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FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON 29

I was very keen on social work
because the combination of Dharma
practice and engagement of the
world was very important to me.
People here wanted social work very
much. They wanted to know how
Dharma practice could empower
them to be more effective socially.
At the same time, we were teaching
metta bhavana, and we could hardly
Conference organised by International Network of Socially Engaged Buddhists (INEB) on “Social close your eyes to the conditions all
Engagement and Liberation” in October 2016. around us. It took us about 3 years
to make a good start on social work,
and that has been a major feature of
to Pune which would have been a followers there – he had spent our work since then.
32-33 hours train journey. It was more time there among the newly
rather off-putting, so we stopped converted Buddhists than anywhere We worked in Pune for many years,
in Nagpur, where we met some else in India. I gave Dharma where we ran a lot of Dharma
old friends of Sangharakshita’s. At talks almost every evening and classes and talks. We started social
the train station, there was a lot of concluded with a week’s retreat. work in the slums in 1982 and
celebrations, with many Buddhist Sangharakshita wrote to me then hostels in 1983. Many children
flags. As I got off the train, the and asked if we should start a center could not get a proper education
porters came and bowed to me. there. I said that people really due to various reasons: living in
It took me by surprise as I didn’t wanted the Dharma and we could villages too far from schools, lack
realize there was any Buddhism help them. He then asked me to live of teachers, poor families and caste
around. Unknowingly, I arrived at in India and start a center. I was 30 discrimination. We established
st
Nagpur on the 21 anniversary years old, and my life was open for hostels in towns so that children
of Dr Ambedkar’s conversion to me. After Pune, I spent 8 weeks in could come from countryside, stay
Buddhism in 1956, which had taken Sravasti on retreat, contemplating with us, and attend local schools.
place in Nagpur, the strongest base my future. I went back to Britain for The hostels were run by practicing
of Dr Ambedkar’s followers. I was a few months to tidy up some affairs Buddhists. We would care for them
later taken to the conversion ground and came here to live in India in and help them with their studies
where there were 500,000 people August 1978. At first, I had thought and cultural activities. We also
celebrating. That night I was asked of staying for about 5 years – at did a lot of disaster relief during
to address the enormous crowd and that age it was difficult to think in earthquakes, tsunamis and floods.
the next day I wandered around longer terms. But at my last meal
and interacted with many people. with Sangharakshita he raised his At the same time as we did social
I realized that this was the place glass of apple juice and said, “here work, we also developed a retreat
for the transformation of self and is to the first 25 years!” It began to center and a Vihara near Pune.
world. I didn’t decide then and there sink into me that I was taking on a There was a training scheme where
to live in India, but that experience lifelong project. we trained people in Dharma and
had a profound impact on me, and I social work. Until about 1990,
have no doubt that my fate was set Can you share the story behind most of Dr Ambedkar’s Buddhist
on that day. After Nagpur, I went on establishment of the Nagarjuna followers were concentrated in the
to Pune to do yoga for 10 weeks. Training Institute and what are state of Maharashtra, but in the
I met many of Sangharakshita’s the various undergoing projects? 1990s many young people from all