Baudhkaro Manifesto
1. Mission – Spreading Ambedkarite Culture
i) We have a creative and constructive approach for the annihilation of human sufferings. These also include the injustices, oppressions, humiliations etc caused by human-made discriminations of caste, gender, religion, race etc.
ii) We try to follow the ‘Samyak view’ – The eightfold path1 is the way for the cessation of suffering.
iii) Thus, by spreading Ambedkarite Culture which is based on Buddha’s teachings, we try to end human sufferings. The establishment of Ambedkarite Culture of Samata will automatically demolish the cultures based on injustice and inequality, like the presence of light automatically eliminates the darkness. Simple!
iv) We follow Babsaheb’s clarion call of “Educate, Organise, Agitate”/ “Educate, Agitate, Organise”. We believe that doing the work is more important, whatever one may consider the order.
2. Intention – Art for Dhamma Awakening
i) We are a collective of Artists who are in the pursuit of our Mission. Any beautiful creation is Art and any creator of beauty is an Artist.
ii) Unlike the negative art of resistance, ours is the positive art of Awakening.
iii) Babasaheb initiated the Buddha’s Sasana after 2500 years by giving a clarion call of awakening to the world. We are following Babasaheb’s directives to carry forward the chariot of Samata he put in motion on 14th October 1956.
iv) As Baudhkaro, we have donned the responsibility of awakening people in Buddha’s Dhamma which remained vanished from India for more than 2500 years.
v) Cultivating and propagating Ambedkarite consciousness artistically is our way of Dhamma Awakening.
3. Plan – Execute Babasaheb’s Blueprint
i) On 4th December 1954, Babasaheb created a blueprint2 of the Buddhist Movement in India. We are in pursuit of the execution of this Blueprint. All our endeavours will be directed to realise the plans prepared in the Blueprint.
4. Call of Inspiration – Charatha Bhikkhave Charikam Bahujan Hitay Bahujan Sukhay
i) We are trying to become ardent and sincere Upasaks of the Samyak Sambuddha who, soon after doing the historical ‘Dhammachakka Pavattan’, directed his students to go in all directions propagating his message of Dhamma.
ii) We draw our inspiration from Buddha’s first message to his students –
Charatha Bhikkhave Charikam, Bahujan Hitay Bahujan Sukhay
“Keep moving in all directions, my students, and keep serving for the welfare and benefit of many”.
5. Service – Dhamma-Daan.
i) We do not seek any personal profits from the venture of Baudhkaro. Hence, we never charge any cost for any Baudhkaro art.
ii) Baudhkaro is an institution, functioning entirely on the basis of Dhamma-Daan.
iii) Baudhkaro creations are a service to all beings. We are also a platform for all those who will to share their Dhamma-Daan in the form of time, talent, treasure or any other forms.
6. Anthem – Mit jayega andhiyara, jab hum ujiyara layenge
i) We firmly believe in ‘Creation’ as our means for eliminating all kinds of suffering and injustice.
ii) Contrary to many other merely negative approaches, ours is a constructive one. It is simple and is symbolised by our ‘Ujiyara Geet’3 which is our Anthem song.
iii) It proclaims that there cannot be any other way to eliminate darkness than to burn a light.
iv) The song ‘Sammaan Geet’4 is, similarly, our Revolution Song.
v) It gives a call to shun the filth of Dalitism and embrace the enlightened identity of Buddhist.
7. Principles – Babasaheb’s 22 Vows
i) Our moral, social, political, economic and cultural principles are rooted in the 22 Vows5 given by Dr. Ambedkar on 14th October 1956 at Deekshabhoomi, Nagpur.
ii) These 22 Vows are the guiding principles of the new humanity. They signify the revolution that leads humanity towards the rationality of scientific temper and the morality of metta.
