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Indian Buddhism
In India, Buddhism started with the life of Lord Buddha. He was born as prince Siddartha in the royal family of the Shakya Kingdom. However, he left his home in the search of the real meaning of life. After spending a number of years in asceticism and meditation, he finally attained enlightenment under the Bodice tree in Gaya, Bihar. By 3rd century BC, the religion spread all over South Asia, through the Mauryan Empire. Read on to know more about the history of Buddhism in India…
Seventh century AD saw the religion permeating entire East Asia and Southeast Asia. The coming centuries witnessed rapid growth of Buddhism in India. Kings as well as wealthy merchants supported the construction of Buddhist monasteries and stupas, over the relics of Lord Buddha. Even in those times, Indian architecture reflected the influence of Buddhism, its art, iconography and architecture. An entire Buddhist university was set up in Nalanda (Bihar), which served as the world center for Buddhist philosophy and religion until the thirteenth century, when the Turkic invaders came to India.
With the arrival of Turks in India, the remaining monasteries in plains were also reduced to ruins. That time saw Buddhism, as an organized religion, practically vanishing from India. Bhutan and Sikkim, the only independent Himalayan kingdoms, tribal groups in the mountains of northeast India and Sri Lanka were the only places where Buddhism still thrived. Approximately thirty years later, around 1956, Buddhism again surfaced in India. Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, leader of the Untouchables or Harijans in India, adopted Buddhism to escape from the barriers created by the Hindu caste system.
Soon after the framing of the Constitution, Ambedkar’s mind turned towards Buddha. His mind was thirsting for peace and justice. He attended the Buddist Conference in Ceylon(Sree Lanka) in 1950.
The bitterness of his mind was ever on the increase. In spite of it, he was not willing to embrace the Christian or the Muslim faith.
Finally, Ambedkar decided to become a Buddhist.
This was a great decision in his life, a decision taken after deep thought.
Why did he choose Buddhism?
Ambedkar told his friend Dattopant Thengadi: " I am in the evening of my life. There is an onslaught of ideas on our people from different countries from the four corners of the world. In this flood our people may be confused. There are strong attempts to separate the people struggling hard, from the main life-stream of this country and to attract them towards other countries. This tendency is fast growing. Even some of my colleagues who are disgusted with ‘untouchability’, proverty and inequality are ready to be washed away by this flood. What about the others? They should not move away from the main stream of the nation’s life; and I must show them the way. At the same time, we have to make some changes in the economic and political life. That is way I have decided to follow Buddhism."
There is a way of life which has come down as a steady stream in India for thousand of years. Buddhism is not opposed to it. The backward people must rebel against the injustice done to them; they must wipe it out. But ‘untouchability’ is a problem of the Hindu Scoiety. To solve this, a path which does not harm the culture and the history of Bharat must be followed. This is the basis of his resolution.
He did not believe in the theory that Aryans came from a different land and that they defeated the Dasyus’ (the Dravidians) of this country. There is no foundation for this in the Vedas. The word ‘Arya’ appears some 33 or 34 times in the Vedas. The word has been used as an adjective meaning ‘the noble’ or ‘the elder’. It is said in the Mahabharata that ‘Dasyus’ can be found in all ‘varnas’ (castes) and‘ashramas’ (stage of life). In this way Ambedkar used to support this view.
On 14th Octover 1956 at a big function in Nagpur, Ambedkar, with his wife, embraced Buddhism.
In India, Buddhism started with the life of Lord Buddha. He was born as prince Siddartha in the royal family of the Shakya Kingdom. However, he left his home in the search of the real meaning of life. After spending a number of years in asceticism and meditation, he finally attained enlightenment under the Bodice tree in Gaya, Bihar. By 3rd century BC, the religion spread all over South Asia, through the Mauryan Empire. Read on to know more about the history of Buddhism in India…
Seventh century AD saw the religion permeating entire East Asia and Southeast Asia. The coming centuries witnessed rapid growth of Buddhism in India. Kings as well as wealthy merchants supported the construction of Buddhist monasteries and stupas, over the relics of Lord Buddha. Even in those times, Indian architecture reflected the influence of Buddhism, its art, iconography and architecture. An entire Buddhist university was set up in Nalanda (Bihar), which served as the world center for Buddhist philosophy and religion until the thirteenth century, when the Turkic invaders came to India.
With the arrival of Turks in India, the remaining monasteries in plains were also reduced to ruins. That time saw Buddhism, as an organized religion, practically vanishing from India. Bhutan and Sikkim, the only independent Himalayan kingdoms, tribal groups in the mountains of northeast India and Sri Lanka were the only places where Buddhism still thrived. Approximately thirty years later, around 1956, Buddhism again surfaced in India. Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, leader of the Untouchables or Harijans in India, adopted Buddhism to escape from the barriers created by the Hindu caste system.
He also encouraged his followers to adopt Buddhism. By 1991, the number of Buddhists in India rose to approximately 6.4 million, making Buddhism the fifth largest religious group in the country. The Himalayan communities and Tibetan refugees in India follow the Vajrayana Buddhism, which develop after 7th century AD. Till 20th century, Himalayan kingdoms maintained a hierarchy in which Buddhist monks occupied the highest positions in society. Buddhists in other parts of India follow the Theravada Buddhism.
To the Path of the BuddhaSoon after the framing of the Constitution, Ambedkar’s mind turned towards Buddha. His mind was thirsting for peace and justice. He attended the Buddist Conference in Ceylon(Sree Lanka) in 1950.
The bitterness of his mind was ever on the increase. In spite of it, he was not willing to embrace the Christian or the Muslim faith.
Finally, Ambedkar decided to become a Buddhist.
This was a great decision in his life, a decision taken after deep thought.
Why did he choose Buddhism?
Ambedkar told his friend Dattopant Thengadi: " I am in the evening of my life. There is an onslaught of ideas on our people from different countries from the four corners of the world. In this flood our people may be confused. There are strong attempts to separate the people struggling hard, from the main life-stream of this country and to attract them towards other countries. This tendency is fast growing. Even some of my colleagues who are disgusted with ‘untouchability’, proverty and inequality are ready to be washed away by this flood. What about the others? They should not move away from the main stream of the nation’s life; and I must show them the way. At the same time, we have to make some changes in the economic and political life. That is way I have decided to follow Buddhism."
There is a way of life which has come down as a steady stream in India for thousand of years. Buddhism is not opposed to it. The backward people must rebel against the injustice done to them; they must wipe it out. But ‘untouchability’ is a problem of the Hindu Scoiety. To solve this, a path which does not harm the culture and the history of Bharat must be followed. This is the basis of his resolution.
He did not believe in the theory that Aryans came from a different land and that they defeated the Dasyus’ (the Dravidians) of this country. There is no foundation for this in the Vedas. The word ‘Arya’ appears some 33 or 34 times in the Vedas. The word has been used as an adjective meaning ‘the noble’ or ‘the elder’. It is said in the Mahabharata that ‘Dasyus’ can be found in all ‘varnas’ (castes) and‘ashramas’ (stage of life). In this way Ambedkar used to support this view.
On 14th Octover 1956 at a big function in Nagpur, Ambedkar, with his wife, embraced Buddhism.
