Issue: November, 2024 Buddhism Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumoured by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.– Tathagath Gautam Buddha- Buddha’s bone fragments sent from India to Thailand by Bheem Patrika Correspondent Buddha’s bone fragments sent from India to Thailand; sacred relics to be treated as ‘state guest’ Apart from the Kapilavastu relics, the relics of two of Buddha’s disciples, Arahata Sariputra and Arahata Maudgalayana. The culture ministry said the relics will be accorded the dignity of a state guest, with an Indian Air Force aircraft and prayer ceremonies. Six monks will travel with the delegation. The relics will journey to Thailand on February 22, and will be returned to India on March 19. In Thailand, the relics will go through a period of quarantine at the National Museum, Bangkok after which it will be displayed at Bangkok’s Sanam Luang Pavillion for 11 days. After that, the relics will be displayed at Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani, and finally at Krabi, with the schedule earmarking 5 days at each of the three venues. Kapilavastu Relics (circa 5th-4th century BC) from Piprahwa, Uttar Pradesh.Credit: National Museum, New Delhi (हिन्दी अनुवाद)) बुद्ध की अस्थियों के टुकड़े भारत से थाईलैंड भेजे गएI भारत से थाईलैंड भेजे जाएंगे बुद्ध की अस्थि के टुकड़े पवित्र अवशेषों को ‘राज्य अतिथि’ के रूप में माना जाएगा कपिलवस्तु के अवशेषों के अलावा, बुद्ध के दो शिष्यों, अरहत सारिपुत्र और अरहत मौदगलायन के अवशेष. संस्कृति मंत्रालय ने कहा कि अवशेषों को भारतीय वायु सेना के विमान और प्रार्थना समारोह के साथ एक राज्य अतिथि की गरिमा दी जाएगी। प्रतिनिधिमंडल के साथ छह भिक्षु यात्रा करेंगे. अवशेष 22 फरवरी को थाईलैंड जाएंगे, और 19 मार्च को भारत वापस आ जाएंगे। थाईलैंड में, अवशेष राष्ट्रीय संग्रहालय, बैंकॉक में संगरोध की अवधि से गुजरेंगे जिसके बाद इसे बैंकॉक के सनम लुआंग पैविलियन में प्रदर्शित किया जाएगा। 11 दिन. उसके बाद, अवशेषों को चियांग माई, उबोन रतचथानी और अंत में क्राबी में प्रदर्शित किया जाएगा, जिसमें तीनों स्थानों में से प्रत्येक के लिए 5 दिन निर्धारित किए जाएंगे। (हिंदी अनुवाद श्री बी.आर. भारद्वाज द्वारा) Albert Einstein on Buddhism The religion of the future will be a Cosmic religion…..covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense rising from the experimental of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity; Buddhism answer this description. Entrance of Buddha Bhoomi in ordinary homes Rabindranath Tagore talked of Buddhism. For Tagore, the teaching of the Buddha inspired a great sense of universality and were of tremendous relevance to what he saw as the modern malaise of greed, corruption, and wealth. Buddhist stories and themes permeated his writings. This included his popular collection of poem, Katha (1900) and the drama Acalayatan (1912) inspired by the Divyavadana, to his late-period dance dramas, Shapmocan(1931) and Shyama(1939) based on stories from the Mahavasta Avadana . For many Indians, particularly Bengalis, the Tagore were the pride of the land, and when Rabindranath and others talked of Buddhism with either the paintbrush or the pen, the nation listened. Their depictions, literary and visual, were mass produced in their tens of thousands by lithographic printers and then distributed through bazars. Like this, the ancient spaces of Buddha Bhoomi entered ordinary homes and businesses, guiding modern India`s Buddhist place -making. (Douglas Ober (2023), Dust on the Throne: The Search for Buddhism in Modern India, Stanford University Press, Stanford California, p.146. Buddhist Saints and Scholars In the history of Buddhism, after Gautama Buddha, we came to know about prominent Buddhist saints and scholars from South India who devoted their life for the spread of Buddhism. Some of them are listed below: Bodhisena Bodhisena , a venerable monk of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, was the first Indian Buddhist monk to go to Japan and propagate the Buddha-Dhamma there. It is said that a Japanese monk, Tazi-hi-marito had come to India in about 723 AD to learn more about Buddhism. He met Bodhisena , who was a renowned orator , writer an scholar of Buddhism at that time, and they became good friends. Later Bodhisena was invited by Emperor Shomu to Japan. Accordingly, he sailed for Japan via South Sea and reached Japan in 736 AD. Impressed by his knowledge of the teachings of the Buddha, in particular, his understanding of the Buddha-avatansaka -Mahavaipulya-sutra, Emperor Shomu invited Ven Bodhisena to perform the consecration ceremony of the Maha -Vairochana Buddha. Thus, Bodhisena had the honour to act as the officiating Minister at the historic ceremony in 749 AD of the Great Buddha at Nara. Bodhisena passed away in Japan at the age of 57 in 760 A.D.   Buddhamitra Buddhamitra was born at Ponparri village of Arantangi taluk of Tanjore district. He was a reputed Tamil teacher and preacher. Buddhamitra was contemporary of the Chola king, Virarajendra, who ruled from 1063-1070. On the request of the Chola King, Buddhamitra wrote a comprehensive Tamil grammer, and named it ‘Virasoliyam’, after his royal patron. Buddhamitra, who was a Mahayana Bhikkhu, not only refer to the Buddha-Dhamma in the concluding verses of the Tamil grammer but also invariably mentions the Buddha and his virtues while giving examples for the purpose of elucidating rhetorical devices. बौद्ध संत और विद्वान हिंदी अनुवाद बौद्ध धर्म के इतिहास में, गौतम बुद्ध के बाद, हमें दक्षिण भारत के प्रमुख बौद्ध संतों और विद्वानों के बारे में पता चला, जिन्होंने बौद्ध धर्म के प्रसार के लिए अपना जीवन समर्पित कर दिया। उनमें से कुछ नीचे सूचीबद्ध हैं: बोधिसेना तमिलनाडु में मदुरै के एक