Hero of the Buddhist renaissance in India

DR. B. R. AMBEDKAR:

Hero of the Buddhist renaissance in India

Ven. Vinagarakkhita Thera

Buddhist renaissance: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was not born Buddhist but his mind was inclined towards Buddhism from his very childhood. His first initiation into Buddhism happened in Bombay when a meeting was held to felicitate him on his success in the Matriculation.

In this meeting a booklet titled 'Life of Buddha' was presented to him by Krishna Arjun Keluskar, a well-known Marati author and social reformer. This generated much interest to read and know more on Buddhism and thus finally developed faith in Buddha Dhamma and Sangha.

His faith can be seen from his vivid descriptions to his collegues at Buddhist excavations site near Mahad on how the disciples of the Buddha in His days remained celibates, embraced simplicity and served society selflessly.

He was so much inspired by these ancient remains that, as mark of respect and reverence, he asked his colleagues not to occupy any of the seats as they might have been the seats of the Buddhist monks. For the first time in 1935 Dr. B. R. Ambedkar made known his intention of leaving Hinduism in a conference held at Yeola.

The Sikhs, Muslims and Christians promptly tried to induce him to embrace their religion by offering enormous funds and other amenities not only for himself but also for his followers. But it was his deep confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha that no other religion could win him at all. Once he said 'The first point, which marks off the Buddha from the rest, is his self-abnegation.

Jesus insists that he is the Son of God. Mohammed went a step further. He claimed that he was the messenger of God on earth and insisted that he was the last messenger. Krishna went a step beyond both Jesus and Mohammed. He claimed that he was "Parameshwar"- the God of Gods.

The Buddha never arrogated to himself any such status. He was born a son of man and was content to remain a common man and preached his dhamma as a common man. Jesus, Mohammed and Krishna claimed for themselves a role of Mokshadata. The Buddha was satisfied with playing the role of Margadata.

Contribution to Buddhism In 1948 Dr. Ambedkar in order to educate his followers got reprinted. Lakshmi Narasu's book 'The Essence of Buddhism' and recommended it for the study of the would-be Buddhists. He himself authored a book titled 'The Buddha and His Dhamma' which came out as a posthumous publication in 1957.

In May 1950 Dr. Ambedkar visited Sri Lanka to participate in the first conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists and observed the Buddhist ceremonies and rituals, saw how the bhikkhus preached and found out how the Sri Lankan Buddhists have kept Buddhism alive even when the neighbouring India, the motherland of Buddhism had lost it.

After this visit to Sri Lanka, wherever Dr. Ambedkar went, he talked about Buddhism, its past glory and its future prospects. In one of the meetings on September 29, 1950, he declared that he would devote the rest of his life to the revival and spread of Buddhism in India.

On knowing this declaration, Sankar's Weekly of Delhi, a periodical devoted to cartoons, humorously called him 'Bhikkhu Bhimrao'. If he would have survived for some more years after his conversion to Buddhism in 1956, definetly he might have become a bhikkhu to spread Dhamma and fullfil his dream of making India a Buddhist India.

Dr. Ambedkar's love and devotion for Buddhism is evident from the Constitution of India of which he was the chief architect. It was due to his efforts that the Buddhist wheel of Dhammachakra also known as Ashoka Chakra was incorporated in the Indian national flag and the Lions from an Ashokan Pillar at Sarnath was adopted as National Emblem by the constituent Assembly. Thereby officially giving India its age old Buddhist identity.

In December 1954 Dr. Ambedkar went to Burma to participate in the conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists which was held at Rangoon. While in Burma, he was the guest of Dr. R. L. Soni, Director-in-Chief of the world institute of Buddhist Culture. There while with Dr. Soni, he finally decided to formally embrace Buddhism in 1956. Dr. Ambedkar had great fascination for the Buddhist worship also. He wanted his followers to follow the Buddhist way of life as diligently as possible.

For their benefit and guidance he published in 1956 'Bauddha Pooja Path' a Manual for Buddhist Worship, in Pali and Marati. He bought five acres of land near Bangalore city to build a Buddhist Aramaya which is now completed along with a big stupa. Giving a talk for the B.B.C. London on 12th May 1956 Dr.Ambedkar said: I prefer Buddhism because it gives three principles in combination which no other religion does.

All other religions are bothering themselves with God and Soul and life after death. Buddhism teaches Prajna (understanding as against superstition and supernaturalism). It teaches Karuna (love). It teaches Samanathmata (equality). This is what man wants for a good and happy life on earth. These three principles of Buddhism make their appeal to me.

These three principles should also make an appeal to the world. Neither God nor Soul can serve Society. Again Dr. Ambedkar speaking on the subject Buddhism and Communism at the closing session of the Fourth Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists in the State Gallery Hall in Kathmandu (Nepal) ,on 20th November 1956 said: It is not necessary for the Buddhist people to go to Karl Marx to get that foundation. That foundation is already there, well laid. It is the first proposition with which the Buddha begins his sermon-the Dharma-Chakra Pravarthana Sutta.

Therefore, to those who are attracted by Karl Marx, I say, study the Dharma-Chakra Pravartana Sutta and find out what the Buddha says. And you will find sufficient satisfaction on this question. The Buddha did not lay the foundation of his religion either on god, or on soul, or anything supernatural as to that. He laid his finger on the fact of life - people are living with suffering.

Therefore so far as Marxism or Communism is concerned, Buddhism has enough of it. And the Buddha has said it 2000 years before Marx was born. And this is what I want to say, in conclusion, that one of the greatest things I find in Buddhism is that His system is a democratic system.

The Buddha told the Vajis when the Chief Minister of Ajat Shatru went to ask Him, that Ajat Shatru wants to conquer the Vajis, and he said Ajat Shatru won't be able to do it until the Vajis follow their ways of their age-old system. It is unfortunate that the Buddha did not explain in plain terms what He meant.

