Buddhism

Buddhism in Bangladesh: Harry Belitz

Civilization in Asia has been molded by Buddhism's outstanding contribution during more than the last 2500 years. Buddhism emerged as a World religion essentially of peace and humanism influencing the religious, social and cultural lives of the hundreds of millions of people in the vast Asian continent and the world at large.

This small article is intended to provide the readers with cursory glimpse into
Buddhism and its impact on the ancient civilization of Bangladesh. Bangladesh, though a new country which achieved independence 22 years ago is an ancient land in the eastern part of the South Asian Sub-Continent with more than 2000-year-old rich culture and civilization. The Bangladesh National Cultural Commission formed by the Government of People's Republic of Bangladesh has depicted Buddhist civilization in ancient Bangladesh as having made outstanding contribution to the national heritage of this country.

Buddhism in Bangladesh – A Brief Background and History:
Bangladesh was once the cradle of Buddhism still bearing traces in the various
architectural remains of temples and monasteries with large number of Buddha
images, relics, copper and stone plates discovered at different times from various parts of the country. There is difference of opinion among researchers as regards spread of Buddhism in Bangladesh. Much currency is given to the theory that the teaching of Buddha propagated during the life time of Buddha since he himself came to Bangladesh (Samatat) on a visit while preaching his new thoughts. Fa-Hien (5th Century), Hieun-Tsang (middle of the 7th Century), I Tsing (end of the 7th Century) and others in their travel accounts referred that Buddha came to Pundra-Bardhan (northern Bangladesh) and preached his principles also at Samatat (south-eastern Bengal), presently Chittagong, Noakhali and Kamasbama (now Murshidabad, West Bengal).
The Chinese travelers saw hundreds of monasteries and centers of Theravada and Mahayana Schools in these parts of Bangladesh and West Bengal of India. The description in ancient Buddhist literature like Angutta Nikaya, Samjukta Nikaya, Divyabadan, Asokabadan and Avadan Kalpalata also testify the truth of the above. The names of two prominent disciples of Buddha Bangisha and Bangantaputta show that they might have derived their names from Bangla (Bangladesh). The copper plates, stone inscription found at Mahasthangar (Bogra), Paharpur Somapuri (Jaipurhat), Mainamati (Comilla) and Ashrafpur (Dhaka) were dated between 6th and 10th Centuries.

