Buddhagaya Vihar and VedicTerror in Buddhist India

Author: Sona Kanti Barua

Introduction

Buddhgaya Vihar, A place Buddha was born.

August 8, 2011 Buddhagaya, Bihar (India) , about 2600 years ago Gautama Buddha was supremely enlightened at Buddhagaya and there is a sinister conspiracy to change the Buddhagaya’s Mahabodhi Temple into a Hindu temple by Hindu fundamentalists in India.  South Asian news agency reported that India and Bihar Governments’ neglects found at fault and a total shutdown was observed in this Buddhagaya of this Bihar town, known as the most sacred pilgrimage place of the Buddhist world. People irrespective of religions including local traders, hoteliers and Buddhist Monks Community observed the shutdown that severely affected normal life to protest the district magistrate’s anti-encroachment drive dated August 8, 2011. “The state government had directed the district administration to demolish illegal construction near the 1,500 year old Mahabodhi temple in Buddhagaya to create a buffer zone as per UNESCO plans;” a district officer said.  The state government of Bihar had however, admitted that new structures have come up within the restricted area.

 

Hindu State Communalism

Hindu Fundamentalists.

Hindu State Communalism was started in Buddhagaya many years ago. This also seems a plausible interpretation for the most aggressive example of seventh century `State communalism’ the military despotism of Hindu king Sashanka. Hindu fundamentalists took over the Mahabodhi Temple of  Buddhagaya and violating Buddhist emperor Asoka’s imperial Emblem Dharma Cakra (Hindu politics transformed it into the Asoka Cakra), copyright by exploiting its Hindu cultural garb and influence to build a Vedic power base while turning old teachings upside down by teaching that Buddha is the ninth avatar of Hinduism. Worse, that Buddha Avatar can be taken by Hindu political conspiracy. It is also most remarkable that Dr. Amartya Sen misrepresented the life of Buddhist poet Bhusuku (of the Charyapada) and Bengali year in his speech in Dhaka dated February 21, 2011. Gautama Buddha is father of Bengali language (in the Charyapada) and Hindu political system misinterpreted the Islamic year (Hijari) as the Bengali year to delete the Buddha’s name from the Bengali calendar.

World Barua

World Barua Organization Social Service

 Geneva March 9, 2011 several European Buddhist Societies with the WORLD BARUA is an International Buddhist Organization have organized the protest with Buddhist Exhibition entitled “Save Buddhagaya and Buddhists from   Hindu Fundamentalists”  in front of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Geneva from March 9 to March 25, 2011.  Hindu fundamentalists destroyed Babri Masjid and took over Buddhagaya as there are no human rights in India. Is it civilized society? Indian people and government have to move beyond bully of Hindu rulers and its fundamentalists. Buddhist protested at the United Nations against of Hindu fundamentalists’ bully for getting back the Buddhagaya.

Hindu Fundamentalists

Hindu fundamentalists and its Indian Government (largest democracy of the world), took over Buddhagaya Management Committee and they confiscated Buddhists’ rights in administrating the Mahabodhi Temple of the Buddhagaya, Bihar, India.

          The United Nations Commission on Human Rights (Times of India, dated May 27, 2005) will now examine the abominations of what has been called the world’s oldest color bar of Brahmanism. Brahmanism was started to destroy Buddhism in Indus civilization and Pushyamitra’s reign (100 B.C.).  “Dalit new Buddhists have pierced through the wall of silence in the United Nations;” exulted the National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights convenor, Paul Divakar. Three years of study are expected to enable the rights commission’s two special rapporteurs. Yozo Yoko and chin –Sung Chung to compile a set of draft guidelines to bury the job oriented caste hierarchy, which goes back millennia. The Indian constitutional privileges in 1950 were meant to last only 10 years. But DALIT  luminaries who have taken their woes to the United Nations, the world Conference Against Racism in Durban and the European Parliament would be the first to protest if positive discrimination ends even relating to the Buddhagaya Management Committee.