But there is no doubt about it that what the Buddha was referring to was the democratic and the republican form of Government, which the Vajis had. He said, so long as the Vajis were following their system, they would not be conquered.

The Buddha, of course, was a great democrat. I have been a student of politics, and I have spent a great deal of time in studying Karl Marx, Communism and all that, and I have also spent a good deal of time in studying the Buddha's Dhamma, and after comparing the two I came to the conclusion that Buddha advise with regard to the great problem of the world namely that there is Dukkha, that the Dukkha must be removed, that the Buddha's method was the safest and the soundest, and I advise the younger generation of the Buddhist countries to pay more attention to the actual teachings of the Buddha.

Thus the contribution of Dr. B.R.Ambedkar is that he revived Buddhism in India and also at international level tried to replace Communism with Buddhism with his convincing talks on public platforms. Dr. Ambedkar was the first to suggest the formation of a World Buddhist Mission to spread the message of the Buddha to the world.

The founder Director in Chief of the World Institute of Buddhist culture from Burma Sri R.L. Soni once said 'When I think of Dr. Ambedkar, he appeals to me as a gentleman of distinction, great scholar, a brilliant author, an able statesman, an outstanding social reformer, a remarkable law giver, a patriot in the true sense, a lovable friend, and a dhammaduta par excellence.

Multitalented, this devoted son of mother India laboured hard to remove the blot of Untouchability from her face. A man of practical sense, this intellectual luminary was, above all, a far-sighted religious leader. He was certainly the hero of the contemporary Buddhist renaissance in India. Moreover in the annals of the worldwide revival of Buddhism in the mid-twentieth century, he stands out as a beacon for all times and climes. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's 115th Birth Anniversary is on 14th April. ---

Rich Dhaniya talks to the Buddha

Dhaniya sutta: In the Dhaniya sutta a wealthy herdsman by the name of Dhaniya talks about himself rather boastfully when he has a conversation with the Buddha. Dhaniya: "I have boiled my rice and finished my milking. By the banks of the Mahi River I live with my companions. My house is roofed and the fire is lit. So, O sky-deva, if you wish, rain." The Buddha: "I have no anger and my mind Is free from callousness.

For one night I stay Near the banks of the Mahi River. My house is roofless. My fire is not burning. So, O sky-deva, if you wish, rain!" 'My house is roofless' probably refers to the recluse who lives without the shelter of any house. It could also refer to the unconditioned state of openness of the truly Liberated Ones. 'My fire is not burning' could similarly refer to the karma-less state wherein all the fires of desire are no more.

Dhaniya: "There are no gadflies here. In the lush grassy fields the cows are grazing. They can endure rain if it comes. So, O sky-deva, if you wish, rain!" The Buddha: "There is a well-timbered raft. Having crossed over the flood That sweeps one away from Liberation, I have reached the further shore of Nirvana. I need the raft no more. So, O sky-deva, if you wish, rain!" Dhaniya: "Attentive is my wife, not loose. She has been with me for long. She is nice.

I hear nothing bad of her. So, O sky-deva, if you wish, rain!" The Buddha: "Attentive is my mind, fully free. Over a long time it has been well tamed. No longer is there anything Unwholesome in me. So, O sky-deva, if you wish, rain!" Dhaniya: "I am self-supporting. My sons who are living with me enjoy good health. I hear nothing bad of them. So, O sky-deva, if you wish, rain!" The Buddha: "I am not the servant of anyone.

With my own earnings I wander in the world. I need no wage. So, O sky-deva, if you wish, rain!" Dhaniya: "I have cows, calves, pregnant cows, heifers as well as a bull that lords it around the cows. So, O sky-deva, if you wish, rain!" The Buddha: "I have no cows, No calves, No pregnant cows, No heifers and No bull that lords it around the cows. So, O sky-deva, if you wish, rain!" Dhaniya: "The stakes are firmly grounded and unshakeable.

The munga grass ropes are new and of such high quality that the cows cannot break them. So, O sky-deva, if you wish, rain!" The Buddha: "Like a bull that breaks its bonds, Like an elephant that tears a creeper apart, Never again will I enter into a womb. So, O sky-deva, if you wish, rain!" All of a sudden there was a heavy shower that filled both the low-lying lands and the high.

On hearing the sound of the rain, Dhaniya declared, "Great is our gain after seeing the Buddha! O great Sage, be our teacher, we seek refuge in you, O Seer!" "Both my wife and I are attentive. We shall lead the holy life before the Happy One. We shall terminate the cycle of births and deaths and end suffering." Mara (the Evil One): "He who has sons takes delight in having sons. He who has cows takes delight in having cows.

For attachment is man's source of delight. But the one without attachments has gone beyond the need for delight." The Buddha: "One with sons will grieve over his sons. One with cows will grieve over his cows. For attachment, Is the source of man's grief But the one without attachments, Being carefree, never grieves." Courtesy: The First and Best Buddhist Teachings ---

'Against the stream'

Prema Ranawaka-Das

Micca ditti: That Buddhism goes "against the stream" of wrong understanding (micca ditti) prevalent in the world is evidenced by the frenzied attempt of all and sundry to destroy it or, if that is impossible, to adulterate and distort it beyond recognition.

Apart from the normal conversion tactics, there is the more diabolical trick of recruiting hirelings, posing as Buddhists to twist its true meaning. Not surprisingly, those habitually donning the "sil redda" to go and worship what preaches the opposite of the Buddha-word, rally round these pretenders, too.

Only one Buddha arises in a world system. Now men come crashing through the time barriers whooping they are "Buddha Metteyya" no less - born before time! The truth will out. An ardent fan, who arranged tripe to sow anti-Buddhism seeds abroad, came unannounced to south Sri Lanka one day to find his "saviour" sprawling on the ground dead drunk.

