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List of converts to Buddhism from Hinduism

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This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

This is a list of notable converts to Buddhism from Hinduism.

B. R. Ambedkar
Name Former Hindu caste/category Nationality Notes Refs.
Ashoka Indian Third emperor of the Maurya Empire [1][2]
B. R. Ambedkar Mahar Indian Polymath, the architect of the Indian Constitution, a revivalist of Buddhism in India [3][4]
S. N. Goenka Burmese-Indian Teacher of Vipassana meditation [5][6]
Balachandran Chullikkadu Indian Malayalam language poet from Kerala [7]
Jagdish Kashyap Indian Buddhist monk [8]
Bhadant Anand Kausalyayan Indian Buddhist monk, writer, and scholar [9]
Laxman Mane Indian Lawyer, Constitution expert, author and social worker [10]
Aśvaghoṣa Indian Bhikkhu, philosopher, poet [11]
Rupa Kulkarni-Bodhi Brahmin Indian Social activist, Scholar of Buddhism, professor [12]
Sushama Andhare Indian Ambedkarite thinker, Sociopolitical activist, and orator
Swami Prasad Maurya Indian politician [13]
Udit Raj Indian Ambedkarite thinker, social activist and Buddhist polemicist [14]
Rahul Sankrityayan (1893–1963) Indian Hindi author and translator [8]
Iyothee Thass (1845–1914) Indian Siddha practitioner and leader of the Dravidian movement [15]
Lenin Raghuvanshi (born 1970) Indian activist, one of the founding members of PVCHR [16]
Lalai Singh Yadav (1921–1993) Indian social justice activist and play writer [17]
Suresh Bhat (1932–2003) Brahmin Indian Poet and writer [18]
Kabir Bedi (born 1946) Indian Film actor [19]
Vinay Jain Indian television actor [20]
Shibani Kashyap Indian singer [21][22]
Barkha Madan Indian Former model, film actress, and Buddhist nun [23]
Pracheen Chauhan Indian television actor [24]
Tisca Chopra (born 1973) Indian actress, author and film producer [25]
Manav Gohil Indian Television actor [26]
Sweta Keswani (born 1980), Indian actress, dancer and model [27]
Poonam Joshi (born 1980) Brahmin Indian television soap opera actress [27]
Gagan Malik Indian actor A Hindu by birth Malik has embraced Buddhism on Poson Poya day in 2014 in Mihintale, Sri Lanka.[28][29][30]
Niranjan Singh Indian Developer, swimmer, Cricketer, Cyclist

Organized mass conversions

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Since Ambedkar's conversion, several thousand people from different castes have converted to Buddhism in ceremonies including the twenty-two vows.