Regrettably, it has been brought to our attention that there were occurred serious sacrilegious acts (1) by King Sasanka (606 – 637) of Bengal (Gaur) who cut the Mahabodhi Tree of the Buddhagaya and removed Buddha statues and established a Siva lingam in the Mahabodhi Temple where Lord Buddha was enlightened 2555 years ago. According to the Indian Government Buddhagaya Act 1949, cutting  Siva lingam through the prolonged litigation which has owned the front land of the Main Buddha Statue by Hindu priests in the Mahabodhi Temple and Buddhists could not pay respects to the Buddha in front of the Main Buddha statue.  Everyday Hindu priests pray to the hole of the Siva Lingam and owned the front land of the Main Buddha Statue of the Mahabodhi Temple. (2) Later greedy Brahmin priests did not convert themselves into Buddhism but they made him a prophet of the God Visnu for political and social reasons and added in the Ramayana’s Ayodhya chapter verse no. 32, “Buddha is like a thief, know the Buddha to be an atheist.” (3) Hindu fundamentalists took over thousands of Buddhist temples including (a) Jagannath Temple, Puri, Orissa and (b) Tirupati  Balaji Temple.

Hindu Management Committee in Buddhagaya

Buddha Jayanti Celebration

Government of India has violated our Buddhists’ rights in creating the Hindu Management Committee in Buddhagaya where the Lord Buddha attained his supreme enlightenment 2555 years ago. Hindu fundamentalists took over the holiest pilgrimage the Mahabodhi Temple (of the Buddhagaya) in the Buddhist world. It is remarkable that the triumph over prejudice and ignorance is a triumph for us all. Non-Buddhists should not interfere into the Indian minority Buddhists’ religious freedom in the Buddhagaya management Committee in Bihar, India. Every religion is good without violence.  

  Resolutions adopted during the 18^th W.F. B. (World Fellowship of Buddhists),  General Conference in Taiwan, dated October 27 – November 2, 1992;  (1) “Whereas the Buddhagaya Management Committee is now headed by Hindu (the magistrate of Gaya District), and a committee of eight persons of whom four are Hindus. (2) Whereas this is a very painful situation concerning a sacred religious place of one religious community being controlled by a group of people belonging to a difference faith whose avowed goals are detrimental to the interests of the other religion. (3) Whereas in the legitimate struggle of the Indian Buddhists to put an end to the sacrilege (Siva linga) that is being perpetrated at the sacred Buddhist site of Buddha Gaya, a historic duty and responsibility is cast upon the rest of the world Buddhist community to extend its fullest support, morally, financially, materially and vocally toward this cause.

(4) Whereas we express our grateful thanks to the Venerable Japanese Bhikkhu Sangha (Buddhist Monks’ Council), including the Most Venerable Nagarjun Shurai Sasai for the espousing the sacred cause of the Indian Buddhists from many parts of the globe assembled in Taiwan for the 18^th General Conference of the W.F.B., express our complete solidarity with the Indian and Japanese Buddhists to preserve the sanctity of Buddha for Buddhists.

 (5) Therefore Let it be Resolved that the WFB. Efforts immediately to galvanize international opinion in relevant international organizations to address the plight of Buddhist community at Buddhagaya, further resolved that the WFB. Make an appropriate demarche on the Indian Government to guarantee the management of Buddhagaya by Indian Buddhists.”

          In the Bodhgaya Management Committee’s misuse of non-Buddhist Members power creates this problem. The non-Buddhists and Brahmins members should understand that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood (Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights).” There is no common sense of human rights in Brahmanism and the Hindu society. There is a tragedy of caste system in the Hindu society. There are many Hindus who wish to convert into Buddhism.  Brahmin priests’ tumultuous legacy of caste & livelihood system makes their followers captives of their faith.  Lord Buddha taught them non-violence, love, wisdom and compassion. In India 2600 years ago after attained the supreme enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, Lord Buddha declared, “May all beings be happy.” He added anti-clericalism of Brahmins caste system of Indian society is a movement that opposes religious interference into public and political life and more generally the encroachment of religion in the citizens’ lives.  The Buddha did not believe in Brahmin’s philosophy of division of mankind. He founded the Path of Universal Peace (Buddhism) to preach a way of life and inspired to attain spiritual enlightenment irrespective of castes, color, and religions.

          Whereas after India regained political independence from the British, the Government of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru took the wheel of Buddha’s Dharma (Ashok cakra) on the national flag, the official seal of the government contains Ashokan symbols of the beating the drums of righteousness in all the four quarters of the world symbolized by the roaring lions facing the directions and surmounted by the sacred wheel of the Buddha. At that time Indian Government made certain changes and gave representation to Buddhists to protect, control, maintain and develop the world Buddhists’ most sacred place of Buddha Gaya for the benefit of Buddhist worship. 

