ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º º º * BuddhaNet BBS * Buddha Dhamma Meditation Assoc. º º The Buddhist Bulletin Board PO Box K1020 Haymarket NSW 2000 º º +612 212-3061 Online: 24hrs Telephone: +612 212-3071 º º º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ THE MESSAGE OF BUDDHISM FROM BUDDHA TO ASOKA -its relevance to the twentyfirst century India would do well to disseminate and deliver the message of Buddhism to the world, and she would, at the same time, profit immensely by claiming at least half ownership to it, even today. I feel confident to assert that no country to the east or west, north or south of India would ever dispute or deny it. India is one region where inspite of the upheavals of the modern world, the identity of history would remain firm and faithful. India's leadership, more than two millenia ago, in moulding the character of man, and in guiding his pioneering aspirations and achievements, both in spiritual and scientific territories, will never be forgotten. Buddhist legends record that the birth place of the Buddha, and therefore that of Buddhism, had to be India. Tato dŒpam vilokento saparivƒre cattƒro dŒpe oloketvƒ tŒsu dŒpesu buddhƒ na nibbattanti jambudŒpe yeva nibbattantŒ'ti dŒpam passi. (Jataka Vol.I.p.49) The idea expressed here is that the Bodhisatta, i.e. the Buddha aspirant or future Buddha, looking out for the land where he was going to be born, surveyed the four adjacent regions and concluded that the Buddhas are never born in any of the other three besides India. Looking at this in terms of the time of the Buddha's appearance, the period around the fifth and sixth centuries B.C. saw in many parts of the world an intellectual awakening with a religio-cultural vibrancy. Teachings of Confucius and Lao tze held sway in China, influencing the lives of the people to a greater or lesser degree. Very few, or hardly any of these, except Buddhism, continue to guide the lives of the people of the world today. Time has swallowed up nearly every one of them. It shall be our endeavour today to reflect on the magnitude of this influence of Buddhism over our contemporary human society. Starting at the nearer end of history, at the tail end of the twentieth century, i.e.nearly twentyfive centuries after the birth of the Buddha in Lumbini and the emergence of Buddhism thirtyfive years after that event, we have a proud record to place before the world. Comparable to Neil Armstrong's vision of this planet from the moon, there are many thinkers and philosophers of the world today who as non-Indians, viewing Buddhism completely from outside, make a universal appraisal, i.e. an assessment regarding the universal applicability, of Buddhism and make it known to the world for the good of mankind. More than thirteen years ago, a high-ranking official of the UNESCO, the late Dr.Raphaelo M. Salas of the Philipines, who was the population expert at the United Nations, in a Special Convocation address at the University of Colombo in 1979, appealed to the people of Sri Lanka to offer to the world as a gift for the twentyfirst century, this special message of Buddhism. It runs as He who overcomes in this world this base and unruly craving, from him all sorrows fall away like drops of water from a lotus leaf. Referring to the Buddha as a wise old man of India, he was quoting verse no.336 of the Dhammapada which runs as follows. Yo c'etam sahate jammim tanham loke duraccayam sokƒ tamhƒ papatanti udabind–'va pokkharƒ Buddhism ranks high as a religion in the world today because of its highly efficient salvation scheme. There are two unique features which account for this success. Via this system of Buddhist thinking and living, man is enabled to taste and partake of this transcendental bliss of release,here and now: dittheva dhamme sayam abhi¤¤ƒ sacchikatvƒ (M.I.35). An arhant, i.e. a fully liberated person according to Buddhism, partakes of the bliss of nirvƒna in this very life. He is a jŒvan mukta in other words, and is seen rejoicing over his release. Behold here Thera Angulimala, giving expression to such joy : Atha kho ƒyasmƒ angulimƒlo rahogato patisallƒno vimuttisukham patisamvedŒ tƒyam velƒyam imam udƒnam udƒnesi (M.II.104). As one who has attained the goal of his striving in this very existence (Bhikkhu araham khŒnƒsavo anuppattasadattho (M.I.4) the arhant has terminated the painful birth and death process of samsƒra. This is referred to in Pali as khŒnƒ jƒti as well as parikkhŒnabhavasamyojano (ibid.). Such a person is aware of his achievement and exults over it: vimuttasmim vimuttan'ti ¤ƒnam hoti... nƒparam itthattayƒ'ti pajƒnƒti (M.I.297). For him, it is no leap in the dark. Secondly, this psycho-ethical way of life-correction in