KRIPASARAN MAHATHERO
Appearances of great luminaries are very rare. They are not born everywhere; where such a man of excellent knowledge is born; that family, community, nation and country thrive happily. The birth of Ven. Karmayogi Kripasaran Mahathero is a revolutionary event in the history of Buddhism and the Buddhist revival movement in India. Ven. Kripasaran led a renaissance of Buddhist thought and cultural heritage in the 19th Century in India.
Buddhism was the first to break down the impenetrable barrier which had divided man from man. His system admitted no caste and no degree – no social disability and no predestined adhesion to the self-centred interest. The noble and compassionate religion now stands extinct due to suppression and repression in Buddha’s own land. Effectuating the perennial message of Lord Buddha which underlines the human imperative in the words “Bahujan hituya, Bahujan sukhaya””
Ven. Kripasaran resolved his pious determination by standing before “THE BODHI TREE” at ‘BUDDHA GAYA, he devoted his entire life to the revival of this noble religion in India. To visualise his enthusiastic promise, Ven. Kripasaran Mahathero arrived in Kolkata Vihara, then housed in a rented building, at the age of 21. At that time, only a few hundred poor and most literate Buddhists mainly hailed from Chittagong lived in Kolkata the great excellence centre of learning and culture. Though splendid was his patience and mental resolution, it appeared almost an impossible task to propagate Buddhism in a country rooted in ignorance and superstition with the help of a few hundred poor Buddhists engaged in odd trades and professions in Kolkata. It appeared something ridiculous to many. But the great KRIPASARAN refused to surrender to obstacles to the attainment of his goals. His entire life can be compared to an infinite ocean, full of a variety of fragrances of compassion and loveliness. It is not easy to narrate activities against heavy odds, his ideal for self-denial and asceticism and his life-long struggle against the distorted condition of society made him an exemplary instance of glorious deeds in the human race.
VEN. KRIPASARAN was born in the village of Unainepura in Patiya Upazilla of Chittagong District. He hailed from a respectful Barua Buddhist family. His parents were not so opulent. Yet, their Buddhist honour and enthusiasm influenced Kripasaran to take the steadfast and forward banner of Buddhism. He lost his father at an early age and attained PRAVRAJYA and UPASAMPADA orders under a renowned Buddhist Monk named SUDHANCHANDRA MAHATHERO, head of Village Unainepura Lankaram Vihara. He was named Chandrajyoti at this time but was known as Kripasaran all his life.
After receiving Upasampada, he visited Buddhist Holy places but found them in deplorable condition. He afterwards decided to work for the resurgence of Buddhism. For the regeneration and preaching of Buddhistic order, Ven. Kripasaran instituted Mahanagar Vihara at a tumbledown old house on 72/73, Malanga Lane, Bowbazar Street in Kolkata in 1986 where he stayed for 13 years before shifting to its present campus. He also founded the Bouddha Dharmankur Sabha in 1891 to spread the perennial message of Buddhism. Later, this society established the Dharmankur Bauddha Vihara, which served as the centre of Buddhistic religious activities, education, culture and heritage. At this time, Buddhists of Bengal had been practising a type of TANTRICISM and SUPERSTITIOUS beliefs where Buddhist monks too were not following the rules & regulations according to VINAYA.
In 1864, Ven. Samadhi Mahathero, the first Sangharaja of the present-day Supreme Sangha Council of Bangladesh, came to Chittagong with several monks from the Arakan area of Burma to refine Buddhism in Bengal. It is very important to note that Kripasaran’s teacher Ven. Purnachar was a contemporary of Ven. Saramedha Mahathero is still remembered by the Buddhists of Bengal as is a torch-bearer-great monk for the refiner of Buddhism in Bengal. With the support of Queen Kalindi of Rangamati, Ven. Saramedha rigorously travelled around with some local monks who received higher ordination from him. Ven. Purnachar Mahathero’s intimacy with Ven. Saramedha (1801-1882) and Kripasaran’s with Purnachar make an illustrious event of ‘Guru-Shishya Parampara’ just an absolute one.
