In Uttar Pradesh, Dalits turn from Brahmin priests to DIY Buddhism

In the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh [उत्तर प्रदेश], Dalits are turning away from Brahmin priests to a do-it-yourself form of Buddhism inspired by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. From Hindustan Times:

Deep in the heartland of Uttar Pradesh, the underclass is doing away with centuries of dependence on Brahmins. And priests are getting sacked.

In dozens of villages across the state, Dalits have stopped depending on Brahmin priests for weddings, funerals and other ceremonies. Instead, they have turned to a Buddhism-inspired book which has rituals that can be performed by any literate person. The wide use of the Bhim Patra, named after Bhimrao Ambedkar, is part of a quiet rebellion against upper-caste domination.

"We have nothing to do with the Brahmin pandits," said Chhabi Lal of Ghunghter village, 45 km from Lucknow. "They tell us, 'Your parents died; so to make their souls happy, give us a bed and a cow as gifts.' As if it is all going to reach them." [...]

I like Chhabi Lal's attitude.

Buddhism also teaches that one can obtain merit for one's departed ancestors by making offerings to the Sangha. The rationale, however, is quite different. The Sangha does not receive these gifts on behalf of the deceased. Instead, the act of giving accrues merit to the giver, which he or she then dedicates to his or her deceased relatives.

However, in many nominally Buddhist countries, popular religious belief and practice is probably not all that different from what Chhabi Lal described above.

So, weddings are now being performed before a statue of Ambedkar. The ceremony is inexpensive and takes only a couple of hours. The bride and the groom light candles, take wedding vows and garland each other.

The Bhim Patra also has instructions on funerals and other ceremonies.

Aside from any religious justifications, inexpensive weddings and funerals are always a good idea.

The following quote is quite interesting, consider the row stirred up in Gujarat when the government declared Buddhism to be a sect of Hinduism, which I wrote about in this post.

"We are all Hindus; we have not converted," said Mohan Lal Gautam, who sells books at a traffic intersection at Hazratgunj in Lucknow. "But we have stopped following the old rituals. We follow the Bhim Patra. There is no pandit, no worship of gods and goddesses, no dowry and no auspicious time for any wedding."

Amar Pal Bharti of Jyotiba Phule Nagar district said: "This is the result of our anger against the system. What do we have to do with the gods? Why worship someone we have not seen?"

Priests are feeling the heat. "Dalits have mostly stopped coming to us. They conduct their own ceremonies," said Jagdamba Prasad Bajpai, a priest at Deora village, Lucknow.

Anger at one religion is definitely not a good reason to convert to another. On the other hand, it's a classic case of capitalism at work — if you don't like one product, switch to another.

南無阿彌陀佛