pursuit of nirvƒna makes the world around us a richer and happier place for man and animals to live in. How gloriously true then is the statement that the birth of Buddhas is bliss to the world: sukho buddhƒnam uppƒdo (Dhp.v.194) ? The word of the Buddhas, i.e. the teachings of Buddhism, re-sets as it were, the tempo of the world. The world is thereby made a richer and happier place. ^page; The truth of this statement that the birth of Buddhas is bliss to the world perhaps never came out in such sharp focus as in Joseph Goldstein's 1991-92 Wit Lectures delivered at the Divinity School of the Harvard University. Understanding Buddhism, and with a total commitment to it, Goldstein has, before learned audiences in the west, given eloquent expression to the worth of Buddhism in the world today. The Harvard Divinity Bulletin (Harvard University - The Divinity School. 1992. Volume 21 Number 3) reporting the event thus, puts it beautifully. In his first lecture, " Transforming the Mind, Healing the World, " Goldstein discussed what he called a triangle of three spiritual values: love, compassion and wisdom. He explained that it is possible to attain the state of loving kindness, known as mettƒ in Pali or maitrŒ in Sanskrit, which is free from the desire and attachment that characterize love as we usually understand it. When we are filled with loving kindness, we wish others to be happy, at peace, and free from suffering, without any expectation of return or even of acknowledgment. Here we see Goldstein as a conveyer of a message to the world and in it we see his commitment to Buddhism. What strikes us most here is Goldstein's awareness as to what truly is the message of Buddhism. That Buddhism, through its primary salvific message, makes better men of men and makes the world a happier and much more wholesome place to live in. And in the process, the goal of Buddhism is attained. Meet Goldstein again at his second lecture and see him reported in this manner in the Harvard Divinity Bulletin quoted earlier. The Buddha talked of three trainings on the path: morality, concentration and mindful awareness, and wisdom. Morality is the commitment to non-harming, Goldstein said, and we can train ourselves in it through several methods. One is to be aware of the effect of our actions on our minds. We should note here the charm with which Goldstein brings before a competitively aggressive world the most profound teachings of Buddhism with a down-to-earth simplicity that grips our minds. He has immersed us in the doctrine of threefold training or tisso sikkhƒ of sŒla, samƒdhi and pa¤¤ƒ. And he has challengingly brought us face to face with the doctrine of karma, in speaking of `the effect of our actions on our minds'. We cannot but admire his keenly sensitive follow up which he does with perfect coherence. Here it is. The five Buddhist precepts also foster moral development: not killing, not stealing, not committing sexual misconduct, not using wrong speech, and not taking intoxicants that confuse the mind. Goldstein emphasized the rewards that can come out of attention to each precept. For example, watching our own speech can disclose how much of what we say is judgmental both of ourselves and of others. Training in morality is a practice, he said and is the foundation of a spiritual life. "Our practice is not to follow the heart, it is to train the heart," he quoted a well known aphorism. We wish to state here that we can trace back this observation of Goldstein to a remark of Venerable Sariputta made to Venerable Moggallana, describing a Buddhist disciple whom he considers to be a distinguished person of very high calibre. Idh'ƒvuso Moggallƒna bhikkhu cittam vasam vatteti no ca cittassa vasena vattati... Evarupena kho ƒvuso Moggallƒna bhikkhunƒ Gosingasƒlavanam sobheyyƒ'ti. Mahagosingasutta M.I.214 O Moggallana, herein a monk keeps his mind under control. He is not under the control of the mind. Such a monk, O Moggallana, lends distinction to this Sala Grove of Gosinga. I am convinced that while you hear me quote from Goldstein's lectures you would be agreeing with the Divinity School Bulletin's observations about the lecturer himself. Goldstein's personal presence embodies the tranquility and peace that vipassanƒ promises. We have indeed no doubt about this comment. Bhƒvanƒ of Buddhism is a living process of culture and a person who has taken to it in earnest does reflect it in his own life. Now as I stand before you in this sacred city of Baranasi my mind goes back to beyond twentyfive centuries of ancient history. The Buddha, in his enlightenment, transcended the world and rose above it - tinno loke visattikam (M.I.175). This means that he freed himself from the stranglehold of the