Although Ven. Kripasaran was engaged with the revival of Buddhism he contributed to developing PALI LANGUAGE & Buddhist Studies. Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University always supported Kripasaran and helped in his activities. Kripasaran worked all over the development and resurgence of Buddhism. Besides Sir Ashutosh Mukerjee, Kripasaran and Dharmankur Sabha received noble gratitude from a large number of eminent scholars of then India. The names of distinguished figures included Sarada Charan Mitra, Satish Chandra Vidyabhusan, Harinath Dey, Manindra Chandra Nandi, Abdus Sobhan Chowdhury, Lord Ronaldshay, Jatindra Mohan Sengupta, Abanindra Nath Tagore etc.
JAGAJJYOTI :
After the 15th year of establishment of Bauddha Dharmankur Sabha, its reputed JOURNAL ‘JAGAJJYOTI’ (Light of the Word) first came to light in 1908. Distinguished Scholars, Thinkers and Leaders of Kolkata were assembled and threw light on myriad themes of Buddhism by their assembled and threw light on myriad themes of Buddhism by their epic dimensions. Ven. Kripasaran’s activities were remarked as an epoch-making event for the strong solidarity of Buddhist communities and the humanistic resurgence of Buddhism in India & Bengal. The only merit of discourses revealed in their proceedings of varied moments of Bauddha Dharmankur Sabha. This was all along a vast oceanic journey for a journal of its own. At last, ‘JAGAJJYOTI’ brought out a commitment to accomplishing the desire for excellence in discourses. A realm of Chime ringing poem ‘Udbodhan’ first published in ‘JAGAJJYOTI’ as rhythm :
“I have come to your doors,
My name is ‘JAGAJJYOTI’
To show the light of the people
Enveloped under the darkness of ignorance.”
Under ceaseless devotion and endeavour of Skilled editorship of Ven. Gunalankar Mahathero (1874-1916) and Ven. Samana Punnananda (1870-1928), the then Lecturer of Pali, University of Calcutta, the ‘JAGAJJYOTI’ very soon made an impetus on the legacy of the Buddhist Community, & was able to satisfy their long Cherished Zeal. The World-renowned Buddhist Scholar and Indologist Dr Beni Madhab Barua (1888-1948) was a student at that time and was very intimately connected with the “JAGAJJYOTI”. Ven. Kripasaran was selected among the three chosen by him to be sent to Beni Madhab Barua to study at the University of London with a state scholarship in 1914. In 1917, Beni Madhab Barua was the first Asian to be awarded the D. Litt. degree in Pali Research Studies from the University of London. Dr Barua became an asset for Bauddha Dharmankur Sabha and became enthusiastic awe for the future generations of students & devotees.
Bauddha Dharmankur Sabha confer him the recognition that he absolutely deserved. Several eco-making events flourished the prestige of Dharmankur Sabha in the early years of the 20th Century. This can be elaborated below : (1) the reception of Tashi Lama of Tibet at Dharmankur Vihar, the foundation of a Bodhisattva Vihara in Lucknow with the aid of Ven. W. Chandramani, the foundation of Gandhamadan Vihara in Darjeeling, the Foundation of a Shillong Buddhist Temple etc. After two eminent editors of ‘JAGAJJYOTI’, Ven. Gunalankar and Ven. Fernanda, who dedicated their utmost vital works; Dr Beni Madhab Barua took over the responsibility of editing the journal. This reputed journal is still going on regularly with very valuable achievements from various parts of World Arena. Existing General Secretary of Bauddha Dharmankur Sabha or Bengal Buddhist Association, Mr Hemendu Bikash Chowdhury an eminent Buddhist Scholar and Versatile respected figure, has been carrying the torch-bearing responsibility of editing this reputed journal since 1980. Publication of this esteemed institution along with its activities enlightens our hearts & summons us to life-span with compassion & fragrance of Buddhist Articles enriching the rich cultured legacy in India & Abroad.
Another Pioneer and humanistic monk hailing from Sreelanka named Anagarika Dharmapala was an epic dynamic figure for the revival of Buddhism in India. He established the Maha Bodhi Society of India on 31st May 1891. Anagarika Dharmapala and Karmayogi Kripasaran met each other in Kolkata. Both came to the field of regeneration of Buddhism with intensive zeal and a spirit of devotion. Their conglomerative goal drew them closer and they promised in their destiny to be sincere and gigantic drive to regenerate Buddhism in the homeland of Lord Buddha.
