L | A (Translated with ChatGPT)
By M. S. Jayaprakash
The ruthless destruction of Buddha's statues by Taliban leaders in Afghanistan has invited severe criticism from various parts of the world.
It is surprising that the Indian government, led by Hindu supremacists and supported by Hindu extremists, has condemned the Taliban's actions.
It seems contradictory that the ancestors of the current Hindu extremists in India deliberately destroyed Buddhist statues and brutally killed Buddha's followers in India. A fair student of history can clearly comment that the Indian extremists have no moral right to criticize the actions of the Taliban.
"Between 830 CE and 966 CE, hundreds of Buddhist statues, stupas, and monasteries were destroyed as part of the revival of Hinduism in India. Both literary and archaeological sources, domestic and foreign, speak of the havoc wreaked on Buddhism by extremists in India.
Role of Shankaracharya
Communist-like leaders such as Shankaracharya, along with many kings and rulers, took pride in demolishing Buddhist images to destroy Buddhist culture. Today, their descendants have demolished the Babri Masjid and have even published a list of mosques to be destroyed in the near future. With the arrogance of this sin, they are condemning the actions of the Afghans.
Hindu ruler, Pushyamitra Shunga, destroyed 84,000 Buddhist stupas that had been built by the great Ashoka (Romila Thapar, Ashoka and the Mauryas, London, 1961, p. 200). After this, Buddhist centers in Magadha were broken down. Thousands of Buddhist monks were ruthlessly killed.
King Jalaluka destroyed Buddhist monasteries in his jurisdiction on the grounds that the chanting of hymns by Buddhist devotees disturbed his sleep. (Kalhana, Rajatarangini, 1:40). In Kashmir, King Kinnar destroyed thousands of monasteries to please the Brahmins and took over Buddhist villages. (Kalhana 1
0)."
Role of the Demon
A large number of Buddhist monasteries were seized by Brahmins and turned into Hindu temples where untouchables were not allowed entry. Buddhist sites were presented as Hindu temples by writing Puranas, which were myths or pseudo-history.
Some important temples such as Tirupati, Ahobal, Undavalli, Ellora, Bengal, Puri, Badrinath, Mathura, Ayodhya, Shringeri, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Delhi, Nalanda, Gudilam, Nagarjun Konda, Srisailam, and Sabarimala in Kerala (Lord Ayyappa) are examples of Brahminical abduction of Buddhist centers.
In Nagarjunakonda, Adi Shankaracharya played the role of a demon in destroying Buddhist statues and monuments. Longhurst, who excavated in Nagarjunakonda, recorded this in his book Reminiscences, Indian Archaeological Survey No. 54, Buddhist Remains of Nagarjunakonda (Delhi, 1938, p. 6).
They burned non-Brahmins alive
The brutal way in which all the buildings of Nagarjunakonda were destroyed is horrific and cannot represent the work of those in search of truth, as many pillars, statues, and images were senselessly shattered into pieces.
Local tradition suggests that the Brahmin teacher Shankaracharya came with his followers to Nagarjunakonda and destroyed the Buddhist monuments. The fertile land on which the ruined buildings stand was the religious grant given to Shankaracharya.
In Kerala, Shankaracharya and his close associate Kumarila Bhatta, who were enemies of Buddhism, organized a religious crusade against the Buddhists. In the text called Sankara Digvijaya, there is a vivid description of Shankaracharya’s delight in burning non-Brahminical religious people alive.
The destruction played out in Kerala
Kumarila incited King Sudhavan of Ujjain to destroy the Buddhists. From Shudraka’s Mṛcchakatika, we learn that the king's brother-in-law in Ujjain harassed Buddhist monks. They were tied like oxen to carts with a wire inserted into their noses. The Keralolpathi documents mention Kumarila’s role in the destruction of Buddhism in Kerala.
Regarding Shankara's activities, Swami Vivekananda reviews:
"And Shankara's heart was such that, having defeated them in argument, he had many Buddhist monks burned. What else can you call such an action by Shankara, if not fanaticism? (Swami Vivekananda, Complete Works, Vol. VII, p. 118, Kolkata, 1997)."
The Buddhist History of Kerala
In Kerala, there are hundreds of places where names like 'Palli' are used as suffixes. Some examples of these places are Karungapalli, Kartikapalli, Pallikal, Pallipuram. The word 'Palli' means Buddhist monastery.
