By Arjun Das Gupta
The Maha Bodhi Society was established in May 1891 for the purpose of reviving Buddhism in India and for restoring the ancient Buddhist Shrines at Bodh Gaya, Benaras and Kushinara. The Journal of the Maha Bodhi Society, took its birth just a year after the establishment of the Society in May 1982 ‘under peculiar circumstances without any expectation of success.”
The first issue of the Journal was printed at the Baptist Mission Press, Calcutta, and that was unfortunately the only issue which came out from that well-known press. It declined to print further numbers on account of their ‘anti- Christian tendencies’. The first editor of this journal was Mr A.H. Dharmapala, who was then the General Secretary of the Maha Bodhi Society. It was perhaps rightly thought of that this would serve as a vehicle of news between the Buddhist countries and Buddha Gaya. It was also hoped that Buddhists of China, Japan, Siam, Burma, Ceylon and other countries would send for publication of a monthly budget of news interesting to Buddhists. This would ultimately help to unite the Buddhists together in one common bond of love and brotherhood, which was one of the essential objectives of the Society. This journal was definitely started with a specific purpose and for a distinct idea. As stated in the periodical ‘the purpose has been at least fulfilled in part and the idea has been carried into many distant lands”. Its main work was to consolidate the Buddhist nations into one people with one Head, one Doctrine and one Shrine.’4 The frequency of the journal was monthly. The different features which were covered in the periodical in the late nineties of the nineteenth century and early twenties of the present century, included articles, notes and news, ourselves, reviews, important notice, book notes, selection etc. This periodical not only reviewed different books on religion such as introductory Text-book of Hindu Ethics and Theology by R.S. Pandiyaji (April 1893) or The Essence of Buddhism by T.W. Rhys Davids (Oct. 1985)-but also a few periodicals such as-The Journal of the Buddhist Text Society of India (April 1893) or The Dawn (April 1897).
Under the heading Notes and News, we find discussions on various interesting topics like, “The Buddha Gaya Temple in 1879” (June 1895); “Present state of Religion in India” (June 1895); “What is Buddhism” (Dec. 1896); “Asoka the Greek Sandeocottus” (Feb. 1898); “Japanese Patriotism” (May & June, 1894); “Anagarika Dharmapala” (Sept. – Oct., 1904) etc.
A few articles are signed and a few others did not contain the author’s name. Some of the unsigned articles of the early issues include:
i) Buddhism in China (Aug. 1892)
ii) Who were the “Bauddhas” (Aug. 1892)
iii) daily life of Buddha (Aug. 1892)
iv) Buddha and Buddhism (Oct. 1892)
v) Colonel Olcott on Buddhism and Buddhist History (Jan. 1893)
vi) Buddhist Mission in India – the duty of the Hindus towards it (March 1893)
A few signed articles of the early issues included:
a) The different systems of degenerated Buddhism prevailing in Western Tibet (Apr. 1893).
b) Report on the discovery of Brahmanical antiquities in the (Champaran District) (Oct. 1897)
c) The rise of Buddhism (Nov. 1897) d) Pataliputra-History: Archaeological Researches (Dec. 1897)
e) The study of Buddha’s Dharma (March 1898)
f) Sangita Sutta, Dighu Nikayu (May -June, 1904)
The contributors who contributed in different ways during the late nineties of the last century and the early part of the present century included, N.C. Biswas, J.C. Gupta, B. Hodgson, Paul Carus, P.C. Mukherjee, A.H. Dharmapala, V.A. Smith, Bhikkhu S. Sumangala, Albert J. Edmunds, William E. Cooper, V.P. Veersingha, Rev. Daito Shimaje, R. Senanayaka and others. The process of citing other periodicals while writing an article is also evident from the earlier volumes of the journal. This periodical cited a few journals from time to time which included, Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Journal of the Royal Asiatic society, Asiatic Researches, Journal of the Numismatic Society, Indian Antiquary, Contemporary Review, Modern Review etc. The title of this periodical remained as Journal of the Maha Bodhi Society up to volume 9 (1900-01). From volume 10 (1901-02) it became. The Maha Bodhi and the United Buddhist World. The title of this periodical was further changed to The Maha Bodhi from January 1924.
As stated earlier the first number of the Journal was printed from the Baptist Mission Press, Calcutta. As the Manager of the Press did not find it convenient for him to print the periodical at his press, the second number was printed at Bengali Press. Unfortunately, the work was not satisfactorily done in that press and so it was sent to Caxton Press which was managed by Messers Newman & Co. This Company did the work quite satisfactorily until May 1905. The Mahabodhi Press, Colombo, did the work from January 1906 to December 1918 and after that the printing work was taken over by the Calcutta office of the Society.