8. Friend-Philosopher-Guide-Leader – Babasaheb Ambedkar
i) Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, fondly known as Babasaheb Ambedkar is the Friend-Philosopher-Guide-Leader of our movement. We owe our existence to the vision and work of Babasaheb.
ii) We have got the noble eightfold path only because of him. So, Lord Buddha is also our Friend-Philosopher and Guide.
iii) Kabir and the Phule couple are also our ideals.
iv) As personality symbols of culture, we focus on Babasaheb along with Lord Buddha because we believe that Babasaheb is the sum of all the good qualities of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Leaders who ever lived to make humanity better.
9. Philosophy – Ambedkarism/Buddhism
i) Ambedkarism is the philosophy derived from the ideas and praxis of Dr. Ambedkar. The core of Ambedkarism is Buddhism. So, there cannot be Ambedkarism without Buddhism and hence, one cannot be an Ambedkarite without being a Buddhist.
ii) Baudhkaro’s Philosophy is the Ambedkarite Philosophy enunciated by Babasaheb in his speech ‘My Philosophy of Life’6.
10. Identity – Ambedkarite/Buddhist
i) Based on the philosophy of Ambedkarism/Buddhism, our identity is Ambedkarite/Buddhist. Nothing else.
11. Gospel – The Buddha and His Dhamma
i) The Buddha and His Dhamma7 is the masterpiece created by Babasaheb with the sense of exceptional foresight and wisdom.
ii) While planning his movement, he had willed to write a Buddhist Gospel or Bible on the model of the Christian Bible. In the form of The Buddha and His Dhamma, this will was realised and a new interpretation of Buddhism was presented to humanity.
iii) The Buddha and His Dhamma is the guide which helps us to lead towards an individual as well as collective life that is full of hope, health, happiness, enthusiasm, compassion, morality, scientificity, and prosperity.
iv) Babasaheb’s interpretation of Buddhism is not any kind of a new vehicle or yana. It is, in fact, Buddhism which is fresh and is an excellent example of the righteous blend of major schools or vehicles of Buddhism.
v) The Buddha and his Dhamma is our Gospel, which perfectly serves Buddhism in a simplified and effective way.
12. Revolution – Dhammachakka Pavattana
i) We don’t believe or wait for any orthodox revolution based on anger, anarchy or any kind of violence.
ii) Rather, we cherish and try to carry forward the Revolution which humanity needed. This is the third8 great Revolution lead by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, that happened in Nagpur on 14th October, 1956.
13. Culture – Deekshabhoomi
i) Deekshabhoomi is the symbol of our culture. It is our cultural centre.
ii) It marks the beginning of the new human civilization which is modern, progressive, scientific and pursues the goal of the Reconstruction of the World.
14. Social Goal – Reconstruction of the world
i) By our efforts we strive to Reconstruct the world on the basis of the principles of Liberty, Equality and Metta where humans live an enlightened life without any barriers between human fellowship.
15. Politics – Education Agitation Organisation
i) We believe in the politics of Education, Agitation and Organisation.
ii) We strive to establish the necessary education in order to get organised for performing the right politics.
iii) In our striving, the process of politicization is more important than the hustle for political power.
16. Individual Goal – Cultivation of Mind.
i) Cultivation of Mind is not only the ultimate goal of our collective human existence but also a constant reminder to our individual selves.
ii) It is also our personal goal that should be pursued persistently.
iii) This is the only way to inculcate the culture of mind cultivation individually (as well as socially).
17. Method – Baudhkaro Formula
i) Our method is simplified in the Baudhkaro Formula9 according to which we have to establish Deekshabhoomi throughout the world symbolically.
18. Agenda – Samyak Education
i) Our agenda is to spread the Samyak Education as taught by Lord Buddha and Babasaheb.
ii) Dr. Ambedkar also proclaimed that the purpose of education is to moralise and socialise people.
iii) We firmly believe that the popular idea of education in the form of school, degree, career education etc. is not enough to fulfil the basic conditions of a society of Samata.
iv) On the contrary, highly educated persons can be more detrimental to society. It can be summarised in Babasaheb’s words, “An educated man without character and humility is more dangerous than a beast”10.
v) Educated people without any moral–institutional training shall be a threat to the life, liberty and conscience of the society.
vi) Therefore, for the righteous progress of society, it is our agenda to propagate the importance of ‘Samyak Education’ which is rooted in the ‘Samyak Eightfold Path’.
vii) Our education system should be based on ‘Samyak Education’.
