Anagarika Dharmapala, the founder of the Maha Bodhi Society of India, on several occasions in his life time expressed his gratitude to the great Indian leaders, especially the leaders of the Bengali community, for extending him a helping hand in his historic struggle to rescue Buddha Gaya.
There were eminent personalities in this land of Lord Buddha’s birth who came out openly to assist him and the Maha Bodhi Society of India to propagate Buddhism all over the world despite their religious commitments.
Some of them worked with the Society and some worked independently to achieve this aim. It is the bounden duty of the present generation to pay homage to their efforts as an example to the coming generations.
The following are a few of them both from India and Sri Lanka who rendered a great service to the Maha Bodhi Society of India and the cause of Buddhism.
BABU NARENDRA NATH MOOKERJEE
A grandson of Neel Comul Mookherjee and belonged to the family of the Tagores was one of the most esteerned citizens of Calcutta. He was closely associated with Anagarika Dharmapala and the Maha Bodhi Society of India.
RAI BAHADUR NARENDRA NATH SEN
For fifty years he was guiding the destinies of his people. He was greatly respected for his benevolence, uprightness, and universal sympathy. He was the friend of the small Buddhist community of Bengal, and the Chairman of the Literary section of the Maha Bodhi Society. It was his large heart that endeared him to so many people of so many communities throughout India. At every Vaisaka anniversary celebrations of the Maha Bodhi Society since 1896, he took a prominent part, and since 1902 at every celebration he was entrusted with the work of delivering the annual address of the Maha Bodhi Society of India..
On his death Anagarika Dharmapala wrote: “We all die. In the midst of death, we live, and happy is the person who is able to devote his life for the welfare of all living beings. Such a one was the late Norendra Nath Sen. The Maha Bodhi Society has lost a dear, devoted and trusted friend, and the Buddhists will feel his loss very much. The columns of the “Indian Mirror” were placed at my disposal to ventilate Buddhist views, and now that Mr. Sen left us, I feel the loss keenly. We shall again meet in another form on this earth to work for the good of Humanity.” (M.B.J. July, 1991)
DR SYAMA PRASAD MOOKHERJEE
Dr. Mookherjee was elected President of the Maha Bodhi Society of India after the death of Sri Manmatha Nath Mookerjee. He was a distinguished son of the late Sir Asutosh Mookerjee who had adorned the presidential chair of the Society till his death.
He was an educationist and he rendered a valuable service to the cause of Buddhism in India. It is recorded that he proved to be the most energetic. resourceful and hard-working President that the Society ever had, not excepting his father, the great Sir Ashutosh.
After the death of Dr. Mookherjee, Devapriya Valisinghe, wrote in Maha Bodhi Journal: “He was one of the busiest men in Calcutta and yet when it came to fulfilling his duty as the President of the Maha Bodhi Society of India he was ever ready. Never did he say he was too busy to attend to any business which we took to him. On the contrary he rebuked us whenever we delayed or failed to place matters of importance before him.”
DR BENI MADHAB BARUA
He was the first graduate in the Bengali Buddhist community of Chittagong, who was also working as a Lecturer in Pali in Chittagong, although at the time he was not yet an M.a.
Dr. Barua began his career as a temporary headmaster of the Mahamuni Anglo Pali Institution in his native village in 1912. He took under-graduate Pali classes in the University of Calcutta in 1913-14. On his return from London, he was appointed University Lecturer in the reconstituted Pali Department of the Calcutta University.
After the death of Mahamahopadhyay Satish Chandra Vidyabhushana, Dr. Barua was placed in charge of the Department. From June 1, 1925 he received the personal distinction of University Professor. In 1930 when a separate Professorship was created for the department of Pali, Dr. Barua was appointed as the first University Professor of Pali, and he served in that capacity with great ability till his sudden demise. In recognition of his erudite scholarship in different branches of Indology, his services were respectfully requisitioned by the Post- Graduate departments of Sanskrit and Ancient Indian History and Culture, University of Calcutta.
Dr. Barua founded the Nalanda Vidyabhavan (an Institute of Pali and Buddhology) in 1935. Dr. Barua was the first president of the Nalanda Vidyabhavan, while Bhupendra Nath Mutsuddi was the first Secretary. He was closely associated with many philanthrophic and cultural associations: General Secretary of the Bauddha Dharmankur Sabha, Calcutta, for a number of years; an active Governing Body Member of the Maha Bodhi Society of India, Calcutta: founder-member and Vice- President of the Iran Society, Calcutta; member of the Executive Council of the Vangiya Sahitya Parishad, Calcutta and Vidyalankara Pirivena of Ceylon; President of the Governing Body of the Bharati Mahavidyalaya, Calcutta.
