New Buddhists in Hungary: two people's stories

FWBO News is pleased to present interviews with two new Buddhists, both unusual in that they are Hungarian gypsies, part of a growing Buddhist sangha within the gypsy community.

To give a little background, a little over four years ago a group of Hungarian gypsies made contact with Subhuti and others from the FWBO. They had heard about the work of Dr. Ambedkar and had been deeply impressed by what they had read of his work and the suffering of his people, the Dalits, or ‘untouchables’ of India. They had in fact come to feel a deep connection with the Dalits of India, even, to see themselves as the Dalits of Europe and Dr Ambedkar’s message of social transformation as being deeply relevant for them.

Since that time Subhuti and others have made many visits to Hungary, most recently earlier this month, and some of Hungary’s new Buddhists have visited both the UK and India.

In his latest visit to Hungary Subhuti interviewed two of our Mitras there, covering a wide range of topics including their personal histories, the general situation of Gypsies in Hungary and how they came to connect with the Dharma and the FWBO. Below is a short excerpt from Janos' story, if you’d like to read more please follow the links at the bottom -

“After one month in India, I came back convinced that I was a Buddhist. On a very big retreat in Nagpur for 5,000 people, in January 2006, I had become a Dhammamitra, publicly declaring that the Buddha is my teacher, that I will practise the five precepts, and that TBMSG/FWBO is my spiritual family.

“But back here in Hungary, there were only Hungarian Buddhists, and I could not identify with them. However, people from the Western Buddhist Order/Trailokya Bauddha Mahasangha, both Europeans and Indians, came to stay with us and they were completely different from the Hungarian Buddhists.

“It took me some time to work out what kind of a movement the FWBO in Europe is, because these were white intellectual people who took to Buddhism for reasons that I could not really understand. But they were different from the Hungarian Buddhists I had met, because they were genuinely concerned with social questions. When they come to Hungary they spend time with us, which Hungarian Buddhists don't do. They have become our friends and the connection between us is very good.”
. excerpt from interview with Orsos Janos

The first, longer, interview is with Janos Orsos , who tells in some detail of the conditions of life for gypsies in Hungary and how he came to become a Buddhist. The second, with Benu, speaks of his personal struggles for a better life. Click on either to read their story.

If you would like to know more about the FWBO’s work in Hungary or contribute in any way please contact subhuti.secretary@gmail.com. You can read previous stories from FWBO News here or on the Dharmaduta blog here.

Dhamma teaching tour in Northern India

Subhuti and the Dhammakranti ‘outreach’ team have just finished a long and packed Dhamma teaching tour of Northern India. This followed immediately from the massive ‘Jumbo’ retreat at Bodh Gaya, which we hope to report on shortly – we are waiting for photos and some more eye-witness reports.

The tour began in Kusinagar, site of the Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana, with a public talk by Subhuti in the Shrine Hall of the monastery. .Maitriveer Nagarjun, one of the organizers of the Dhammakranti project, commented “The programme was especially wonderful due to the presence of 80 participants of the Dhammakranti Retreat, which had just finished”. Subhuti spoke here on the importance of ethics, or shila, in the creation of a just society. He commented that these days many people are aware of the name Buddha, but unaware of his teachings.

The following day saw a public talk in a small remote village near Kusinagar, where most of the local Buddhists were ‘Dalit’ followers of Dr. Ambedkar and, as such, leading lives typical of the millions of agricultural laborers in India – hand-to-mouth daily wages, illiterate, and poor. Subhuti spoke here of the disease of inequality and its roots in the Indian idea of Caste, which he described as being deeply rooted in the mind – meaning that liberation would come from training the mind to reach, instead, a state of equality and freedom. He explained also Dr. Ambedkar’s dream of a casteless society based on the Buddhist values of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.

From there the party traveled for three days 1,000 miles West, where the first ever Dhammakranti retreat was held in the Punjab, in a school run by some Mitras in the town of Phulpur. Some 90 people attended, the school was surrounded by green fields and silence, making it easy to deepen into the atmosphere of retreat. At the end a local school principal and others became Mitras in a ceremony to deepen their links with the Dhamma and our community. The retreat was specifically for new Buddhists, exploring ways they could effectively deepen their sense of Dhamma practice and spiritual community despite problems of isolation and remoteness.

