Resurgence of Buddhism in India
Bihar and Uttar pradesh are the two current states of India where Buddha taught. In ancient time when there was no India and no Nepal. Buddha started giving his sermon in this part of the world. Over time especially after King Ashoka embraced Buddhism and later the whole east asia and south asia. The region saw one of its golden period in its history. The Sanatan Dharma and Islam however decimated the Buddhist movement in India one by embracing it and other by forced conversion and consequently the region plunged into its darkest period.
I wasn't much aware of Buddhism's intellectual aspect until I moved to USA. I got exposed to different traditions in my weekly meditation sitting with a group at Gaia house in Carbondale. But again many of these neo buddhist pursue this more as an identity rather than understanding the spiritual underpinning of this religion. I came across an eight volume tome on Buddha by Osamu Tezuka at local Barnes and Noble and decided to procure it from a sister library in Urbana Champagne. It was an eye opener about Buddha. I later read Eknath Easwaran book on Dhammapada. But the person who really blew my mind was Mr. Goenkaji. I attended Vipassana Course in Rockford, Illinois. I still remember the feeling after the course. "That something profound and something that simple is there". It was like a feeling of Nirvana and after years of practicing this feeling has become more and more cemented that Buddhism in Vipassana tradition is a very effective cure to society's social problem.
Few days back I saw Amir Khan's Satyamev Jayatey. There was this episode on untouchability in India. I must say it was very very moving. Its not that I was not aware of this. Few months ago I had read the book "A fine balance" by Rohinton Mistry and it too gave a moving portrait of the lives of untouchables in India. I don't know the exact reason what moved me this time but I decided to find out more about the resurgence of Buddhism in Indiba. I searched on internet and found out references from 2001 and 2006 when there were mass conversions of Dalits to Buddhism. I also found out about Dr. Amabedkar's 22 vows. I think they are very significant for people who want to come out of the hindu grip over them. Because the caste ism is the bane of India. It has percolated to all other religions of India be it Sikhism, Christanity or Muslims and I think part of the reason is the adherents of these religions still carry some hindu steak in themselves and that is the very reason that Dr. Ambedkar was so insistent about those 22 vows.
Goenkaji has done a superb job of reintroducing Buddhism. As I see it is set to become a major way of life for lots of people. The benefit are tremendous and you get out of the shackle of blind faith and casteism. I think the effort to convert Dalits to Buddhism is a noble one. They really need it otherwise the current system will never let them achieve equal social and economic status. I also believe that its not only dalits but all other sections of society can benefit if they embrace Vipassana style Buddhism along with Ambedkar's vows.
I have been identifying myself as a Buddhist now for over 5 years. The reasons are I think as a Mathematician. Buddhism (Vipassana tradition) makes sense. It doesn't involve any god. You just believe what you experience. There are no rituals and the teaching is about Metta. No supernatural theories. Just the plain, unadulterated teaching of Buddha as he intended. The other traditions have too many rituals. You can enjoy and admire them but that's not the core of Buddhism.
I wasn't much aware of Buddhism's intellectual aspect until I moved to USA. I got exposed to different traditions in my weekly meditation sitting with a group at Gaia house in Carbondale. But again many of these neo buddhist pursue this more as an identity rather than understanding the spiritual underpinning of this religion. I came across an eight volume tome on Buddha by Osamu Tezuka at local Barnes and Noble and decided to procure it from a sister library in Urbana Champagne. It was an eye opener about Buddha. I later read Eknath Easwaran book on Dhammapada. But the person who really blew my mind was Mr. Goenkaji. I attended Vipassana Course in Rockford, Illinois. I still remember the feeling after the course. "That something profound and something that simple is there". It was like a feeling of Nirvana and after years of practicing this feeling has become more and more cemented that Buddhism in Vipassana tradition is a very effective cure to society's social problem.
Few days back I saw Amir Khan's Satyamev Jayatey. There was this episode on untouchability in India. I must say it was very very moving. Its not that I was not aware of this. Few months ago I had read the book "A fine balance" by Rohinton Mistry and it too gave a moving portrait of the lives of untouchables in India. I don't know the exact reason what moved me this time but I decided to find out more about the resurgence of Buddhism in Indiba. I searched on internet and found out references from 2001 and 2006 when there were mass conversions of Dalits to Buddhism. I also found out about Dr. Amabedkar's 22 vows. I think they are very significant for people who want to come out of the hindu grip over them. Because the caste ism is the bane of India. It has percolated to all other religions of India be it Sikhism, Christanity or Muslims and I think part of the reason is the adherents of these religions still carry some hindu steak in themselves and that is the very reason that Dr. Ambedkar was so insistent about those 22 vows.
Goenkaji has done a superb job of reintroducing Buddhism. As I see it is set to become a major way of life for lots of people. The benefit are tremendous and you get out of the shackle of blind faith and casteism. I think the effort to convert Dalits to Buddhism is a noble one. They really need it otherwise the current system will never let them achieve equal social and economic status. I also believe that its not only dalits but all other sections of society can benefit if they embrace Vipassana style Buddhism along with Ambedkar's vows.
I have been identifying myself as a Buddhist now for over 5 years. The reasons are I think as a Mathematician. Buddhism (Vipassana tradition) makes sense. It doesn't involve any god. You just believe what you experience. There are no rituals and the teaching is about Metta. No supernatural theories. Just the plain, unadulterated teaching of Buddha as he intended. The other traditions have too many rituals. You can enjoy and admire them but that's not the core of Buddhism.
posted by Sumant at 2:35 PM
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