---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Shiva Shankar <sshankar@cmi.ac.in>
Date: Fri, Jan 14, 2011 at 9:37 AM
Subject: Devadasis: Ancient to Modern - Synopsis of book (fwd)
To:
"... Why do we write and express our pangs of misery, inhuman discrimination and injustice done to us by the main stream custodians of culture? ..."
Devadasis: Ancient to Modern
Dr. K. Jamanadas
Gynan Publishing House, 2007
ISBN 81-7835-547-7/8178355477
DEDICATED To All those Known and Unknown Ambedkarites Who Spent Their Life Time Struggling Against Cruel, Inhuman Religious Sanction for System of Devadasis
Synopsis: About five years back, one of my articles, titled as "The Rise and Fall of Buddhist Nuns", was published in the Journal of World Federation of Buddhists from Thailand. Some of my friends wished me to elaborate the subject into a book. The result is this book. As the subject matter comes under the broad category of 'Effects of Fall of Buddhism', in a way, it is the continuation of my first book 'Tirupati Balaji was a Buddhist Shrine' (1991), where I have shown, for the first time, that Tirumala, the famous Vaishnava shrine of South India, was a Buddhist Centre of the past and that it was taken over by Brahmins for Brahminic use during the general decline of Buddhism, and another one 'Decline and Fall of Buddhism: A Tragedy in Ancient India' (2004), where in I have discussed the effects - rather than the causes - of Decline and Fall of Buddhism on the culture of India and in fact, how all the present day ills of India are all due to this tragedy.
This is not the merely a story of how the women in Buddhist Era were elevated by the Buddha and later degraded by Manu during the Brahminic Counter-Revolution in the post-Ashokan period, when his successor Emperor Bahidrath Maurya was treacherously assassinated by his Brahmin commander Pushyamitra Shunga, around 185 BCE. It is the whole story of women during Vedic, Buddhist, Brahminic and Medieval periods, their woes and triumphs.
In Prologue, how the Brahminic scholars blame the Buddhists for every ill found in Hindu society is explained. The women's problems are discussed with special reference to Women's Reservation Bill. Even in 21st century, the relevance of women empowerment relates to the fall of Buddhism occurring about a thousand years earlier. Here lies the importance of history to solve the problems of present day.
In Chapter 1, an attempt is made to discus the situation at the time of the fall of Buddhism. The monasteries were destroyed, Bhikkus were killed, the Buddhist religious books were vandalized, and the Buddhist religious concepts were accepted twisted and adopted for 'Hinduism', by adding to it the concept of Caste and Untouchability. The lay people were made 'Hindus' by making them accept caste and Brahmin supremacy, and those who did not accept the wishes of Brahmins were degraded as Untouchables - the greatest religious persecution any society has ever had - much more cruel than even slavery in ancient Rome or antebellum America. All this was accomplished by physical force through a newly created militant caste of Rajputs working under guidance of Brahminic masters. But what happened to the Buddhist nuns, present in Buddhist Viharas at the time of start of Untouchability? Surely they were not killed unlike their male counterparts. Our contention is that they were degraded to the level of 'Devadasis', the present day cheap prostitutes, offered in the name of god.
In Chapter 2, the rise of Buddhist Nuns is explained with reference to the pre-Buddhist status of women right from their birth to death. The rites and their rights, their education, marriage, age of marriage, married life, divorce, widowhood, Niyoga and Sati, are all explained. Even in spite of insulting conditions, the women preferred to join the Bhikkuni Sangha because acceptance of women in religious fields was in itself a revolutionary step taken by the Buddha.
In Chapter 3, the charge of Brahminical scholars that the Buddha was against women is discussed, as Dr. Ambedkar has refuted the charge. The real cause of fall of women was Laws of Manu, he said. How Lokmanya Tilak defines 'protection' of women as 'control' over them, and how they have no 'independence' in his opinion, is explained. How recent DNA studies have established that women are all indigenous and men of upper castes are alien and that is why all women are degraded as 'Shudras' by the Brahminical texts.
In Chapter 4, the glorious epoch of the Buddhist Nuns is explained with their culture, social service and their wonderful poetry, and their contribution to spread of Dhamma.
In Chapter 5, the position of Buddhist Nuns in other countries is explained with special reference to Sri Lanka.
In Chapter 6, how the Brahminical forces weakened the original Buddhism and brought it nearer to Brahminic religion by internal interference is explained through the Tipitakas to the Attakathas. This is to emphasize that one should not rely on Tipitakas as the complete word of the Buddha.