It is noteworthy that the Buddhist tradition in Kerala lasted for 1,200 years. Until recently, schools in Kerala were called Ezuthupalli or Pallikudam. Our Christian and Muslim brothers use the word 'Palli' to refer to their places of worship. Under the leadership of Shankar and Kumarila, Hindu extremists severely destroyed the Palli.
They ended the 1,200-year-old Buddhist tradition and transformed Kerala into a Brahminical state. The indigenous people of Kerala, such as the Ezhavas, Pulayas, and others, were crushed under the victimization of casteism. Many monasteries were converted into temples, and most people were prevented from entering temples under the pretext of caste prohibitions.
Role of Parashurama
It is also noteworthy that the name Kerala is the Sanskritized Aryan version of the Dravidian and Buddhist word 'Chera.'
The legend of Parashurama regarding the origin of Kerala states that Parashurama raised the land of Kerala from the sea by throwing an axe from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. This is a cock-and-bull story created by the Brahmins to hide all the crimes committed against the Buddhists.
Many Buddha statues have been found in places like Ambalappuzha, Karungapalli, Pallikal, Bharanikavu, Mavelikkara, and Neelampur. They are all in a disordered state. In Sabarimala, Lord Ayyappa and in Thiruvananthapuram, Lord Padmanabha are falsely worshipped as Vishnu incarnations of Buddha.
Hundreds of Buddhists were killed on the banks of the river in Aluva, Kerala. The word 'Aluva' is derived from 'Alvi,' meaning trident, a weapon used by Hindu extremists to stab Buddhists. Similarly, in Tamil Nadu, thousands of Buddhists were killed by the Shaiva saint Sambandar on the banks of the Vaigai River. The Tamil text Tevaram documents this brutal destruction of Buddhism.
Historians are hiding the facts
This is what truly happened in India, the land of Buddha. But our so-called renowned historians are bent on hiding the atrocities against Buddhists in India. These 'historians' have succeeded in creating the notion that India is a land of non-violence and tolerance. They have deceived the entire world.
The decree from the Taliban is justified on the grounds that Islam does not permit idols. However, it must also be noted that Islam does not allow the destruction of other people's religious centers and images.
Whatever arguments may exist for and against the Taliban's actions, there is no parallel in the entire history of religious conflicts to the Hindu atrocities against Buddhism in India. The world should be shown the 'brutal and deceitful face of Indian culture.'
By M. S. Jayaprakash
The ruthless destruction of Buddha's statues by Taliban leaders in Afghanistan has invited severe criticism from various parts of the world.
It is surprising that the Indian government, led by Hindu supremacists and supported by Hindu extremists, has condemned the Taliban's actions.
It seems contradictory that the ancestors of the current Hindu extremists in India deliberately destroyed Buddhist statues and brutally killed Buddha's followers in India. A fair student of history can clearly comment that the Indian extremists have no moral right to criticize the actions of the Taliban.
"Between 830 CE and 966 CE, hundreds of Buddhist statues, stupas, and monasteries were destroyed as part of the revival of Hinduism in India. Both literary and archaeological sources, domestic and foreign, speak of the havoc wreaked on Buddhism by extremists in India.
Role of Shankaracharya
Communist-like leaders such as Shankaracharya, along with many kings and rulers, took pride in demolishing Buddhist images to destroy Buddhist culture. Today, their descendants have demolished the Babri Masjid and have even published a list of mosques to be destroyed in the near future. With the arrogance of this sin, they are condemning the actions of the Afghans.
Hindu ruler, Pushyamitra Shunga, destroyed 84,000 Buddhist stupas that had been built by the great Ashoka (Romila Thapar, Ashoka and the Mauryas, London, 1961, p. 200). After this, Buddhist centers in Magadha were broken down. Thousands of Buddhist monks were ruthlessly killed.
King Jalaluka destroyed Buddhist monasteries in his jurisdiction on the grounds that the chanting of hymns by Buddhist devotees disturbed his sleep. (Kalhana, Rajatarangini, 1:40). In Kashmir, King Kinnar destroyed thousands of monasteries to please the Brahmins and took over Buddhist villages. (Kalhana 1
0)."Role of the Demon
A large number of Buddhist monasteries were seized by Brahmins and turned into Hindu temples where untouchables were not allowed entry. Buddhist sites were presented as Hindu temples by writing Puranas, which were myths or pseudo-history.
Some important temples such as Tirupati, Ahobal, Undavalli, Ellora, Bengal, Puri, Badrinath, Mathura, Ayodhya, Shringeri, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Delhi, Nalanda, Gudilam, Nagarjun Konda, Srisailam, and Sabarimala in Kerala (Lord Ayyappa) are examples of Brahminical abduction of Buddhist centers.