Very recently similar evidence discovered at Salimpur and Barauthan in Chittagong were dated between 10th and 13th Centuries, speak highly of
flourishing state of Buddhism in ancient Bangladesh. The epigraphic findings and antiquities reveal hitherto unknown facts and cover wide areas of information besides the holy scriptures and other religion-philosophical writings. Plenty of legends, folk-lore, popular devotional songs, tales relating to Buddhist life and teaching of Buddha as well as other followers and devotees of Buddha are spread over the interior of Bangladesh, enriching over the historical findings. The Chinese traveler Fa-Hien visited India during the time of Chandra Gupta Vikramaditya of Gupta dynasty. He records that there were twenty two Buddhist monasteries at Tamralipti. Buddhism was in a flourishing condition in Samatata and in capital itself there were 2000 monks and thirty monasteries. Hiuen-Tsang states that Gautama Buddha stayed for sometime at Basu Bihar which was situated on the outskirts of Pundrabardhan. At the close of the Seventh Century A.D. the Chinese pilgrim Sheng Chi visited Samatata, the capital city of Bangrastra. He described that as many as 4000 monks lived in Samatata. Buddhism was a predominant religion in the then Bengal. King Rajarajabhatha was a strong supporter of the Three Jewels (Tri Ratna).
The rich ruins of Trikutaka Basu at Mahasthangarh (Bogra), Jagaddal Somapuri Bihar at Paharpur (Jaipurhat), Salbana and Banakastupa Bihar (Comilla), Bikrampuri and Dhammarajika Bihar at Bikrampur (Dhaka) and Chakrashala Bihar at Hiaidgaon and Pandit Bihar at Chittagong were the glaring examples of seat of learning and Buddhist civilization. The ruins of Pandit Bihar are believed to be lying buried under the Deyang hills on the bank of the river Karnaphuly just on the other side of Patenga Airport, Chittagong.
The National Museum of Dhaka has a big hall reserved for Buddhist historical
objects and contains unique sculptures in stone, metal and wood. The terracotta figures from Paharpur Monastery (Jaipurhat) arouse great popular interest. A few words can be added here on Bikrampur Bihar which is only a few miles away from Bikrampur, the oldest historically recorded city in the neighborhood of Dhaka. It was an important place during the hey-day of the Pal rulers of Bengal. According to some historians, the name Bikrampur is derived from the title Bikramaditya, said to have been assumed by Dharmapal Deb, the second and the greatest of the Pal dynasty who built a Buddhist monastery there. After the death of Buddha in 646/647 A.D. his empire fell to pieces and independent kings established themselves in Bengal. For some centuries, knowledge about East Bengal (Bangladesh) remains scanty after the death of Sasanka in 639 AD for about a Century from 650 A.D. to 750 A.D. But certain amount of information has been derived from inscribed copper plates. The object of the plates was to record their grant of land, but they are also of historical value. Preambles of these grants mention the king or chief in whose time the grant was made and record his ancestry. One local dynasty, that of the Khadgas are mentioned in a plate found in the Dhaka district at Ashrafpur. These kings were Buddhists and their capital was Karmanta, which N.K. Bhattsali, late Curator of the Dhaka Museum, identified with Kamta, fourteen miles west of Comilla. In the 10th and 11th Century there was another line of local ruler, also Buddhist by religion, who bear the name of Chandra and had their capital at Bikrampur in the Dhaka district. Knowledge of their existence is due to the discovery of copper plates grants at Idirpur and Kedarpur in this district, as well as Rampal, the old capital of Bikrampur in Dhaka.

At any rate, there can be doubt about the fact that a portion or the district of
Dhaka was included in the ancient kingdom of Bramhaputra valley of Kamrup. A passage in the Jogini Tantra distinctly states that the southern boundary of that kingdom was the junction of the river Bramhaputra and the Lakshya, where the town of Narayangonj is located to-day. The early traditions that have come down speak that Dhaka and some of the neighboring districts were originally under the sway of Buddhist king. The numerous Bihars scattered all over the country were meant not only for monastic way of teaching but also for imparting lessons on subjects like arts, crafts, astronomy, geography, agriculture, herbal medicines, pottery and so on. Thousands of monks and students used to reside in these Bihars for equipping themselves with different skills and knowledge, in addition to their scriptural lessons.

Ancient religious writings speak of Banga (Bengal/Bangladesh) which was later described by Kalidas, the great poet of the 5th Century A.D. as the territory situated within the Gangetic basin. According to Lama Taranath (b. 1573 A.D.), the Chandra dynasty ruled over »Bangla« between the 6th and 8th Century A.D. Savar (Dhaka) inscriptions speak of one king Harish Chandra who belonged to a family of Desabala Buddham. Six copper plates discovered from Faridpur speak of Maharajadhiraj Sena Chandra Deb with head quarter at Subarna Bihar flourishing in the 6th Century A.D.