RABINDRANATH TAGORE
His work in literary, aesthetic and educational in itself is an identification about the person. He was a man of an Era. Not only Rabindranath, but his family gave much courage and assistance to Anagarika Dharmapala in his activities both in Calcutta and Buddha Gaya. It is recorded that Rabindranath Tagore gave accommodation in Shantiniketan to train Buddhist Monks for missionary work.
Among others, he is also one distinguished citizen in India who openly declared the right of ownership of the Buddha Gaya temple by Buddhists. His writings on Lord Buddha were acclaimed among all classes in India and Sri Lanka and he published several poems on Buddha and Buddhism. Rabindranath Tagore was a close associate of the Maha Bodhi Society of India and he respected the Buddhist clergy.
DR B.R. AMBEDKAR
At the age of thirty-two Ambedkar acquired the degrees of M.A., Ph.D., M.Sc., D.Sc. and Bar-at- Law from Universities in America and England and he was the most qualified man in the country. It was in 1923 and when he started practice as a Barrister in the high court of Bombay, he had to face hard times. “The solicitors would not condescend to have any business dealings with him on the ground of untouchability.
Dr. Ambedkar launched a concerted movement for the liberation of the untouchables in July 1924 and the heroic struggle for the liberation of the untouchables from the yoke of social slavery on 19th March 1927 at Mahad of Maharashtra.
He was an ardent champion of the cause of the depressed and suppressed classes. He demanded separate political rights for the untouchables from the British rulers, appearing before the Simon Commission in 1928 and participated in the Indian Round Table Conference in London convened by the British Government to settle the framework of future constitutional set-up for India.
He was nominated to the Bombay Legislative Council in 1927 and in July, 1947 Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru invited him to join his cabinet to be formed on the eve of Independence. He was appointed as the Minister of Law and later the Constituent Assembly unanimously elected him as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee. Dr. Ambedkar is considered as the architect of the Constitution of India and he was known as the ‘Man of Modern India’ for his profound knowledge of constitutional Law.
His embracing Buddhism has opened a new chapter in the history of Buddhism in India. In 1951 Dr. Ambedkar participated in the Buddha Jayanti Celebrations organised by the Maha Bodhi Society of India, New Delhi.
In May 1954 he attended the Buddha Jayanti Celebrations in Burma. In 1955 he reformed and registered the Buddhist Society of India and in May 1956 the 2500th Buddha Jayanti Day, at a public meeting he announced that he would embrace Buddhism in October.
On the 14th of October, 1956 at Nagpur Dr. Ambedkar with lakhs and lakhs of his followers he embraced Buddhism standing solemnly before the shining image of Lord Buddha reciting three times ‘Buddham Saranam Gacchami, Dhammam Saranam Gacchami and Sangham Saranam Gacchami.
Mr. Devapriya Valisinghe, then General Secretary of the Maha Bodhi Society of India was present on this occasion and he garlanded Dr. Ambedkar and other dignitaries present there. Mr. V.G. Nair in his article on ‘My homage to Dr. Ambedkar’ wrote the following para (M.B.J.):
“Dr. Ambedkar was undoubtedly one of the foremost architects of independent India. He was known as the ‘Man of Modern India’ for his profound knowledge of constitutional law. His coming to the Buddha has opened a new chapter in the history of Buddhism in India.
Rise and fall of empires, passing away of mighty kings and dictators, the conquest of the space and the discovery of the Atom Bomb all these will fade away into the dim history of the past, but the reverberating voice of Dr. Ambedkar, the fearless champion of the oppressed communities of India, will echo throughout the ages reminding us to serve the suffering humanity.”
RAJA SETH JUGAL KISHORE JI BIRLA
The Maha Bodhi Society of India owes a deep debt of gratitude to the Danaver Seth Jugal Kishore Birla who built a number of buildings for Viharas and Dharmasalas all over India for the Buddhists. The Dharmasala building at Sarnath is a gift of this great philanthrophist and patron of the religious activities.
He constructed the Buddha Vihara of New Delhi and donated it to the Maha Bodhi Society in 1939. He held the opinion that there was very little fundamental differences between Hinduism and Buddhism in ethical, philosophical and psychological principles and this fact impelled him to render service to Hinduism and Buddhism alike.
VEN’BLE M. SANGHARATANA NAYAKE MAHATHERO
‘Foster Buddhist Seminary at Kandy in Sri Lanka was started in 1925 by Ven. Anagarika Dharmapala for the training of Dharmadutas for the propagation of Buddhism in various parts of the world, especially in India, the land of the Blessed one, from where the lamp of Saddharma had extinguished for the last many centuries.