19. Enemy – Nivaranas, Superiority/Brahminism and Inferiority/Dalitism
i) We consider the five Nivaranas11 as the first enemies.
ii) We negate the assumed superiority of Brahmanism and the filth of Dalitism. Being Samata Sainiks, both are our enemies.
20. Friends of Movement – All Buddhist/Ambedkarite
i) We are trying to build a universal friendship irrespective of class, gender, region, religion etc. This is one of the goals of our movement.
ii) All individuals, institutions and organisations following the values of Ambedkarism/Buddhism are our friends in the movement with whom we seek dialogue and mutual organisation.
21. Problem – Sangha/Organisation
i) We believe that the cause of the persistence of slavery and oppression is the absence of one strong Ambedkarite Organisation or Sangha.
ii) So, until there is the construction of one and strong Ambedkarite Sangha, we shall continue to work on the problem of our Organisation/Sangha. This is a problem of extreme importance and it should be our first priority.
22. Focus – Sangha Building
i) We firmly believe that the solution of injustice and sufferings will be sought by the Sangha/Organisation.
ii) As people or as a community, we have been lacking focus and clarity on the righteous ideology. The ideology has been misinterpreted by most of the people who have tried to engage their politics vis-a-vis ambedkarism.
iii) There are many who are merely busy in the negative (anti-) activities and are mostly unorganised. However, they work in systemic lobbies. Such people and their activities
are confusing many others. The current information overload due to different kinds of media aggrandize the clamour of such confusions.
iv) The focus of Baudhkaro’s venture is therefore, Sangha Building by Spreading Ambedkarite Culture.
23. Important Festivals
1. Dhammachakka Pavattana Day (of Babasaheb), 2. Dhammachakka Pavattana Day (of Buddha), 3. Establishment Day of Ambedkarite Movement (30th May), 4. Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti, 5. Buddha Purnima, 6. Babasaheb Mahaparinirvan Divas, 7. All Purnimas
24. State of Mind – Sabbe Satta Sukhi Hontu
i) Through the practice of Pragna, Sheel, Samadhi and Karuna, Baudhkaro shall strive to achieve and maintain the beautiful state of mind of Metta – Sabbe Satta Sukhi Hontu – May All Being Be Happy.
ii) This should be the individual as well as the collective consciousness of humanity.
iii) ‘Sabbe Satta Sukhi Hontu’ is the representation of all that is truthful, just, good and beautiful in the world.
Endnotes:
- Right understanding (Samma ditthi), Right thought (Samma sankappa), Right speech (Samma vaca), Right action (Samma kammanta), Right livelihood (Samma ajiva), Right effort (Samma vayama), Right mindfulness (Samma sati), Right concentration (Samma samadhi).
- https://prabuddhacouncil.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/buddhist-movement-in-india-a-blue-print_20181204164050.pdf
- https://youtu.be/i5kW6FlQpW0
- https://youtu.be/b8mV715lMsg
- http://baudhkaro.com/dr-b-r-ambedkars-22-vows/
- http://baudhkaro.com/dr-b-r-ambedkars-philosophy-of-life/
- https://www.mea.gov.in/Images/attach/amb/Volume_11.pdf
- The first Dhammachakka Pavattan was done by Lord Buddha at Sarnath and the second was done by Emperor Asoka.
- http://baudhkaro.com/the-baudhkaro-formula/
- As written in ‘Janata’, dated 26th February 1938 (Vol. 17, Part 3 of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings and Speeches).
- Sensory Desire, Ill Will, Sloth and Torpor, Restlessness and Remorse, Doubt.
Great…… We will achive soon….. Jai bhim namo buddhay
JaiBhim!