According to O'malley, this Banga or Bangla was incorporated in the empire of Harsha. We have brief account of this part of the country from the pen of the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen-tsang, who traveled in different parts of India from 630–643 A.D. when Harsha was at the height of his power. According to his account, Samatat corresponded to the ancient Banga, a low-lying country bordering the sea, rich in corps, flowers and fruits. The climate was soft, the manner of the people was agreeable. The inhabitants were of small stature and of dark complexion but diligent in acquisition of learning. There were about thirty Buddhist monasteries with some 3000 priests and thirty Brahaminical temples. He also writes that it is interesting to observe that adherents of orthodox Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism lived side by side apparently peacefully. This was Bangladesh depicted through the pen of Hiuen-Tsang. Another version says that Samatat was the capital of South and East of Bengal before the 7th Century A.D. Chinese traveler Hiuen-Tsang recorded that Pundrabardhan, Samatat and Tamralipti were in a very flourishing state of condition. According to Tamra Sasana found at Ashrafpur (Dhaka), much information has come to light that Khadga dynasty ruled here. In pre-Muslim period the present Dhaka district was included in the administrative unit of Banga which at times used to be identified with Samatata and Harikel. Since Hiuen-Tsang noticed Ashoka stupas in Samatata, Mayurya rule in the district cannot be denied. Ruins of stupas built by Ashoka in the village Dhamrai (Dhaka) still stands as a witness of flourishing state of Buddhism. Dhamrai is supposed to have derived its name from Dharmarajik. This view was corroborated by the historian Jatindra Nath Bose. The nomenclature itself has a significant background. Savar, not far from Dhaka was visited by Buddha
according to Buddhist literature and was confirmed by the Bangalee historian J.N. Bose. It has monument created by king Ashok. In course of time the place has been known as Dharmarajika which again turned into Dharmarajika. Like the ruins in Dhaka district bearing the traces of rich Buddhist culture another district Dinajpur (northern part of Bangladesh) also bears evidence of Buddhism, highly patronized by the ruler themselves. The Pal Rajas were princes of Gaur, a name which seems to have applied rather to the whole province, of which Dinajpur formed the principal part. The founder of this dynasty appears to have come from Western India and had become Buddhist.
Francis Buchanan (Hamilton) while describing of education in the district of
Dinajpur in the beginning the xxxsate of 19th Century still found the traces of
Buddhism there. He wrote : The only vocabulary used in Dinajpur is the Omarkosh or Omorsinghe, whom the scholars as usual consider a person belonging to the sect of Buddha. Since Buddhism flourished there in the court of Bikram.

Buddhism has traveled a long way under the patronage of series of ruling
dynasties. Chandra (7th Century), Pal (8th to 11th Century), Deb (9th to 13th
Century) and the Barman (11th to 12th Century). These dynasties patronized
Buddhism successively for nearly seven hundred years when Buddhism, specially its Mahayana sect, found a golden era in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has produced a large number of Buddhist scholars who were not only known for disseminating religious doctrines and ideology as teachers of different Bihars but also contributed to the development of creative art. These glorious sons of ancient Bangladesh like Santarakshit, a professor of Nalanda University; Atish Dipankar Srijnan, world famous saint and philosopher; Pandit Shilabhadra, the Principal of Nalanda University; Pandit Prajnabhadra alias »Tilopa«, the Principal of Pandit Bihar University and other scholars made many contribution to the progress of mankind. The Siddhacharyas (saint scholars) of ancient Bangla like Luipa, Kanupa, Ariyapa or Haripa who were engaged in teaching in Bihars used to compose mystical lyrics or songs known as Charyapadas which marked the creation of Bengali language more than one thousand years ago.

In Eastern India (presently Bangladesh) Buddhism and its art under the Pals and Sens (A.D. 730–1197) gradually assimilated with Shibism and Baisnavism. The last great center of Buddhism in the Sub-continent was at Nalanda in Bihar (India). Later, Buddhism gradually began to assimilate with Hinduism in India and almost disappeared with the advent of Muslim era.

