Bangladesh Bauddha Kristi Prachar Sangha is a political and social organization that works for the welfare of the Buddhist community of Bangladesh. [1] [2]
Bangladesh Bauddha Kristi Prachar Sangha is a political and social organization that works for the welfare of the Buddhist community of Bangladesh. [1] [2]
Bangladesh Bauddha Kristi Prachar Sangha was established on 4 December 1949 as the East Pakistan Bauddha Kristi Prachar Sangha at the Lakhera Abhoy Vihara, Patiya Upazila, Chittagong Division, East Pakistan. Its founding President was Dharmadarshi Mahathera and the founding General Secretary was Bangish Bhikkhu. The organization campaigned for quotas in jobs and educational institutes for the minority Buddhist community. In 1954, Sudhangshu Bimal Barua was elected to the East Pakistan Assembly on a nomination of the Bauddha Kristi Prachar Sangha from a reserved constituency. In 1960, Kamalapur Dharmarajika Bauddha Vihara was established and became the headquarters of the Bauddha Kristi Prachar Sangha. The temple also housed a school and an orphanage. In 1962, King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit of Thailand visited the temple. [3]
Bishuddhananda Mahathera, president of the Bauddha Kristi Prachar Sangha, visited China in 1968 and requested the return of Atiśa ashes from China. In 1971, after the Bangladesh Liberation war, the East Pakistan Bauddha Kristi Prachar Sangha was renamed to Bangladesh Bauddha Kristi Prachar Sangha. In 1978, China handed over the ashes of Atiśa to the Sangha. In 1983, the Bangladesh Bauddha Kristi Prachar Sangha celebrated the 1000th birth anniversary of Atiśa. The Sangha organized an international conference on Paharpur Buddhist civilisation on 1987. The organization has also established a temple in Bodh Gaya in India. [3] In 2018, the President of the Sangha filled an application for university license, the proposed name is Sanghanayek Sradmananda Mahathero University. [4]
The World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) is an international Buddhist organization. Initiated by Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera, it was founded in 1950 in Colombo, Ceylon, by representatives from 27 nations. Although Theravada Buddhists are most influential in the organization,, members of all Buddhist schools are active in the WFB. It now has regional centers in 35 countries, including India, the United States, Australia, and several nations of Africa and Europe, in addition to traditional Buddhist countries.
Buddhism is the third-largest religious affiliation and formed about 0.63% of the population of Bangladesh. It is said that Buddha once in his life came to this region of East Bengal to spread his teachings and he was successful in converting the local people to Buddhism, specially in the Chittagong division and later on Pala empire propagate and patronized Buddhist religion throughout the Bengal territory. About 1 million people in Bangladesh adhere to the Theravada school of Buddhism. Over 65% of the Buddhist population is concentrated in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region, where it is the predominant faith of the Rakhine, Chakma, Marma, Tanchangya, other Jumma people and the Barua. The remaining 35% are Bengali Buddhists. Buddhist communities are present in the urban centers of Bangladesh, particularly Chittagong and Dhaka.
Buddhism has a long history in Indonesia, and is recognized as one of the six recognized religions in Indonesia, along with Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Confucianism. According to the 2018 national census roughly 0.8% of the total citizens of Indonesia were Buddhists, and numbered around 2 million. Most Buddhists are concentrated in Jakarta, Riau, Riau Islands, Bangka Belitung, North Sumatra, and West Kalimantan. These totals, however, are probably inflated, as practitioners of Taoism and Chinese folk religion, which are not considered official religions of Indonesia, likely declared themselves as Buddhists on the most recent census. Today, the majority of Buddhists in Indonesia are Chinese, however small communities of native Buddhists also exist.
The Barua, are an ethnic group native to Chittagong Division in Bangladesh, Rakhine State in Myanmar, where they are known as the Maramagyi or Maramagri, and parts of Assam, West Bengal and Tripura in northeast India. According to Arakanese chronology, the Barua Buddhists have lived there for five thousand years. Another derivation of 'Barua' is 'Baru' and 'Arya' meaning great arya. They are commonly identified by their last name, "Barua". Barua is derived from "Baru" meaning "great" and "ua", meaning "noble rulers". In Myanmar, the Barua is classified as one of the seven groups that make up the Rakhine nation. Originally, the Barua title is of Assamese origin.
Buddhism is an ancient Indian religion, which arose in and around the ancient Kingdom of Magadha, and is based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha who was deemed a "Buddha", although Buddhist doctrine holds that there were other Buddhas before him. Buddhism spread outside of Magadha starting in the Buddha's lifetime.
Rajguru Aggavamsa Mahathera was one of the delegates from Bangladesh) in the Sixth Buddhist council held in Yangon, Burma in 1956.
Barua Buddhists come from the small Barua community of Bengali-speaking Theravada Buddhists native to Tripura in north-east India. Barua Buddhist institutes have been established in India and Bangladesh.
Venerable Kripasaran Mahathera was a 19th and 20th century Bengali Buddhist monk and Indian yogi, best known for reviving Buddhism in British India. Kripasaran led a renaissance of Buddhist thought and culture in nineteenth century India.
Bikrampur Vihara is an ancient Buddhist vihara at Raghurampur village, Bikrampur, Munshiganj District in Bangladesh.
Prajnananda Mahathera is a socially engaged Buddhist monk in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh.
Bengali Buddhists are a religious subgroup of the Bengalis who adhere to or practice the religion of Buddhism. Bengali Buddhist people mainly live in Bangladesh and Indian states West Bengal and Tripura.
H H Sanghanayaka Suddhananda Mahathero was a Bangladeshi Buddhist monk. He was awarded Ekushey Padak in 2012 by the Government of Bangladesh for his contribution to social work. He served as the President of Bangladesh Bouddha Kristi Prachar Sangha.
Buddhist Religious Welfare Trust is an autonomous government body that is responsible for the welfare of the Buddhist community in Bangladesh and is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Ven. U Pannya Jota Mahathera, locally known as Guru Bhante, was a Bangladeshi Theravada monk. He was born in a Royal Bohmong family at Bandarban, East Pakistan. He served the government of Bangladesh as a judge and magistrate for about eight years prior to becoming a Buddhist monk.
Bishuddhananda Mahathera was a Bangladeshi Buddhist monk and scholar.
Nateshwar Deul is a Buddhist archaeological site located in the village of Nateshwar in Tongibari Upazila in the Munshiganj District, Bangladesh. It is the ruin of a Buddhist city established from 780 to 950 CE and from 950 to 1223 CE in the Bikrampur region. Archaeological excavation began at Nateshwar in 2012–13. From 2013 to 2018, an area of approximately 500 square metres (5,400 sq ft) was excavated. Sixteen Buddhist stupas, including Bangladesh's only pyramid-shaped one, have been found in Nateshwar.
Minnesota Buddhist Vihara is a Theravada Buddhist temple in the state of Minnesota. It was established in 2004 by Venerable Witiyala Seewalie Maha Thera, who is also the current Abbot of the Vihara and the Deputy Chief Sangha Nayaka of North America, appointed by the Malwatta Chapter in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Its 10th anniversary was celebrated on March 30, 2014.
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