Mahaparinirvan Diwas

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    Recently, Prime Minister paid  homage to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on Mahaparinirvan Diwas.

    Mahaparinirvan Diwas

    • December 6 is observed as the Mahaparinirvan Diwas, or the death anniversary, of Dr BR Ambedkar, the Father of the Indian Constitution.
    • Parinirvan can be translated as ‘nirvana’ after death, or freedom from the cycles of life and death. 
      • It is considered as liberation from Samara, karma, and the cycle of death and birth. It is the most sacrosanct day in the Buddhist calendar.
    •  As per the Buddhist texts, the death of Lord Buddha is considered to be Mahaparinirvan – the Sanskrit term which means ‘nirvana after death. 

     Dr BR Ambedkar on Religion 

    • Religion and Ambedkar: 
      • Because of his trenchant criticism of major religions, Ambedkar is often mistaken to be against religion, when he was deeply spiritual and conscious of the importance of religion in public life. 
      • His views on Buddhism being superior to other religions are well-known.
    • Buddhism and Marxism:
      • In an essay, Ambedkar has compared Buddhism with Marxism, saying that while both strive for the same end of a just and happy society, the means propounded by Buddha are superior to those of Marx.
      • If the Marxists keep back their prejudices and study the Buddha and understand what he stood for I feel sure that they will change their attitude.
    • Similarities – The basic philosophy of both condensed into few points:
      • The function of Religion is to reconstruct the world and to make it happy and not to explain its origin or its end; 
      • That private ownership of property brings power to one class and sorrow to another; 
      • It is necessary for the good of Society that this sorrow be removed by removing its cause; and All human beings are equal.
    • Ambedkar on Marxism, all that is left is a residue of fire:. 
      • The function of philosophy is to reconstruct the world and not to waste its time in explaining the origin of the world; 
      • That private ownership of property brings power to one class and sorrow to another through exploitation; 
      • That it is necessary for the good of society that the sorrow be removed by the abolition of private property.
    • Similar Means in Buddhism and Marxism: 
      • To establish a happy and fair society, the Buddha had laid down a path for believers.
      • It is clear that the means adopted by the Buddha were to convert a man by changing his moral disposition to follow the path voluntarily. 
      • The means adopted by the Communists are equally clear, short and swift. They are:
        • Violence 
        • Dictatorship of the Proletariat
      • It is now clear what are the similarities and differences between Buddha and Karl Marx. The differences are about the means. The end is common to both.
    • Importance of religion
      • Communists claim the State will eventually wither away, they don’t answer when that will happen, and what will replace the state.
      • Of the two questions, what is more, important is what replaces the state, and if it is anarchy, then the building up of the Communist state would have been a useless effort.
      • The only thing which could sustain it after force is withdrawn is Religion. 
      • But to the Communists Religion is anathema. Their hatred to Religion is so deep-seated that they will not even discriminate between religions which are helpful to Communism and religions which are not.

    Buddhism

    • About: 
      • It is one of the world’s largest religions and originated 2,500 years ago in India. 
      • Buddhists believe that human life is one of suffering, and that meditation, spiritual and physical labor, and good behavior are the ways to achieve enlightenment, or nirvana.
      • It originated in India in 563–483 B.C.E. with Siddhartha Gautama, and over the next millennia it spread across Asia and the rest of the world.
    • About Buddha: 
      • Born: 563 BC in Lumbini (modern-day Nepal) as Prince Siddhartha Gautama.
      • He attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya and gave his first sermon at Sarnath near Varanasi which is known as Dharma-Chakra-Pravartana (turning of the wheel of law).
      • He taught in the area around Rajgir, where he was living in a forest monastery built by king Bimbisara of Magadha, and he lived the largest part of his life as The Buddha in Shravasti. 
      • He delivered his last sermon in Vaishali.
    • Buddha’s Teachings 

    Source: IE + TH

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