Travelers and tourists from Indian Sub-continent and Bangla walked thousand of miles and even crossed the mighty Himalaya with the message of love and compassion. The best example is provided by the renowned Buddhist saint-scholar Atish Dipankar Srijnan who more than 1500 years after Buddha, preached his teachings beyond India. About Atish there are many verses found in local Bangla literature as follows :

He crossed the mountain
Covered with perilous frost:
He is the Atish of Bangla
who lit the light of learning in Tibbat

The details of life of this great saint Atish is not yet fully known. So far brought to light about him, he was a celebrated scholar, linguist and philosopher having a good knowledge of herbal medicine. He was born in the year 980 /982 A.D. in the village of Bajrojogini in Bikrampur (Dhaka). Atish in his memoir written in Tibetan language mentioned about his place of birth which tallies with some other historians also. Professor Jogendra Nath Gupta recorded this village »Bajrojogini« as Atish's birth place. During this time Bangladesh was under the Pals, when Buddhism was established on firm footing in Banga and Bihar. His parents were Kalyan Sri and Prabhati. He was the second son of his parents. He was known as Chandragarva in his childhood. He got his early lessons at Bajrashan Bihar, near Ashrafpur, Dhaka. He was ordained as at the age of nineteen by Mahasangha nayaka of Odantpuri Bihar, under Acharya Sheel Rakshit, who gave his name Dipankar Srijnan. Later, he became famous as a teacher of the Bikramsila monastery in Magadh. During this period, Magadh was in Bangla. Atish, at the age of thirty one took Upasampda from Acharya Dharma Rakshit of Magadh. At the age of forty three he left Bikramsila Bihar and went to Magadh. This Bihar was founded by the great Pal king Dharma Pal at the end of Eighth Century.

Atish started for Tibet in 1040 A.D., on the invitation of the king of Tibet. He was the founder of KADAMPA Tradition in Tibet. Atish died in Tibet at the Nathang Monastery near Lhasa in 1055 A.D. A number of his writings are enshrined in the volumes of Tanjur. In fact »Atish« is the title given by the Tibet king meaning »the best«, that is the best of the Dipankars. With the assistance of the Government, the sacred ashes of the saint were brought from China in 1978 to Bangladesh. The ashes are preserved at the Dharmarajika Buddhist Monastery, Dhaka and will be enshrined in the memorial for veneration.

After the 12th Century, Buddhism was challenged by militant Brahmanism and other opposing forces in the Sub-continent wiped out from its birth place. Lama Taranath however, added that the reason of the decline of Buddhism emerged from within the creed itself. »Buddhism in its latest phase, as Taranath vividly described it, almost completely surrounded precisely to those beliefs and practices, a direct rejection of which the Buddha himself had preached in his original creed. For all we know, it was a creed concerned above all with the fact of suffering and with the way out of suffering.

At this declining state of Buddhism, a group of orthodox Buddhists from
Baishali, Magadh (Now Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, India) migrated to further East through Assam to Chittagong and settled there with the help of local Buddhist rulers. These newly settled Buddhists were known as Barua. They constructed a Bhikkuseema (Ordinajtion center of Buddhist monks) at Hanchantarghona of Pahartali, Chittagong. This was popularly called as »Thakurgarh«. Chittagong, Comilla and parts of Bangladesh were still carrying on the legacy of Mahayana school of Buddhism. Though they came directly in contact with rites and rituals of Tantric forms of Mahayana they did not surrender their original Theravada doctrines. The support came from another factor. Chittagong and eastern part of Bangladesh came several times under the rule of Arakanese kings from 2nd Century to 15th Century. These Arakanese kings were followers of Theravada Buddhism. Thus Theravada Buddhism came to prevail again in the mainstream of Bangladesh largely through Arakanese influence particularly as a result of reformation movement pioneered by Sangharaj Saramedha of Arakan in mid-Nineteenth Century in Chittagong. Buddhist populated Chittagong Hill Tracts and other regions.

