A Buddhist monk who has devoted himself for the restoration and protection of the Buddhist relics and monuments throughout the country has now taken on the task of spreading the teachings and philosophy of 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara, which is almost similar to the teachings of Lord Buddha, to North Indian states.
“During my frequent tour of Karnataka to study the Buddhist monuments and relics, I had the opportunity to learn about the work and preachings of Mahatma Basaveshwara and found to my amazement that these teachings were akin to the teachings of Lord Buddha. I was also surprised that the teachings and philosophy of Mahatma Basaveshwara had crossed Karnataka and Maharashtra borders,” said Bhante Tissavro, who heads the Bodh Gaya-baed Budh Avshesh Bachao Abhiyaan (Save Buddhist Relics Campaign).
In a chat with The Hindu in Kalaburagi city on Saturday, the monk said for the last three years he had spent most of his time researching the works and holding discussions with the followers of Mahatma Basveshwara and finally decided to form a committee consisting of people from all walks of life to take his philosophy to the people in Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh to begin with and later spread to other north Indian States.
Bante Tissavro said a committee under the banner of Buddha Aur Basava Samaj Maitri Sangh, to which he has been appointed as convenor, has been constituted to hold seminars, conferences and workshops in all the major cities in the three states. It has been decided to bring out the vachanas and preachings of Mahatma Basaveshwara in Hindi. Also, life size statues of Mahatama Basaveshwara at Ranchi, Gaya, Varanasi and Patna will be installed and libraries established.
If the preachings and philosophy of Mahatma Basaveshwara had spread to States such as Bihar and Jharkhand there would not have been problem of Naxalism and peace and tranquillity would have prevailed, he said.
He said Bante Subod Bodi, Allamprabhu Koppad, Ajay Chowdhari, Pracharya Dulal Thakur, Amardeep Kumar Buddha Ratna Chandrasekhar and others have joined the committee. The Committee would hold conference in different parts of the states and invite Channamalla Veerabhadra Swamiji of Nidamamudi Math, Chief of the Gavi Siddeshwar Math, Basava Samiti Chief Arvind Jatti and other senior religious heads.