In the first decade of the twentieth century, we find that the editor of the Journal was very much upset for not getting the help from the subscribers. He was even thinking to discontinue the periodical. In its volume 13 (July-Aug. 1904) we find that there is a Notice to subscribers of the Maha Bodhi Journal, which states, “with regret we have to inform our subscribers that if they do not make an effort to help to maintain journal the editor shall have to discontinue its publication””. It also has emphasized as how it was possible to continue the journal right from the beginning only with the personal effort of the editor, when it states “for nearly twelve years he has given his services free and also met the deficit year after year from his private allowance.”
Again, in the next year we find another notice which states, “please remit arrears of your subscription due to the journal. Having no Publication Fund, we have either to discontinue printing in the journal, or depend on the subscription that we are expected to receive from our subscribers.”
In spite of all these unfavourable conditions, the size of the journal was, however, increased. There were only eight pages up to volume six (1897-98) and it became twelve- page issue from volume Seven.
Moreover, in spite of the financial problem, the price of the periodical which was Rs. 2.00 from the first issue, remained the same up to March 1922. It was only from April 1922 that the price was raised to Rs. 4.00.
Anagarika H. Dharmapala, who was the first editor of the Journal continued as editor upto 1934. In July 1893, when Mr. Dharmapala went to attend the Chicago Parliament, the Journal was left in the hands of Rai Bahadur Sarat Chandra Das and Mr. Charu Chandra Bose. From 1935 onwards the following eminent personalities edited the journal :
- D. Valisimha and C. Sen 1935-1936.
- D Valimha 1937-38
- D Valisimha and Sheela Bhadra 1939-1941
- Seela Bhadra, Kalidas Nag and Bhikshu N. Jinaratha 1942-1955
From 1956 onwards an Editorial Board. It was not only the Buddhists who were working sincerely for this periodical, but also the non-Buddhists. This has been acknowledged in first volume of the Journal when we find that under the heading Ourselves it has been stated:
“of course we do not claim to have done or even attempted to do any of this singlehanded. We have had most loyal and self-less co-adjustors, and more remarkably still we have had the assistance and support of non-Buddhist friends”,”
It has also been acknowledged elsewhere that Mr. Dharmapala was ably assisted by Bengalees of Calcutta when it states:
“but for the personal support given to Dharmapala by the warm hearted Bengalees he could not have started his campaigns in Calcutta. His best friends were Neel Comal Mukherjee, Neerod Nath Mookherjee, Sarat Chandra Das, Jadunath Majumder, Upendranath Bose… Nandakishore Lall”10 and many others. Other eminent non-Buddhists who helped the Society in its earlier stage in different ways included, Messers G. Subramanier, K.T. Telang, M.M. Haraprasad Sastri, Subramanir lyer, Sir Jotindra Mohan Tagore, Norendra Nath Sen and many others.
Thus the Journal of the Maha-Bodhi Society with all its vicissitudes at the beginning, could bring its issues almost regularly. They were gradually attracting the sympathy, not only from the co-religionist, but also from each and every lover of truth of the various sections of the society. They were always seriously thinking to bring out articles of different varieties having interest to Buddhism. Their exchequer had only rupees twenty-five, when they ventured to bring out this journal. But this never had shaken them. They negotiated with a firm in Chicago to get a “Pony Press” for printing this journal. They even could acquire a sum of 1000 dollars from Mrs. Foster of Honolulu to start a printing press. They always wanted to make the journal as interesting and as popular as possible. From the twenties of the present century, they were receiving contributions from the eminent scholars like Dr Sylvan Levi, Dr H.W.B. Mereno. F.J. Payne, T.W. Rhys Davids, Dr B.M. Barua, Dr D.R. Bhandarkar, Dr A. Coomarswamy, Dr B.C. Law and many others. Thus, from a very shaky start, journal of the Maha-Bodhi Society could make a definite place among the well-known Indian periodicals of the present century.
REFERENCES
1. Maha-Bodhi Journal, vol. 14 (1), 1906
2. lbid…
3. Journal of the Maha-Bodhi Society, vol. 1(12) 1893
4. Ibid…
5. The Maha-Bodhi and the United Buddhist World, vol. 13 (3- 4), 1904.
6. Ibid…
7. Ibid…
8. The Maha-Bodhi and the United Buddhist World vol. 13 (9&10), 1905.
9. Journal of the Maha-Bodhi society, vol. 1 (12), 1893.
10. The Maha Bodhi and the United Buddhist World vol. 14 (9), 1906.