The first batch of Samaneras consisted of ten members. After training them for a few years in Kandy, he sent them to India, to Santiniketan of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore with whom he had developed cordial relations. Ven. M. Sangarathana was the youngest among them. After receiving higher ordination in Sri Lanka he was first appointed as the Assistant Secretary of the Maha Bodhi Society of India and then as one of the Joint Secretaries.
He devoted his full time for the development of religious, social and educational activities in Samath and it became the prime centre of the Maha Bodhi Society. He retired from the service of the Maha Bodhi Society and on his first visit to Sravasti he found that there is no place to take shelter even for a night. He decided to build a Buddhist centre and a Vihara worthy of the Holy place.” Sri Lankaramaya Development Society in Sri Lanka assisted him generously and he was able to construct Nava Jetawana Maha Vihara and Sri Lankaramaya in Sravasti. As his constant companion one who helped him in all his activities Ven’ble K. Chandarathana Mahathero was appointed as the incumbent of the Vihara.
VENERABLE UDUWE JANANANDA MAHA THERA
Before coming to India on the invitation of the Maha Bodhi Society of India, as the spiritual Advisor of the Anagarika Dharmapala Bhikkhu Training College at Sarnath, he served as the Vice-Principal of the Pravacanodaya Pirivena. And for some time, he also served as a lecturer in Buddha Sravaka Dhamma Pitha at Anuradhapura.
Recognising his knowledge of Dhamma and Oriental Languages, he was appointed as a member of the Editorial Board of the Tripitaka Publications of Sri Lanka.
Because of his scholarship and spiritual maturity, he was a great asset to the Society. The members of the Society, devotees and academic circle of Calcutta had a great respect for our Maha Thera.
The mortal remains of the Maha Thera were cremated in Calcutta with Buddhist rites on 29th December, 1987 in the presence of the General Secretary, Ven. M. Wipulasara Maha Thera and a large number of Buddhist Monks, Life Members and Devotees, the ashes were carried to Sri Lanka by the Ven. M. Wipulasara Maha Thera, General Secretary, to be enshrined in a memorial at Pravacanodaya Pirivena.
VEN. KUMBALWELLE SIRI NIWASA NAYAKE MAHA THERA
He was first appointed as the Bhikkhu-in- charge of the Saranath Centre of the Maha Bodhi Society and there he devoted his time and energy to develop it so as to make Sarnath a model centre for Buddhist pilgrimage. He constructed a Dharmasala at Nowgarh for the convenience of the pilgrims who visit Lumbini and it was named ‘Sri Niwasa Ashrama’.
As a mark of respect to the services that he has rendered to propagate Buddhism in India and to the Maha Bodhi Society he was honoured by the appointment ‘Sangha Nayake of Maha Bharatha’ by the Maha Nayake Thero and the Karaka Sangha Sabha of the Malwatta Chapter, Siyam Maha Nikaya, Sri Lanka.
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
Homage to Swamy Vivekananda Two humble servants of mankind in the latter part of 18th Century established two organisations in India to serve humanity. One was the Maha Bodhi Society of Anagarika Dharmapala and the other was the Ramakrishna Mission of Swamy Vivekananda. Anagarika Dharmapala was a great friend of the Swamy and they had great respect for each other.
Anagarika and the Swamy attended the World Parliament of Religions together and there they worked as a team. When issues arose Anagarika Dharmapala always worked and spoke in defence of Swamy Vivekananda in Calcutta.
On the death of Swamy Vivekananda, Anagarika Dharmapala wrote the following lines in Maha Bodhi Journal (1902, July).
“A veritable Prince among men has passed away. Swami Vivekananda, the foremost Hindu Missionary of the modern times, the most popular representative at the Parliament of Religions, the favourite “Orange Monk of Chicago”, breathed his last on Friday evening at the Bellur Math. It is hard to enumerate his services to-day. Suffice it to say that he will be ever remembered by his countrymen as a foremost patriot capable in every way of the work of raising India in the estimation of Europe and America.
His powerful exposition of Hindu Religion has marked an epoch in the History of the Religious movement of modern India. His writings and utterances, almost inspired, breathed a true Catholic spirit and gave a new turn to the religious thought of India, and they will ever remain as a store house of spiritual truths. The great disciple of a great master, he showed in his person what an Indian was capable of. Possessed of a noble and feeling heart, he silently worked towards the amelioration of the condition of the poor and the distressed. In him, India has lost one of her gifted sons and ablest expositors of her ancient religion.