In Chapter 7, the Story of Untouchability in India is explained as contrasted with servitude in other countries and how Untouchability is worse than the worst froms of slavery is explained. How it was started because of hatred of Brahmins against the Buddhist broken men and how it is not possible for untouchable women to enter sanctum sanctorum of Brahminic temples after its start, is explained. Thus it is sure that these girls were in the temples captured for Brahminical use before the start of Untouchability, so they must have been Buddhist nuns.
In Chapter 8, the role of Vajrayani Siddhas, who were the leaders of Buddhism at the time of fall of Buddhism from seventh to tenth century and afterwards is explained. How the esoteric practices of Siddhas were not the cause of decline and fall of Buddhism, as blamed by some is explained. They were in the forefront of Buddhism when Devadasi System started.
In Chapter 9, how the image worship started by the Buddhists, how huge pantheon got created by the time of Vajrayana, and how these Deities of Buddhists resemble the deities of the Devadasis is explained.
In Chapter 10, what the Devadasi System is, and how it started is explained. Various theories of their origins, the Caste distribution and various legends is discussed, some important Devadasis mentioned and some attempts at rehabilitation of Devadasis discussed. History of dancing profession right from Harrapan Civilization to modern times is traced, and the rise of Devadasis around 1000 CE is confirmed. The journey of these women from Buddhist nuns to the Devadasis and from Devadasis to prostitutes is explained.
In Chapter 11, that the Indian Devadasi System has no relation with the so-called temple prostitution of Middle East countries is explained. The ancient foreign customs is discussed in detail from savagery to barbarism to civilization and compared with Indian equivalents.
In Chapter 12, all findings are summarized and conclusions drawn. The future of women's liberation in general and future of removal of Devadasi system are discussed.
Why do we write and express our pangs of misery, inhuman discrimination and injustice done to us by the main stream custodians of culture? Is it going to change anything? May be it will. Let us remember what Arundhati Roy said and console ourselves. She had observed in 'The God of Small Things': "I do believe that in India, we practice a form of apartheid that goes unnoticed by the rest of the world. And it is as important for Dalits to tell their stories as it has been for colonized peoples to write their own histories." The Dalits and other subalterned are now telling their stories in their own way and with their own methods with their own aesthetic standards and values. It is time that the others must begin to listen and unlearn. This attempt of mine is just a small contribution of a small drop in that ocean. Hope it meets the approval of the people.
Thanks!
Dr. K. Jamanadas
"Shalimar", Main Road, Chandrapur
From: Shiva Shankar <sshankar@cmi.ac.in>
Date: Fri, Jan 14, 2011 at 9:37 AM
Subject: Devadasis: Ancient to Modern - Synopsis of book (fwd)
To:
"... Why do we write and express our pangs of misery, inhuman discrimination and injustice done to us by the main stream custodians of culture? ..."
Devadasis: Ancient to Modern
Dr. K. Jamanadas
Gynan Publishing House, 2007
ISBN 81-7835-547-7/8178355477
DEDICATED To All those Known and Unknown Ambedkarites Who Spent Their Life Time Struggling Against Cruel, Inhuman Religious Sanction for System of Devadasis
Synopsis: About five years back, one of my articles, titled as "The Rise and Fall of Buddhist Nuns", was published in the Journal of World Federation of Buddhists from Thailand. Some of my friends wished me to elaborate the subject into a book. The result is this book. As the subject matter comes under the broad category of 'Effects of Fall of Buddhism', in a way, it is the continuation of my first book 'Tirupati Balaji was a Buddhist Shrine' (1991), where I have shown, for the first time, that Tirumala, the famous Vaishnava shrine of South India, was a Buddhist Centre of the past and that it was taken over by Brahmins for Brahminic use during the general decline of Buddhism, and another one 'Decline and Fall of Buddhism: A Tragedy in Ancient India' (2004), where in I have discussed the effects - rather than the causes - of Decline and Fall of Buddhism on the culture of India and in fact, how all the present day ills of India are all due to this tragedy.
This is not the merely a story of how the women in Buddhist Era were elevated by the Buddha and later degraded by Manu during the Brahminic Counter-Revolution in the post-Ashokan period, when his successor Emperor Bahidrath Maurya was treacherously assassinated by his Brahmin commander Pushyamitra Shunga, around 185 BCE. It is the whole story of women during Vedic, Buddhist, Brahminic and Medieval periods, their woes and triumphs.
In Prologue, how the Brahminic scholars blame the Buddhists for every ill found in Hindu society is explained. The women's problems are discussed with special reference to Women's Reservation Bill. Even in 21st century, the relevance of women empowerment relates to the fall of Buddhism occurring about a thousand years earlier. Here lies the importance of history to solve the problems of present day.