Professionals, like doctors and lawyers, gravitate towards these cliques, as their teaching smacks of modernity and especially because no discipline is required of the adherents. Their preaches call themselves "Sovan", which is the first step of the four stages of sainthood. They do not know that a Sovan is distinguished by his total, unalterable faith (saddha) in the Buddha, Dhamma and Ariya Sangha, resulting from his first glimpse of Nibbana.

Our pseudo-sovans like nothing better than to cock a snook at the Triple Gem! They say, Do not go for refuge to the Buddha/Dhamma/Sangha, but to the "Buddha in You".

This being the world's ever-present perennial philosophy "Thou art That", "God is You", etc. which Buddhism rejects, to go beyond. Rebirth As rebirth scares them out of their wits, they say, "Hell is only in the mind". when Kitty and Rover are pointed out as manifestations of the tirachanayoni woeful realm in Buddhism, they shudder in horror and turn away, muttering, "Darwin's evolutionary thing"! They reject the five precepts - not to kill, steal, have unlawful sex, lie, imbibe intoxicants. But after Soma Thera's loud insistence of basics, they dare not deny them.

A Bodhi pooja is a recollection of the Buddha's unique qualities and what better spot for this than near the Bodhi tree, where the Bodhisatta awakened to Buddhahood? If done correctly, it has been proved to overpower bad influences. Our fake "sovans" sneer at the practice as "Tree Worship". Giving (dana) is part of Buddhism.

They dismiss it with, "If giving reduces grasping, throw your offering into the garbage pit without looking for recipients". Loving-kindness, which is the bedrock of Buddhism, is viewed by them so fearfully, that recitation of the Karaniya Metta Sutta is prohibited.

They are panic-stricken that, hearing the Buddha's classic call of compassion, evil spirits will invade the house! It is way over their heads that the loving kindness/compassion taught in Buddhism is meant to tame, subdue and transform beings, including the environment.

The Buddha says if anybody tries to harm his disciple practising loving-kindness, it will be like one grasping a double-edged knife, which will only cut and wound oneself. These "sovans" strain at debunking the teaching by saying, "He/she/they know their dhamma", leaving the Buddha out of it. Anytime anybody leaves the Buddha out, you can bet he is barking up the wrong tree! Psychiatrists say their mental wards have a number of patients, calling themselves "sovan", and even "Awkana Buddha", keeping one arm raised as proof.

Lifestyles

It has come to such a pass, that manufacturers sell packets of their produce with a note boasting that the owner is "sovan" and demanding why flowers are wasted on the Buddha's shrine, when they can be used to make soap! The loving gratitude expressed in the pure offering, coupled with the profound meditation in impermanence of the flower, together with the body and mind of the one who offers is beyond their understanding.

A peek into their lifestyles, which their acquaintances are eager to expose - possible on account of their arrogance - reveals they are out of sight of the Buddha's doctrine of abstaining from evil, doing all good and purifying the mind.

What is astonishing is how Buddhists, confronting these attacks against their religion, sometimes on TV prime time, remain silent! These fake "sovans" should be prohibited from using Buddhist terminology, like, "Buddha", "Arahant", "Sovan", "Rebirth", "Kamma", etc. all of which they vilify with their bizarre interpretation. They should be asked to promote their own myth in their own words, without desperately trying to degrade Buddhism.

They do not acknowledge the Four Noble Truths - the foundation of Buddhism, revealed in the Buddha's first sermon. Suffice it to say, their "sovan" claim is totally refuted by the Buddha's statement that outside of his Noble Eightfold Path, comprising, right understanding, right mindedness, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration, there is no, repeat, no sovan, sakadagami, anagami or arahant - that is, no salvation from suffering. ----

What the Buddha taught

If I were given a chance I would ask Venerable Ananda "What was it that The Buddha taught". He would (I have no doubt) Look askarie At me view The world outside Be silent for a while And Smile Beniningly At me Thinking "What a poor mortal This is" Ariyawansa Ranaweera ---

Tripitaka presented to Tibetan University

A religious programme was organized at Mulagandha Kuti Vihara, Saranath, India for presenting the complete set of Sinhala 'Tripitaka' published by Government of Sri Lanka to Tibetan University.

Ven. Dr. D. Rewatha Thera General Secretary, Maha Bodhi Society of India along with Ven. K. Siri Sumedha Thera, Assistant General Secretary of the Society presented the Sinhala Tripitaka to the special representative of his Holiness the Dalai Lama, Ven. Prof, Nawang Samten Vice Chancellor of Tibetan University and Director of Central Institute of Higher Tibetan studies at Saranath. Here are the distinguished gathering at the presentation ceremony.

Essence of Buddhism

I. There is no god (existence of supernatural power) in Buddhism.

II. Buddhism is based on Rationality:

Buddha says on rationality/reasoning:

Do not believe in traditions merely because they have been handed down for many generations and in many places; do not believe in anything because it is rumoured and spoken of by many; do not believe because the written statements of some old sage is produced; do not believe in what you have fancied, thinking that because it is extraordinary, it must have been implanted by a deva or a wonderful being. After observation and analysis, when it agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.

-Kalama Sutta, Anguttara Nikaya

Accordingly Buddhism requires nothing to be accepted on trust without enquiry.

III. Panchacila:

1. Pranatipata vermani sikka padam samadiyami

Meaning no killing of living being.

2. Adinna dana vermani sikkapadam samadiyami

Meaning no stealing.

3. Kame su mithyachara vermani sikkapadam samadiyami

Meaning no adultery.

4. Musa vada vermani sikkapadam samadiyami

Meaning no lying

5. Suramerayamajja thana vermmani sikkapadam samadiyami

Meaning no consumption of toxicating drinks.

IV. The Four Noble Truths

1. Dukkha Suffering

2. Samudaya The arising of the suffering

3. Nirodha The cessation of suffering

4. Magga The path leading to the cessation of suffering

V. Noble Eightfold Path

Noble Eightfold Path consists of the following :

1. Samma –ditthi Right Understanding

2. Samma – sankalpa Right Thought

3. Samma – vaca Right speech

4. Samma- kammanta Right action

5. Samma – ajiva Right livelihood

6. Samma – vayama Right Efforts

7. Samma – sati Right Mindfulness

8. Samma – samadhi Right Concentration

VI. Ten Paramitas

Parami is a pali word meaning perfection.

