Anagarika Dharmapala, the greatest hero of modern era - Part II:

Regrets over not writing book on Buddhism.

The text of the 148th Anagarika Dharmapala birth anniversary commemoration lecture delivered by Senior Minister of International Monetary Cooperation Dr. Sarath Amunugama at the Maha Bodhi Hall recently.

Even today we can see the Mulagandakuti Viharaya if we go to Isipathana which is in close proximity to Benares. Everyone is surprised on hearing how he was to create an edifice of that stature. He had two intentions at that time. One was to write a book on Buddhism. Even a few days before his death he had said he was sorry that he had been unable to write a book on Buddhism. He has noted down this in is own handwriting. In his handwritten notes there is one matter which causes curiosity.

That is “I gave a few paragraphs to Devapriya”. No one had been able to find them. In one place he had written the following “I will write a book on Buddhism better than Paul caress and Susuki”. Apart from this, he built a Samanera Bhikkhu Centre at Isipathana. Most of the present day Bhikkhus of India had been resident there before. About 50 percent of the Samanera Bhikkhus had disrobed and returned to lay life.

Today the student generation of the Ven Metiwala Sangharathana Thera is rendering an invaluable service. Bhikkhus in the calibre of Ven Uruwala Dhammarathana Thera served the Mahabodhi society. Those like Ven Udakendawala Saranankara Thera and Narawala Dhammarathana Thera resigned from the membership.

Finally Ven Udakandawala Saranankra Thera fell out with Anagarika Dharmapala but even today it is of that Samanera generation which is engaged in Society’s work in India. I wish to divulge something unknown to others. How did Buddha Gaya Saranath, Kusinara, Lumbini, Kapilawasthu and other great centres engage the attention of the community then. It happened by chance. Records kept by India’s first Archaeologist Alexander Cunningham included some facts immensely favourable to Buddhists. It said “The only way they could start excavation at these places were the records (reports) of Chinese Buddhist Travellers - Hiyuthsan and Fa Hien.” By this time those reports had been translated into French and English.

Cunningham stated that Buddhist ruins were found during excavations done according to those reports. Stupas, relics, relics caskets and parts of dagobas appeared during these excavations. At the time Anagarika Dharmapala went to Indian Buddhist history had faced controversy in his manner. What made Dharmapala go to India were the English reports about these excavations. The majority of ruins unearthed were King Ashoka’s creations. King Ashoka had installed pillars at various regions. The Bodhi precincts in Buddha Gaya had been created by King Ashoka subsequently Muslim and Hindu followers destroyed them. These excavations proved that King Ashoka’s pillars and Buddhsit buildings were strewn in all parts of India.

Modern history

A question arose as to what should be done to these objects found during excavations. The British government was unwilling to interfere in this matter fearing that it may cause religious upheavals. In this instance Anagarika Dharmapalas requested that these Buddhist objects be handed over to the Maha Bodhi Society and he take responsibility for them.

At that time it was the Maha Bodhi society which represented Buddhism in India and throughout the world. This made Dharmapala engage in a fine dialogue with the British government.

Relics found at Kapilavastu, Isipathana and Nagarjure were handed over to the British government. The Governor at that time wrote to Anagarike Dharmapala and said “You better build a good temple in Calcultta. We are going to hand over all these relics to you”. Accordingly Anagarika Dharmapala handed over the relics given by British government to temple at Isipathana and Saranath.

“Recently I read a book authoured by Charles Harold. It is a high quality book written on King Ashoka. It said that various literary questions arose during archaeological excavations. The questions were “Where did King Ashoka reside? Where was his Kingdom? What were the places of worship he built?” He states a fine answer to the questions were found in the Mahavamsa in Sri Lanka. It states that a picture could be drawn about King Ashoka and the Buddhist civilization in India through the Mahawamsa. This is a fine answer to the so called pundits who called the Mahavamsa as a falsehood. In short we could say that it was possible to write the entire modern history of India due to the Mahavamsa. Why was Anagarika Dharmapala’s major attention drawn towards Sinhala Buddhist people. One reason was that he was Sinhalese. More than that he believed that true and active Theravada Buddhism was practised among Buddhist society in Sri Lanka. As such, he thought it should be preserved and strengthened without allowing it to get polluted or deteriorated.

