Heading towards Global Dharmic Unity

By Nita Chicooree-Mercier

There has been growing demand from people in India and of Indian origin abroad to come together on the basis of common religious roots in the background of an awakening movement to counter divisive forces which may cause damage to people of Dharmic faiths in the long run within India, to India itself as a political force and to people who identify with Dharmic faiths across the world. A positive response to calls for unity from all corners of the globe is starting to materialize. The burgeoning movement is taking an unexpected turn in a most unlikely place, the United States.

Project Kailash

The initiative stems from the heartfelt need of Buddhists and Hindus of Tibet and Ladakh residing in the U.S to come together and join forces to counter increasingly aggressive policies to control the narrative of their faiths and to subjugate the people and their culture. The choice of Kailash Mountain is appropriate as it portrays a consensus on the sacred essence of a place that both Hindus and Buddhists hold dear to their hearts. Mount Kailash is experienced as the abode of Lord Shiva in Puranic literature. A visit to the sacred mountain is said to instill deep spiritual strength in pilgrims. Mount Kailash is a sacred place of meditation and prayer for Buddhists. The tremendous spiritual significance of the mountain makes it critical to Dharmic communities across the world.

As things stand, Kailash is under the control of the Chinese Communist Party. The Panchai Lama, the future Dalai Lama had been kidnapped thirty years ago and taken to China probably. No one knows about his whereabouts till now. The CCP has allegedly been throwing money to Buddhist countries to exert pressure on politicians to bend down Buddhist leadership to accept a pro-China stance of their governments. For instance, Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka cannot invite the current Dalai Lama to teach them. Politicians need to have good relationships with Buddhist leadership in Buddhist countries, and the Chinese government is increasingly adopting a strategy to weaponize and twist religion to garner support for pro-China policies. Myammar, Thailand and Bhutan are under similar pressure to have China-backed politicians to build good relationships with monks so that they would do the biddings and support politicians with pro-China agenda.

The inter-connection of Buddhism and Hinduism to build a united platform is deemed necessary to counter the CCP’s attempts to control the narrative in South-East Asia.

Both religions are intertwined though Buddhism started in Bihar and spread to Asia in multiple schools of thoughts. Though relations got tense in the early stages, Hindu emperors helped to set up Buddhist monasteries and universities in India and beyond.

Indian Prime Minister received a warmest welcome in Buddhist countries, and he is a most popular figure from Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh to Mongolia. Reportedly, Chinese President Xi was taken aback by the success of Buddhist policy, and CCP considers it a threat to its grand plan for domination, conquest and take-over. As a matter of fact, what China dreads most is the possibility of connected spirituality between Buddhists and Hindus taking shape in an international organization of solidarity. This is what is exactly starting to take off in the US.

Beyond South-East Asia

Allegedly, foreign interference through financial support of universities in the U.S is seen as the root of a twisted version of Hinduism taught in American universities. Hindu organizations have denounced the malicious interpretation given to the caste system and Brahminical influence in the teachings of Hinduism. About 10 Indian students have been murdered since January 2024 in the U.S. Fingers are pointed at the CCP for using Islamist extremists to carry out the assassination. It is seen as a strategy to intimidate Hindus and reduce their presence in the U.S. Sikhs and Hindus were killed in cases of mistaken identity by white men in the wake of anti-American hostility in the Middle-East a few years ago. A Buddhist monastery was attacked in California some time back.

Kailash coalition springs from a group of Tibetan Buddhists and members of the Hindu community in the US and is gearing its efforts to create a greater movement inside the US so as to stand up together in support of their communities, including Sikhs and Jains under Dharmic umbrella.

First, the goal is to transmit knowledge and protect cultural heritage, to handle daily issues that impact their communities in the US, help incoming generation in hard times and give incentives to connect with heritage, find ways to help one another and combat greater challenges.

Awareness of growing foreign influence on academia, media and a few politicians to undermine Dharmic religions and shape foreign policies in the US is a compelling factor to forge solidarity and cooperation.

Dharmic Unity

Dharmic connection invokes unity among the different communities and faiths. Amid tensions in geo-politics and on the international stage, the promotion, protection and love for religion has to be topped up with political maneuverability. It will prevent countries from being surrounded by hostile nations. What domineering and aggressive superpowers fear tremendously is grassroot unity in terms of spirituality and history. Attempts to annihilate Dharmic communities in the US and in the world and make them submit to the will of tyrannical forces will thus be squarely dealt with.

The movement can liberate the spiritual potential of oppressed societies. Hostage diplomacy, blackmail, use of radicalism and propaganda of all hues need strong international forces to challenge them. Dharmic unity needs not only to promote who they are in several countries and small islands and brace up for ongoing hostility to undermine their influence but also educate the West, its élites and media who have poor understanding of its civilizational weight. Only in the US Buddhists and Hindus make up for 10 million of the inhabitants. From Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Myamar, Japan, Cambodia to the West and the diaspora across the world Dharmic communities are estimated to 2.6 billion.

So, it is a huge potential that needs to awake, take its place and forge unity to calibrate forces on the world stage, and contribute to spiritual liberation and development of all mankind.

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 21 June 2024