1. Dana Giving, generosity, liberality

2. Cila Virtuous conduct, morality, righteousness

3. Khanti Forebearance, patience

4. Virya Energy

5. Nekkhamma Renunciation, selflessness

6. Prajna Wisdom, insight, intution

7. Sacca Truthfulness, honesty

8. Pranidhana Aspiration or resolution/determination

9. Metta Loving-kindness, compassionate

10. Upekkha Equanimity, calm, serene, unruffled and peaceful

VII. Advice of Buddha:

Sabba papassa akaranam, kusalassa upasampada

Sacittapariyodapanam, etam Buddhana sasanam

Meaning,

To cease from doing all evils, to cultivate good

To purify one’s mind, this is the advice of Buddha.

VIII. Dr.B.R.Ambedkar on Buddhism:

I like Buddhism because it gives the following three principles, which no other religion does:

1. Prajna Understanding as against superstition and supernaturalism

2. Karuna Love

3. Samata Equality

That is what man wants for good and happy life on earth.

BUDDHIST RETREATWHY I GAVE UP ON FINDING MY RELIGION.

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By John Horgan @ http://www.slate.com/id/2078486

Buddha: a pragamatist focused on reducing suffering For a 2,500-year-old religion, Buddhism seems remarkably compatible with our scientifically oriented culture, which may explain its surging popularity here in America. Over the last 15 years, the number of Buddhist centers in the United States has more than doubled, to well over 1,000. As many as 4 million Americans now practice Buddhism, surpassing the total of Episcopalians. Of these Buddhists, half have post-graduate degrees, according to one survey. Recently, convergences between science and Buddhism have been explored in a slew of books—including Zen and the Brain and The Psychology of Awakening—and scholarly meetings. Next fall Harvard will host a colloquium titled "Investigating the Mind," where leading cognitive scientists will swap theories with the Dalai Lama. Just the other week the New York Times hailed the "rapprochement between modern science and ancient [Buddhist] wisdom."

Four years ago, I joined a Buddhist meditation class and began talking to (and reading books by) intellectuals sympathetic to Buddhism. Eventually, and regretfully, I concluded that Buddhism is not much more rational than the Catholicism I lapsed from in my youth; Buddhism's moral and metaphysical worldview cannot easily be reconciled with science—or, more generally, with modern humanistic values.

For many, a chief selling point of Buddhism is its supposed de-emphasis of supernatural notions such as immortal souls and God. Buddhism "rejects the theological impulse," the philosopher Owen Flanagan declares approvingly in The Problem of the Soul. Actually, Buddhism is functionally theistic, even if it avoids the "G" word. Like its parent religion Hinduism, Buddhism espouses reincarnation, which holds that after death our souls are re-instantiated in new bodies, and karma, the law of moral cause and effect. Together, these tenets imply the existence of some cosmic judge who, like Santa Claus, tallies up our naughtiness and niceness before rewarding us with rebirth as a cockroach or as a saintly lama.

Western Buddhists usually downplay these supernatural elements, insisting that Buddhism isn't so much a religion as a practical method for achieving happiness. They depict Buddha as a pragmatist who eschewed metaphysical speculation and focused on reducing human suffering. As the Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman put it, Buddhism is an "inner science," an empirical discipline for fulfilling our minds' potential. The ultimate goal is the state of preternatural bliss, wisdom, and moral grace sometimes called enlightenment—Buddhism's version of heaven, except that you don't have to die to get there.

The major vehicle for achieving enlightenment is meditation, touted by both Buddhists and alternative-medicine gurus as a potent way to calm and comprehend our minds. The trouble is, decades of research have shown meditation's effects to be highly unreliable, as James Austin, a neurologist and Zen Buddhist, points out in Zen and Brain. Yes, it can reduce stress, but, as it turns out, no more so than simply sitting still does. Meditation can even exacerbate depression, anxiety, and other negative emotions in certain people.

The insights imputed to meditation are questionable, too. Meditation, the brain researcher Francisco Varela told me before he died in 2001, confirms the Buddhist doctrine of anatta, which holds that the self is an illusion. Varela contended that anatta has also been corroborated by cognitive science, which has discovered that our perception of our minds as discrete, unified entities is an illusion foisted upon us by our clever brains. In fact, all that cognitive science has revealed is that the mind is an emergent phenomenon, which is difficult to explain or predict in terms of its parts; few scientists would equate the property of emergence with nonexistence, as anatta does.

Much more dubious is Buddhism's claim that perceiving yourself as in some sense unreal will make you happier and more compassionate. Ideally, as the British psychologist and Zen practitioner Susan Blackmore writes in The Meme Machine, when you embrace your essential selflessness, "guilt, shame, embarrassment, self-doubt, and fear of failure ebb away and you become, contrary to expectation, a better neighbor." But most people are distressed by sensations of unreality, which are quite common and can be induced by drugs, fatigue, trauma, and mental illness as well as by meditation.

Even if you achieve a blissful acceptance of the illusory nature of your self, this perspective may not transform you into a saintly bodhisattva, brimming with love and compassion for all other creatures. Far from it—and this is where the distance between certain humanistic values and Buddhism becomes most apparent. To someone who sees himself and others as unreal, human suffering and death may appear laughably trivial. This may explain why some Buddhist masters have behaved more like nihilists than saints. Chogyam Trungpa, who helped introduce Tibetan Buddhism to the United States in the 1970s, was a promiscuous drunk and bully, and he died of alcohol-related illness in 1987. Zen lore celebrates the sadistic or masochistic behavior of sages such as Bodhidharma, who is said to have sat in meditation for so long that his legs became gangrenous.