The Buddhist Community of Bangladesh – A Brief Survey:

The mid-19th Century was a turning point in the religious history of the Buddhists of Chittagong which in fact was the home of Buddhism in the then Bengal and undivided India. In that very dark age, the Buddhists were steeped in deep superstitions. The Sangharaj of neighboring Arakan most Venerable Saramedha Mahathero came on a chance to visit Chittagong in 1856. He was shocked to see the condition of Buddhism with Tantric rituals and worship of false gods and goddesses. The Sangharaja Sramedha again visited Chittagong and Chittagong Hill Tracts in 1864 and took upon himself the task of reforming the prevailing Buddhism in accordance with Dhamma and Binaya of the Tripitaka. He faced a tough time but he succeeded in having the support of Rani Kalaindi, the ruler of the Chakma dynasty of the Chittagong Hill Tracts and some leading figures in Chittagong during his Theravada reformation movement. Beside the Bangalee Buddhists in the plains of the Chittagong district, a large number of Buddhists in the hilliy regions of the Chittagong Hill Tracts are mainly Chakma, believed to be of Tibetan-Thai origin having emigrated here from a place called Champak nagar (city). Another group of Buddhists are the Bomangs who are settlers of neighbouring Arakan several hundred years ago. All these three groups bound together by common bond of Theravada Buddhism were inspired by the reformation of Sangaraj Saramedha in the mid-19th Century, particularly with patronage and impetus from Chakma Rani Kalaindi Devi who had harbored the reformist Sangharaj for a long time. The lamp of Saddhamma was enkindled by the Theravada religious reformation movement launched by Sangharaj Saramedha. Monks and laity were inspired by his illuminating discourses and finally discarded Tantric practices and a lot of other superstitions alien to Buddhism. Monks were given fresh ordination on attaining the age of 20 and initiated into the Theravada monastic disciplines laid down in the Binaya. The reformation movement electrified the entire Buddhist community. As a result, more than 95 per cent of total number of Buddhist monks in Chittagong, Chittagong Hill Tracts and other Buddhist-populated regions came under the fold of the newly reformed Theravada Buddhist Sangha.

The Buddhist community during the days of British rule sought to assert social,
religious and cultural existence. One important event was the holding of a big
Buddhist Conference in 1938 in Hoara para (suburb) village of Chittagong on the occasion of birth anniversary of Most Venerable Aggasara Mahathero who was an eminent religious personality. During the British rule the Buddhists called for a separate identity for themselves as a religious community. Two Buddhist leaders – Dr. Arbinda Barua, Barister-at-Law and Rai Bahadur Dhirendra Lal Barua were nominated members of Bengal Legislative Assembly in Calcutta in the Forties to represent the cause of the Buddhists. In 1947 at the time of independence from the British rule, the Indian Sub-continent was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Buddhist populated regions like Chittagong and Chittagong Hill Tracts were included in Pakistan. The Buddhists identified themselves with the new State. A well known Buddhist leader and lawyer late Phani Bhusan Barua who was also the President of the then Pakistan Buddhist Association was nominated as member of the Advisory Committee of the Pakistan Constituent Assembly for framing the National Constitution. Later in 1954 an educationist late Mr. Sudhangsu Bimal Barua was elected as member of the then East Pakistan Legislative Assembly. From the Chittagong Hill Tracts Raja Tridiv Roy, the then Chakma Chief of the Chittagong Hill Tracts was also elected as member of the Legislative Assembly. Mr. Maung Shwe Prue Chowdhury, Bomang Chief of the Hill Tracts was elected as member of the Legislative Assembly and later became a Cabinet Minister. During the Pakistan period an organisation name as East Pakistan Bouddha Kristi Prachar Sangha was founded in 1949/50 which later was turned into all Pakistan organisation. Most Venerable Visuddhananda Mahathero has been President since 1950 till now of the Sangha, now named Bangladesh Bouddha Kristi Prachar Sangha.

During the Pakistan period the first Buddhist Monastery in the capital city was
established in Dhaka for which the government had made a gift of five acres of
plot of land for the entire Buddhist community. A very dynamic and talented
social worker with sharp intellect, Deva Priya Barua, popularly known as D.P.
Barua infused a new direction in the Bouddha Kristi Prachar Sangha of which he was the Secretary General for 16 consecutive years from 1961 to 1977 while Most Venerable Visuddhananda Mahathero and later Most Venerable Joytipal Mahathero had been the President. During the Sixties D.P. Barua made outstanding contribution in the emergence of the Sangha with its national and international identity as well as socio-cultural activities of the Buddhist community including establishment of the Monastery in Dhaka known as Dhammarajika Bihar. Two other temples in the capital city recently established are International Buddhist Monastery founded by the Most Venerable Santapada Mahathero, former President of ABCP and Secretary General of Sangharaj Bhikkhu Sangha and »Sakyamuni Bihar« established by the Buddhists of Chittagong Hill Tracts living in Dhaka.

