Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's speech in the First World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) conference in 1950 in Sri Lanka
I am an interested observer, not a delegate. I came here with some very serious purposes. You probably know that there are people in India who thought the time had come when an effort might be made to revive Buddhism in India. I am one of them. The definite objects of my visit are first, to see Buddhist ceremonial. Ceremonial is an important part of religion. Whatever rationalists might say, ceremonial is a very essential thing in religion. By coming here, I thought I would be able to see the ritual that formed part and parcel of Buddhism.
Secondly, I wish to find out to what extent the
religion of the Buddha is observed here in its pristine purity and to what
extent His Gospel is encrusted by superstition, with beliefs incongruous with
Buddhism and Buddha's doctrines.
My third object is to find out to what extent the Order of Bhikkhus as established by the Buddha has been of service to the community and whether that Order is merely engaged in maintaining what is called " purity of life " for itself, or whether it is engaged in serving the laity, advising and making it perfect in the way the Buddha wished it to be. I am interested in finding out to what extent the religion of Buddha is a living force or whether it is something which exists by reason of the fact that the people of this country happen to be Buddhists in the traditional sense of the word and having inherited it merely passed it from one generation to another, whether there was the dynamics of religion so far as the counting is concerned. The best way I could find out if religion is static or that it has momentum and is dynamic is to study and observe the interest the younger generation of the country displayed, to what extent they devoted their time to religion, to what extent their belief in religion was giving them salvation (not in the theological sense of salvation after death, but in the life of the world). Buddhist countries should have not merely fellowship, but promote religion and make sacrifices. Merely to send Bhikkhus to lecture on the Message of the Buddha does not make people accept His Way of Life.
If the peace of the world is to be assured, it is not mere lecturing. Those who do not believe in the virtue of the Path should be persuaded to accept it, and it is obvious that countries where Buddhism exists should make sacrifices, establish missions and find funds, so that they can carry on the work of not merely spreading the gospel, but of converting men and women to the Eight - Fold Path.
(pp. 102 - 103, the Report of the WFB Conference 1950)
The first WFB Conference passed resolution 15 for revival of Buddhism in India:
That in view of the fact the present is the most propitious moment for the revival of Buddhism in the land of its origin, this Conference makes a most fervent appeal to the different Buddhist countries to send out missions in India to start centres in different parts of the country and for training missionaries to start an International Buddhist Institute in Calcutta the nucleus of which has already been laid down in the Nalanda Vidyabhavana started by the Buddha Dharmakur Sabha twelve years ago.