What's worse, Buddhism holds that enlightenment makes you morally infallible—like the pope, but more so. Even the otherwise sensible James Austin perpetuates this insidious notion. " 'Wrong' actions won't arise," he writes, "when a brain continues truly to express the self-nature intrinsic to its [transcendent] experiences." Buddhists infected with this belief can easily excuse their teachers' abusive acts as hallmarks of a "crazy wisdom" that the unenlightened cannot fathom.

But what troubles me most about Buddhism is its implication that detachment from ordinary life is the surest route to salvation. Buddha's first step toward enlightenment was his abandonment of his wife and child, and Buddhism (like Catholicism) still exalts male monasticism as the epitome of spirituality. It seems legitimate to ask whether a path that turns away from aspects of life as essential as sexuality and parenthood is truly spiritual. From this perspective, the very concept of enlightenment begins to look anti-spiritual: It suggests that life is a problem that can be solved, a cul-de-sac that can be, and should be, escaped.

Some Western Buddhists have argued that principles such as reincarnation, anatta, and enlightenment are not essential to Buddhism. In Buddhism Without Beliefs and The Faith To Doubt, the British teacher Stephen Batchelor eloquently describes his practice as a method for confronting—rather than transcending—the often painful mystery of life. But Batchelor seems to have arrived at what he calls an "agnostic" perspective in spite of his Buddhist training—not because of it. When I asked him why he didn't just call himself an agnostic, Batchelor shrugged and said he sometimes wondered himself.

All religions, including Buddhism, stem from our narcissistic wish to believe that the universe was created for our benefit, as a stage for our spiritual quests. In contrast, science tells us that we are incidental, accidental. Far from being the raison d'être of the universe, we appeared through sheer happenstance, and we could vanish in the same way. This is not a comforting viewpoint, but science, unlike religion, seeks truth regardless of how it makes us feel. Buddhism raises radical questions about our inner and outer reality, but it is finally not radical enough to accommodate science's disturbing perspective. The remaining question is whether any form of spirituality can.

BUDDHISM IN ASIA: CHALLENGES & PROSPECTS

I - Historical Context & Buddhist Revival

Buddhism in Asia can be classified geographically or traditionally; that is, according to the different schools (Yanas). The two main schools are Theravada (also known as Hinayana and Savakayana) and Mahayana.

The East Asian countries of China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam are all Mahayana; only in South Vietnam is there a small group of Theravada. Tibet, Mongolia and parts of the former Soviet Union are in the Vajarayana tradition that grew out of Mahayana and that influences China, Korea and Japan. The South and Southeast Asia countries of Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Siam (now officially called Thailand) all follow the Theravada tradition.

Some modern scholars, especially Dr. Malalasekera of Sri Lanka, who founded the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) in 1950, felt the term Hinayana (small vehicle) is pejorative. He proposed the name of Theravada that was historically one of the 18 schools within Hinayana. The term Theravada is now officially accepted in Buddhist countries in South and Southeast Asia.

Some years ago, I was invited to give lectures in Taiwan and Japan on Thai Buddhism. Most members of the audience were surprised that we also believed in serving all sentient beings, for the benefit of others rather than ourselves. The prevailing belief among Mahayanists is that the Hinayanists only care for their personal liberation. We need to understand each other more appropriately.

This reminds me of my late teacher, the renounced Bhikkhu Buddhadasa who said that we must know the essence of our tradition, which is to overcome selfishness - to transform greed into generosity, hatred into loving kindness, and ignorance or delusion into wisdom or right understanding. He also warned that many negative elements appear in Buddhism, especially when it coexists with nationalism, Hinduism, feudalism, occultism, capitalism and the like.

We should not boast that our Buddhist tradition is the best. We must not only tolerate but also study and respect our friends' tradition and religion, including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikkhism and Judaism although their customs and languages may be different from ours. With an open heart and sincerity, we can really learn from different religions and traditions, if we use skillful means in applying Dhammic language beyond worldly language.

Bhikkhu Buddhadasa urged all of us to collaborate with friends from different traditions and religions - even agnostics and atheists - since all humans are spiritual beings, who can really go beyond being an economic or political animal, trapped by intellectual or personal pursuits. He felt that if human beings unite together spiritually, we could be a strong moral force to overcome the modern worldly evils of greed - economism and consumerism; hatred - militarism and imperialism; and delusion - mainstream education without contemplation and mainstream mass media.

Unfortunately Buddhism in Asia became part and parcel of nationalism or the Sangha was too close to the powers-that-be.

This is especially true in East Asia starting with the China of the Tang dynasty (618-906) when Buddhism was very vigorous and powerful, politically, socially and spiritually. Once the rulers who supported Buddhism were got rid of, the Confucians made it clear that Buddhism could remain in the Middle Kingdom provided that it only cared for the welfare of those in the next world and for those who sought inner peace privately without any social or political commitment. This is true of Korea, Japan and Vietnam too.

In Japan, it was as late as the Meji period that Buddhism lost its role entirely - politically and socially. Monks who resisted state powers were killed, put in prison and demonized. The book Zen at War by Brian Victoria shows us clearly that Japanese people used meditation practice to serve the emperor and the nation violently. Monks were encouraged to marry and now there are very few monks and nuns in Japan. Rather there are married priests who perform religious rituals, mostly at funeral services.

In Korea, especially after the Japanese occupation in the 19 th century monks were encouraged to marry in the Japanese fashion. Most of the abbots who had been meditating without social or political awareness, urged their followers to pray for the Japanese emperor. Young patriots and intellectuals became Christians to fight for Korean independence. Being Christian, one was protected psychologically and politically by western imperialism that used Christian missionaries for political purposes. This could also be found in many Asian Buddhist countries; only in Korea were there more Christians than Buddhists and the Christians held all the important political positions.

