z:\ ambedkar\vol 011\vol11 03.indd MK SJ+YS 5 10 2013/YS 18 11 2013 112
112 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
II
the Brahma world and appeared before the Buddha. And arranging his upper robe on one shoulder he bent down and with clasped hands said : “Thou art no longer Siddharth Gautama. Thou art Buddha. Thou art the Blessed One who is blessed with the fullest enlightenment. Thou art the Tathagatha. How canst thou refuse to enlighten the world ? How canst thou refuse to save erring humanity?
“There are beings full of impurity that are falling away through not hearing the doctrine.
“As the Lord knows,” proceeded Brahma Sahampati, “Among the Magadhas arose in ancient times, doctrine impure, with many blemishes devised.
“Will not the Lord open for them the door of his immortal doctrine ?
“As one upon a rocky mountain standing, beholdeth all the people round about him even thus, O thou, with wisdom distilled, ascending all, behold, look down, thou griefless one, upon those plunged in their griefs.
“Rise up, O hero, victor in battle, O caravanleader, free from the debt of birth, go to the world and not turn away from it.
“May the Lord in his compassion design to teach his gospel to men and to gods. ”
“O Brahma, Eminent and Excellent among men, if I did not give public utterance to my gospel, it is because I perceived vexation,” was the reply of the Buddha.
Knowing that there was so much unhappiness in the world the Buddha realized that it was wrong for him to sit as a sanyasi with folded arms and allow things to remain as they were.
Asceticism he found to be useless. It was vain to attempt to escape from the world. There is no escape from the world even for an ascetic. He realized that what is necessary is not escape from the world. What is necessary is to change the world and to make it better.
He realized that he left the world because there was so much conflict resulting in misery and