world, the world that taints and corrupts : anƒpƒthagato bhikkhave pƒpimato (ibid.). This he did by his own personal grasp of the nature of the world, that is the nature of the beings therein, one and all including himself. He knows why they are in samsƒra, in this cycle of births and deaths and why they continue to do so. This knowledge he reveals to us in his basic teachings of the Four Noble Truths and the Chain of Dependent Origination which are known to all Buddhists under the name of caturƒrya satya and pratŒtya samutpƒda. The Buddha's salvific way is a challenge of the world, a challenge of its nature, and therefore his teachings came to be called `moving against the current': patisotƒgami. And for this same reason, he is said to have been very reticent to deliver his message to a world of shallow interests and petty quarrelsomeness. Such worldlings would find it difficult to grasp my teachings well, he argued: rƒgadosaparetehi nƒyam dhammo susambudho (M.I.168). Arguing further, he added that the veil of ignorance (avijjƒ) which prevents people from seeing the truth must be torn asunder as is implied in statements like avijjam dƒlayissami (Thag.v.544) and tamokkhandho padƒlito (S.I.130). He left the people of the world completely free to accept his teachings on their own choice. Compulsion was not within the framework of his thinking. He prefaced his proclamation with these words: `Open for them are the doors to deathlessness. They who have ears to hear, let them put forth faith'. This idea is found expressed in Pali as Apƒrutƒ tesam amatassa dvƒrƒ ye sotavanto pamu¤cantu saddham (M.I.169) Another characteristic feature of the teachings of the Buddha that went along with this is that the Buddha's dhamma is for those who have the capacity to stop and think, for those endowed with pa¤¤ƒ: pa¤¤avatƒyam dhammo no duppa¤¤assa (A.IV.229). For the faculty of pa¤¤ƒ or wisdom is born of clear logical thinking. Such wisdom must be gradually built up and acquired. It is nurtured through faith and trust (saddhƒ), zealous application (viriya), mindful culture (sati) and complete mastery over the mind as a major component of life (samƒdhi). These are among the faculties latent in us (pa¤ca indriya) which are to be developed and turned into strengths (pa¤ca bala) for the production of the final tool of wisdom (pa¤¤ƒ) which is indispensable for the acquisition of liberation. The Buddha himself declares that he who does not get beyond the preliminary stage of faith and trust (saddhƒ), gathers no more than the peripheral benefit of birth in a happy state of existence or sagga. yesam mayi saddhƒmattam pemamattam sabbe te saggaparƒyanƒ. Alagadd–pamasutta M.I.142 In the eyes of some hasty critics this observation would appear to be a very severe acid test at the entry point to the religion of the Buddha. But a sobre analysis and judgement would reveal that the gradually acquired and developed states like saddhƒ, viriya, sati and samƒdhi are pre-requisites which finally assure the acquisition of pa¤¤ƒ, almost at the final stage of the liberation process. For there is no release in the absence of pa¤¤ƒ. It is by virtue of this gradual development process, from the grosser to the finer, that the entire liberation process of Buddhism has come to be called the GRADUAL WAY : anupubbasikkhƒ anupubbakiriyƒ anupubbapatipadƒ (M.I.479f.). The KŒtƒgiri sutta where this idea is beautifully clarified says that the acquisition of this wisdom does not take place with a bang, as it were, at the very commencement of the liberation process. Nƒham bhikkhave ƒdikeneva a¤¤ƒrƒdhanam vadƒmi. Api ca bhikkhave anupubbasikkhƒ anupubbakiriyƒ anupubbapatipadƒ a¤¤ƒrƒdhanƒ hoti. (M.I.479 f.) Papa¤cas–danŒ, the Commentary of Buddhaghosa Thera on the Majjhima Nikƒya, explaining this further, says that one does not get to the state of arhant, i.e. acquire that wisdom at the very first instance like the movement of a frog leaping from one place to another. These words are placed in the mouth of the Buddha himself in this manner. Aham bhikkhave pathamam eva mand–kassa uppatitvƒ gamanam viya a¤¤ƒrƒdhanam arahatte patitthƒnam na vadƒmi. (MA.III.193) The presentaion in this manner of the gaining of wisdom for final release in Buddhism (note pa¤¤ƒya parisujjhati. Sn.v.184 and pa¤¤ƒya c'assa disvƒ ƒsavƒ parikkhŒnƒ honti. M.I.477) gives it an acquirability which brings it within the reach of every being who even in a slow process spread through a shorter or a longer period of time could build for himself that watch-tower of wisdom from where he would be enabled to scan the entire horizon of life. This situation is clearly envisaged in Buddhist texts. Dhammapada verse no.28 puts it as Pamƒdam appamƒdena yadƒ nudati pandito pa¤¤ƒpƒsƒdamƒruyha