Author Topic: Buddhism returning to India  (Read 7263 times)

Ensapa

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Buddhism returning to India
« on: September 18, 2012, 02:09:37 PM »
In other good news, Buddhism seems to be returning to India. The opening of the international university of Buddhist and Indic Studies in Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh will mark the return of Buddhism to India. I really feel happy to see Buddhism returning to India, its land of origin :)

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New varsity will be tribute to Buddhist revivalist
Tuesday, September 18th 2012, 11:00 AM

Kolkata, Sep 18 — A proposed international university Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will inaugurate in Sanchi Friday will be a tribute to a famed Buddhist revivalist who had great love for India.
The new international university of Buddhist and Indic Studies, to come up at Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh, will be "a befitting tribute" to Anagarika Dharmapala, Sri Lankan diplomat Sugeeswara Senadhira said here.
Senadhira was speaking at an event to mark the 148th birth anniversary of Dharmapala here Monday.
The Sri Lankan president arrives in New Delhi Wednesday night. He will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday and he will be in Sanchi a day later.
Senadhira recalled Dharmapala's great affection for India and his stated desire to be re-born in India in his next reincarnation.
He said Dharmapala's vision was that the Indian subcontinent should take the prime place in the world as the centre of wisdom.
Senadhira unveiled a new Buddha statue at the Mahabodhi Headquarters here and released a book, "The History of Sri Dharmarajika Chaitya Vihara," written by Tarit Kanti Roy.
IANS


Read more: http://india.nydailynews.com/politicsarticle/204ee1628952abed50e0291c8449f2be/new-varsity-will-be-tribute-to-buddhist-revivalist#ixzz26pXSlIKz

fruven

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Re: Buddhism returning to India
« Reply #1 on: September 18, 2012, 09:59:24 PM »
Very happy to hear the good news  :D One of the most famous panditas is Atisha who brought Buddhist teachings from India to Tibet.

It piqued my interest when the article mentioned a tribute to Anagrika Dharmapala, his name contains the word Dharmapala. His achievements befit his name.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anagarika_Dharmapala

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He was also a pioneer in the revival of Buddhism in India after it had been virtually extinct there for several centuries, and he was the first Buddhist in modern times to preach the Dharma in three continents: Asia, North America, and Europe. He was a major reformer and revivalist of Sri Lankan Buddhism.

Jessie Fong

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Re: Buddhism returning to India
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2012, 03:42:41 PM »
India, the birthplace of Prince Siddhartha, the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni.

Buddhism started in India and flourished where it spread to other continents.  In may have been over-shadowed by Hinduism and other religions but now that it is returning to India means that Buddhism is coming full circle.


pgdharma

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Re: Buddhism returning to India
« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2012, 04:24:08 PM »
It is indeed happy to hear this news. Buddhism originated from India and continued to flourish beyond the frontiers of India but Buddhism declined and was virtually extinct at the end of the 19th century. One factor that contributed to the demise of Buddhism was the diminishing of Buddhism's distinctiveness with respect to the ascendant Hinduism.

On a pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya in 1891, the Sri Lankan Buddhist leader Anagarika Dharmapala was shocked to find the temple in the hands of a Saivite priest, the Buddha image transformed into a Hindu icon and Buddhists barred from worship. The Buddhist revival then began in India, when he founded the Maha Bodhi Society.  The organization's initial efforts were for the purpose of resuscitation of Buddhism in India and of restoring the ancient Buddhist shrines at Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinara. The Buddhist renaissance inaugurated by Anagarika Dharmapala through his Mahabodhi Movement is also described as "conservative" for it held the Muslim Rule in India responsible for the decay of Buddhism in India in the current mood of Hindu-Buddhist brotherhood. The organization's initial efforts were to restore various Buddhist shrines that had been neglected under Hindu administration, and to open to the public various Buddhist sites and temples that had been destroyed in various periods of Muslim invasion. Through his effort, he revived Buddhism and it is a great honor to know that his efforts are recognized and the new university will be a tribute to this great man.

