How Dhamma Differs From Religion?

    1. What the Buddha calls Dhamma differs fundamentally from what is called Religion.
    2. What the Buddha calls Dhamma is analogous to what the European theologians call Religion.
    3. But there is no greater affinity between the two. On the other hand, the differences between the two are very great.
    4. On this account, some European theologians refuse to recognise the Buddha's Dhamma as Religion.
    5. There need be no regrets over this. The loss is theirs. It does no harm to the Buddha's Dhamma. Rather, it shows what is wanting in Religion.
    6. Instead of entering into this controversy, it is better to proceed to give an idea of Dhamma, and show how it differs from Religion.
    7. Religion, it is said, is personal, and one must keep it to oneself. One must not let it play its part in public life.
    8. Contrary to this, Dhamma is social. It is fundamentally and essentially so.
    9. Dhamma is righteousness, which means right relations between man and man in all spheres of life.
    10. From this it is evident that one man, if he is alone, does not need Dhamma.
    11. But when there are two men living in relation to each other, they must find a place for Dhamma whether they like it or not. Neither can escape it.
    12. In other words. Society cannot do without Dhamma.
    13. Society has to choose one of the three alternatives.
    14. Society may choose not to have any Dhamma as an instrument of Government.  For Dhamma is nothing if it is not an instrument of Government.
    15. This means Society chooses the road to anarchy.
    16. Secondly, Society may choose the police--i.e., dictatorship--as an instrument of Government.
    17. Thirdly, Society may choose Dhamma, plus the Magistrate wherever people fail to observe the Dhamma.
    18. In anarchy and dictatorship liberty is lost.
    19. Only in the third [case] liberty survives.
    20. Those who want liberty must therefore have Dhamma.
    21. Now what is Dhamma? and why is Dhamma necessary?  According to the Buddha, Dhamma consists of Prajna and Karuna.
    22. What is Prajna? And why Prajna? Prajna is understanding. The Buddha made Prajna one of the two corner-stones of His Dhamma because he did not wish to leave any room for superstition.
    23. What is Karuna? And why Karuna? Karuna is love. Because without it, Society can neither live nor grow; that is why the Buddha made it the second corner-stone of His Dhamma.
    24. Such is the definition of the Buddha's Dhamma.
    25. How different is this definition of Dhamma from that of Religion.
    26. So ancient, yet so modern, is the definition of Dhamma given by the Buddha.
    27. So aboriginal, yet so original.
    28. Not borrowed from anyone, yet so true.
    29. A unique amalgam of Pradnya and Karuna is the Dhamma of the Buddha.
    30. Such is the difference between Religion and Dhamma.

~ Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Buddha and his Dhamma

Rally to demand control over Buddha shrine

GAYA: Nearly 1,000 neo-Buddhists, most of them Nagpur-based Ambedkarites, staged organized demonstration outside Gaya Collectorate on Monday afternoon reiterating their long pending demand for total Buddhist control over Mahabodhi temple. The Mahabodhi temple is the most sacred Buddhist shrine where Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment about 2,600 years back.

Samaj Kranti, a Nagpur-based organization of Ambedkarites, who converted to Buddhism after the change of faith by the main architect of the Indian Constitution, organized the protest. Mukund Khaire led the demonstration having a large contingent of women. Protesters marched on foot from the Gaya railway station to the Collectorate to press for their demand. The protesters also threatened to intensify the agitation if their demands were not met. Earlier,the National Minorities Commission recommended the amendment of the act and transfer of shrine management to an all-Buddhist body, a recommendation not acceptable to Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and other organizations.

The protesters, who arrived from Nagpur (Maharashtra) by train, demanded amendment in the Temple Act, 1949, to facilitate transfer of shrine management to an all-Buddhist committee. The transfer of management to an all-Buddhist body cannot take place without the amendment of the 1949 Act, as the law stipulates joint management by a nine-member committee comprising five Hindus and four Buddhists, with the post of the committee chairman reserved for the Hindu district magistrate of Gaya.

In case of the Gaya DM being a non-Hindu, the state government is to nominate a Hindu as the Bodhi Temple Management Committee (BTMC) chairman. About four decades back when K M Zubairi was made the Gaya DM, the state government nominated Jugeshwar Prasad Khalish, then an MLC as the committee chairman.

VHP and other organizations oppose the demand as they claim Lord Buddha to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and equally revered by the Hindus. Prior to the 1949 legislation, the shrine was under the control of the mahanth (chief) of the Bodh Gaya-based Shaivite math(monastery).

(News: timesofindia.indiatimes.com)