On the festive occasion of Buddha Purnima-2022, we must exercise our minds absolutely dispassionately to visit a few corridors of history to ferret out lost and ignored pebbles of our ancient past. I wish every Hindu national mind is absolutely unbiased, truly liberal in real sense and fearless too.
Gautama Buddha was not a ‘Buddhist’ at all but a great ‘Buddha’ and one of greatest human beings who walked on Planet Earth. He did not create the theology that is today known as Buddhism. He was born a Ksatriya-Hindu and departed the Planet as a highly accomplished Brahmana-Hindu, that too in the same life, a sterling instance of Manusmriti in full glory. He had admired Veda-s, declared himself a descendant of Bhagavana Shri Rama who had incarnated to cease and desist violence galore all around. Then who created Buddhism that transformed his philosophy of Ahimsa to flesh-eating today, is anybodys guess.
When Buddhism spread like wild-fire across the nation, Adi Shamkaracharya incarnated to reverse it and consolidate roots of Sanatana Dharma through Advaita by the dint of his enormous intellection. Theology of Advaita Brahma was call of the day as any other theological doctrine would not have been it’s perfect counter in the midst of extreme cynicism towards Sanatana Dharma. Nation was dotted with multiple Vihara-s that propagated Buddhism with prominent ones being Nalanda, Odantapuri, Vikramshila, Jagaddala etc. What the intellectual giant Adi Shamkaracharya assiduously attempted to perform with his intellectual strength, was finally concluded by Islamic marauders like Bakhtiar Khalji by the might of their swords. Vihara-s were destroyed, multiple Buddhist-genocides were staged and scores of Buddhist monks had to flee the nation to distant countries in South-East Asia that were converted into Buddhist countries eventually. However, even a word of gratitude for Khalji on behalf of Sanatana Dharma would be entirely mis-placed.
Sanatana Dharma is indestructible as it’s a fundamental cosmic truth and the only Adhyatmika truth to reckon with. All those who attempted to wipe out Sanatana Dharma from the face of this Planet, were wiped out themselves in due course. Numerous instances are there in history portals to affirm and re-affirm this cardinal reality. “Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya Glanirbhavati Bharata…” from Srimadbhagvadgita is constantly in action at every level in every form with an interesting example of ManMohan Singh being succeeded by Narendra Modi immediately after. It is in the interest of all including detractors of Sanatana Dharma to concede the universal reality and be at peace with themselves and all others.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brilliantly launched ‘Cultural diplomacy’, never tried or tested before, to re-unite all our lost brothers and sisters in Buddhism spread across SE Asia. Efforts of RSS to persuade them back into national fold are highly commendable and an example of great foresightedness. Yet the basic tenet that Buddhism has been only a rivulet streaming out the Bhagirathi of Sanatana Dharma that is destined to be merged into Ganga-Sagar of Vedanta Darshana must not be obscured as unfortunately done in past. If they succeed in bringing about a sense of primacy of Karmayoga in all varieties of Buddhism, it will be a watershed moment for all concerned. No doubt history has a nasty tendency to repeat itself yet we can and we all must strive righteously not to allow undesirable aspects of history to re-visit us under any circumstance.
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