India's Revolutionary Icons who followed the paths of The Buddha

India's Revolutionary Icons who followed the paths of  The Buddha
It all began with Buddha... and these are some of the great Torch Bearer's of Buddha's Dhamma.... This Blog is a Scholarly Blog created to provide insights into the life, services and Social contributions of some of the Greatest of Indian Scholars, Humanitarians, Saints and social activists about whom the vested interests and Rotten Indian media do not write. Nor there is a State or center policies to restore and protect the stunning stories of these great men and woman...let me walk you through the greatness..!!

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Father of Nation of India Dr.Bheemarao Ambedkar

The first Law Minister of India and the Father of Indian Constitution Bheemrao Ramji Ambedkar (Dr.B.R.Ambedkar)spoke, wrote and demonstrated quite extensively and comprehensively than any other known living or dead humans of India as to how treacherous, dangerous this so called Indian hindu society and it's deadly cultures that spread discrimination and bigotry between each of thousands of heterogeneous groups. To find a way to bring them all these "heterogeneous mess of India", and to put them in single order to lead a happy, free and prosperous life, to make them behave like humans and to treat fellow humans DrAmbedkar crafted this finest of the fine Constitution that even Americans refer to it when they are in crisis. Ofcourse, Dr.Ambedkar was an American Scholar and Columbia Doctorate, he did learn lots about humanity and freedom while he was in America, but he also studied American Constitution, so a well learned scholar and genius DrAmbedkar fathered the Indian constitution in real sense, he is the Father of Modern India, while SakyaMuni Buddha was the Father of ancient and all time Father of India. Here is the dedication to the Father of India: http://fatherofnationi.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, December 6, 2006

Bhimrao Ambedkar -a Great Indian Scholar & Humanitarian

Bodhisatava Dr.Bhimrao Ambedkar
Dr.Bhimrao Ambedkar (1891-1956), spent several years in Columbia University in New York. Columbia is one of the Ivy league university known for top class education. Bhimrao studied under Professor Dr.John Dewey (1859-1952), one of the finest of American Scholar, teacher and mentor under whom Bhim carried out his doctoral thesis work.
John Dewey is a great humanitarian who advocated equality and social justice, it is here in Columbia Bhimrao learned lots about equal rights which shaped his ideas of inculcating the similar rights in India, especially to uplift the dalits. In addition to John Dewey, Bhimrao enjoyed the company of his wonderful colleagues in Columbia, who also shared his views on social equality.

Dr.Bhimrao's PhD Mentor & a friend
“The future of our civilization depends upon the widening spread and deepening hold of the scientific cast of mind.”

John Dewey (1859-1952),
Bhimrao's PhD supervisor and mentor, John Dewey is a philosopher, humanitarian and a master of practical approach, who also championed woman's causes and academic freedom for woman.

john dewey
Arguably the most influential thinker on education in the twentieth century, Dewey's contribution lies along several fronts. His attention to experience and reflection, democracy and community, and to environments for learning have been seminal.
http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-dewey.htm

Sunday, December 3, 2006

22 Vows of Dr.B.R.Ambedkar

Dr.Bheemarao Ambedkar is THE FATHER OF MODERN INDIA and a great Humanitarian of the top order the world has ever seen, especially the nation India would have ever produced, those who lack insight will not be able to grasp the power and brilliance of this intellectual. His teachings & dedication to improve the delipidated India can be felt like a work that is beyond a noble work, further step beyond nobility, if there is one work, it would be Dr.B.R.Ambedkar's work.

The Indian media, people and wested interests, time and again...time and again made every efforts possible to not to write or talk about Dr.B.R. Ambedkar, if they do, they were ridiculously narrow minded and callous in their attitudes.

However, this blog will be dedicated to bring out the outstanding work of BR every now and then to everyone who wants to get some insight about Dr.B.R.Ambedkar, this is also a blog to educate all the Ambedkarites all over the world and in India. And, most importantly to educate the future generation of Indians.

Here are the most important vows Dr.B.R.Ambedkar took to come out of century old social pathology devised by hindu's and anti-social Indians, he took this 22 vows while embracing and adopting Lord Buddha's teachings/Buddhism on October 14, 1956 in Dhiksha Bhoomi, Nagpur, India.
(please visit this URL http://www.upliftthem.blogspot.com, here you will find an articlehttp://www.upliftthem.blogspot.com/2006/11/real-event-drambedkars-covertion-to.html, a personal account & a first hand report of the conversion event by Dr.Jamanadass, an Ambekarite, physician who participated and lead a student team to work in this conversion, who also had a close encounter with Dr.Bbhimrao, this is a fabulous remembrance of the event by Dr.Jamandass, who currently lives in India).

1.I shall not consider Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh as God nor shall I worship them.




2.I shall not consider Ram and Krishna as God nor shall I worship them.




3.I shall not believe in Gouri-Ganesh and other Gods and goddesses of Hindu Religion nor shall I worship them.




4.I don’t have faith incarnation of God.




5.I believe that, Buddha is incarnation of Vishnu, is a false and malicious propaganda.




6.I shall not perform shraddha, nor shall I give pind-dan.




7.I shall not practice anything which is against and different from Buddha’s Dhamma.




8.I will not perform any rituals to be performed by Brahmins.




9.I believe that all human beings are equal.




10.I shall make efforts to establish equality.




11.I shall follow the Eightfold path as told by the Buddha.




12.I shall practice ten Paramitas as told by the Buddha.




13.I shall have compassion and living kindness for all living beings and protect them.




