Vol. 17, Part I · pages 471–475

58 BHIKHUS SHOULD SERVE THE BUDDHA BY BECOMING PREACHERS OF HIS DHAMMA “Dr. B. R. AMBEDKAR, M.A., Ph.D., D.Sc, LL.D., D.Litt., Barrister-at-Law, Member, Council of States 26, ALIPORE ROAD, CIVIL LINES, DELHI Dated the 30th October 1956. My dear Valisinha, Thank you very much for your letter of 25th October 1956. It certainly was a great event and the crowd that came forward for conversion was beyond my expectation. Thank the Buddha it all went well. I am glad you realize that having begun the task well we have to look to its continued progress in the future. We have to consider ways and means of imparting knowledge of Buddhism to the masses who have accepted His Dhamma and will accept it on my word. We should no doubt train large number of workers to teach Dhamma to the people, but the best agents for carrying out the same are the Bhikkus. They would carry a great deal of prestige with them which no layman could do. The Bhikkus in my judgement ought to be very happy to find out that a large task awaiting them has been done. The only difficulty with the Bhikkus is that they don’t care to learn the language of the people. I am afraid the Sangh will have to modify its outlook and instead of becoming recluses they should become like the Christian missionaries the social workers and social preachers. As I told you today they are neither Arhans nor useful members of the society. This fact must be hammered into them and make them realize that they could serve the Buddha well by becoming preachers of His Dhamma. I like your idea of opening a sort of the logical seminar where Bhikkus and non-Bhikkus could be taught the fundamentals of Buddhism and make to learn the different languages of India so that they could be sent to the different parts.

447BHIKHUS SHOULD.............HIS DHAMMA So far as my reading of the mind of the Indian youth is concerned it is very difficult to make them turn to learn the monestic ideals. The best way is that we can create like Japanese married priests like the protestant Christians have done. For that we shall have to find means for their support during their educational period and after they go out public life as priests. The conversion ceremony in Bombay will probably take place in December, most probably during the X’mas holidays so that many people could have travel facilities which they would not otherwise get. I shall let you have the exact date after consulting my Bombay people. I hope you are giving full publicity to the Nagpur ceremony, in the Maha Bodhi Journal. I would like you to particularly mention the following points : 1. that on the first day some three lakhs and eighty thousand people became converts to Buddhism. As many people arrived after the ceremony was over a second ceremony was held on the next day as the first item in the programme. 2. that there was another conference at Chanda on 16th October 1956 which was held in the evening. There also another conversion ceremony was held and some 3 lakhs of people were converted. 3. According to the news item in yesterday’s paper there was again a conversion ceremony held at Akola after I came away and more than 2000 people were converted. 4. That a Marathi paper called ‘Navyug’ has published some fine photographs of the crowd that attended conversion ceremony at Nagpur. 5. That I am receiving letters from all corners for conversion. If you are issuing a special number of Mahabodhi Society Journal and desire, to obtain photographs I can help you to obtain the same. Please let me know.

448 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES With reference to your querry as to our tour programme I am told a copy of the same has already been sent to you. You will know from it when I shall be in Sarnath. Yours Sincerely, (Sd.) (Dr. B. R. Ambedkar ) Shri D. Valisinha, General Secretary, Maha Bodhi Society of India, 4-A, Bankim Chatterjee Street, (College Square), Calcutta-2.” 1 zz 1 : Mahabodhi ; May 1957, Number 5, P. 226.

59 I BELIEVE, MY PEOPLE WILL SACRIFICE EVERYTHING TO ESTABLISH BUDDHISM IN INDIA “Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and Mrs. Ambedkar accompanied by Mr. B. H. Varale and Dr. Mavalankar left for Nepal to participate in the World Buddhist Conference scheduled to take place on the 17th November 1956. While leaving for Nepal, on November 13th, 1956, Mr. Y. C. Shankaranand Shastri very respectfully enquired at the Air Port, New Delhi, “Baba Saheb, in view of your failing health how far will it be possible for you to tour India to propagate the Dhamma ?” Baba Saheb felt slightly irritated but strongly asserted, for the task like propagation of Buddhism I am not at all ill. I am prepared to utilise every moment of my remaining life for the great task of revival and propagation of Buddha’s Dhamma in Bharat. “I am going to administer “Deeksha” to lakhs of people in Bombay in the month of December. The kind of great revival meeting took place in Nagpur on the 14th October 1956 will also be arranged in Bombay where millions of people will be converted to Buddhism. Conversion meeting like the one which took place in Nagpur will also be organised in other cities of India.” “Not only the people treated as Untouchables but all people, irrespective of caste or religion, who believe in the teachings of the Buddha should participate in this Deeksha ceremony and embrace Buddhism.” During the course of conversation with people present there, Baba Saheb Ambedkar strongly asserted, “It is very wrong to believe that Buddha is incarnation of Vishnu. This is a false and mischievous propaganda”. The preachers of this diabolical theory are none other than the followers of Brahminism. Their sole aim is to maintain the stratification based on inequality and mutual hatred in order to maintain their hold on the society. I have been

450 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES struggling throughout my life to abolish this evil practice of division based on caste and mutual hatred. In reality, I feel guilty of starting late the work of revival of Buddhism in India. But even then I hope and believe that my people who, sacrificing their own comforts, have been faithfully following me. I hope and I trust they will continue to struggle sincerely to propagate the Buddha Dhamma in India.” 1 zz 1 : Prabuddha Bharat : dated 17th Nov. 1956. Translated by Bhagwan Das