asoko sokinim pajam pabbatattho'va bhummatthe dhŒro bƒle avekkhati. A wise man rids himself of slackness and heedlessness through diligent application. Such a man of strength (dhŒro) who is freed from grief, ascends the Mansion of Wisdom, and beholds the grieving low-quality worldlings, like a man on a cliff top who sees the men on the ground below. This vision of the world referred to here is obviously the most triumphant moment in the spiritual quest of Buddhism. Being a personal achievement within oneself, it is not only gloriously attractive and blissful, but verifiably attainable here and now (not being a state to be expected in a life beyond the present), but only with the proviso of diligent application (pamƒdam appamƒdena) as the Dhammapada verse quoted above insists. The reference to it in the Buddha's own autobiographical sutta, Ariyapariyesana, is even more vivid. Sele yathƒ pabbatamuddhanitthito yathƒ'pi passe janatam samantato tath–pamam dhammamayam sumedha pƒsƒdamƒruyha samantacakkhu sokƒvatinnam janatam apetasoko avekkhassu jƒtijarƒbhibh–tam. (M.I.168) Just as a man perched high on a cliff top sees the people all around him, so may you, O Lord, as the all-seeing wise one ascend the Mansion of Truth (dhammamayam pƒsƒdam), and freed as you are from all grief, behold the people who are plunged in sorrow, being tormented by birth and decay. Such a heart-warming concept of a compassionate Buddha who looks upon mankind with pity for their suffering, formulated and presented by Mahƒ Brahmƒ as is alleged (see Ariyapariyesana sutta M.I.168), apparently gained wide popularity. The Bodirƒjakumƒra sutta (M.II.91-97) refers to this same incident and this same concept of the compassionate Buddha via a report said to have been made by the Buddha himself. I venture to suggest here that this very picture of an All-seeing Compassionate Lord conjures up before our eyes the forerunner of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara who emerges at a later date in the SaddharmapundarŒka S–tra (Ch.xxiv. Smantamukhaparivartah) as the harbinger of the Mahayana doctrine of salvation by faith. Note here the Chinese rendering of this name Avalokitesvara as Kuan Yin : the Seeing Lord (the word being broken as avalokita + Œsvara). The Chinese also have a rendering Kuan Shih Yin which could be translated as the Lord who sees and hears (the supplications of the grieving world). Here they apparently break the word as avalokita + svara. It is interesting to note what Ludwig Bachhofer in his A Short History of Chinese Art (1944) says of these Kuan Yin statues of China (Plates 1 & 2 ). All these things create the illusion that Kuan Yin in flesh and blood has descended to hear the plights of the worried. A few words must be said about the expression. Though all these Kuan Yins show compassion and sympathy, every one of them seems to differ from the other in intelligence and temperament... They are no longer variants of a single type as were the Bodhisattvas of classic times. The Japanese, picking up the more correct rendering Kuan Yin, have it as Kannon/Kwannon. We should also note here such usages as Kuze Kannon (World-saving Kannon) (Plates 3 & 4 ), Koyasu Kannon or Kannon of Easy Deliverance i.e. Kuan Yin as a divinity presiding over pregnancy as well as safe and easy delivery of babies at birth, sitting at times with a baby in her hands (See Gods of Northern Buddhism - Alice Getty, p 96) and Kudara Kannon, the most delightfully artistic statue of Kuan Yin from Korea (Plate 5 ). What is most remarkable here is the gradual evolution from a once vigorous male divinity of the Indian and Central Asian regions into a very graceful lady-like divinity in China and Japan. This new mother-like concept of the divinity has now fittingly come to be called the Goddess of Mercy. In the earlier male form of the divinity there was apparently the need for him to possess a thousand eyes in order to be the All-seeing One. Here we should remind ourselves that the Ariyapariyesana sutta, or more precisely Brahmƒ Sahampati in the Ariyapariyesana sutta, says that the Buddha is samantacakkhu or has eyes on all sides. This, in turn, led to the development of a thousand arms for Avalokitesvara in the palms of which those eyes came to be conveniently located (Plate 6 ). Kuan Yin's popularity (so also of Kannon) in the Far East is all too well known, particularly to a distinguished audience like you, to need further elaboration. Thus Buddhism from its earliest phase, with its message of love and concern for the unenlightened and underprivileged beings of the world, with also the hint of benevolently looking upon them (avekkhassu jƒtijarƒbhibh–tam) seems to have carried with it an open invitation to