The only nation which symbolized pure Buddhism was Sinhala nation. At that time it was the Maha Bodhi society which represented Buddhism in India and throughout the world. This made Dharmapala engage in a fine dialogue with the British government. Relics found at Kapilavastu, Isipathana and Nagarjure were handed over to the British government. The Governor at that time wrote to Anagarike Dharmapala and said “You better build a good temple in Calcultta We are going to hand over all these relics to you”. Accordingly Anagarika Dharmapala handed over the relics given by British government to temple at Isipathana and Saranath.

“Recently I read a book authoured by Charles Harold. It is a high quality book written on King Ashoka. It said that various literary questions arose during archaeological excavations. The questions were “Where did king Ashoka reside? Where was his Kingdom? What were the places of worship he built?” He states a fine answer to the questions were found in the Mahavamsa in Sri Lanka. It states that a picture could be drawn about King Ashoka and the Buddhist civilization in India through the Mahawamsa.

This is a fine answer to the so called pundits who called the Mahavamsa as a falsehood. In short we could say that it was possible to write the entire modern history of India due to the Mahavamsa. Why was Anagarika Dharmapala’s major attention drawn towards Sinhala Buddhist people. One reason was that he was Sinhalese. More than that he believed that true and active Theravada Buddhism was practised among Buddhist society in Sri Lanka. As such he thought it should be preserved and strengthened without allowing it to get polluted or deteriorated. The only nation which symbolized pure Buddhism was Sinhala nation.

He never spoke about political causes. He thought the whole world especially India required Buddhism. As such Sri Lankan Buddhists who can be an example to them should be liberated from corrupt influences and their traditional heritage should be preserved and protected.

These were the thoughts of Anagarika Dharmapala. Therefore he sacrificed everything and spearheaded movement to implement that idea. Dharmapala thought that Buddhism would not have a future if Sinhala Buddhists in Sri Lanka got corrupted. Therefore he directed critical attacks on missionaries as well as certain Sinhalese people. He attacked Sinhalese by asking them not to indulge in wrongdoings because they had a heritage to protect and preserve. He said the message of Buddhism could be given to the world by protecting language and religion and paying due respect to the Maha Sangha.

He gave India the fruits of his four years crusade or struggle. The role he played is amply described social science research done in India at present. First of all lakhs of low caste suffering people listened to Dharmapala’s message and embraced Buddhism It was due to the activities of the Mahabodhi society that Ambedkkar got converted into Buddhism in 1956 even though the Anagarika was not living at that time. The chief guest at the ceremony at which Ambeddkkar embraced Buddhism were four Sinhala Bhikkhus. Four Bhikkhus including Ven Metiwala Sangharatana Thera and Ven Hammalawa Saddhatissa Thera administered Pansil and admitted Ambedkkar to Buddhism that day in India.

Buddhist leaders

He was garlanded by Secretary of the Maha Bodhi Society Devapriya Walisinghe. Ambedkkar’s conversion to Buddhism was purely due to the good activities of the Maha Bodhi society. No one practise politics in India today without considering the interests of these low caste people. Political power in Madya Pradesh is held by converts to Buddhism today.

Some may argue that these Indian low caste people do not practise Buddhism properly. We can easily correct such wrongs. The largest Buddhist population in the world today are found in Indian Subcontinent. The relations maintained with this enormous Buddhist population considered as low castes by Bhikkhus and Buddhist leaders in our country are very inadequate. But most people prefer to go to America, Britain and France for Buddhist Dhammaduta work.

We should take quick action to create and awareness of Buddhism among these teeming millions of low caste people in India. If we do it without delay Buddhists will be a force to be reckoned within the world. These people may dislike to work in close cooperation with our people because they observe only primary customs and traditions as low castes.

