BUDDHA . . . . . . . . . HIS RELIGION 107
The other purpose of Buddha in founding the Bhikkhu Sangha was to create a society the members of which would be free to do service to the people. That is why He did not want the Bhikkhus to marry.
Is the Bhikkhu Sangha of today living up to these ideals ?
The answer is emphatically in the negative. It neither guides the people nor does it serve them.
The Bhikkhu Sangha in its present condition can therefore be of no use for the spread of Buddhism. In the first place there are too many Bhikkhus. Of these a very large majority are merely Sadhus and Sanyasis spending their time in meditation or idleness. There is in them neither learning nor service. When the idea of service to suffering humanity comes to one’s mind every one thinks of the Ramakrishna Mission. No one thinks of the Buddhist Sangha. Who should regard service as its pious duty the Sangha or the Mission? There can be no doubt about the answer. Yet the Sangha is a huge army of idlers. We want fewer Bhikkhus and we want Bhikkhus highly educated, Bhikkhu Sangha must borrow some of the features of the Christian priesthood particularly the Jesuists. Christianity has spread in Asia through service—educational and medical. This is possible because the Christian priest is not merely versed in religious lore but because he is also versed in Arts and Science. This was really the ideal of the Bhikkhus of olden times. As is well known the Universities of Nalanda and Taxila were run and manned by Bhikkhus. Evidently they must have been very learned men and knew that social service was essential for the propagation of their faith. The Bhikkhus of today must return to the old ideal. The Sangha as is composed cannot render this service to the laity and cannot therefore attract people to itself.
Without a Mission Buddhism can hardly spread. As education requires to be given, religion requires to be propagated. Propagation cannot be undertaken without men and money. Who can supply these ? Obviously the countries where Buddhism is a living religion. It is these countries which must find the men and money at least in its initial stages. Will these ? There does not seem to be much enthusiasm in these countries for the spread of Buddhism.