New Delhi: Today is the death anniversary of BR Ambedkar, and every year in India, this day is observed as Mahaparinirvan Diwas. Ambedkar is one of the greatest names in the Indian history, someone who is hailed as the ‘Father of the Indian Constitution’ and who fought for the rights of the backward classes, the Dalits and against untouchability. Ambedkar was critical of the Hindu religion and accused it of propagating the caste system. Hence, he was looking for religious conversion and ultimately found solace in Buddhism.
The Neo-Buddhist movement of BR Ambedkar
BR Ambedkar started the Dalit Buddhist movement which is also called the Neo-Buddhist movement and Ambedkarite Buddhist movement. It is a socio-political and a religious movement among Dalits in India which re-interpreted Buddhism and formed a new Buddhism school known as the Navayana. The movement has aimed to be Buddhism’s socially and politically engaged form.
BR Ambedkar and the selection of Buddhism to convert
Ambedkar was of the opinion that it was imperative for the Dalits to leave Hinduism and in 1935, he announced his intention to leave Hinduism. He considered several religions and was approached by various leaders of different faiths. Finally, Ambedkar rejected every other religion and chose Buddhism to convert. However, he was a Hindu for the next 20 years and adopted Neo-Buddhism few weeks before he passed away.
The conversion of BR Ambedkar and his followers
Ambedkar’s Buddhism rejected many ideas of the original Buddhism and and re-interpreted it in the light of class struggle and social equality. Ambedkar called this Buddhism Neo-Buddhism or Navayana and his book, ‘The Buddha and His Dhamma’, is the holy book for the Dalit Buddhists.
More than 20 years after declaring his intention to convert, Ambedkar publicly converted to Buddhism on October 14, 1956, in Nagpur along with around 365,000 of his followers. After that, on October 16, 1956, over 300,000 of his followers converted to Buddhism. For the converts, Ambedkar prescribed 22 Vows after the Three Jewels and Five Precepts.
BR Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism and the subsequent Neo-Buddhist movement significantly impacted Dalit society. Driven by his critique of Hinduism’s caste system, Ambedkar chose Buddhism as a path to social and religious liberation. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
