APPEAL TO DALITS / BCS
VEN. BHADANT ARYA NAGARJUN SURAI SASAI, PRESIDENT, BUDDHA GAYA MAHABODHI VIHAR ALL-INDIA ACTION COMMITTEE, INDORA BUDDHA VIHAR, NAPUR- 440014
If India has any special name in the world it is because of Lord Buddha. Buddha at Bodha-Gaya under the Boddhi tree achieved and experienced the knowledge of Truth. In that ancient and holy place there is Buddha Gaya-Maha Bodhi Vihar which is worshipped by Buddha countries people who are more than 200 millions.
In such a place, Hindus are enjoying the privileges from years and destroying the original art and religion of Buddhism provoking anger and discontentment among the world’s Buddha followers.
The greatest disciple of the Boddhisatav, Baba Saheb Bhimrao Dr. Ambedkar, who is the historical Lion who said “I would like to see the whole of India in Buddhism”. I feel his emotions are not coming to reality because on the Indian soil today no Buddha disciple is a true follower of Buddhism.
Conveners Ven. Bhikkshu Sumedha and Prof. K.G. Yesambare add: After the second century AD, there was a fierce conflict between Buddhism and brahminism. This went on up to the 10th centuary until the arrival of the Muslims. Caught between aggressive Islam and cunning brahminism Buddhism began to decline because there was no political patronage. Systematic efforts of the Brahmins was another factor for the decline of Buddhism in India.
Lankan monk visit: Romila Thapar, a noted historian, says that during the medieval period a Hindu King had sent a large contingent of his army to Bodh Gaya to destroy Mahabodhi Vihar and burn the Bodhi tree.
Muslim rulers were opposed to idol worship and resorted to massive destruction of Buddhist monuments. Owing to all these factors, from 10th century AD to the half of the 19th century Buddhism was almost extinct and Buddhist monuments were in very bad condition.
It was in Jan. 1891 that Angarika Dharmapala came from Sri Lanka and visited Bodha Gaya. His heart broke at what he saw of the Bodha Gaya temple. He returned to Lanka in May 1891 and founded the Mahabodhi Society in Colombo.
Notorious Mahants: The entire Bodha Gaya temple was found neglected and was under the control of the local Brahmin priests. Dharmapala fought his level best to take over the Bodha Gaya temple from the hands of these priests who were enemies of Buddhists. He succeeded partly in his mission but still the Brahmin domination over the Bodha Gaya temple continues. The management of the Bodha Gaya is in the hands of notorious mahants supported by their own army.
Five Buddhist monks, all Brahmin converts, pretended to be the real Buddhist monks and sabotaged from inside. In fact, these five “Buddhist” monks have links with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and RSS.
The five images of the Buddha in the temple are now being described as five Pandavas and the Bodha Gaya temple as the temple of Hindu god, Shankar. Bodha Gaya temple is being hinduised and changed into a Hindu temple. Even the funds of the Bodha Gaya temple are being misappropriated.
Enraged by this, a noted Japanese-born Indian Buddhist monk, Ven. Nagarjun Surai Sasai, who has been living in India for the last 25 years and who was responsible for the construction of Peace Pagoda at the Hills of Rajgiri mountains in Bihar under the spiritual leadership of a world famous Buddhist Japanese teacher, Ven. Fuji Guruji, has recently set up this Temple Protection Committee.
On behalf of this committee we have been touring India to generate public opinion against this brahminical conspiracies. Ven. Sasal’s “Dhamma Jyoti Yatra” reached Delhi on Oct. 14. We need the support of all Buddhists to liberate the temple from the illegal custody of Aryan aggressors.