all those who needed to be cared and loved and looked after, without any discrimination of being affluent or elite, of being privileged or outcast, or being of the chosen people or not. There was in the words of the Buddha, a message and comfort for everyone, to each according to his need. Angulimala, as the conceited brigand needed, in his own interest, to have his pride crushed (M.II.97-100). Patacara had to be told, even in a circuitous way, of the reality of death, particularly when it happened to be that of her beloved first born child (Thig.vv.127-132). Sunita who was despised on account of being a municipal scavenger, carrying the ^page; city's dirt-load on a pole on his shoulder, found admission into the monastic order of the Buddha without any reservations. He found therein the solace of his life (Thag.vv.620-631). So were many others in the degraded grades of prostitutes and courtezans. Little wonder then about the wide popularity of Buddhism among all ranks of human society right from its inception, in all places where Buddhism found its way. Inspite of this inherent vigour and vitality of Buddhism, the few centuries which preceded the Asokan era had witnessed a lamentable degree of deterioration of the Buddhist dispensation. But very fortunately for all mankind, enough was still left in India for Asoka to rediscover the whole of true Buddhism, in spirit and letter, in theory and practice. The renowned third Buddhist Council of Pataliputra, convened by him under the able direction and guidance of Thera Moggaliputta Tissa, preserved for posterity the authentic Buddhist texts of the Canon, including the Abhidhamma. Almost under imperial command, he ordered a re-institution of the activities of the Buddhist Sangha, including the observance of the uposatha. Combining his devotion to Buddhism and his dedication and determination to propagate it everywhere in the world with his politics and his diplomacy, he achieved a victory unparalleled anywhere in history. Of this, Shri Nehru says the following in his Discovery of India. His messengers and ambassadors went to Syria, Egypt, Macedonia, Cyrene, and Epirus, conveying his greeting and Buddha's message. They went to Central Asia and to Burma and Siam and he sent his own son and daughter, Mahendra and Sanghamitra, to Ceylon in the south. Everywhere an appeal was made to the mind and the heart; there was no force or compulsion. Ardent Buddhist as he was, he showed respect and consideration for all other faiths... Buddhism spread rapidly in India from Kashmir to Ceylon. It penetrated into Nepal and later reached Tibet and China and Mongolia. In India, one of the consequences of this was the growth of vegetarianism and abstention from alchoholic drinks. Till then both Brahmins and Ksatriyas often ate meat and drank wine. Animal sacrifice was forbidden. Discovery of India p.123. Thanks to the missionary zeal of Asoka to which Shri Nehru refers here and the consequent spread of Buddhism outside India, both in eastern and western directions, Buddhism reached almost the shores of the Caspian Sea. Here it may well be to recall what Abu'l - Rayhan Muhammad al Bir–ni said nearly a thousand years ago about the success of Buddhism in that region. In former times Khorasan, Persia, Iraq, Mosul, the country up to the frontier of Syria, was Buddhistic, but then Zarathustra went forth from Ždharbƒyjƒn and preached Magism in Balkh (Baktra)... The succeeding kings made their religion (i.e. Zoroastrianism) the obligatory state religion of Persia and Iraq. In consequence, the Buddhists were banished from those countries and had to emigrate to the countries east of Balkh. B.A.Litvinsky in Encyclopaedia of Buddhism. Vol.IV.Fasc.I.p.21. More specifically about Buddhism's contribution to early Iranian culture note what historians of today , independently have to say. In the words of Barthold, " neither the Sassanian state nor its official religion, Zoroastrianism, ever comprised the entire Iranian world. In the later-period cultural life of the Iranian world, Buddhist Iran played a part of no less importance than Zoroastrian Iran." Recent archaeological discoveries in Western Turkestan lend a truly prophetic ring to these words. Ibid.p.51 As proof of the popularity, prestige and power of Buddhism in western Asia around the beginning of the Christian era there stand massive monuments in stone, sculptures showing incidents from the life of the Buddha etc. Coming from Shotorak in Afghanistan and dating back to the third century A.D. is an admirably touching scene of the historical Buddha Gotama as ascetic Sumedha in one of his earlier births, seeking an assurance from the very ancient Buddha DŒpamkara about his own attainment of Buddhahood at a later