From there to the neighboring state of Rajasthan, another first for Dhammakranti. Subhuti gave a public talk at Alwar, to an audience of Buddhists – many ‘born Buddhists’ whose communities had followed Dr. Ambedkar into Buddhism in the great conversions of 1956 – but who had had no instruction since, and who lived, tragically, in a state which topped the list of Indian caste-based atrocities. Subhuti exhorted his audience to bring into being the Buddhist ideal of a ‘Casteless People’ - to set the path for a casteless, peaceful, and just society for all, and celebrated the life of Dr. Ambedkar, whose life was devoted to just that.

After an evening meeting in Delhi, the party moved on to yet another first, the state of Haryana, 70 km east of Delhi, and another retreat, this time with over 150 people attending, both men and women. This retreat especially benefitted from there being people from many different States present - from Punjab, Rajasthan and U.P. (Uttar Pradesh). This retreat focused especially on meditation, as a system training bringing peace, and also as a potent agent for social transformation.

You can read a fuller account of the tour here. For the Dhammakranti team, life continues biusy - preparations are beginning for their second All-India Buddhist Youth Conference at Bor Dharan, our retreat centre near Nagpur, where more than 500 are expected.

Click here for a map of TBMSG groups in India.

Dhammakranti retreat at Bodh Gaya - 1,500 booked and counting...

November 11th sees the start of the annual TBMSG ‘Dhammakranti’ retreat at Bodh Gaya. Nagaketu, the organiser, told FWBO News “So far 1500 people have booked for the retreat and in addition we are expecting at least another 1000 people”. All are welcome, from East and West, and people will be coming from many different castes and communities all over India - one aim of the retreat is to exemplify a ‘casteless society’ which is so necessary if Buddhism is to become truly established across India. The retreat will be held at the Nyingma Monlam monastery 1 mile from the Mahabodhi Temple and the program will include daily walking mediations to the Temple and within the temple grounds.

They are still appealing for funds to subsidise the attendance of very poor people who simply cannot afford the Rs.650 (UK £8) the retreat is costing. Donations are invited for the sponsoring of places, please contact FWBO News if you would like to give in this way. Payment is possible internationally via Paypal, and further details of the retreat are available from the Dhammakranti website.

International Dhammakranti Retreat in Buddha Gaya

FWBO News is happy to pass on this announcement and request from Nagaketu at our Dhammakranti team in India. Previous stories from this great project have included their Delhi symposium and their tour of South India late last year.

Dear friends,

We are very happy to inform you that we are organising the 6th International Dhammakranti Retreat in Buddha Gaya (in the State of Bihar, India) from 11th Nov. to 17th November 2007 at the Nyingma Monastery in Buddha Gaya. This is going to be the second and largest International Dhammakranti Retreat in Buddha Gaya organized by Dhammakranti Social Institute, TBMSG, India.

This is a good opportunity to be in the most holy place for Buddhists in the world. It is a rare opportunity to practice and learn the Dhamma with 3000 to 5000 people from India and the World.

These retreats have made a considerable impact throughout India – they give people from all castes and classes the opportunity to practice Dhamma together and form a Casteless society in the true sense. In India this is truly a precious opportunity.

This retreat is an opportunity for people to interact with others from all different caste and international backgrounds. We will meet everybody deeply enough, and in sufficient unity and harmony, that our biases towards seeing people as higher or lower than us will simply vanish.

Many people from very poor economic backgrounds, from many Indian states, are going to participate in the retreat. A donations scheme is being set up to assist many of them to attend, and this report is an appeal for donations – see the contact details below. Your donation will help hundreds of them to have this unique experience in their life.

Come and join this historic event to transform the Society, based on Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, and fulfill the dream of Bodhisattva Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Dhammachari Subhuti will lead the Retreat, which will be on the theme of the Life of the Buddha.

The major attractions on the retreat are Meditation, Talks, Buddhist Rituals, Group Discussions & Buddhist Cultural activities.

We are expecting 200 Westerners and 100 Order Members (Dhammacharis) from India and Abroad.

Fees: for westerners 100 pounds uk/200 us dollars per person.

Book your place now and Contribute in reviving the Dhammachakra (Dhamma Revolution) in the World.

Let us participate in the Humanitarian Revolution to make an Equal Society for all.

To book, to make a donation, or for more details please contact us at:

Central office Nagpur: 0091-712-3241512 | e-mail | web site

Please pass this information on to as many people as possible.

Yours in the Dhamma,

Nagaketu, Ritayush, & Maitriveer Nagarjuna
Central Organizing Committee, FWBO/TBMSG Dhammakranti Social Institute, Nagpur, India.