In 1860 Vietnam was a French protectorate. French missionaries were backed by the French government to educate Vietnamese Catholics to serve the new rulers and to advance socially, economically and politically in a limited degree. The Buddhists were left behind to pursue personal well-being in the so-called backward Vietnamese culture, where even language had to adopt the Romanized form.

As for the Theravada tradition South and Southeast Asia, every country, except Siam, became part of the British or the French empire. However, monks remained at the heart of the lay people at the village level. The patriarchs who used to influence the Kings lost their role, except in Siam. The Siamese were more fortunate as one of their princes, Mongkut, joined the Sangha for 27 years. He not only studied Pali, the sacred language of Theravada Buddhism, and the Buddhist tradition, but also English and Latin. So he was more advanced than his contemporaries in Asia vis-à-vis Western imperialism. He also studied western science and technology. This put him in a position to challenge Christian missionaries in their teaching of the gospels that were being questioned by westerners of the 19 th century. His skillful means also encouraged him to be gentle and flexible with Western expansion. After the demise of his brother, he became King Rama IV in 1851 and opened the country to Western capitalism. Siam remained independent despite some disadvantages and Siamese Buddhism could be proven as not inferior to Western science.

One of his lay disciples, Chao Phya Dipakaravamsa, who later became Foreign Minister and a great historian, wrote a book against Christian accusation that Buddhism was antiquated and full of superstitions and magics. The author argued that the essential teaching of the Buddha was scientific and could be proven logically by modern Western approaches. The book was summarized in English by Henry Albaster and published in London in 1871 with the title of The Wheel of the Law.

This must be the first sign of modern Buddhism in the West. Likewise in Sri Lanka, Buddhist monks had a big debate with the Christian missionaries in 1873 with a strong implication that Buddhism is more relevant to the modern world than Christianity. The news of this debate reached the USA. Hence Colonel Olcott and Madame Blavatsky traveled from the New World to Sri Lanka. Colonel Olcott was the first Westerner who declared himself a Buddhist and wrote a number of books on Buddhist catechisms. Madame Blavatsky and Olcott influenced a young Singhala who declared himself an Anagarika with the Buddhist name of Dhammapala and who became a champion of modern Buddhism, with the establishment of the Maha Bodhi Society in India to propagate the teaching of the Buddha in the land of its Founder. The Society was also established in England to spread Buddhism in the West.

Concurrently British colonials, especially T.W. Rhys Davids, in Sri Lanka also studied Pali in order to understand ancient knowledge and the law of the country and became fascinated by the message of Buddhism. Hence the Pali Text Society was founded in England in 1881, followed by the teaching of Buddhism in one or two English Universities, which led to the foundation of the Buddhist Society in London in 1925 - the first landmark of Buddhism beyond Asia.

In China, the modern attempt to revive the Sangha from its state of intellectual and moral decline was part of a general movement towards national regeneration which rose around the beginning of the 20 th century as a response to two oppressive forces: the general backwardness of China's ‘feudal' society, and the impact of the West. It took place in an international context. The Buddhist revivalists established contacts with Japan, India and the Buddhist countries of South and Southeast Asia, and even with Buddhist societies in the West. Some of them studied, for the first time in Chinese history, the Theravada tradition of the Pali Canon, and occasionally, after many centuries, Chinese Buddhist scholars even took up the study of Sanskrit. Moreover, the attempt to revive Buddhism must be regarded as a reaction against one aspect of Western dominance: the impact of Christianity. The movement was deeply influenced by the presence of well-organized Catholic and Protestant missions in China, which stimulated the reformers to get organized and develop institutions and missionary methods similar to those of their Christian rivals.

The first champions of a Buddhist revival were - characteristically - laymen who around the beginning of the last century launched a movement to produce Buddhist scriptures and treatises using modern printing techniques and to raise the cultural level of the Sangha by founding Buddhist seminaries. The political situation was unfavourable, for both the late Ch'ing and early Republican governments regarded the clergy as an easy target, and did not hesitate to confiscate Buddhist institutions to be made into schools, and to appropriate monastic landed property in order to finance their modernization programmes. Various attempts to organize the Sangha on a national scale in order to resist the combined pressure of government policy and Christian missions finally led to the founding, in 1929, of the nationwide Chinese Buddhist Association by the two leaders of the revival movement: the venerable abbot T'ai-hsu (1899-1947), who represented the more progressive wing, and the more conservative Yuan-ying (1878-1953).

In the following decades the Association undertook a number of activities that led to a revival of Buddhist studies and to a heightened awareness of the values of Buddhism. But a large-scale renaissance did not take place. The general intellectual and political climate in China, dominated by the force of scholar ideologies such as nationalism, ‘wholesale modernization', and Marxism-Leninism, left little room for religious activism. And, most important, the revival remained restricted to a small modernizing elite of monks and cultured laymen. The overwhelming majority of the Sangha was not touched at all. Moreover, the new Buddhist organizations generally suffered from inexperienced leadership, personal controversies and lack of funds, and the close relations between Chinese and Japanese Buddhist institutions definitely harmed the image of the movement. As such contacts were consciously used by the Japanese government for the purpose of political infiltration and ‘Japan-promotion'.

After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the tensions were aggravated. In general, the new regime abstained from direct and forceful repression, as Buddhism was expected to die out by itself, like other residual phenomena of the ‘feudal' past. However, violent action against the clergy and widespread vandalism were committed during political mass campaigns, particularly in the hectic years of the Cultural Revolution (1965-9), and the Tibetan revolt in 1959. This was followed by harsh repressive measures against Tibetan Buddhism. In so far as Buddhism is tolerated, it clearly is a truncated Buddhism reduced to religious worship, and divested of all the social and economic functions that monasteries used to have. The Sangha itself, for which there is no reliable quantitative data, has no doubt been decimated by laicization and lack of new ordinations. To some extent, the updated Chinese Buddhist Association set up after 1949 has been politically useful as a channel for implementing religious policy, and as a representative ‘people's organization' in entertaining formal contacts with Buddhist groups abroad.

