And since he had been speaking about Islam all along since , including in the speech under discussion, Islam appeared to be the religion of his choice. He saw the necessity of three things for the development of an individual — compassion, equality and freedom — and observed that Hinduism did not have any of these.
Personally, Ambedkar rated the spiritual aspect of religion to be more important than the existential aspect. However, for the sake of Dalits, he would emphasise the existential utility of religion.
It appeared that he was inclined to join one of the existing religious communities in India which would bring them the requisite strength to counter Hindu oppression.
Although the Yeola declaration came in , he had been variously advocating religious conversion to Dalits as a means of escaping caste bondage right from through his journal Bahishkrit Bharat. Bahishkrit Bharat is replete with references which clearly indicate that he had almost reached the conclusion that without conversion to some other religion there was no escape for Untouchables from caste bondage.
Apart from the subject of conversion, he also dwelt upon which religion would be the best for Dalits to convert to. He had gone to the extent of rejecting Buddhism and Arya Samaj and indicating his preference for Christianity or Islam:.
If we want to successfully confront the prejudices of Hindus, we have to convert to either Christianity or Islam in order to secure the backing of some rebellious community. It is only then the blot of untouchability on Dalits will be washed away.
He might have known that the conversion of Dalits to Christianity would not make any difference to their social status. They would remain the same old Untouchables to not only Hindus but also to their upper-caste counterparts. He would explain that only the Muslim community could come to back them up with full support. Even though he would keep saying that he had only decided to renounce Hinduism and not specified which religion to embrace, his rational choice of Islam was all too evident until It might have been a stratagem to pressurise Hindus for reforms, which was his modest expectation in the Mahar conference.
Even in the next Satyagraha Conference, organised in December, they cunningly aborted it. Immediately after Mahar, he began speaking about conversion. Missing is the emphasis on monastic life, meditation and enlightenment, magic and ritual, and divine intervention by buddhas and bodhisattvas from celestial Buddha-realms and paradises. In turning the dharma wheel for his own time, Ambedkar offered a socially engaged Buddhism that focused on economic justice, political freedom, and moral striving.
The Buddha and His Dhamma presents Prince Siddhartha as a leader attuned as much to the political forces of his time as to existential issues of old age, sickness, and death. Ambedkar questioned the traditional teachings of karma and rebirth, which are used in Hindu society to explain and justify untouchability—in effect, to blame the victims of social inequality.
He also questioned the role of Buddhist monks who seek spiritual perfection while appearing to ignore the material sufferings of the masses around them. Most controversially, Ambedkar questioned the authenticity of the Four Noble Truths. Which is worse, they would cry, the desire for water, food, shelter, health, and dignity—or the actual deprivation of these basic conditions? Or might such emotions lead to the determination to overcome personal and social disabilities?
Similarly, the truth of nirvana, when interpreted as the absence of passion, would baffle people whose only relief from social disability was an inner freedom, including the spontaneity of joy, anger, love, and grief. In this light, the voluntary poverty and emotional control of the traditional bhikkhu could never offer a viable ideal for communities locked in systemic poverty. The Truth of Suffering must include the realities of economic and social hardship.
The Truth of the Arising of the Suffering must be broad enough to include the dynamics of caste and class, of economic exploitation and political cruelty. The Truth of the Cessation of Suffering must include the social blessings of liberty, equality, and fraternity. In fact, Ambedkar had pored over the major scholarly works on the history and literature of Buddhism, including the complete Tripitaka, the compiled canon of oral teachings attributed to the Buddha.
He proposed three criteria: reasonableness, social benefit, and certainty; the Buddha would not have offered teachings that were irrational, harmful, or tentative. Some say samadhi , some say vipassana, others, compassion, mysticism, enlightenment, or retreat from the world. Could the Buddha answer Karl Marx? He answers all these questions.
But they have been buried by modern authors. To turn the wheel is to change the wheel; each rotation offers a new Buddhism. The ancient Buddhist role models were the mindful monk and the compassionate bodhisattva.
The emerging role models of revitalized Buddhism in South Asia—influenced not only by Ambedkar, but by the American Theosophist Henry Steel Olcott and the Sinhalese reformer Anagarika Dharmapala—combine the qualities of Theravada and Mahayana saints with the passions of the human rights activist and the skills of the modern manager.
Higher education, legal and political savvy, and a gift for public communication are all characteristic of the new Buddhist leaders: A. Like these courageous Buddhist activists, Ambedkar was acutely aware of the struggles that must be waged on behalf of populations trapped in deprivation and hopelessness.
The religious aspects of his conversion movement—especially the sense of new dignity and possibility in life—emboldened countless ex-untouchables to take advantage of the legal protections, scholarships, and employment opportunities mandated by the Indian Constitution. With the collapse of the cold war and the realignment of the superpowers, the demand for self-determination and the sophisticated methods that marked the fight for Indian independence have become universal standards for nonviolent social change.
In the footsteps of John Dewey, his mentor at Columbia University, Ambedkar based his campaigns for social justice on the European Enlightenment principles of reason and experience and the quest for universal education.
For Ambedkar, freedom of thought was best exemplified by the historical Buddha, who rejected dogmatism in favor of free inquiry. Adrija Roychowdhury Adrija writes long, researched features on history, world and national Australia beat Pakistan to reach the finals Explained: Who is Devasahayam, the first Indian layman to be conferred sainthood?
File photo On October 14, , B R Ambedkar along with 3,65, of his Dalit followers made history when they decided to leave the folds of Hinduism and embrace Buddhism. The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
Trending 'One last heist Click here to join our channel indianexpress and stay updated with the latest headlines. Adrija Roychowdhury Adrija writes long, researched features on history, world and national Australia beat Pakistan to reach the finals Explained: Who is Devasahayam, the first Indian layman to be conferred sainthood?
Home Research Buddha Purnima special: Three reasons why Ambedkar embraced Buddhism Buddha Purnima special: Three reasons why Ambedkar embraced Buddhism The most popular view among scholars is the fact that Buddhism was seen as the most modern and rational religion by Ambedkar.
Ambedkar believed that the only way the Dalits could find a place for themselves in Indian society was by way of conversion. Express archive photo October 14, was clearly an important moment in Dalit history. Dikshabhumi, a stupa at the site in Nagpur, where Ambedkar embraced Buddhism along with many of his followers. Wikimedia Commons Unfortunately, Ambedkar did not live long thereafter to practice Buddhism and passed away just two months after his official conversion.
The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
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