But Dharmapala has set a fine example in this regard. In his letters to Ven Metiwala Dhammaratana Thera he had asked the there to set up a school for these people for teaching and covert low caste people into Buddhism. Dharmapala has said the difference between Buddhism and Hinduism is that the former does not believe in caste and other petty differences. He has written that caste difference is thrown out of the window as soon as a person wears the robe.

The request made by Ambedkkar on his conversion to Buddhism was not to include low caste people in India into the Hindu Community. For this Mahatma Gandhi has said ‘No no you all are also Hindus. I will do everything possible for you. I will also live as one of your own Mahatma Gandhi has requested Ambadkkar not to leave the Hindu community. For this Ambedkkar has replied: no I cannot follow you all I will stay as a separate Buddhist group. These things are stated in Anagarika Dharmpala’s notes made in his own handwriting.

I can divulge another fact not known to others. The opening ceremony of the Mulagandakuty Viharaya in Saranath was held under the patronage of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who was popular youth leader in India at that time.

He also made speech on this occasion. At this instance Dharmapala has commented thus “See the nature of this person Devapriya Walisinghe. Nehru spoke in English and Devapriya has got a person named Darrel Pieris to deliver a speech in praise of Nehru. This was a dirty things to do. Nehru made a speech and without accepting it Pieris was made to shower hollow praise on him. Dharmapala has said in his notes that praising like this was not the done thing.

When India gained independence it faced the problems of selecting a suitable emblem. If Hindu emblem were selected it would anger Muslims if Muslims emblems were chosen, Hindus would be angered. Nehru thought of Sabhatya and Dharmapala. The idea that they should select Dharmapala ’s Buddhist emblems cropped up. Today all emblems in India are Buddhist emblems. The Indian flag consists of the Dharmachakra.

Gandhi had used the spinning wheel But it was removed in place of Dharmachakra. The Indian state emblems has the four Lion figures found in the Ashoka pillars.

Apart from this the Indian Government decided that it wanted higher religion which did not create conflicts. In this it observed the reign of King Ashoka which united the whole of India for the last time and the Buddhism which existed then. Therefore it decided to take all Ashoka emblems. This happened due to services rendered by the Mahabodhi Society and Anagarika Dharmapala. If Buddhism existed in any part of India today it had originated from Dharmapala. Anagarika Dharmapala is therefore the hero of the modern era.

The challenge before us today is to how we could face the challenges which dogged Asarana Sarana Saranankara Sangharaja Thera and Anagarika Dharmapala. I regret to say that we have no preparations whatsoever to face them.

Another important thing is the conference on religious views held in Chicago in 1843. Dharmapala was able to attend this conference of all religions. I consider it also as another crossroad. Only a few people are aware of its history. The invitation was received by Ven Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera. But he decided to send young Dharmapala to attend it in his place. By that time Dharmapala has begun the Mahabodhi magazine for which he had gained international fame.

Mahabodhi society would not have earned this prominent place if it did not publish the magazine . I wish to recall that the magazine was published monthly with great difficulty. Swami Vivekananda of India represented Hindu religion at this conference. A representative of each religion was given a speech at this conference. The speech delivered by Dharmapala got wide newspaper publicity as one of the speeches with real substance Christians visualized him as real Jesus Christ delivering a lecture.

More important than that was the opportunity to meet Mrs Mary Foster Robinson on the sidelines of the conference. Her benevolence enabled Dharmapala to implement his plans as he wished. Such contributions could not be expedited from Buddhists in Sri Lanka. Actually speaking Buddhists in Sri Lanka did not collect such large donations. Sri Lankan Buddhists were good at only criticizing everything. His activities received unpleasant criticism from many Sri Lankan newspapers and magazines. Questions were asked as to what happened to contributions and how they were spent and whether they were accounted. Dharmapala has commented this about one such critic in his own handwriting.

“When I have spent all my wealth on behalf of Buddhism this gentleman who did not spend even five cents for its cause is asking me as to what happened to the money”.

Concluded