In general, the prospects for the Buddhist clergy in China are rather gloomy. It may be argued that the Chinese Sangha has for many centuries been exposed to the pressure of hostile ideologies and still managed to survive. But the monasteries, large and small, always remained in the possession of the material means to do so. Since the early 1950s, their economic base has been destroyed. Temple lands have been confiscated and redistributed, and, apart from a few ancient temples that are at least physically preserved as historical monuments, Buddhist institutions are wholly dependent on the believers' contributions. Even if in the most recent years (since1976) there are signs of a somewhat more liberal policy, yet the ideological pressure and the lack of means of subsistence, this time coupled with an excessive emphasis on wholesale modernization, are not conducive to the existence, let alone the flowering, of Chinese Buddhism as an organized religion.

Buddhism in Taiwan fared no better than the mainland as long as the Kaomintang ruled the Republic of China dictatorially. When the country became democratic, Buddhism was free of State control and began to have a role in social welfare and as Taiwan became prosperous economically Chinese Buddhism from the Republic of China expanded worldwide. However, its role is yet to involve social change using Buddhist skillful means.

Vietnamese Buddhists were awakened from their isolation from social concerns after the Americans left the country, but it was too late to gain any significant ground. Buddhist leader Thich Nhat Hanh was in exile for over three decades before being allowed to return to the country briefly in 2004-5 and the Sangha in Vietnam was oppressed by the Communist regime, no better than China until the visit of Thich Nhat Hanh. It seems the Vietnamese government is beginning to realize that the Sangha can play a vital role in restoring traditional Vietnamese culture to stop the influx of the monoculture of consumerism.

However, the awakening of the Buddhists in South Korea after the Korean War and the demise of Korean dictatorship gave hope for the revival of Buddhism there, despite the mainstream Sangha that is connected too closely with materialism and consumerism. Indeed Buddhism in any capitalist country of Asia faces this new danger to such a degree that most leaders, in the Sangha as well as in the laity, are not fully aware of.

In Japan traditional Buddhism is still engaged by and large in funeral services and making money from tourism. There are some exceptions like Professor Kenko Futaba (President of Ryukoku University from 1983-1995) who was a pioneer in engaged Buddhism, as he campaigned passionately for the rights of minorities in Japan and was actively involved in enactment of the law liberating Japan's untouchables, the burakumin.

By and large only the new Buddhism in the lay movements have had any social impact in the country and elsewhere, especially the Rishokosaikai and the Soka Gakkai. Yet both still concentrate their activities on social welfare rather than social change. Although the Soka Gakkai engages directly or indirectly in politics through its political party - the Komeito - the party offers nothing new, in terms of nonviolence and social equity.

After Mongolia gained its independence, Buddhism plays a major role in developing democracy and alternative education. The kingdom of Bhutan has also developed the notion of Gross National Happiness instead of Gross National Product. This has attracted the attention of many movements in the world which seek alternatives to mainstream economism.

In India, despite the demise of Buddhism for so many centuries, once Dr. Ambedkar declared himself to be Buddhists in 1956, millions of the untouchables have embraced the path of the Buddha. And since the Dalai Lama and Tibetan teachers came to live in India after the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959, quite a number of Indian leaders have embraced Tibetan Buddhism. The Dalai Lama has now become a key figure in helping the Ambedkerite Buddhists to grow spiritually and nonviolently.

II - Challenges & Prospects

In the mid 20 th century quite a number of concerned Buddhists felt that Buddhism in various Asian countries had been separated from each other for centuries and that Buddhists do not know each other well. The abovementioned WFB was created in 1950 in an effort to address this. However it is linked directly with governments and Buddhist establishments and afraid of interfering with the governments that support it economically. Hence it is only a platform for a reunion of various Buddhists to declare how wonderful Buddhists are. There is no consideration of social suffering which is the first Noble Truth. WFB has no stand on Tibet and the Chinese invasion-nor on Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese military junta, who even held the Buddhist Summit in Burma two years ago. There is little understanding of gender issues and social justice - not to mention social structures within the Sangha that on the whole are unjust and controlled mostly by male chauvinism.

Almost two decades ago, some of us felt a need for an appropriate role of Buddhism in the modern world. Some call it small buddhism (small b) that is not clinging to any particular culture, school of thought, or country. Hence the words Engaged Buddhism or Socially Engaged Buddhism were coined to be a Buddhist liberation movement in Asia and beyond. The International Network of Engaged Buddhists was founded in 1989 as a contrast to the World Fellowship of Buddhists.

I believe that the challenges and prospects for contemporary Asian Buddhists is to convey the teachings of the Buddha appropriately for the 21 st century. Many good Buddhist teachers are excellent in providing techniques for inner peace, which is the heart core for world peace. However contemporary Buddhists need to understand the complexity of the modern world with proper Buddhist perspectives.

A major problem that the post-colonial world has long faced is how to be "modern" yet non-Western. The discourse of Modernity (in the context of development) often smacks of imperialism. Developmental modernity is deeply rooted in old-fashioned, racially defined Europeanization, implying racial hierarchies. As such, the threat of alienation looms over those who unequivocally adopt such modernism. For the bulk of humanity, which is non-Western (and non-white), this is a major problem they have long been confronting.

The capitalist promise of emancipation through continuous economic growth and technological advancement has also been a vain hope. This is because without a proper perspective, the economy can never grow large enough; technological advancement can never be advanced enough; we never have enough wealth and so on.

Economic growth brings with it great danger such as ecological disaster and increasing income disparity. In New York City, Noam Chomsky reports that nearly 60% of black youth lack economic and educational opportunity, have no access to even the most basic social services and little sense of security. Their plight is not significantly different from the inhabitants of Bangladesh. Similar situations are present in Europe. The BBC recently reported that the living conditions of some poor children in London are comparable to those that Charles Dickens wrote of in the 19 th century.