date (Plate 7. See also Jataka Vol.1 p.15) This single stone carving belonging to such an early date could be declared a volume of history on the development of Buddhist civilization and culture. It in indeed a thesis on Buddhalogy. So is the Buddha in the Miracles of Sravasti from Paitava in Afghanistan (Plate 8 ). Equally formidable is the giant Buddha statue of Bamian standing at 175 feet in height (Plate 9 ). Belonging to this same later period of 6th - 7th centuries are also excellent remains of Buddhist paintings of Bodhisattvas from places like Bamian, both in Iranian style and in Indo - Chinese style of Central Asia (Plate 10 ). + About Asoka's leanings on Buddhism and his deep convictions regarding its teachings, we entertain no doubts. We are inclined to believe that he was an ardent Buddhist, as Shri Nehru puts it. Viewing it from Sri Lanka's end, see how the Mahavamsa, our Grand Chronicle, records it. Put in the mouth of Asoka himself, it reads as follows. I have taken refuge in the Buddha, his Doctrine and his Order. I have declared myself a lay-disciple in the religion of the Sakya's son; seek then even thou, O best of men, converting thy mind with believing heart refuge in these best of gems. Mahƒvamsa XI.vv.34-35 Asoka's remarkable turn from war to peace must certainly be sought here. Killing for the propagation of religions or expansion of kingdoms must come to an end today, today itself and not tomorrow. And after the bitter lessons of war, even from more recent history including Hiroshima, we are confident that the twentyfirst century would crown Asoka once more, as a great monarch with great sensitivity to lessons learnt through experience of life. If men of the world of today have anything which may be called sense or sanity, twenty centuries of world history should be rich enough to teach them that men and animals of the world are not to be staked to please and appease hungry and angry gods above, including those raised to divinity in more recent times. Destruction in the name of religious or political ideologies or racial supremacies has definitely to be a thing of the stupid past. Before I bring this address to a close today, I owe it as a duty to say also a few words in appreciation of the great service renderd to the cause of Buddhism by the Mahabodhi Society of India and the persons connected with it. Buddhists all over the world must legitimately feel proud to have been able to witness the centenary celebrations of the Mahabodhi Society, a hundred years of fruitful existence. The Sambhasa, the Centenary Commemorative Volume brought out on this occasion is monumental not only in terms of the scholarship it reflects but also in terms of the immense unstinted service of devoted men which has spread through a hundred years. Both the scholars for their contribution and the editorial staff for their ceaseless work must be lauded and congratulated. It would be correct to say that it has remained the main beacon of light in Mahabodhi Society's activities. What the Mahabodhi has retrieved and restored in terms of the heritage of Buddhism is inestimable. We should also at this stage remember how under the guidance and inspiration of Buddhist thinking, the late Dr. Ambedkar worked ceaselessly in the area of social reform in India. Putting to the fore, as it were, the Buddhist norm of na jaccƒ vasalo hoti na jaccƒ hoti brƒhmano, namely that it is not by birth that a man becomes high or low in social esteem, Dr. Ambedkar stood up to fight for the redemption of his own caste whose ill-treatment in India, which even social decency of the world today would condemn in no uncertain terms. Let alone any other norm of judgement. We feel legitimately proud that the Mahabodhi Society provided Dr. Ambedkar the necessary battlement for his crusade. As for the person behind it, Anagarika Dharmapala, all that we need to say is that his name is indelibly carved in the history of the Buddhist world. A hundred years ago, the visit of a young Sri Lankan at the age of twentyseven saw the birth of the Mahabodhi in India. Today, a hundred years later, I come to you at the age of seventytwo, a much older man, to reiterate the glory of Buddhism in the twentyfirst century. I have always held that the greatest achievement in the life of Anagarika Dharmapala was his final renunciation to become the Buddha's true srƒvaka, Bhiksu Devamitra. And today, this indeed is the happiest moment of my life to have done exactly as he did, in my renunciation of the world and to stand before you in this very place where he stood and plead for a respread of Buddhist values in the world of the twentyfirst century. Venerable Professor Dhammavihƒri Siri Vajiranana Dharmƒyatanaya Maharagama, Sri Lanka