Ven. Kripasaran soon visualized that he could not continue his vast works without the proper benevolence and patronage of the British Government. The British Rulers also threw their attention to Bengal, a real potentiality of regenerating Buddhism and Buddhistic dogmas. In 1917, Lord Carmichael visited Bauddha Dharmankur Sabha. In 1911, Ven. Kripasaran attended the coronation durbar of Prince of Wales in Delhi. He was cordially invited by the British Govt. to attend it. Among all the associates of Ven. Kripasaran, it was Anagarika Dharmapala, the most reputed reformer of modern India, who became the closest.
The decades, the 1920s and 1930s were very much epoch-making events for the whole Buddhist World. Rabindranath Tagore took up his journeys across Asia, during which he was familiar as a keen goodwill messenger of Buddhist Asia. Valuable Indian Culture & heritage articles were published in the “Journal of the Greater India Society” in relation to South East Asia. These valuable horizons, with which Tagore was intimately associated, gave a favourable juncture of chance for an open colloquy (conversation) on a vast spectrum of Cultural interaction between South Asia and India. In 1924, Robi Tagore was visiting Myanmar for the second time, when he met and interacted with a vast number of his devotees. Return to Kolkata, under the patronage of Bauddha Dharmankur Sabha, a convention of the World Buddhist Conference was held in 1924. In these historical moments, Karmayogi Kripasaran played a vital role. According to Vinoy Order, a “Bhikkhu Sima” (Ordination Hall), for the first time, was inaugurated in Dharmankur Vihara.
During this historical moment, for the common end of achieving social harmony, compassionate view, educational aptitude and esteemed human mankind, large cities like Kolkata, Delhi & Lucknow were working together by their enthusiastic deeds. In 1912, for instance, a convention was initiated in Kolkata to bring together Muslim Hindus and Buddhist Students in close association. In the same year, with the concoction of Kripasaran, a Buddhist hostel was established in Kolkata. In 1913, the building of Dharmankur Vihara was extended. At the same time, a free primary school also started after the name Kripasaran. The first Buddhist Women Association also started in the same year.
REVIVAL OF BUDDHISM IN LUCKNOW :
The history of Buddhism in India is mainly brought back to its glory by the colonial period’s excavations when many statues and other Buddhist symbols were found by Archeologists. Besides the Bhikkus who came to India from Sree Lanka during the last and first quarter of the 20th & 21st centuries contributed immensely to the revival of Buddhist history and culture in the northern part of the country, for instance, Bhikku Dhammapala, Bodhananda and Prajjananda. The Buddhists in Lucknow quickly names these Bhikkhus in the history of Buddhism in Lucknow. Among Barua Buddhists, Ven. Kripasaran was very much credited to propagate the regeneration of Buddhism here.
The foundation of the 20th Century, Buddhism in Lucknow was laid by the Bengal Barua Buddhists much before Dr B.R. Ambedkar took “Deeksha”. The Bodhisattva Vihara at Latus Road, Lucknow inbuilt by Bhikkhu Kripasaran Mahathavir (1865-1926) in 1907, affiliated with the Bengal Buddhist Association. By keeping an intimate relationship with the then Education Secretary, Government of India, who later on was appointed as Governor of Agra and Oudh, HARCOURT BUTLER (1869-1938), Kripasaran could manage the land where the existing Vihara was situated. The second oldest Baudha Vihara at Risaldar Park, Lucknow affiliated to the Mahabodhi Society of India was built by Bhikkhu Bodhananda, as he came back from Sree Lanka to revive Buddhism in India, closely became associated with Karmayogi Kripasaran and Bodhisattva Vihara. In 1926, Karmayogi Kripasaran, a legacy of the epic dimension of great monk, to whom Bengal & India were, indeed of strong solidarity of Buddhist World in particular & humanistic resurgence of Buddhism in general.
As
such, Our Karmayogi Kripasaran has left behind a triumph of versatile deeds
and glory but he is greater than his achievement and ever immortal in the
mind of his innumerable devotees and well-wishers for the noble cause of Dhamma
revival in India and abroad and shall ever remain a never-ending inspiration to
our future generation to come.
References
1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326265323_LEGACY_OF_KARMAYOGI_KRIPASARAN_MAHATHERO_FOR_RESURGENCE_OF_BUDDHISM_IN_INDIA_AND_ABROAD
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