Revolution is the most contested term in parlance with the human liberation movements across the world at all times. To mention a few, there is Marxist revolution on the faultlines of industrialization in Europe, inspired by Marxism and its bloody method of revolution there is Leninist Revolution in erstwhile USSR in the period of first World War.
One can draw a linear line while going through the histories of revolutions that there were angst amongst the masses against their oppressors, like in erstwhile USSR, proletariat were up in arms against bourgeois. In case of American revolution, American Colonies stormed against their Colonizers, the Britishers. And there are lot more. An emperical study of all the revolutions took place across the world illustrates that every oppressive ruler or a group of people, communities, ghettos are thrown out by popular uprising, many times by bloody revolution across the world at some point of time.
The question partinent to ask here is, whether these revolutions are be all and end all. Whether the agonies of masses ended at the aftermath of revolutionary wars? More often than not, the answer to these questions would be a big NO. Take for example of Russian Revolution. The proletariat overthrown the bourgeoisie of their properties, confiscation of Private Assets and it’s nationalization took place at large scale. Proletariat taken ruins of the State. But the sad reality remains that death due to starvation and hunger were the largest in that period in Russia. More than half the proletariat were always in the state of War during that period and around 180000 were mutiny in that civil war. Soon Lenin realized that there is a lot of difference between confiscation and Socialism and he started tactical retreat with Capitalism. Since then we are witnessing restoration of Capitalism in Russia. The annotation to Russian Revolution may be in economic terms, but the fact remains that bloody revolution more often than not cease to be a means of human liberation.
Another example, may be more analogous to our inland struggle for liberation is American Revolution. After Revolution from colonizers Thomas Jefferson who written Declaration of Independence of American Colonies had upheld the principal in the declaration that all humans are equal. Despite that, Blacks in America never meted out equal treatment. They were treated subhuman, Black Stock. Ironically, Thomas Jefferson, who written the declaration of American Independence and upheld the principal of equality was himself in possession of 600 odd Black Stock. Astonishingly, American Supreme Court, in a litigation denied Blacks human rights and equal treatment that time as that of their white counterparts.
The gist of the story is, bloody revolutions have not guaranteed evolution of human values and not ushered the world into egalitarian society. In his fascinating novel ‘Animal Farm’ George Orwell constructed a story, imperically based on Russian Revolution, how Animals up the ante against the Humans on the seven commandments, one of which, ‘all animals are equal’. However, when earned independence from Humans, Pigs among the Animals steadily deprive other animals their animal rights (Animalism) and metamorphosed the commandment into morphed one, ‘all animals are equal; but some are more equal’. I suppose, this is the central line of inference, as to why all that revolutions took place not ushered into egalitarian society.
Babasaheb, therefore rightly state that ‘cultivation of mind should be ultimate aim of human existence’. Babasaheb Ambedkar has borrowed, rather inherited, the principal of cultivation of mind for humanitarian revolution from his Master, The Buddha! Unless all the participants imbibe the human values and struggle for dignity and liberation of individuals from suffering of any kind, ultimate aim of any revolution to usher into humanitarian world would be a far fetched dream.
The menifesto of Baudhkaro is pathbreaking in that direction. The aims and objectives of any organisation or movements are their stepping stones, for that, it always keeps the organizers, better called the ‘participant’ cohessively abided to the moral values and humanitarian principles. As the writers of menifesto rightly said, to remove darkness of confusion and superstition, illuminating the minds of masses with the light of Samyak Dhnyan is the enough act. It gives rise to realisation of ones dignity and propels in oneself passion for annihilation of human sufferings in the form of castism, racism, ethnicism, irreligiocity in religions, etc. It repletes human mind with spiritual utopia.
I propose my wholehearted contribution to this noble cause physically and otherwise and hope that one day this movement would usher into conquest of the land by Buddha’s teachings and doctrines.
Namo Buddhay! Jaybhim!
Sadhuwaad!
We would be glad to publish it as a commentary through the website. JaiBhim!
My pleasure Sir.
Permission granted