Hindu and Brahmin rulers & fanatic of any faith

Greed (several Brahmin priests or every fundamentalists of any religion) and hatred (several Hindu and Brahmin rulers & fanatic of any faith) are enemies of mankind. Buddhists have no freedom in the Hindu society relating to Buddha’s Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path and the Supreme Enlightenment of the Buddha.  Hindu leaders (R.R.S & Vishwa Hindu Parisad) including Mr. L.K. Advani made the Buddha as their God but there is no altar for the Buddha in Hindu temples, offices and homes. Moreover Hindu leaders confiscated Buddhist identity from the Buddhist community. No Hindu temple celebrates the Buddha Puja and Buddha Jayanti at home and abroad. But Hindu leaders demand the Buddha as their God. In hate speech cases against anti-Buddhists the context of about the activities of political minds of rulers and priests Brahmins who was started Brahmanism to absorb the Buddhism of Indus Civilization ( Miscellany on the Buddha (Buddhavamsa, History of Buddhas in Pali languages and  Buddhism,  Mohenjodaro and Harappa Cities by Swapan Kumar Biswas, 1999, 390 pages ). Nazi leaders like Indra (Hindu God who destroyed Buddhism in the Indus civilization) and the Sankarayacharyas and several kings and rulers took pride in demolishing the Buddhist images aiming at the total eradication of the Buddhist culture, traditions, heritages and civilization. Every Buddhist culture Hindus leaders modified into Hinduism in India. All Buddhists are Hindus in India. Are Burmese, Chinese, Japanese, American, Thai, and Tibetan Hindus of India? There are misconceptions in Hindu idea relating to Buddhism.

Hindus neither control Sikh temples nor Jain temples. History repeats misuse of religions makes a war. As the UNESCO explained, “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that defences of peace must be constructed.” There is an inquiry into causes and consequences of deprivation of Buddhists in India through the historical documents. Misuse of the religion of Brahmins, once made brutal cleansing of Buddhists in Indus civilizations (Mohenzodaro & Harappa) and Buddhist Temples were destroyed in India between 830 AD and 966 AD. Now what is happening in the secular India in a name of religion?

Buddhists and peace loving people

Buddhists and peace loving people all over the world will have been shocked upon reading the news of “Monks question ‘outsiders ‘control over Bodh Gaya temple” in the South Asian Observer of Toronto, dated August 04, 2006 where we heard the voice of the Oppressed Buddhists made Outcry  who are deprived of religious right in India. Where there is humanity, there is religion. Whereas this is a very painful situation concerning the sacred Buddha Gaya of world Buddhists’ holiest religious place being controlled by a group of non-Buddhists (Hindus) whose avowed goals are detrimental to the interests of the other religion. 

In spite of the fact that Buddhism is the national religion of Asian countries (Thailand, Burma, Laos, Sri Lanka, Burma, Japan, Korea, Tibet, China, Mongolia, Bhutan, ( Sikhim was took over by India)  Vietnam and etc.), all other religions are given equal opportunity for their followers to practise their respective beliefs.

More importantly, all religions in Thailand and other Buddhist countries are given adequate protection against any abuse or disrespect to any reason or objects of reverence. Under the penal code, any of the following acts against any religion is punishable by law:

(1) Any act, by any means whatever, to an object or a place of reverence of any community in a manner likely to insult the religion

(2) Whoever causes any disturbance at any assembly law fully engaged in the performance of religious worship or religious ceremonies;

(3) Whoever dresses or uses a symbol showing that he is a Buddhist monk or novice, ascetic or clergymen of any religion unlawfully in order to make another person believe to at he is such person.

As an example, above articles in the Thai law indicate at least how the Thai code of law sincerely support the spirit of tolerance and understanding towards other religious groups. To repeat, this despite the fact that Buddhism is regarded as the Thai national religion. What is more noteworthy is also that the Thai Monarch, although a Buddhist , nevertheless is Buddhistically,  the upholder of all religious groups in the kingdom. Do not all these instances reflect Thai Buddhists’ spirit of tolerance, sympathy and understanding towards whoever and whatever is different from Buddhist or Thai government principles?

From the Buddhist standpoint, Hindu fundamentalists they have themselves sunk so low that we have to pity on them and to pray, with a compassionate sprit, that they understand they are doing so at their own spiritual peril, and thus stop doing so in the Mahabodhi Temple of Buddhagaya.       

Conclusion

Therefore let it resolved that the Indian Buddhist community exert all efforts immediately to galvanize international opinion in relevant international organizations including UNESCO to address the plight of Buddhist community at Buddhagaya.  Further resolved that world Buddhists make an appropriate demarche on the Indian Government to guarantee the management of Buddha Gaya (Bodhgaya) by Indian Buddhists soon.