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, March 14, 2007

Professor C.Parvathamma -Scholar of the Year 2006

Great Scholar Blog pays tribute to late Professor C.Parvathamma,
the first woman economist of India, one of the most brilliant Indian woman & a top class
Ambedkarite Dalits of India. She just accomplished what our Savior Dr.Ambedkar
dreamed of the educated dalits to do to India.

Prof. C. Parvathamma 1927-2006
Here is piece wriiten on the obituary of C. Parvathamma
the first woman Sociologist published in the latest issue of Economic and Political Weekly (EPW Vol.42-No.3 25 January)

We mourn the passing away of Prof. C. Parvathamma (1927-2006) the first Dalit woman Sociologist of India and of course, the first generation of Dalit Sociologist. She passed away on 1st of August, 2006 at the Age of 79 in Mysore . She was former Head of the Department of Sociology, University of Mysore, and a recipient of and Rajyothsava Award (1990), Gargi Award (1999), Nadoja Award (2005). Widely admired Sociologist, prolific writer and respected teacher, Prof. Parvathamma was possibly the best Sociologist Mysore ever produced along with Prof. M N Srinivas.She obtained her Ph.D. at Victoria University , Machester under the supervison of Max Gluckman and contributed immensly to our understanding of South Indian village society and Dalits in India . In her pioneering ethnographic work and volumes on northern Karnataka villages, Prof. Parvathamma brought out with great sensitivity the power relations in village society and the oppression of landowning communities. Her writings, especially on Lingayats and their beliefs, are very impressive. Her discussions and research on Virasaivism as an anti-Brahmanical movement in South India is a much acclaimed contribution in the subject of Sociology. As an insider, she also evaluated the role of Dalit politicians and vehemently criticized them for their self-fulfilling prophesy and paying lip service to the problems of Dalits. Scheduled Castes at the Cross-Roads and New Horizons and Scheduled Castes both from Ashis Publications, New Delhi were pionreering works on Dalits by a Dalit in 1980s.

Through her dedicated study and research, she produced some of the best reports on the depressed classes and other marginalised sections of the society,
which, at one time, enabled the State Government to take corrective policy measures for the upliftment of these classes. Her academic credentials cannot be judged only though her seventy research articles and eleven books as the second genration Dalit Sociologists reveal the baggage of cultural capital she has passed on to them by sharing her life experiences as a pioneer in the profession . At the XX All India Sociological Conference in 1993 held at St. Aloysius College Mangalore she mesmerised one and all with her powerful lecture which was full of ideologcial anecdotes. Her one sentence which still resonates in my conciousness is, “If this nation needs one Gandhi then it needs thousnds of Ambedkar to break free form the age old tyranicl Hindu Social Order”. As an institution builder, Prof. Parvathamma played a critical role in building the Sociology Department of Mysore University. She was instrumental in creating a tradition of research and also in publishing Sociological works through Prasaranga. She also was member of a number of commiteees and of the first Govering Body of the ICSSR at the time of its inception.Even after her retirement from the university service in 1988 she continued her urge and zeal for research, and established the ‘Center for Research in Rural and Tribal Devlopment’ in Mysore itself. Coming from an untouchable family and being a woman, she suffered from triple discrimination. She faced a great ordeal when she could not find a rented accomodation in Mysore even after completing a Ph. D. from Menchester and becoming a Lecture at Mysore University . But through her grit and hard work she made a space for her in corridors of acedimeia where Dalits were never welcomed. It is really unfortunate that her contribution was not recognised either in Karnataka or outside and she remained in oblivian, although through her writings she kept on reminding her unpresent presence in the subjct of Sociology and in the policy formulations. She will remain alive for ever in the profession of Sociology and keep on inspiring the coming generation of Sociologists.

http://churumuri.wordpress.com/2006/08/03/prof-parvathamma/
http://atrocitynews.wordpress.com/2007/01/29/c-parthamma-paases-away/



A Pie in the Sky ? by Mrs Dr C Parvathamma,
studies the reservation policies implemented in the 1950's by the Indian

government.These policies, which were supposed to last for ten years, are still used in
the contemporary Indian society and have dangerous consequences.

Indeed, since reservations within government jobs and schools keep increasing, upper caste members try to get scheduled castes’ certificates and the latter try to get tribal certificates. The reservation race has become, as the author says, « a national sport », each trying to get his share, with the political support of the community members. This certificates smuggling is reinforced by the various lobbies, more powerful for the caste than for the tribes.The study mixes historical, cultural, sociological and anthropological elements and shows – through the comparative analysis of a tribal population (Katu Kuruba) and a schedule caste population (les Kuruba)- the perversity of a caste-based policy. The author points out the differences between these two groups and enables the reader to understand the very notions of caste and tribe. Mrs Parvathamma insists on the role of the NGO, such as DEED in Mysore District, in the construction of a political consciousness enabling the tribals to claim their rights.« The implementation of the reservation policy just underlined the differences and divisions, the author writes. It encouraged caste spirit and corporatism, instead of promoting secular, democratic and republican sentiments. »…or how the dreams of social unity promoted by independent India heroes, Gandhi and Dr Ambedkar, are being threatened by a positive discrimination for which they fought. How the very notion of diversity represents a danger for social cohesion. How a society that abolished the caste system makes it the basis of its social policy. The book is built on a series of themes: after introducing the evolution of the caste system, the author presents anthropological aspects of Kuruba and Katu Kuruba and, in the last chapters, gives a political and historical analysis of the reservation policies’ evolution.The conclusion offers suggestions for corrective measures: assessment of the impact and rationalization of the policy, classification of the eligible social groups, definition of a calendar, un-enrollment of currently eligible groups for more democracy, more efficiency, more secularism and more ethics.

http://doc-aea.datapps.com/pub_cgi/document_sho.pl?document_id=1312&lang=fr


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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.