In Chapter 1, an attempt is made to discus the situation at the time of the fall of Buddhism. The monasteries were destroyed, Bhikkus were killed, the Buddhist religious books were vandalized, and the Buddhist religious concepts were accepted twisted and adopted for 'Hinduism', by adding to it the concept of Caste and Untouchability. The lay people were made 'Hindus' by making them accept caste and Brahmin supremacy, and those who did not accept the wishes of Brahmins were degraded as Untouchables - the greatest religious persecution any society has ever had - much more cruel than even slavery in ancient Rome or antebellum America. All this was accomplished by physical force through a newly created militant caste of Rajputs working under guidance of Brahminic masters. But what happened to the Buddhist nuns, present in Buddhist Viharas at the time of start of Untouchability? Surely they were not killed unlike their male counterparts. Our contention is that they were degraded to the level of 'Devadasis', the present day cheap prostitutes, offered in the name of god.
In Chapter 2, the rise of Buddhist Nuns is explained with reference to the pre-Buddhist status of women right from their birth to death. The rites and their rights, their education, marriage, age of marriage, married life, divorce, widowhood, Niyoga and Sati, are all explained. Even in spite of insulting conditions, the women preferred to join the Bhikkuni Sangha because acceptance of women in religious fields was in itself a revolutionary step taken by the Buddha.
In Chapter 3, the charge of Brahminical scholars that the Buddha was against women is discussed, as Dr. Ambedkar has refuted the charge. The real cause of fall of women was Laws of Manu, he said. How Lokmanya Tilak defines 'protection' of women as 'control' over them, and how they have no 'independence' in his opinion, is explained. How recent DNA studies have established that women are all indigenous and men of upper castes are alien and that is why all women are degraded as 'Shudras' by the Brahminical texts.
In Chapter 4, the glorious epoch of the Buddhist Nuns is explained with their culture, social service and their wonderful poetry, and their contribution to spread of Dhamma.
In Chapter 5, the position of Buddhist Nuns in other countries is explained with special reference to Sri Lanka.
In Chapter 6, how the Brahminical forces weakened the original Buddhism and brought it nearer to Brahminic religion by internal interference is explained through the Tipitakas to the Attakathas. This is to emphasize that one should not rely on Tipitakas as the complete word of the Buddha.
In Chapter 7, the Story of Untouchability in India is explained as contrasted with servitude in other countries and how Untouchability is worse than the worst froms of slavery is explained. How it was started because of hatred of Brahmins against the Buddhist broken men and how it is not possible for untouchable women to enter sanctum sanctorum of Brahminic temples after its start, is explained. Thus it is sure that these girls were in the temples captured for Brahminical use before the start of Untouchability, so they must have been Buddhist nuns.
In Chapter 8, the role of Vajrayani Siddhas, who were the leaders of Buddhism at the time of fall of Buddhism from seventh to tenth century and afterwards is explained. How the esoteric practices of Siddhas were not the cause of decline and fall of Buddhism, as blamed by some is explained. They were in the forefront of Buddhism when Devadasi System started.
In Chapter 9, how the image worship started by the Buddhists, how huge pantheon got created by the time of Vajrayana, and how these Deities of Buddhists resemble the deities of the Devadasis is explained.
In Chapter 10, what the Devadasi System is, and how it started is explained. Various theories of their origins, the Caste distribution and various legends is discussed, some important Devadasis mentioned and some attempts at rehabilitation of Devadasis discussed. History of dancing profession right from Harrapan Civilization to modern times is traced, and the rise of Devadasis around 1000 CE is confirmed. The journey of these women from Buddhist nuns to the Devadasis and from Devadasis to prostitutes is explained.
In Chapter 11, that the Indian Devadasi System has no relation with the so-called temple prostitution of Middle East countries is explained. The ancient foreign customs is discussed in detail from savagery to barbarism to civilization and compared with Indian equivalents.
In Chapter 12, all findings are summarized and conclusions drawn. The future of women's liberation in general and future of removal of Devadasi system are discussed.
Why do we write and express our pangs of misery, inhuman discrimination and injustice done to us by the main stream custodians of culture? Is it going to change anything? May be it will. Let us remember what Arundhati Roy said and console ourselves. She had observed in 'The God of Small Things': "I do believe that in India, we practice a form of apartheid that goes unnoticed by the rest of the world. And it is as important for Dalits to tell their stories as it has been for colonized peoples to write their own histories." The Dalits and other subalterned are now telling their stories in their own way and with their own methods with their own aesthetic standards and values. It is time that the others must begin to listen and unlearn. This attempt of mine is just a small contribution of a small drop in that ocean. Hope it meets the approval of the people.
Thanks!
Dr. K. Jamanadas
"Shalimar", Main Road, Chandrapur
--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/
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