Buddhism grants freedom of thought and self-development to all
Posted on – Friday, 05/05/23 at 12:47pm
by Santosh I Raut
Hyderabad: In October 1956, nearly a decade after India’s independence, Ambedkar openly embraced Buddhism, thereby opening a window to show India’s history in a new light. Thus began the process of building a new India, through fresh inspiration based on the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity, instead of the dark and barren caste cloud that had hung over Indian culture until then.
Rebuilding a national culture based on the proud heritage of ancient Indian history while promoting political and economic emancipation at all levels of society is a new experience for modern India. It can be said that Buddhism in the past provided relief from caste prejudice, thereby paving the way for the establishment of a democratic system.
reimagining the future
Dr. Ambedkar’s Buddhist Revival invites us to examine the ancient wisdom of the Buddha to create harmonious cultures and happy peoples based on self-respect, justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. He published an article in Janata (17 May 1941) – a magazine he ran – asking the people of India why such a great splendor of India was forgotten in its own land and who is equal And great promoters of liberty?
Equality is the main feature of Buddhism. The Buddha’s religion empowers all people with freedom of thought and self-development. It never teaches that salvation is gained by sacrificing animals or any living beings to appease the gods.
Before the emergence of Buddhism, it was unexpected that a sudra would ascend to the throne. Dr. Ambedakr noted that Indian history shows that after the emergence of Buddhism, the Sudras took the throne. True, Buddhism paved the way for a democratic and socialist social pattern in India. (Ambedkar, 2003, Vol. 17, p. 407)
Ambedkar’s Buddhism advocates true freedom, equality and fraternity. It does not observe the caste system in any form and encourages people to take responsibility for their own advancement. It does not teach liberation based on God or any cosmic agency between God and man, but rather teaches that freedom can only be achieved through self-effort. No God or Bhoodev (God on Earth) can bring liberation to others. Every individual irrespective of caste birth, colour, race and gender will be liberated if he/she sincerely strives to cultivate a mind free from prejudice and hatred. In this sense, he was aware and clearly recognized that “Buddha is Mārg Dātā (pathfinder/guide) not Moksha Dātā (giver of salvation)”
worth not born
The Buddha’s teachings never advocated a caste-based society, value rather than birth as a measure of people. Ambedkar has a deep understanding of this, and believes that this is the clarion call to establish a truly equal and free society in ancient India. For him, it is the ultimate inspiration for creating a caste-free society in modern India.
An anecdote worth mentioning here is an exchange between the first human beings the Buddha met after his enlightenment in Bodhgaya, Bihar. Under the Ajapāla Nigrodha Tree, he met a Brahmin named Hu-hunka-Jati. When Buddha was asked by a Brahman the question of what is a Brahman, Buddha replied with a cool head that no one becomes pure or noble just by birth. The Buddha refuted the latter idea, stating that it is merit, not birth, that makes a person noble. These are the first words Buddha said to any unenlightened person after his enlightenment.
equal liberation
From Dr. Ambekar’s Buddhist perspective, it is clear that he emphasizes that taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha is superficial, and that sectarian or monastic methods are secondary. His form of Navayāna Buddhism is humanistic. No matter how great the teachings of the Buddha were, they were either misinterpreted or applied mechanically under the dark clouds of the Brahmanist counter-revolution. In this sense, Dr. Ambedkar not only revives the teachings of the Buddha, but reinterprets them to make them relevant to the modern world.
One definition that might sum up the meaning of Navayāna Buddhism is: a non-denominational approach to taking refuge in the Triple Gem (Three Jewels) – Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. In other words, firmly follow in the footsteps of Buddha, rebuild oneself by practicing Dharma, and create a new community based on self-esteem, equality, justice and fraternity to achieve liberation. It does not distinguish between men and women, monks and nuns, but based on Buddhist practice and mutual respect for human nature; therefore, Nine Vehicles Buddhism has no formalism.
It is believed that religion is the subject of critical investigation/inquiry and is the antithesis of any form of social discrimination, oppression and slavery. The function of Navayana Buddhism is to rebuild the self and the world by transforming and cultivating the mind according to the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha himself. A person restores her own personhood by purifying the mind of impurities, believing that its worth, not its origin, is the measure of humanity. This belief removes all social barriers and establishes a kingdom of justice responsible for individual freedom of thought, social harmony and governance, and a democratic state, thereby creating a moral and beautiful order in the universe.
In view of this, we are very pleased to see that the government of Telangana has erected the tallest statue for Dr Ambedkar to honor his great achievements, named its secretariat after Dr BR Ambedkar, and set up in Nagarjuna Sagar established Buddhavanam, the largest Buddhist theme park in the world.
(today Gautama Foggianti)
