Prominent along the Himalayan belt of India and rooted in the ancient Nalanda University, The Nalanda Buddhist Tradition represents a lineage of profound scholarship, monastic discipline, and meditative practices. But today it faces numerous challenges to save the erosion of its cultural and educational institutions.
The Indian Himalayan Council of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition (IHCNBT), an organization which focuses on preserving the spiritual, cultural, and artistic heritage of Buddhism in the Himalayan region, has recently organized its First General Assembly in New Delhi to engage in discussions on how to preserve and promote core philosophies of Nalanda Buddhist Traditions.
During the event, Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Director, National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) talked about the need to increase the accreditation of Buddhist monasteries for the betterment of the monks and nuns. He further invited more collaborated efforts to make education in Bhoti language (Tibetan language spoken in Trans-Himalayas) accredited.
“NIOS is making efforts to accredit monastic education of Buddhist monasteries and other seminaries like madrassa and gurudwaras”, Dr. Rajiv said.
General Secretary of IHCNBT, Mr. Maling Gombu emphasized on the human rights violation against Buddhist culture and language in Tibet, and called for united efforts to preserve the culture.
Union Minister of Minority Affairs, Mr. Kiren Rijiju addressed the gathering, echoing Prime Minister Modi’s words that India has gifted the world Buddhism. He highlighted the influence of Buddhism on the South East Asian countries. He further acknowledged the significant contributions of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, emphasizing the pivotal role Buddhism played in his life.
“Buddhism originated in India, hence it is our religion, and it becomes our duty to carry it forward” said Mr. Rijiju.
In his address, he called for collected efforts to preserve the Nalanda Buddhist Tradition of the himalayan region.
With the revival of Nalanda University in Bihar and the emphasis on infrastructural development in the region this fiscal year, India is working to promote the legacy of Nalanda further.
This General Assembly of IHCNBT comes as HH’s birthday in July approaches when he is expected to announce the next Dalai Lama. During the assembly, the IHCNBT unanimously urged PM Modi to grant Bharat Ratna to the 14th Dalai Lama.
The council also passed the key resolution that Gaden Phodang Institution has the sole authority on the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and strongly oppose the external interference in the process. The council also resolved that if the government of any other country /organization chooses the candidate for the next Dalai Lama, the Himalayan Buddhist community will not accept it.
The assembly was attended by 120 delegates from various Himalayan states of India. It was followed by a two day conference, where the delegates discussed the history of Nalanda Buddhism, challenges faced by Buddhism in the 21st century and the importance of establishing the monastic universities in the himalayan region.
