Vol. 11 · pages 626–630

PREFACE Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s “The Buddha and His Dhamma” was posthumeusly published in the year 1957 by the People’s Education Society, Bombay. The book was received by Ambedkarite Buddhists with great enthusiasm and devotion but the traditional Buddhist world could not readily accept the theories and interpretation of Buddhism propounded by Dr. Ambedkar. One of the arguments of critics was that the book did not indicate the sources from the original Buddhist scriptures and hence it lacks authenticity. The People’s Education Society thereafter released four editions but no efforts were made to incorporate the original sources from which Dr. Ambedkar had taken the references and based his theories. The book was first translated into Hindi by the renowned Buddhist scholar Dr. Bhadant Anand Kausalyayan, which was published in 1961. Dr. Kausalyayan attempted to provide as many sources from the original text as possible. But these sources were not transferred either in any of the English editions or in any of the translations in Marathi or other languages, which came out later. Mrs. Adele M. Fiske of the University of Pennsylvania studied this subject in detail for her Master of Arts dissertation. She had submitted a paper entitled ‘The use of Buddhist scriptures in Dr. Ambedkar’s ‘Buddha and His Dhamma’ for her degree. ‘The Buddha and His Dhamma’ was recently entrusted by the People’s Education Society to the Government of

viii PREFACE Maharashtra for publication in the series, ‘Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar:’ Writings and Speeches’. I, having been in-charge of the project of Dr. Ambedkar’s works, was very much elated as I had studied this book as early as in 1957. I had given discourses on this book during 1958-60 in Yavatmal District, and thereafter published a brief commentary on this book in 1960 viz. Buddha Dhamma Pradeep. Although the book carried my pen-name as ‘NAG’, my real name, however, became known throughout Vidarbha within few years through this book. Ven. Anand Kausalyayan encouraged me. He was particularly happy with the diagram I had furnished in the book explaining ‘Nama-Rupa’. After the publication of this commentary viz. ‘Buddha Dhamma Pradeep’ in 1960, I wrote several articles on Buddhism based on the book by Dr. Ambedkar. ‘No-soul theory in Buddhism’ and ‘Ishwar’ are two such booklets. ‘The Buddha and His Dhamma’ which assumed a place of the Gospel among converts to Buddhism, came for publication in the series of Dr. Ambedkar’s works by Government of Maharashtra from the People’s Education Society, and with the approval of the State-level committee, I forwarded the book for printing to the Press. I had thought of incorporating the sources from the Pali text which Dr. Kausalyayan had included in the Hindi version. In addition, an index to the book was a necessity. Accordingly, I worked for about 6 months on this project. All references in Dr. Kausalyayan’s translation were verified from the English translations published by the Pali Text Society and other publishers in London. References from ‘Buddhacharita’ were verified from Suryanarayan Choudhari’s Hindi translation while

(ix)PREFACE ‘Dhammapada’ references were checked from Prof. N. K. Bhagawat’s translation into English. Barring few insignificant errors, most of the references were found correct. Anandji had given the references at the end of the chapter or part, mentioning the corresponding number against a verse. At some places, one reference indicated several stanzas from ‘Buddhacharita’. This raised difficulty in locating the exact verse of the original text. The references which Dr. Kausalyayan quoted were from the canonical literature. I also tried to search sources of other remaining portion which Dr. Kausalyayan had left out. Very few people might be aware that Dr. Ambedkar used some non-canonical literature also to substantiate his theory. To mention here but two examples: Firstly, let me mention the name of Krishnaji Arjun Keluskar, former Principal, Wilson High School, Bombay who had published a biography of Bhagwan Gautam Buddha, in Marathi, in 1898, a copy of which he personally presented to young Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar on his success in the Matriculation examination of the University of Bombay, in 1907. In Keluskar’s book—which undoubtedly influenced Ambedkar—we find references to disputes on the waters of the Rohini river and Siddharth Gautam’s intervention to avert outbreak of hostilities between the Sakyas and the Koliyas. Secondly, a mention must be made of Professor Dharmanand Kosambi whose name is familier in Maharashtra. He had devoted his whole life to scholarship on Buddhist studies. The study of Pali in Pune and Bombay Universities was started with his efforts. Under his guidance and teachership, Buddhist studies flourished and several scholars in Pali came to the fore. Beside his scholarly editing of ‘Visuddhimagga’ and ‘Visuddhimaggadeepika’ in Pali, his books on Buddhism in Marathi are very popular. They reveal his analytical aptitude

(x) PREFACE and scholarly approach towards Buddhist studies. In his critical biography of Buddha’s life published in 1940, he was probably one of the few Indian scholars who questioned the rationale behind the story of Gautam’s renunciation narrated in Mahabhinishkraman Sutta. In his book, he said, three reasons appear evident which made Gautama leave his palace and become a recluse : (i) People were quarrelling, he hesitated to bear arms; (ii) when he saw people quarrelling, fear creeped into his mind; (iii) He found the whole world empty. He could not find a place for shelter. Obsessed by these quarrels he decided to become a Sanyasi. Explaining these reasons from the Attadandasutta, Prof. Kosambi further narrates how the Saleyas and Koliyas were quarrelling over the water of Rohini river. He says, ‘Once the armies of Sakyas and Koliyas gathered near the Rohini river to fight, but the Buddha reached there and intervened and recited the Attadand sutta decrying conlfict and the use of force. He thus suggests that this event occured before his enlightnment. This is described in Kunal Jataka and in Jataka attakatha at several places. He quotes Pabbaja and Mahasaccakasutta also to support this theory. The traditional belief that Siddharth left his palace with Chhanna in the midnight without consulting his parents or intimating his wife is also questioned by Prof. Kosambi. He cites Ariyapariyesana Sutta to show that his parents were present when he cut his hair to become a Sannyasi. After analysing all the causes which resulted in Gautama’s renunciation, he concludes, that the frequent quarrels between Sakyas and Koliyas were responsible for his leaving home in search of finding the way for peace. Based on this theory, Prof. Dharmananda wrote a play entitled ‘Bodhisatwa’ and published it in 1949. I had read

(xi)PREFACE this play in 1962 and was surprised to find identical similarity in the story of the play and the one told by Dr. Ambedkar. I have tried to supplement Dr. Anand Kausalyayan’s sources with the information I have found in the scriptures and elsewhere. I have also tried to prepare an Index as exhaustive as possible. I am keenly conscious of the little work done by me and the vast undone. Further efforts for exploration on this subject are left to genuine scholars from whom suggestions are welcome. Several scholars and students of Buddhism showed concern for publication of this work. Among many who have laid me under a debt of gratitude, I wish to mention:— (1) the members of the Committee who resolved for Publication of this supplement even after the release of Vol. 11; (2) Shri S. S. Rege, Ex-Librarian of the Siddharth College, Bombay and Shri Shrikant Talwatkar, Librarian of the Siddharth College, Bombay, who cheerfully spared me valuable books whenever required; (3) Shri Lokmitra of Dapodi Buddha Mahavihar, Pune, and Dr. Bhalchandra Mungekar of the Bombay University who provided useful suggestions during discussion; (4) Dr. Eleanor Zelliot of Minnesota University, a famous historian and internationally recognised American scholar of studies on Dr. Ambedkar and the Dalit Movement; and Dr. Munshilal Gautam, Commissioner, Tribal Development of the Maharashtra State; who showed so much interest and concern for seeing the script in print; and,