14.I shall not steal.




15.I shall not tell lies.




16.I shall not commit any sexual misconduct.




17.I shall not consume liquor/intoxicants.




18.I shall lead a life based on Buddhist Principle of wisdom, Precepts, and compassion.




19. I denounce Hindu religion which is Harmful for my development as a human being and which has treated human being unequal lowly and I accept Buddha’s Dhamma.




20.I am convinced that Buddha’s Dhamma is Saddhamma.




21.I believe that I am taking new birth.




22.I commit that henceforth I shall act as per Buddha’s principles and teachings.

WESTERN BUDDHISTS TO LEARN FROM AMERICAN JEWS By PPLakshmanJi

I read with great interest "A Challenge to Buddhism" by Ven.Bhikkhu Bodhi that I was fortunate to read on the internet. 
We all know and revere Bhikkhu Bodhi. His talks and writings are always inspiring and  provocative. His distress evident in the above-mentioned article will be shared by all those who read it.
Of late we have been hearing a lot about the expression  "Engaged Buddhism". I find the expression mostly among the Mahayanists rather than among the Therawadis in the Western world. Mahayanists also use the expression "Humanistic Buddhism". To everyone who is not a Buddhist, it simply means Applied Buddhism or practical Budhism.
There has been  challenges to Buddhism in all eras. To my mind, there is no greater solution, no enduring remedy to the challenges in any era than the creation of Buddha's disciples known as Arhants who would advice and give lead to people to solve their problems as and when they arise, regardless of color, race, creed or nation. Whatever the problems - social problems like injustice or natural catastrophies like earthquake or global problems like climate change 
-  the cutting edges of weapons in Buddhist armory to counter them always lay in individuals in the first instance, and subsequently in their organizations, with or without the support of governments. Therawada Buddhism which I am more familiar with has had a monastic order in place since Buddha'.s time where trained monks are turned out in large numbers, year after year, in Therawada countries -  Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia.  Many of the trained monastics become bodhisatvas (seekers of enlightenment), few if any become fully enlightened worthy ones known as arhants who are worthy to advice and lead. Finding arhants is like mining for diamonds.
Many of the social service organizations, Buddhist or other,  fail because of the absence of arhants, the fully enlightened ones, to lead them. The fully enlightened arhants emerge out of the multitudes of monks, worthy to advice and worthy to lead..  
 
There have been a plethora of institutions with long histories of social service like the CARE, the American Peace Core, Red Cross, YMCAs, and many others. Bhikkhu Bodhi has mentioned American Jewish World Service (AJWS) which is relatively a new organization like the Islamic Relief USA and others, all of which "aiming to alleviate suffering, hunger, illiteracy and disease, worldwide". On the other hand,  organizations with limited goals also take birth like the Armenian Relief Society with its limited goal of serving the humanitarian needs of the Armenian people worldwide, who still suffer from the effects of its underreported holocaust of early 20th century. I wonder what make AJWS exceptional. 

Has AJWS  tested its declared objective of social service on the soils of Israel's next door neighbors or in the  Arab sector inside Israel itself?  Some material on the internet gave me the impression that AJWS perhaps took birth out of cognitive dissonance among American Jews suffering from psychological conflicts between incompatible beliefs and attitudes.  
The highly efficient style of working of organizations like AJWS backed by media support can make favourable impression of them even if they do not have enlightened leaders and violate one or more of the five precepts that the Buddhists always practise in all their endeavours.
Social service is the objective of most organizations, but they have besides social service something which make them distinct. For instance, the U.S. after taking thousands of lives in Japan with their nuclear armory seek to create a better image of the U.S.with its Peace Core volunteers, YMCAs seek to spread Christian messages behind their altruism,  what if AJWS seeks to show Jewish presence in world service, no matter that the Jews are only 0.2 percent of a world population of 7 billion.   
 
I wish to draw the attention of my readers to an organization which I had in  mind when I wrote earlier in this piece about arhants and searching for them like mining for diamonds. 
The organization is called Fo Guang Shan (FGS), which means literally "Buddha's Light Mountain", and its organizer is Master Venerable Hsing Yun, born in mainland China in 1927. Master Venrable Hsing Yun founded FGS in 1967 in a remote quiet area in the hills of  Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan. It is a Mahayana Buddhist order promoting Humanistic Budddhism, a modern Chinese philosophy. Humanistic Buddhism aims to make Buddhism relevant in the world and in the people's lives and hearts. It is a monastic order and not a theoretical school of thought per se.
In May 1997, Hsing Yun got the gates of FGS closed to the general public in order to give a cloistered atmosphere to the temple residents.
But, following the plea of the public headed by the President of Taiwan, FGS reopened the gates in December 2000. In the last 40 years since its inception, FGS has been remarkably successful in extending its services beyond Taiwan,  setting up temples and organizations in 173 countries and encompassing more than 3,500 monastics. FGS also created an affiliate in 1992, Buddha's  Light International Association (BLIA),  
which has now over 100 chapters in the world.  The monastic order represented by Fo Guang Shan and Buddha's Light International Association has now over a milliom followers worldwide. It has been said  "In Master Venerable Hsing Yun, Buddhism has found a reformer, an innovator and an educator. Under his strong  leadership, Buddhism has extended beyond traditional temple life to integrate and further enrich the modern city dwellers."
 
 P.P.Lakshman
December 18, 2008
 
 

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Ravana & the depiction of 10 Heads? What is the Rationale?

Ravana's ten heads represent the ten crowns he wore as a result of his being the sovereign of ten countries.