  • 600,000 People's Mass Conversion (1956) Converted in one assembly led by B.R. Ambedkar at Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur. this ceremonial conversion continued after his death, converting 1.5–2 million by March 1959.[31][32]
  • In 1957 Mahastvir Bodhanand's Sri Lankan successor, Bhante Pragyanand, held a mass conversion drive for 15,000 people in Lucknow.[33]
  • A prominent Indian Navayana Buddhist leader and political activist, Udit Raj, organised a large mass conversion on 4 November 2001, where he gave the 22 vows, but the event met with active opposition from the government.[34] A report from the UK daily The Guardian said that some Hindus have converted to Buddhism. Buddhist monks from the UK and the U.S. attended the conversion ceremonies in India. Lalit Kumar, who works for a Hindu nationalist welfare association in Andhra Pradesh, asserted that Dalits should concentrate on trying to reduce illiteracy and poverty rather than looking for new religions.[35]
  • On 14 October 2006, hundreds of people converted from Hinduism to Buddhism in Gulburga (Karnataka).[36]
  • At 50th anniversary celebrations in 2006 of Ambedkar's deeksha.[37] Non-partisan sources put the number of attendees (not converts) at 30,000.[38] The move was criticised by Hindu groups as "unhelpful" and has been criticised as a "political stunt."[38]
  • On 27 May 2007, tens of thousands of Dalits from Maharashtra gathered at the Mahalakshmi racecourse in Mumbai to mark the 50th anniversary of the conversion of Ambedkar. The number of people who converted versus the number of people in attendance was not clear.[39] The event was organised by the Republican Party of India leader Ramdas Athvale.[40]
  • 500,000 OBC's Mass Conversion (2016) in Nagpur[41]
  • 10,000 dalits in Uttar Pradesh district convert to Buddhism [42]
  • 100,000 People's Mass Conversion (2007) in Maharashtra[43]
  • Four Dalit youngsters, who were flogged by self-styled cow vigilantes for skinning a dead cow in Gujarat in 2016, embraced Buddhism along with their families and about 450 others, to protest against discrimination and atrocities against them[44]
  • Rohith Vemula's mother, brother embrace Buddhism.Mother and brother of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, who committed suicide at Hyderabad Central University in January sparking strong protests across the country, embraced Buddhism on the occasion of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's 125th birth anniversary[45]
  • 500 Dalits from various parts of Gujarat embraced Buddhism on Tuesday in three separate programmes held in Ahmedabad, Mehsana and Idar of Sabarkantha district on the occasion of Vijayadashami.[46]
  • 100,00 Peoples' mass conversion (2022).[47]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Bodhisattva that the Brahman," see Chap. xvi Archived 17 July 2005 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ History of Library Development by B. D. Panda, page 9
  3. ^ In the 1950s
  4. ^ "B R Ambedkar: 10 Facts You Probably Don't Know About the Father of the Indian Constitution". The Better India. 14 April 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  5. ^ Braun, Erik (1 October 2013). "S. N. Goenka, Pioneer of Secular Meditation Movement, Dies at 90". Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Global Goenka Centers". www.dhamma.org. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  7. ^ Malayalam poet embraces Buddhism Rediff – January 24, 2000
  8. ^ a b Revival of the Buddha Dhamma in India Sunday Observer – April 14, 2002
  9. ^ Modernisation of Buddhism: Contributions of Ambedkar and Dalai Lama XIV, Lella Karunyakara, Gyan Books, 2002 p. 180
  10. ^ "One lakh people convert to Buddhism". The Hindu. 28 May 2007. Archived from the original on 21 June 2007. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  11. ^ Joshi, N. V. (1977). Indian Philosophy: From the Ontological Point of View. Mumbai: Somaiya Publications. p. 216.
  12. ^ "Sumedha Raikar-Mhatre: Why we chose the Buddha". 29 April 2018.
  13. ^ Varagur, Krithika (11 April 2018). "Converting to Buddhism as a Form of Political Protest". The Atlantic. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  14. ^ 50,000 DALITS EMBRACE BUDDHISM Archived 6 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine – Buddhism Today
  15. ^ Existential dilemmas The Hindus – June 6, 2010
  16. ^ Kaveree Bamzai (10 April 2009). "The young surge". India Today. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013.
  17. ^ "सच्ची रामायण छापने वाले ललई यादव क्यों बन गये बौद्ध?". 7 February 2019.
  18. ^ "Dalit shahirs of Maharashtra: In Suresh Bhats ghazals, a fight against oppression". 9 November 2018.
  19. ^ "Buddha & Buddhism the biggest export of India: Kabir Bedi - Times of India". The Times of India. 30 May 2013.
  20. ^ "Practicing Buddhism a major priority in my life: Vinay Jain - Times of India". The Times of India. 26 December 2011.
  21. ^ "Chanting: Prayer or meditation?". The Times of India. 29 August 2011.
  22. ^ "Buddhism makes for a happy celeb!".
  23. ^ "I should have become a nun long ago, says Barkha". YouTube. 16 May 2015.
  24. ^ "I'm closer to my parents now: Pracheen - Times of India". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019.
  25. ^ Antao, Lisa. "I seek the blessings of my parents and teachers: Tisca Chopra - Times of India". The Times of India.
  26. ^ "Budding Buddhism in the city".
  27. ^ a b Naval-Shetye, Aakanksha (20 April 2011). "Why celebrities are turning to Buddhism". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  28. ^ https://www.nirvanapeace.com/english/news-review/foreign-news/652 Archived 17 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine [bare URL]
  29. ^ http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=132794 [dead link]
  30. ^ "Happiness happens".
  31. ^ "Deeksha Bhoomi, Nagpur – Ambedkar Buddhism Conversion : Photos & Videos". Jai Bhim Ambedkar. 6 February 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  32. ^ Historical day - 1956 October 14
  33. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.maren-bellwinkel.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  34. ^ "50,000 Dalits embrace Buddhism". Buddhism Today. Retrieved 30 August 2007.
  35. ^ "Untouchables embrace Buddha to escape oppression", The Guardian
  36. ^ "Hundreds embrace Buddhism in Gulbarga-Bangalore" , Times of India
  37. ^ "Prominent Indian female politician to embrace Buddhism". The Buddhist Channel. 17 October 2006. Retrieved 30 August 2007.
  38. ^ a b Prerna Singh Bindra ."Heads, I win...", The Week Magazine, 18 November 2001.
  39. ^ "BBC NEWS – South Asia – Mass Dalit conversions in Mumbai". Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  40. ^ Nithin Belle. "Thousands of Dalits in 'mass conversion'" Archived 11 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Khaleej Times, 28 May 2007
  41. ^ "Five lakh Hindu-OBC people to embrace Buddhism by 2016 | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis". dna. 3 January 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  42. ^ "10,000 dalits in UP district convert to Buddhism | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. 21 October 2018.
  43. ^ "One lakh people convert to Buddhism". The Hindu. 28 May 2007. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  44. ^ "450 Dalits, Including 2016 Una Flogging Victims, Embrace Buddhism".
  45. ^ "Rohith Vemula's mother, brother embrace Buddhism". The Hindu. 14 April 2016.
  46. ^ "Gujarat: 500 Dalits embrace Buddhism on Vijayadashami". 9 October 2019.
  47. ^ "Conversion To Buddhism: Rejection Of Hinduism Was Ambedkar's Choice, Nothing Less But Much More". Outlook India. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
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