Amitabha

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Re: Buddhism returning to India
« Reply #4 on: September 21, 2012, 01:07:00 AM »
Is very good news and india is moving the right direction to reinstall buddhism as Prince Siddhartha was the hindu of the hindu. His appearing has revived many Hindu achieved the supreme buddhaness as like himself, and to deeply understand the truth in Hinduism. Hindu is a great religion that truly experienced the 3D of cause & effect of 6 realms recyclement then. However, they failed to acquire the know-how and rationale behind this 3D development, and hold strongly on religious ceremonies and practices in an ascetic notion departing human-human relationship of inherent love and harmony due to the very fact of recyclement and closed relationship.  ;D

Amitabha

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Re: Buddhism returning to India
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2012, 01:11:03 AM »
As Buddha advice -  :-*“Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence.”

 8)

Amitabha

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Re: Buddhism returning to India
« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2012, 02:45:47 AM »
As Buddha advice -  :-*“Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence.”

 8)
Buddha was saying that all beings to develop its heart of common love & compassion as experienced from his attainment, but not Buddhism as an entity to overule or command others. Buddha said that all humanity has this precious 'buddhism' in them, with them and is them.  :D

brian

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Re: Buddhism returning to India
« Reply #7 on: September 21, 2012, 04:14:16 PM »
This is nice to know, nice place like India should not be deprived from Buddhism especially it is the place of the birth of Buddhism. It is virtually where it started when Buddha gave his first teachings. So it is heart warming to know Buddhism coming back to India. And it is wonderful that people in India gets the benefit to be able to practice spirituality in Buddhism and also Hinduism which flourished for a long time...

May the teachings of Buddha not only flourish in the lands of India but to the whole world.

buddhalovely

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Re: Buddhism returning to India
« Reply #8 on: October 15, 2012, 01:48:42 PM »
The idea seems to have been accepted. "The whole world looks to India because of Buddhism. If someone from India takes initiative, India can take leadership of the Buddhist world," says Banagala Uptatissa , chief of Mahabodhi Society of Sri Lanka . Well, not exactly the whole world. On November 26, one day before the Congregation began, China kicked up a diplomatic storm by putting off border talks with India after New Delhi refused to give in to its demand of not allowing the Buddhist meet. Earlier, 35 Chinese monks invited for the meet didn't turn up, making it clear that Beijing was not happy with the congregation. "This conference had a very clear agenda to remind the scattered Buddhist communities that India is the home of Buddhism," says Gabriel Lefitte, Australian academic and environmental activist who attended the meeting. "China has been quite vigorous in making sure that anybody with a Buddhist background feels connection with China but India has been a bit slow by comparison to restore the 'Buddhist parivar' ."

It's not that the officially atheist China has suddenly fallen in love with Buddhism . China is worried about the growing stature of the Dalai Lama as a global Buddhist leader; it's also trying to build credibility among the Buddhists so that Beijing can pick the next incarnation of the Dalai Lama without any problem. "The current Chinese leadership is haunted by the Tibetan issue as there have been many cases of self-immolation by the Tibetan monks in mainland China. There is a feeling of urgency regarding the decision of the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama," says Binod Singh, who teaches at the India Study Centre of Peking University.

hope rainbow

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Re: Buddhism returning to India
« Reply #9 on: October 15, 2012, 04:36:26 PM »
reference:
http://www.buddhismtoday.com/english/world/facts/conversion3.htm

Some Indian outcast untouchables also find in Buddhism another way to deal with the status in which they have reincarnated.

``I've converted for social equality and to escape Hinduism's caste system,'' Ram Shankar, a social worker from the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, told Reuters.

``We are not against any particular community. We just want to destroy the caste system,'' said the tonsured Raj, who changed his name to Udit Raj after the ceremony led by a Buddhist priest in traditional maroon robes.