Tag: caste

Karuna USA! (The Buddhist Centre Podcast, Episode 426)

By Centre Team on Mon, 11 Apr, 2022 - 20:06

This week’s episode is a brilliant, edited conversation from the launch of Karuna USA live in New York City, featuring speakers from India, America and the UK.

Karuna USA believes that every individual deserves a decent life and the opportunity to achieve their potential, regardless of caste, race or ethnicity.

Social and economic systems with high levels of inequality hurt everyone’s progress. That’s a fact. Working together we can challenge these systems and ensure access to...

Buddhist Centre Features

Forging a Path for Women in India (The Dharma Toolkit Podcast, Episode 40)

By Centre Team on Tue, 15 Jun, 2021 - 11:58

A conversation exploring the central role of strong personal friendships in creating a culture that encourages women and girls in India to take seriously their own aspirations - whether in Buddhist training or life in general.

Abhayanavita and Tarahridaya are wonderful leaders and exemplars in this work, speaking across generations, across gender, and across caste to help inspire the new Buddhists of India.

From extremely difficult conditions each has forged her own path towards safety, respect and acceptance. And in a time of terrible...

Community Highlights

Global Community India! (The Dharma Toolkit Daily, Episode 15)

By Centre Team on Mon, 13 Apr, 2020 - 19:46

This week we are celebrating the anniversary of the birth of Doctor B. R. Ambedkar, one of the great Buddhist leaders of modern times and the radical father of the Indian Constitution. Today’s episode of the Toolkit Daily focusses on what it means to be a global community and explores Dr. Ambedkar’s vision of common humanity based around the evolution of just societies.

Our guests, Arun Bodh and Dayamudra, are from Jai Bhim International and Lokuttara Leadership...

The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Covid Emergency in India: A Home Retreat Appeal (The Dharma Toolkit Daily, Episode 10)

By Candradasa on Sat, 4 Apr, 2020 - 00:12

I confess, when I sat down to record this podcast yesterday I somehow didn’t expect it to have the impact it did. I’d seen all the news stories, shaken my head, wondered at how human beings can meet such complex, painful realities as what’s unfolding in India right now. But here they were - my friends - talking about what I can do about it. What you can do too.

We’re spending a week - in whatever ways we can manage...

Triratna International Council

Buddhist Voices: Abhayadana - Giving the Gift of Fearlessness to Women in India

By Candradasa on Mon, 9 Sep, 2019 - 13:01

A great conversation with the quietly brilliant Abhayadana about her Buddhist work and practice in India. Her name means ‘Giver of Fearlessness’ - and this is something she has dedicated her life to, helping support and free women in her community from the stigma of social caste and the violence that often goes with it.

We hear about her personal approach via meditation and reflection on the Buddhist figure of Kshitigarbha (Jizo) who descends into hell realms to liberate suffering beings. And...

Buddhist Voices

50 Years, 50 Voices: Ratnakumar (Highlights)

By Candradasa on Thu, 17 May, 2018 - 15:00

I asked him, “If I would go there, will I get food?” And he said “Yes, obviously there will be a feast and you can have enough to eat.” And I thought then, “I’ll go.”

Ratnakumar’s Annals
In 1968 I wasn’t born.

In 1978 I wasn’t born.

In 1988 I was four years old, having been born into a low caste Hindu family in Orissa.

In 1998 I was about 14. I went to the birthday celebration of Dr Ambedkar with my cousin and decided that day to learn...

Buddhist Centre Features

Lokamitra on the Nagaloka Institute, India

By sanghadhara on Tue, 18 Oct, 2016 - 14:20

Lokamitra has spent most of his adult life working in India to support the Dalit Buddhist community in their struggle against Hindu caste prejudice and its regard of them as literally “untouchable”. Inspired by the life and work of the great Dalit leader, India’s first Justice Minister Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, the Nagaloka Institute provides an invaluable chance to thousands of young Dalits, educating them in how Buddhism can help support their democratic rights to liberty, equality, and fraternity.

We...

Buddhist Centre Features

Buddhist Voices - Subhuti On Doctor Ambedkar, 60 Years On

By sanghadhara on Fri, 14 Oct, 2016 - 15:11

A special edition of Buddhist Voices, from India at the height of celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the mass conversion to Buddhism in 1956 of hundreds of thousands of Dalit (ex-Untouchable caste) Indians, inspired by their great leader Doctor Bhimrao Ambedkar to escape the horrors of the Hindu caste system and work towards a more just society in India.

Subhuti, a longstanding champion of Doctor Ambedkar as an exemplar of democratic principles for the whole world, gives us a...

Buddhist Centre Features

International Buddhist Youth Convention, India 2016

By sanghadhara on Wed, 12 Oct, 2016 - 17:52

Sanghadhara in conversation with Max, Stephanie and Erika share their experience of this year’s international Triratna Youth Convention in India.

Get the podcast (iTunes) | Get the podcast (other services)

Watch the video from the Convention

Triratna International Council

International Council 2014, Voices No. 4 - Aryaketu (India, Order Strand)

By Dassini on Sun, 10 Aug, 2014 - 16:07

A great conversation on today’s podcast with Aryaketu from India. Inspiring tales from his Aryaloka Computer Institute project teaching I.T. skills to women and men from amongst India’s poorest communities as a way out of poverty. And a rousing evocation of why the International Council represents something vital to the sangha in India and is, indeed, the flowering of Dr. Ambedkar’s vision for the Dalit community.

+ follow above to keep up-to-date with the...

Tag: caste

Pages