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FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON 31

in 1,200 new Buddhist localities
were affected. I was completely out
of my depth; how could I, brought
up in relatively comfortable and
secure London, assume that I could
teach the Dhamma to followers of
Dr Ambedkar, who lived in a totally
different culture and had suffered
the most extreme oppression and
cruelty for centuries due to a socio-
Dharma teachings in villages. religious system about which I had
no experience or understanding?
Thus began the steepest learning
revenge. They just want to be out There are also some personal curve of my life, continually
of the system that put them into challenges. A few weeks after I came confronted by experiences
that situation. They want to be able to India in August 1978, we started unimaginable in London.
to live with human respect and a lecture series on basic Buddhist
dignity. One of the most remarkable teachings. After the second lecture, It took me some time to learn
sights are the demonstrations that one of the attendees asked, ‘how how to work in a very different
take place after an atrocity; instead do we develop skillful mental culture, and to understand the
of choosing a violent response states when our mothers, sisters, local communication dynamics.
they hold aloof Buddhist flags, daughters are being raped, and our This was crucial as we placed so
representing peace. Dr Ambedkar families are being burnt and killed?’. much emphasis on the principle of
could so easily have chosen the path The background to the question sangha, consensus and harmonious
of violence to find a solution, but he was the terrible orgy of violence team work. This was one of my
was committed to the path of the that Buddhists, in many towns and greatest challenges in the early
Buddha, who he called the prince villages around Aurangabad, in days and I cannot deny that my lack
of Peace. I think Dr Ambedkar’s central India, had been subjected of understanding contributed to
conversion to Buddhism is the to the previous month. Some caste difficulties from time to time.
greatest gift to India in this respect. Hindus were upset because the
government of Maharashtra had How can the global Buddhist
What are the key challenges that proposed to rename the local community contribute to support?
you and the Buddhist revival University after Dr Ambedkar. He
movement in India faces? was, according to the caste system, First of all, just becoming aware of
an “Untouchable” and as such his Buddhism and the newly converted
There are many challenges. For name on their degree certificates Buddhists in India would be helpful.
instance, people are preoccupied would contaminate them, instead There is very little awareness
with surviving due to extreme of honoring them. Rather than of Buddhism in India and Dr
poverty and lack of education. take it out on the government they Ambedkar’s movement. There is
Their energies are focused on attacked innocent Buddhists, who enormous potential for Buddhism
getting a decent life. Funding has were still considered by many in India. There are over 200 million
always been a problem. We used to as Untouchables; people were Dalits and many others who would
get help from abroad, but I think killed, women raped, homes and be open to Buddhism if it was
it is time now to find resources colonies were burnt, and their presented to them in a meaningful
within India. drinking water wells polluted. It way. Buddhism can have a strong
is estimated that 25,000 people positive impact on India, in terms