During the war of liberation of Bangladesh in 1971, Ven. Joytipal Mahathero together with Ven. Santapada Mahathero and some others made significant contribution in mobilizing world opinion in favor of Bangladesh struggle for independence in a crucial phase of our national existence. Ven. Joytipal visited Sri Lanka, Thailand and Japan in August 1971 to mobilise Buddhist public opinion in favor of Bangladesh struggle.

Buddhist organizations of Bangladesh have maintained link with international
fraternity of Buddhists. Those affiliated with the World Fellowship of Buddhists are, Bangladesh Buddhist Association with headquarters at Chittagong Monastery, Bangladesh Bouddha Kristi Prachar Sangha with head office in the Dhammarajika Bihar and a youth organization, Bangladesh Bouddha Juva Parishad, the Youngmen's Buddhist Association. A new organization named Bangladesh Buddhist Federation has come into being in recent times. In 1975 the National Center of the Asian Buddhist Conference for peace was established in Bangladesh. That year Ven. Jyotipal Mahathero and Mr. D.P Barua were invited to attend the Executive Council meeting of the ABCP held in Moscow.

This was followed by their visit to the ABCP headquaters in Ulan Bator,
Mongolia. The outcome of the visit led to the founding of the ABCP National
center in Bangladesh as a broad-based forum of Buddhists working for peace and harmony based on the teachings of Buddha. In 1980/81 Most Venerable Jyotipal spent nearly a year in Bipasana meditation in Buddha Gaya and on his return to Bangladesh, he decided to concentrate solely in meditation and Dhamma by relinquishing himself from activities of organizational responsibilities. Mr. D.P. Barua, Secretary General with his deep commitment as well as dynamism in organizational work carried on for sometime as acting Head of ABCP National Center under directive from the ABCP Headquarters, Ulan Bator and played crucial role in revitalizing the National Center. Most Venerable Santapada Mahathero, Vice-President of the ABCP National Center and Secretary General of the Bangladesh Supreme Sangha Council for 20 consecutive years who enjoyed pre-eminent position in the Buddhist community was unanimously elected President of the ABCP National Center in early 1981. He worked relentlessly for the cause till death cut short his life in 1987.

The Supreme Patriarch of the Buddhists and the most respected Sangaraja of
Bangladesh, most Venerable Shilankar Mahathero was elected as the President of the ABCP National Center. Today the large number of monks and laity under his leadership have been working for the Dhamma and peace in Bangladesh. The Buddhist community today is making endeavors to forge ahead in their religious, social and cultural activities. At the head of the religious fraternity is the Eighth Sangharaj, the Most Venerable Sangharaj Shilankar Mahathero who resides in the monastic headquarters at Shantidham Bihar.

Buddhism in Bangladesh is based on papers written by the following authors :

Latifa Akanda, retd. Professor of Islamic History and Culture, Dhaka
University.
Prajnavangsha Thero, General Secretary of Bangladesh Sangharaj Bhikkhu
Mahasabha, Supreme Sangha Council of Bangladesh, Deputy High Priest of
Chittagong Buddhist Monastery and Secretary of ABCP Bangladesh National
Center.
I am deeply grateful to the Buddhist Society of Munich and specially Christa
Bentenrieder for lots of information material provided by her on this topic. I
would also like to extend thanks to my friends Rev. Maydathara, the people of the chakma village Horrikolla, Mra Raza Linn (Arakan) and U Khin Maung (Dhaka) who encouraged me to edit this paper.