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Spreading love and compassion
Buddhist monks at a prayer session at the Mahabodhi Society in Bangalore. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.
"HATRED IS never appeased by hate; it is possible only by love, compassion and higher thoughts. Generate goodness and make it grow wide and enduring." These were the key teachings from the Dhammapada that were firmly chiselled in the heart of Ven. Buddharakkhitha, a senior Buddhist monk, when he established the Mahabodhi Society (MBS), Bangalore, in 1956. Today, even after 48 years of its establishment, the MBS still lives by these words of its teacher, the Buddha.
An offshoot of the MBS is the Mahabodhi Monastic Institute (MMI) called Sangharama, which was established in 2001 with a few monks as trainees. This is the only Theravada Buddhist monastic training centre in the country. The aim of the society is to initiate and sustain programmes of action in conformity with the principles of Buddhism.
The MBS, which is located in an unassuming corner of Kalidasa Road at Gandhinagar, has been engaged in various spiritual and humanitarian activities. The spiritual activities start from training the monks of the MMI. As many as 140 young boys are trained there. Other activities are Dhamma discourses every Sunday, meditation classes, Buddhist psychology classes called Abhidamma classes, study group activity and publications, Bodhi Saptaha celebrations and meditation courses for common people.
One special programme of the society is the weeklong intensive meditation course where lay people undertake the residential Pabbajja meditation. This course gives a layman the experience of leading a monk's life for that particular period. "This course is not limited to Buddhists alone; people from all walks of life are welcome. It is not meant to propagate Buddhism as a religion, but it is aimed at making people aware of the virtues of peace, compassion and universal love that Buddha personifies; in fact, we have had people of all religions taking up this course and telling us how this experience has brought about inner peace for them. It is a process of promoting peace by changing the mind," says Ven. Bhante Ananda, secretary of MBS, Bangalore.
The MBS believes that no spiritual development can happen without the development of love and compassion. This belief is complemented by their humanitarian programmes aimed at two areas: health and education. It has built the Mahabodhi Burns, Casualty and Emergency Hospital at Victoria Hospital Complex; the Mahabodhi Burns Ward at K.R. Hospital, Mysore; the Mahabodhi Rural Community Hospital and Mental Health Centre at Sakalvara village in Anekal taluk; and Mahabodhi Mallige Hospital, in collaboration with the Mallige centre in Siddapura, Bangalore. It also runs various schools that provide education to students from very poor families.
This combination of both spiritual and humanitarian activities is what makes this society unique. Its effort is to preach not just Buddhism but also humanity.
By Agnieszka Hindley
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
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