumbai]</ref>. The event was organized by the [[Republican Party of India (Athvale)|Republican Party of India]] leader [[Athawale Ramdas Bandu|Ramdas Athvale]]<ref>Nithin Belle. ''[http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2007/May/subcontinent_May1097.xml&section=subcontinent&col= Thousands of Dalits in 'mass conversion']''. Khaleej Times. May 28 2007</ref>. ===Criticism of conversions=== Hindu critics have argued that efforts to convert Hindus to Ambedkarite Buddhism are political stunts rather than sincere commitments to social reform<ref name="Week">[http://web.archive.org/web/20030622160717/http://www.the-week.com/21nov18/events6.htm Conversion: Ram Raj's rally was probably just an exercise in self-promotion]</ref>. In addition, several Dalit leaders have stated that they are not against the upper castes per se. Leaders of the Dalit [[Bahujan Samaj Party]] have said that their being branded as "[[anti-Hindu]]" because of the publicity associated with the conversions is largely the work of partisan and politically motivated groups within the Dalit movement and that they are only interested in peaceful dialogue with the Brahmins<ref>[http://www.hindu.com/2005/06/10/stories/2005061008120100.htm BSP showcases its `Brahmin might'],''The Hindu''</ref>. ==Distinctive interpretation== According to controversial academic [[Gail Omvedt]]: {{cquote|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 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?<ref name="Buddhism in India : Challenging Brahmanism and Caste">Omvedt, Gail. Buddhism in India : Challenging Brahmanism and Caste. 3rd ed. London/New Delhi/Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2003. pages: 8</ref>}} Most Dalit Indian 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 [[Bhikkhu|monastic]] followers to ignore caste distinctions, and that he was critical 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]]{{Fact|date=April 2008}}. They also point out that Ormvedt's idea of an 'Enlightenment version of the dharma' opposed to a traditional 'acceptance by faith' is a misapplication of Western categories, since the Buddha encouraged people to put all teachings - including his own - to critical test and not to accept anything on the basis of tradition. ==See also== *[[Buddhism in India]] *[[Buddhism in Nepal]] *[[Buddhism in Tibet]] *[[Humanistic Buddhism]] ==References== {{reflist|2}} ==External links== *''[http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ambedkar/ambedkar_buddha/ The Buddha and His Dhamma]'', text of the book by B. R. Ambedkar *[http://voi.org/books/wiah/ch11.htm Are neo-Buddhists- Hindus?] Article on India's Buddhism by [[Koenraad Elst]]. *[http://web.ukonline.co.uk/buddhism/2589year.htm 2590 Years Of Buddhism] *Omvedt, Gail. Buddhism in India : Challenging Brahmanism and Caste. 3rd ed. London/New Delhi/Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2003. *[http://www.navayana.info/ Buddhism Navayana: Buddhist links and Navayana Buddhism] *[http://www.dalitliberation.blogspot.com/ Dalit Liberation] '''Global organizations''' *[http://acjp.sts.winisp.net/default.aspx Ambedkar Center for Justice and Peace] *[http://www.ambedkarmission.org/default_home.htm Dr. Ambedkar International Mission] *[http://www.tbmsg.org/index1.html Trailokya Bauddha Mahasangha Sahayaka Gana] *[http://www.karuna.org/ Karuna Trust] *[http://www.jambudvipa.org The Jambudvipa Trust] {{Buddhism topics}} [[Category:Buddhism in India]] [[Category:Converts to Buddhism]] [[Category:Dalit]]