With this understanding, my vision of the future is not rooted in the capitalist myth of emancipation. For me, the future must be built on traditional wisdom and culture. As Helena Norberg-Hodge has argued in her book Ancient Futures, the future of the world cannot be found in New York, London or other Western metropolis. Rather it is found in communities we find in the Indian states of Ladakh and Kerala and grassroots movements like the Assembly of the Poor in Siam. Indeed when Tibet become autonomous that would example of a modern state of stressing on with Buddhist democracy, peace, nonviolence, ecological balance with respect to indigenous cultures and spirituality.

The future of the world must not neglect the spiritual perspective. There is a wealth of wisdom that can be garnered from religious traditions. The counter-modernity spirit advocated and practiced by Gandhi is helpful.

As a Buddhist, I feel that the teachings of the Buddha have much to offer to mitigate the suffering in the world. There are differences between the East and West although I do not see them as opposites or hierarchical relationships where one side is privileged. Seeing the world in terms of opposites is a source of intolerance, bigotry, fundamentalism and racism. Once you say "I am", the terms "you are" and "we and they" naturally follow, leading to conflict and fragmentation, threatening the cultivation of the whole unit at the individual and collective levels.

In the current phase of transnationalism there may be similarities between the fate of Easterners and Westerners. There seems to be an emerging powerful capitalist class of elites in nations across the globe engaging in similar patterns of capital accumulation, consuming, and thinking. We live in a world characterized by the intensification, radicalization, and universal spread of an extreme form of modernity that now relies simply on its own justification and devours all other forms of actualization of human beings.

In the post-Cold War world, East and West, a spirit of capitalist triumphalism is breeding hubris, delusion, and arrogance, overwhelming many leaders. This is particularly strong in the West in the wake of the apparent victory over the Communism. The aggressive promotion of free-market capitalism preached by the neoliberal school of economics is a stark manifestation of this of capitalist triumphalism . As John Ralston Saul has noted, a new Holy Trinity has been discovered, with competition as the Father, efficiency as the son, and the market place as the Holy Spirit.

Tolerance for socio-economic diversity and alternative models of development is almost non-existent. Formerly diverse ways of life worldwide are being eroded by a consumer culture. This oppressive environment is destroying meaningful freedom, democracy, and human rights. I humbly and sincerely recommend that these negative trends may be overcome by discovering the teachings of the Buddha. I want people world wide, especially those indoctrinated into capitalist and consumer culture, to see the Buddha simultaneously as the Enlightened One and as a simple, humble monk. It was simplicity and humility that enabled the Buddha to achieve enlightenment. This is the antidote needed.

By simplicity, I mean freedom from attachment to material and sensual pleasure. Gain, honor, sensual happiness and praise ultimately lead to loss, ignominy, suffering, and denunciation, respectively. The Buddha, who wandered as a monk for six years before enlightenment called these the eight worldly conditions and stated that whoever is bound to these will never be free from the cycle of birth and death. Simplicity contributes to the realization of a noble life because it guides us down the Noble Eightfold path. Where consumerism holds personal material success in the highest esteem, one learns from the Buddha to constantly reduce attachment and to envision success as overcoming attachment to personal gains and possessions. Free from these attachments, one has sufficient time and energy to nurture the seeds of peace within. From the Buddhist perspective, a prosperous person is self-reliant; has self-dignity, is proud of his/her culture; is content, generous, and ever mindful. Income and wealth are not indicators of prosperity in Buddhism as in global capitalism. With the right understanding of simplicity a peaceful life relates harmoniously with all sentient beings and the natural environment. The five senses are not indulged through abuse of thought, speech, and action. We understand that consumerism and the like can endanger the earth's biosphere and strengthen transnational corporations and institutions that care more for profit than the well-being of people. Simplicity guides one to be mindful of how to create and use wealth giving more than taking from others.

Humility also implies the respect for all sentient beings. If we are humble, we co-exist and do not see ourselves as exceptional or superior. If one is always right or good, then the other is always wrong or evil. Through humility we can learn to see the consequences of our actions and struggle for greater social justice and equality.

Equality is often misunderstood as a concept. It does not mean sameness, for some people need more than others. A sick person requires more resources than a well person, an educated person requires not more, but different things than an uneducated person and so on. Equality also tends to denote a leveling up process equated with striving to be like the rich and powerful. We seem to forget that equality can also be attained if the rich live more simply and share their wealth with the poor.

Consumerism and unlimited growth directly contradict the concept of environmental sustainability and technological advancements and can only delay the impending ecological disaster. This leads to the question of whether the whole international capitalist system - from its agents, institutions, and structures to its basic culture and ideology - is inherently defective. From a Buddhist perspective, it definitely is.

The real meaning of the word Buddha is "to be awake". When we are awakened to simplicity and humility and aware of the suffering engendered by greed, hatred, and delusion, our consciousness is restructured. We become mindful about ourselves and others and are naturally led to restructure human society. The restructuring of the individual human consciousness and the society is complementary to each other and both are desperately needed. The global economy is fueled by insatiability and makes a virtue of greed and consumerism. The Buddha taught that the wheel of righteousness (dhammacakka) must control the wheel of power (anacakka). In the modern world, the quest for greater profit ultimately determines the actions of the rich and powerful, thus any top-down attempt to redress class and ecological problems is likely to fail. The teachings of the Buddha, however, state that the rich and powerful, especially the rulers, must have only one overriding concern - the upholding the law of dhamma.

The Buddha was a simple and humble monk. I would like everyone captivated by the culture and ideology of consumerism and indoctrinated into a belief in the linearity of history to see this simple truth. Then consider the truth that the Buddha's simple and humble teachings provide a different way of seeing the world and if properly understood and practiced, and lead a way to a noble life. I am so very happy to say that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is also a simple and humble monk. He is indeed guiding many of us with his compassion wisdom and skillfulness very patiently to the hopeful future not only of Asia, but the world

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Courtesy

http://www.sulak-sivaraksa.org/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=74&Itemid=103