Legacy of Narasu and revival of Buddhism in India: scientific/reflective approach to Buddhism

In the history of Buddhism in contemporary India, many great beings played an outstanding role. One of the stars in this galaxy of great people is P.L. Narasu. Prof. Narasu is an important figure in history for not only his contribution to the revival of Buddhism but also raising voice against the caste system.

Trained in Physics, he later became a professor of Physics in the present-day Tamil Nadu, his family came from Telugu background. This great worshiper of science became a great follower of the Buddha.

Just looking at the titles of the books professor authored, one can understand his erudition, interest, and his quest in life. The titles of the books are ‘A Study of Caste, What is Buddhism?’, ‘The essence of Buddhism’, and ‘The religion of Modern Buddhist’.

After reading these four books one gets a comprehensive understanding of Buddhism. His books were translated in many languages and he reached a wider audience while he was alive. His book the Essence of Buddhism became an instant hit and it was translated in Japanese as well. Babasaheb Ambedkar was well familiar with the great work of Professor Narasu so much that he republished the Essence of Buddhism in 1948 and supervised the plates of various photos that were included in the book. Not only, he published this book but also wrote a preface to it.

Babasaheb Ambedkar had a copy of the Religion of Modern Buddhist in the manuscript, which was later acquired by G. Aloysius, the great scholar of the Buddhist movement in South India. The copy of the manuscript was available with Vasant Moon.

Babasaheb agreed with the thoughts and mission of this great scholar who came from the backward classes.

It will be useful to look at his books.

A study of Caste is a fascinating small book on caste and many of the propositions in this book are clearly stated and proved with the help of both textual analysis and careful inference from the facts available. He too linked the untouchability practice with the fall of Buddhism in India.

What is Buddhism? is something like a sparkling gem and in its own right, even if this single book remains, one can get a complete and clear understanding of the Buddha’s teachings. he clearly takes the readers step by step towards a clearer and broader understanding of Buddhism.

The Essence of Buddhism is a masterpiece. It appears like the elaboration of “What Is Buddhism?” and many of the concepts are laid bare analytically.

The religion of the Modern Buddhist is about the Buddhist mission and how Modern Buddhists should approach Buddhism in order to help to spread the teachings of the Buddha and also make Buddhism a vital force in the world.

We need to read Professor Narasu and his exposition of the Dhamma. It offers the perspective of the scientist and Buddhist.

Recently, I discovered a textbook written by great Narasu on Chemistry. I knew Narasu as a teacher of Physics, and perhaps the part A of the textbook is devoted to Physics. The book is titled as Elementary Science. As an avid fan of books on science, I devoured it in no time. The book is amazing and I never felt that the subject matter of Chemistry was so well explained with corresponding experiments. It is thrilling to read a textbook like that. Narasu was not only a genius but also a great teacher and communicator of ideas, as difficult as ideas in Chemistry. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the pedagogy of science.

The pedagogy of Dhamma in Narasu’s writings on Buddhism is also clearly present. His highly successful book the Essence of Buddhism became an instant hit and it attracted the attention of Anagarika Dharmpal and Babasaheb Ambedkar. While Anagarika wrote an introduction, Babasaheb wrote preface when he got it republished.

The titles of Narasu’s book also indicate an approach to the study of Buddhism. Those are:

A study of caste

What is Buddhism?

The essence of Buddhism

The religion of modern Buddhist

Perhaps, Buddhism in India needs this sequence to make Buddhism a powerful force in the modern world. The great non-Brahmin leaders were already looking at the Buddha: Dada Keluskar was devoted to studying of Buddhism, Sayaji Maharaj loved Buddha, Shahu Maharaj visited Sri Lanka and was exposed to Buddhism, and in both the North and the South, Buddhism was resurging. This confluence was channelled into much bigger force by Babasaheb with his clear understanding of Buddhism and what will it take to make Buddhism relevant in India again.

India needs critical and radical Buddhism to address new problems and in addressing these Buddhism becomes New as opposed to Old.

Buddhism in the Himalayas

Buddhism is one of the greatest human revolutions and it still continues to grow and respond to the human situation. Buddhism in the Himalayan region is one of the interesting phenomena in the history of the world. The vast ranges of Himalaya span from Pakistan all the way up to Myanmar. The Himalayas are divided into lower, middle, and upper Himalayan region. Buddhism is still the dominant faith in the Himalayas.

The Buddhism in Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and other areas of Himalayas bears a strong unity in terms of culture but also it is very diverse. There are many tribes in the Himalayan region, but the tribes which have become Buddhist have a strong cultural resemblance.

Author – Mangesh Dahiwale, Human Rights Activist