In Nagarjunakonda, Adi Shankaracharya played the role of a demon in destroying Buddhist statues and monuments. Longhurst, who excavated in Nagarjunakonda, recorded this in his book Reminiscences, Indian Archaeological Survey No. 54, Buddhist Remains of Nagarjunakonda (Delhi, 1938, p. 6).
They burned non-Brahmins alive
The brutal way in which all the buildings of Nagarjunakonda were destroyed is horrific and cannot represent the work of those in search of truth, as many pillars, statues, and images were senselessly shattered into pieces.
Local tradition suggests that the Brahmin teacher Shankaracharya came with his followers to Nagarjunakonda and destroyed the Buddhist monuments. The fertile land on which the ruined buildings stand was the religious grant given to Shankaracharya.
In Kerala, Shankaracharya and his close associate Kumarila Bhatta, who were enemies of Buddhism, organized a religious crusade against the Buddhists. In the text called Sankara Digvijaya, there is a vivid description of Shankaracharya’s delight in burning non-Brahminical religious people alive.
The destruction played out in Kerala
Kumarila incited King Sudhavan of Ujjain to destroy the Buddhists. From Shudraka’s Mṛcchakatika, we learn that the king's brother-in-law in Ujjain harassed Buddhist monks. They were tied like oxen to carts with a wire inserted into their noses. The Keralolpathi documents mention Kumarila’s role in the destruction of Buddhism in Kerala.
Regarding Shankara's activities, Swami Vivekananda reviews:
"And Shankara's heart was such that, having defeated them in argument, he had many Buddhist monks burned. What else can you call such an action by Shankara, if not fanaticism? (Swami Vivekananda, Complete Works, Vol. VII, p. 118, Kolkata, 1997)."
The Buddhist History of Kerala
In Kerala, there are hundreds of places where names like 'Palli' are used as suffixes. Some examples of these places are Karungapalli, Kartikapalli, Pallikal, Pallipuram. The word 'Palli' means Buddhist monastery.
It is noteworthy that the Buddhist tradition in Kerala lasted for 1,200 years. Until recently, schools in Kerala were called Ezuthupalli or Pallikudam. Our Christian and Muslim brothers use the word 'Palli' to refer to their places of worship. Under the leadership of Shankar and Kumarila, Hindu extremists severely destroyed the Palli.
They ended the 1,200-year-old Buddhist tradition and transformed Kerala into a Brahminical state. The indigenous people of Kerala, such as the Ezhavas, Pulayas, and others, were crushed under the victimization of casteism. Many monasteries were converted into temples, and most people were prevented from entering temples under the pretext of caste prohibitions.
Role of Parashurama
It is also noteworthy that the name Kerala is the Sanskritized Aryan version of the Dravidian and Buddhist word 'Chera.'
The legend of Parashurama regarding the origin of Kerala states that Parashurama raised the land of Kerala from the sea by throwing an axe from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. This is a cock-and-bull story created by the Brahmins to hide all the crimes committed against the Buddhists.
Many Buddha statues have been found in places like Ambalappuzha, Karungapalli, Pallikal, Bharanikavu, Mavelikkara, and Neelampur. They are all in a disordered state. In Sabarimala, Lord Ayyappa and in Thiruvananthapuram, Lord Padmanabha are falsely worshipped as Vishnu incarnations of Buddha.
Hundreds of Buddhists were killed on the banks of the river in Aluva, Kerala. The word 'Aluva' is derived from 'Alvi,' meaning trident, a weapon used by Hindu extremists to stab Buddhists. Similarly, in Tamil Nadu, thousands of Buddhists were killed by the Shaiva saint Sambandar on the banks of the Vaigai River. The Tamil text Tevaram documents this brutal destruction of Buddhism.
Historians are hiding the facts
This is what truly happened in India, the land of Buddha. But our so-called renowned historians are bent on hiding the atrocities against Buddhists in India. These 'historians' have succeeded in creating the notion that India is a land of non-violence and tolerance. They have deceived the entire world.
The decree from the Taliban is justified on the grounds that Islam does not permit idols. However, it must also be noted that Islam does not allow the destruction of other people's religious centers and images.
Whatever arguments may exist for and against the Taliban's actions, there is no parallel in the entire history of religious conflicts to the Hindu atrocities against Buddhism in India. The world should be shown the 'brutal and deceitful face of Indian culture.'
